Page 118 of A Kingdom's Heart
When they reached it, King Henrik said something I could not hear. Then he took her hand and placed it in Lorenzo’s.
And that was it.
She stood beside him now, facing the priest. Her white gown brushed against his dark coat, the two of them framed by flowers and banners. It was perfect, just as everyone wanted.
But for me, it was ruin. Something inside me cracked open, silent but deep. It was the sound of everything I had ever wanted slipping away from me forever.
The priest’s voice smoothly carried over the courtyard, calm and
measured. “Do you, Prince Lorenzo of Valebran, take Princess Iris of Elarion to be your lawfully wedded wife, to honor and protect
her for all the days of your life?”
Lorenzo proudly lifted his chin. “I do.”
My stomach twisted. I told myself to stand still, to keep my eyes forward, to remember that I was only a guard among dozens. But it felt like the world had gone silent, as if every sound had been swallowed by those two words.
Then the priest turned, his gaze falling on her. “And do you, Princess Iris of Elarion, take Prince Lorenzo of Valebran to be your lawfully wedded husband, to honor and serve him for all the days of your life?”
The courtyard waited.
For a moment, she did not speak. I could see her lips trembling, her hands clenched at her sides. My heart pounded so hard I could hear it in my ears. Then, so softly I almost wished I hadn’t heard it, she said, “I do.”
That was when it broke.
A tear slid down my cheek, hot and heavy, hidden behind the steel of my helm. I blinked hard, but another came, and another after that. The inside of the helmet grew damp, and the sound of my breathing filled the space around me.
I was grateful for the armor. Grateful that no one could see me
like this. But even as I stood there, I knew the truth. There wasn’t a single piece of armor in the world strong enough to protect me from this.
This was a wound no blade could give, no healer could close. It wasn’t just heartbreak. It was the feeling of watching your whole soul belong to someone you could never touch again.
Every vow they spoke cut deeper, every cheer from the crowd pressed heavier against my chest. It was unbearable, this kind of pain. I wanted to scream, to run, to tear the armor from my body just to breathe again, but I couldn’t. I had sworn to serve, to stand, to protect her, even now.
So I did what I had always done. I stayed still. I stayed silent. I let the tears fall where no one could see them, each one a reminder of the life I would never have.
And in that silence, I understood. This was the price of loving her. This was the cost of a heart that belonged to a princess.
CHAPTER FORTY NINE
WILLIAM
The priest stepped back as the two kings moved forward. The crowd fell silent again, the air heavy with ceremony and expectation.
A servant stepped from the side, carrying a silver blade on a
small velvet cloth. He bowed low, then held it out to King Henrik. My king took it without hesitation. The blade gleamed in the sun, sharp and spotless.
He turned to King Phelipe, his expression solemn. “In blood we seal this bond.”
Without flinching, Kink Henrik cut his palm first. A thin line of red followed. He then offered the blade to King Phelipe who did the same, the blood beading along his skin.
They clasped their hands tightly together.
“In blood we bind ourselves,” Henrik said, his voice strong and sure.
Phelipe nodded, his tone matching his own. “And may this alliance last forever.”
