Chapter forty

Lucy

With my father banished to where he rightfully belonged, I didn't know what to do and sure as hell didn't know how to feel. All my life, I had wanted the ruin of anything that shared relation with him but now, It turned out I shared relation with him in ways I couldn't even begin to comprehend.

"I'm sure this a little bit too much to comprehend but..."

"I have to ask him myself." I cut Osei off before she could finish her statement.

"No... He can't know I told you." She began but I dashed out of the room before she could stop me.

"Grandfather! Grandfather!" I screamed, running room after room to find him before Osei could catch up with me. Using my side-eye, I could see her on a mad chase.

I stopped running upon reaching his room. He was on the bed having managed to wriggle out of his wheelchair independently.

"You look beautiful Lucy." He complimented but my mind was far beyond that.

"Am I Maisy's aunt?" I queried.

In the nick of the moment, Osei dropped in, terribly horrified to discover she was too late. Grandfather was stunned. He turned in Osei's direction and said,

"How could you tell her, I trusted you!"

"I had to. You know she was only doing this for revenge."Osei shot back.

" I had it handled."

That was it. They were all going to pretend I wasn't a living, breathing creature in front of them. It was all the confirmation I needed from all three parties. Everyone here was only concerned about themselves. My father, My supposes grandfather turned stepfather... The sinking feeling worsened. The wedding was to start in an hour's time but I wasn't so sure I could put up with it any longer. It all wasn't making sense. Their incessant arguing made the weird sensation in my throat worsen.

"Enough!" I shrieked, so close to shattering the glass.

My outburst gained their attention and I used the moment to rant out how fucked up I felt.

"You had this handled? I poisoned you every day and hoped that one day you'll collapse and die. I had a vision where I saw Tatia die and I did nothing to stop it. I wanted nothing but ruin for this household and all you have to say is you have it handled... Unbelievable."

Grandfather... Stepfather or whatever he was to now become mute. Tears flowed freely as I imagined all the righteous things I had desecrated but not this; I stared down at my dressing, The formal wear that symbolized purity. I had done a lot of bad things but this was going to be the worst. Breaking the sacred vow and staining the ceremony. How could I not see it before? I had to set things right. It wasn't too late to rewrite my rewrite on Maisy's destiny, I have to set things right.

  I got my sorry ass up and headed outside much to their dismay.

"Where are you going?" Osei inquired.

I tucked my hair behind my back and faced them, the feeling of disdain, betrayal and some other sensation I hadn't felt since I found out the truth, Something I craved to get back from the Quinns; Freedom.

"To stop me from ruining my Niece's marriage."

***

Eric

  "With the power bestowed on me by the almighty..." Father Nicholas's voice trailed away the moment my attention span was taken from the ceremony to the crowd. I peeked a glance at the attendees, finding my bride to be waiting to be called on for her impromptu wedding but I wasn't searching for her, I was searching for Maisy. I kind of hoped she stayed so I could formally divorce her while seeing her again for the last time. I let out a sigh of relief, the moment I saw her sitting in the third row of the congregation. She stared straight ahead, ignoring me and determined not to spare me a glance. Did she even know how much this hurt me?

"...I crown you Eric Clarke as King."

Following that, I was then anointed with the holy oil and the crown was placed on my head. Father Nicholas commanded me to get face the crowd and continued,

"People of Nodith, Hail your new king!"

The congregation bowed in a thunderous voice said, "All hail the King!"

The procession of the coronation ended but it couldn't be complete without my wedding to Luciana. I waited for her to walk up the altar the moment the villagers took their seats to watch us being bound together in holy matrimony. I stole a gaze in Maisy's direction but she wasn't looking up. She was face down on her father's lap; crying her sorrows away. It hurt but the show has to go on.

The people made another standing ovation for the bride to be when she reached the top of the altar.

Father Nicholas did the necessary, telling the church how God had preordained marriage and other unimportant stuff, I couldn't bear to listen to. My gaze was ok Luciana then back to Maisy, The one thing I had on my mind right now was for the almighty to grant me the opportunity to change the hands of fate, My doomed fate. When Anthony got married to the late Emilia, I imagined it must have been tough for him as he was dealing with the murder of his beloved yet he fulfilled his number one duty to the Kingdom. I wished I was that brave. I needed his support but Anthony wasn't there for me this time. I had sent him away with my own very hands.

"King Eric?," I heard a faint whisper call my name. I apologized when I discovered I had been soliloquizing and had been lost in a train of my own thoughts."Say your vows."

I did a run-through on the words I didn't mean and repeated them as they came to mind.

"I, Eric, take you Lady Luciana to be my wife, To have and hold from this day forward... For better or for worse, for richer, For poorer, in sickness and in health, To...love and cherish; until death do apart."

I reached out for the smaller ring and tried to place it in her ring finger but at the last minute, She pulled back her finger and the ring fell to the marble floor, making a clicking sound and spinning wildly. The crowd gasped in shock as this was seen as a bad omen I perceived.

"No King Eric." She said.

"Whhyy?"

" Marriage isn't a ring worn or the paper signed. It is not something endured but savored. It is the union of two hearts beating as one, each that would sacrifice for the other's happiness and wellbeing. Marriage is meant to be perfect and not a compromise. I can't marry you King Eric because you've found someone already and I wouldn't want to be the wedge between you two."

Luciana's reply got a lot nagging reaction from the congregation but deep down, I knew this was the reply of the Almighty. Maybe he heard my prayers... Which meant this could be my last chance to make a decision that would haunt me for life. I looked at Maisy and this time she was facing me; Our eyes met and my wolf growled conflicted between duty and desire.

Your heart will never lie, It told me and this time, I believed its words. I picked up the fallen ring and walked down the altar, all the way to where Maisy sat.  Eyes were on me, I could hear the wagging tongues but it didn't matter, I had made my decision.

"Maisy, I'm sorry for everything I've done to hurt you but ever since I've met a person like you, You've made me laugh, worry and repeat. Today, I know that is what love means to me..." I paused to see the effect of my words on her. She didn't look fazed but she seemed to be listening, so I continued. "...I love you Maisy and I thank the heavens for giving me a chance to see I don't want a life without you in it. I hope you still feel the same way about me so I have you know. Maisy, Will you be my queen?"

Silence ensued and I was sure she was going to reject me. Why shouldn't she? I had brought nothing but torment in her simple life. My heart sank big I wasn't going to give up so easily not until she said the words, No matter what turn they took, I wanted to hear them.

"... it's not about the money. I don't care about the money anymore. It's... My heart... It's..."

She stopped me by putting a hand over my lips. The hurt was gone. It was now replaced by amusement; embarrassment for me.

"I wish I could quit you Eric but something about you just keeps me coming back. This enchantment..."

"Does it mean you...accept?"

"I do."