Victorian Nights: The Arranged Marriage

The Wedding 2

The rest of the ride was silent and after three hours we had reached the gates to the Land of The Celestials.

Marcus had let go of my hand and made sure to create enough distance between the both of us. I avoided his eyes throughout the journey and refused to say a word to him after his warnings…not that I was scared, I was angry and I didn’t want to say something I would regret. It would be so out of character so I decided to be the better person and stay quiet.

The carriage soon came to a stop and the doors opened. I stepped out without wanting for Marcus and the coach man who had come to inform us of our arrival helped me down the steps.

Marcus followed behind. I stopped for a moment to stare at the gates, once one went through those gates it is like entering another realm, the Celestial realm. The gates were tall, silver and they glowed. I have been in the land of the celestials only three times and in those times I didn’t spend more than an hour or two because of how strict they are with their security.

Marcus comes to stand next to me and takes my hand in his, I try to ignore the tingle his touch causes on my skin.

“We will be going directly to the reception” he says to me, the other human servants who followed behind would not understand why he said thus but I did.

Every one knows each Celestial is born with three gifts, some may differ according the person's soul. The Crown Prince was born with the gift of teleportation and creation but his third gift has not yet been discovered….at least that is what the rumors say.

“The rest of them can meet us there but for now, I shall take you to my parents”

The King and Queen of the Celestials…my heart pounds heavily in my chest. They were ruthless rulers, the most feared in the Sapien continent. The king had agreed to this marriage because of political benefits as well I’m sure but I can’thelp but wonder what benefits a human kingdom like Tetmo can give to the Celestials. Till today I am still quiet confused why the king arranged my marriage to his son when he could have just kept me as a servant considering the fact that my mother practically sold me to them.

I felt cold all over suddenly, like I was being bathed in the lake on a cold winter night, I fought the urge to scream and held on tightly to Marcus' hand.

It was over as soon as it began, the feeling faded away and I opened my slightly teary eyes to take in my surroundings.

I could hear the music from the hall but it seemed so far away. We were in a large hallway, the walls painted golden and decorated with silver lines. Big fiery red chandeliers lined the ceilings brightening up the place and adding more beauty to it.

This is not the reception but I know we're close though, I turn to look at Marcus in confusion, this is the wrong spot.

“Why have you brought us here? I thought we were going to the reception?” I ask, my right hand still in his grip reminding me of what I had experienced in the carriage.

“Make sure to smile, I’m not happy with this marriage but I will not disappoint my father so smile! Understand?” his eyes narrow as he speaks to me with a condescending look.

He isn’t happy? Then does he think I’m happy with the outcome? Being married to an asshole like him, or does he think he is so special just because he is the future king of the Celestials?

“Yes” I hear myself say, it is still a wonder how I didn’t talk back at him with the words in my head. My voice was low, docile…just like me, just like how I was raised. I have only been married to this man for four hours and yet he was already making me so frustrated.

“Good!” He then drags my hand and we walk towards the direction of the music, he reduces his pace as we reach the large backyard of the palace. It was a garden, beautifully decorated with lights hanging from one tree to the next, glowing orbs float in the air adding the beauty.

There is a huge dark red cake at the place where Marcus and I are meant to sit and right next to our seat is the king and queen.

I suck in a breath and continue to walk with Marcus.

As soon as the guests spotted us, they all came one by one to greet us and show their respects to the prince and get acquainted with the new princess as most of them said.

“You are beautiful…”

“What a lucky man prince Marcus is…”

“I never knew humans looked this beautiful”

I met a lot of people, remember a lot of faces but not their names, everyone was being so nice that it made me so uncomfortable.

Ass kissing, my second cousin Tabitha would call it. They all wanted to get on my good side, so many of the white haired ladies here offered their friendships, their fashion designer’s contacts…I do not need any of that and at the moment I couldn’t focus because I noticed the direction Marcus was walking, he was going to meet his parents and he was taking me with him.

“You better behave accordingly” his hand wraps around my waist and he brings me closer to him, his whisper increases my anger, hating the fact that he was speaking to me as though I was a child.

I felt warmth through his clothes at our close proximity, he smiles as he walks to the king and queen, something I have not seen him do since I met him for the first time at the bonding ceremony.

“Marcus, child” the queen had pure white hair, she looked just as young as me but one could tell she was older, much more experienced with a glance, from the way she carried herself to the way she spoke.

Her blue eyes filled with disdain as she looked at me yet she managed to maintain such a graceful smile on her lips, her black dress was made with pure silk, the material caught the light and made the dress kind of glitter.

She stretched out her hand for Marcus to take and he did. Firstly I bowed to the king, he sat quietly, his wise brown eyes taking me in, observing me. I felt bare under his gaze, like he could see everything I was thinking…everything I wanted to do, there was something else in his gaze that I couldn’t identify though…

“It is an honor to finally meet the king and queen of the Celestials, I thank you for allowing me into your home” my eyes stayed down, Marcus had already let go of my hand when his mother decided to pull him into a hug.

The king held my shoulders and brought me up from my bowing position, his eyes staring straight into mine. My heartbeat was haywire and I struggled to maintain my polite smile because of how scared and nervous I was meeting the king and queen.

“Welcome to the family Vera, I hope Marcus didn’t give you too much trouble on the way” he was teasing, joking with me. The king smiles, I notice how similar his and Marcus' face look when they both smile.

He looks young but yet, his aura and the power surrounding him made him stand out.

The look he was giving me right now brought back memories of when my father would praise me for doing something good but then again, not exactly…

“No he didn’t, he has been quite a gentleman” I say and smile at Marcus, just like he asked. He wants me to make his parents think everything is okay and I also want the same thing, there is no way for us to back out of this marriage but the least I can do is to make sure that I am in it comfortably and there no better way to achieve that than earning the favor of the king and queen.

“As expected of my son” the queen says “He isn’t like all these low class humans with no manners”

She does not like me or rather she does not like humans, I could see it in her eyes from the moment we walked here.

This is the first gathering in centuries where both Humans and Celestials have come together to celebrate the same event. I noticed the way her nose was scrunched up in disgust as her eyes scanned through the crowd and also when she looks at me.

“Mother, Father…” I almost forgot Marcus could speak, him standing next to his mother and then staying silent instead of even attempting to introduce me to his parents got me pissed off. How does he expect them to think everything is okay if he won’t even act like everything is okay.

“...Vera and I will be leaving now, please enjoy the rest of the party” he says. He takes my hand in his again and bows to his parents, I follow suit not wanting any reason to be executed on my first day in the palace of the Celestials.

“You did good”

Marcus says, hand around my waist as he whispers into my ear. I’m sure everyone else staring at us will think we’re having a normal conversation yet the words he just said made my anger reach new heights.

I clenched my fists and stayed quiet, I am not a push over but I’m not one to voice out my emotions either. I can keep it in, I have been keeping in all of my emotions all of my life, I can still do it in the land of Celestials, I can still do it while married to the man I was beginning to dislike.

“Thank you” I reply, I notice his expression shifts. My reply was clearly not what he wants to hear. It seems like he is intentionally trying to spite me, I will not give him the satisfaction.

Soon enough my family and the other servants we had left behind had arrived and the garden was filled up with more guests than I could count.

Not only humans and Celestials but also creatures from other continents that have also come to join in the celebration and create connections.

My mother didn’t waste anytime, she located me almost immediately she had reached the garden, she and my uncle walked toward Marcus and I hand in hand and there was a look my uncle was giving to my mother that made me quite uncomfortable.

“Crown prince and princess” my mother bowed while my uncle nodded in respect, it would be very odd for the king of a kingdom to bow to the prince of another no matter if he’s a Celestial or not.

“Your Majesty, Lady Dacre” Marcus bows his head in greeting, so polite, so different from how he has been with me. There was a small smile on his lips which I was sure my mother delighted in. She loves attractive men and as much as I hate to admit it, Marcus becomes more attractive when his lips curl up.

“It is a pleasure to meet you again My Prince…” Marcus took my mother’s hand in his and kissed it, my uncle seemed displeased by the action…I wondered why, at least he stayed quiet and didn’t voice out his thoughts, something I’ve learned from him.

“The last time we met was almost ten years ago if I’m not mistaken” my mother giggles as Marcus hold’s her hand for a few moments longer before letting go. “…You still look as beautiful as ever lady Dacre” Marcus says, my mother’s cheeks flushes pink and I fight the urge to roll my eyes at them.

“Ahem!” my uncle reminds us of his presence. “Come Diane, let us go see the king and queen and show our respects”

There was a bit of hostility in his stare, it was not directed at me though. I looked at Marcus who had a cocky smirk on his lips, both men had some sort of unspoken connection that neither my mother and I know anything about.

“Vera…Prince Marcus” my uncle nods and the with my mother’s hand in his, they both leave our side and go to greet Marcus’ parents.