Rise of Heroes

Chapter 35 - The Wrong Path

“I still think this is a mistake,” Tamara sighed, biting her lip. Jaden turned to glance at her, but she was staring at the door. Despite the number of people in the Great Hall, it was considerably quiet. A few of them were whispering among each other, but even their voices died down when the doors finally opened.

Jaden straightened up, his eyes drifting toward his father for a moment. King Joel sat comfortably on his throne, his eyes locked on the pair that stepped forward. He looked thin and fragile in his royal attire, the bright navy blue and black made his face look even paler. There were deep shadows under his eyes, and his lips seemed colorless even as his smile widened.

Jaden forced himself to turn around to face his future wife, only to find his eyes drifting toward the girl that was walking in front of her. Isabelle was wearing white as well, a small hair ornament pulling her red hair back. Her face seemed calm and there was a welcoming smile on her lips, but her eyes were a stormy blue color.

He shook his head, turning toward the younger girl. She looked a lot like her sister — same red hair and porcelain skin, same blue eyes and lean figure; but she was young, almost a child, and she seemed so fragile that he was almost surprised she had survived the attack. Her pace was more hesitant as she followed her sister.

They finally stopped in front of the small podium, both making a curtsy that would have satisfied his mother even on a bad day. His eyes kept switching between the two until Isabelle spoke, her voice pleasant and dripping with respect.

“King Joel Driennon, son of Tedmund Driennon and Alina Sevinar, Defender of the Realm, Protector of the people of Roder, and Commander of the Black Army, I greet you.”

King Joel finally rose, slowly climbing down the small steps that raised the throne above the ground level. Despite the urge Jaden felt to help him, he remained in his place, unwilling to acknowledge his father’s weakness.

“Isabelle Niabard, daughter of Andreas Niabard and Alyssa Nydoel, first princess of Anamir, I welcome you to my kingdom!” King Joel bowed slightly, swaying, and as the girl was about to lend him a hand, he stopped her with an almost unnoticeable gesture.

“Thank you for your most warm welcome, Your Majesty. I hope this union will bring great fortunes to both of our nations,” Isabelle continued and Jaden couldn’t help but smile slightly at the irony that sneaked in her voice. Intentionally or not, those words were as far from the truth as the idea of a demon having a soul. “I am here on behalf of my father and as a Custodian of my sister. Her hand in marriage was requested by your son and heir, Jaden Driennon.” Her voice shook for a second as she pronounced his name and Jaden found himself smiling to himself. He liked how his name sounded coming from her lips and he wanted to hear it again, but she had been especially cautious to turn to him with all kinds of titles, but never directly. “Anamir has agreed that a union between our kingdoms is most desirable. I am here to give our blessing. In return, I request a vow that your son would protect, respect and honor Elaine from this day onward until his death.”

Jaden just stood and watched her until Tamara gave him a slight push, her teeth clenched firmly. He quickly took his place next to his father who glanced at him with his eyebrows knitted together. King Joel’s face quickly smoothed when he turned toward the girls.

“I vow before you and the people who bear witness today that I would protect, respect, and honor my future wife, Elaine Niabard, from this day onward until the day I die.” Jaden recited. Isabelle stared at him for a few seconds as if to make sure he wasn’t lying, then nodded, turning aside and taking the hand her sister was already raising.

“Very well then,” Isabelle said, placing her sister’s small hand in the one the king offered. Joel’s warm smile didn’t seem to do much about Elaine’s nervousness.

“Elaine Niabard, daughter of Andreas Niabard and Alyssa Nydoel, future queen of Roder, we’re most happy that you are finally here. Welcome to the family!” The next moment Joel turned toward his son, who instinctively raised his hand to take the girl’s. Next to him, she seemed so small, a whole head shorter and even tinier than Estelle. Jaden stared at her for a few long seconds, then leaned down, placing a quick kiss on the back of her hand. The hall burst into cheers.

A minute later, he was surrounded by people, some coming to congratulate them, others to introduce themselves to his bride-to-be. From the corner of his eye, Jaden noticed Isabelle helping his father stand on his feet until his two guards led him back to his seat. A group quickly formed around the first princess of Anamir, and she graciously rewarded them with a polite smile and her full attention.

“When is the wedding?” A female’s voice asked, and Jaden brought his attention back to the people around him. A tall, bony woman was staring at him expectantly, her lips turning into a smile when their eyes met. He couldn’t place a name on her face, but General Mayern’s enormous palm resting on her shoulder suggested she must be his wife. Next to the woman was an identical but younger version of her, a girl with her mother’s features but her father’s body structure. She was just as tall as Jaden, and not so surprisingly, wearing a soldier's uniform with her father’s crest on her right chest.

“In a few weeks’ time,” Jaden answered, receiving approving nods from those who were close enough to hear. “The delegation of King Andreas is expected to arrive right before that. If all goes well.” At his last words, some of the men, all generals and high-ranked soldiers in his father’s army, exchanged concerned glances.

Not long after that, the buzzing of lively conversations and laughter was drowned in a series of soft, pleasant sounds, directing everybody’s attention toward the musicians who had taken their appointed places and had started playing at the king’s command.

More torches were lit, spreading light in the semi-dark hall, producing a soft, almost honey glow in the spacious accommodation. Servants darted among the guests, offering treats and beverages, wine and fruits arranged into silver platters in a way Jaden had never seen before. He wasn’t used to such abundance, no less to the way the servants were dressed in neat blue gowns with a slight Keldarian touch to highlight the women’s curves while still allowing them full mobility.

His mother’s doing, no doubt.

He almost felt sorry for them when he noticed Anitra passing nearby with a platter in her hands and a not-at-all-happy expression on her face. Every time she caught somebody’s eyes following her for a moment too long, she would glare back and stare until they looked away.

Jaden was about to let go of Elaine’s cold hand, which he realized he was holding the whole time when someone patted him on the back. The prince found his father standing behind him, paler than earlier, trying to hide that he was barely standing on his own feet.

“Why don’t you ask your fiance to dance? I think it’s only appropriate for you two to give an example for the others to follow. It’s your duty, as the future king, to always set an example. Even when it comes to dancing.” King Joel laughed heartily, patting Elaine on the back as well.

Jaden nodded and turned toward the girl, raising his eyebrows in question.

“Shall we?”

She nodded awkwardly, giving him an uncertain smile, and let him take her to the middle of the room where the people had already started to clear out. The musicians changed the melody as the two of them took their places, ready to start. A second couple joined them and Jaden almost tripped upon noticing Glen escorting princess Isabelle to the space next to her sister and then taking his on Jaden’s left.

“I told you she would like me,” Glen whispered to his cousin, hardly suppressing his grin. “We may have a double wedding, my friend.”

Jaden found himself clenching his jaw even though he could tell it was just a mindless joke. He looked toward Elaine, only to find her exchanging a warm smile with her sister. Isabelle and Jaden’s eyes met for a brief moment before she turned toward her dance partner and stepped forward. Jaden did the same, raising his hand to meet Elaine’s. The line of dancing couples had grown from one side of the hall to the other, while the rest of the guests were standing by the stone walls, watching the dancers as they swirled and swayed with the melody.

Jaden and Glen switched places, stepping toward each other’s partners for a moment and raising their hands at the height of their chest. The moment Isabelle’s skin touched his, Jaden felt a tingling feeling crawling on his fingers, like a feather barely touching their surface. The princess immediately pulled her hand, stepping back almost out of tact, and changed places with Elaine, as did the others.

Turning on his heel and placing his hands behind his back, Jaden tried to focus on his steps rather than the fact that he could feel her presence behind him even without looking when Glen’s low voice startled him.

“Be careful there, cousin.” The prince turned to meet his eyes, only to find a warning there instead of the previous merriness. Glen was still smiling, but it wasn’t as genuine as before. “Don’t go down this path.” Glen glanced over his shoulder a moment before they had to turn. “For everybody’s sake, keep your eyes on your future wife.”

Jaden opened his mouth to tell him off when the melody gave way to another, faster one, urging the dancers to rearrange themselves while others stepped back for a breath of air. Glen had disappeared into the crowd while Elaine was pulled aside by her two ladies and the three of them were laughing, holding each other close as if afraid to get separated from one another.

Jaden’s eyes finally landed on the person who he was looking for, only to find her heading for the big double doors that were standing wide open, two soldiers standing on duty on each side. Her quick pace wavered when she approached them, exchanging a few words with one of them. After a double shake of the soldier’s head, she turned and walked back, her eyes searching for something.

Jaden was curiously watching Princess Isabelle making her way through the crowd when someone cleared their throat next to him.

“What are we watching?” Tamara asked. He quickly turned toward his sister, but not before noticing Isabelle approaching Anitra and whispering something to her.

“Our people. They seem happy,” Jaden said with a shrug. It wasn’t exactly a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth, either. Tamara nodded, although he doubted she believed him. “I haven’t seen them dancing and laughing like that since… I don’t really remember when.”

“And what about you? Are you happy?” Her voice suggested something more than a simple question, but he wasn’t going to give in to the provocation.

“I danced. I laughed. I haven’t done that in a while.” He grinned, squeezing her shoulder. “Lighten up. Drink some wine. Spirits forbid, dance!” Jaden laughed even harder when he met her murderous gaze. “It’s not the end of the world, you know.”

“Let’s hope so,” she mumbled, uncrossing her arms, and glancing around. “I think that wine is actually a good idea.” She murmured, turning and making her way toward one of the girls dressed in blue. Once again, Jaden searched the hall for Isabelle’s face or bright white dress, but all he could find was Elaine, still surrounded by her two ladies and a handful of other women.

‘For everybody’s sake, keep your eyes on your future wife.’ Glen’s words resounded in Jaden’s head like a terrible warning, over and over again.

Jaden had no idea what made him search for Isabelle’s presence even when he wasn’t aware he was doing it, but the intensity of the feeling was scaring him. He knew his place, his role, his duty, but there was a small part of him that was longing for that unexplainable sensation that overcame his body every time she was near. Like a spell that pulled him in her direction, even if he was trying to go the other way.

“Are you coming?” Tamara had stopped and was looking at him. “What is it?”

“Nothing.” He shook his head, hoping it would banish for good those dangerous thoughts that were swirling in his mind. “Let’s get that wine.”