Predatory Marriage

Leah reached the end of the aisle.

Standing beside Blain, the priest went through the ritual blessings, and then extended a cup of wine to Leah first, according to Estian custom. Both of them would share the drink to be bound as a married couple.

As she lifted the cup to her mouth, she spat out the potion she had been concealing there and pretended to swallow. The black liquid dissolved into the white wine without a trace.

Blain gulped the rest of the wine down and threw the glass away almost angrily. It wasn’t an appropriate attitude for a man on his wedding day, but no one was surprised. All the guests only smiled vaguely, as if it had all been agreed upon beforehand. – Posted only on NovelUtopia

“Blain De Estia.” The priest was also smiling as he spoke the final words. “Will you swear to love this woman as your wife forever?”

Blain gave a twisted smile, as if at some secret thought.

“I so swear.”

The priest acknowledged the reply and turned to Leah.

“Leah De Estia.” He didn’t stumble over the words as he repeated the question, even though the bride had the same last name as the groom. “Will you swear to love this man as your husband forever?”

Leah did not answer.

The silence drew out and prolonged, rocking the placid ceremony and sending a ripple of disturbance through the room. It was enough that even the guests who had been applauding like robots paused for a moment.

Her lips pursed as she looked up at Blain, and watched as his blue eyes faintly trembled. Murmurs of disbelief began to be heard through the reception hall.

Slowly, Leah slipped her engagement ring from her finger and tossed it to Blain.

It struck his chest and fell to the ground.

“You...you...” He stammered.

Outside, there was the noise of a battle horn.

As the wild sound broke the soft background music being played by the orchestra, confusion filled all the watching guests.

“Ahhh!!!”

The wedding guests began to rise from their seats, panicking as all the guards in the reception hall drew their swords all at once.

As the doors burst open, people dressed in light armor flooded inside, fast and lethal as beasts. The sound of clashing swords spread as blood stained the floor, and the guests began to scream.

All of those beautiful decorations were getting trampled by the panicking guests.

She found him at the moment of perfect destruction, a blood-soaked man whose sword streamed red. He looked at her with bright golden eyes, and Leah felt a pain in her heart as sharp and excruciating as if she had been struck with an arrow. Her whole body shuddered.

This had happened before.

The déjà vu was so far beyond anything she had experienced before, Leah held her breath. In her mind she saw a bloody plain, filled with eulalies.

He had wrecked everything. He had ruined her as the Princess of Estia. And he had cut all the strings that had made her a puppet and brought her into a new world. Leah had been born again under his protection.

The man who had destroyed her life spoke.

“Leah.”

The moment he said her name, she felt the strangest sensation. Why, she had never needed a key to the lock in the first place. Because all of her memories belonged to her.

“Come closer, Leah.”

Ishakan called her again, his voice growing slowly impatient. The way she was standing there unmoving was frightening him. Had she fallen under Cerdina’s spell again?

“Please...” He whispered, his face twisting, and there was no reason to hesitate for one second longer.

Leah ran to him, stumbling in her uncomfortable, unwieldy dress. Blood from his clothing instantly stained the white gown as he caught her, and Ishakan wrapped her in his arms and closed his eyes when he held her at last.

Her chest swelled against him, fighting the corset as she tried to catch her breath, and slowly calmed down. Ishakan whispered.

“...My wife.”

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