chapter 83 : Bridal Shadows ;The Devotion Dilemma

In one of the grand chambers inside the royal palace of Hentesa, Princess Theodora Amadeus stood, a vision of elegance. Her big, beautiful turquoise eyes and an elven nose complemented her golden, long, and curly hair, reaching down her back. She was already adorned in her wedding attire, with only the seni crines, a wreath, and a forest green veil (nerona) missing from her ensemble. Assisting her were four palace maidens, and on her left stood her mother, Queen Themiscral Amadeus, bearing a striking resemblance to a slightly older version of the princess. The queen looked at her daughter with loving eyes, remarking, "Look at you, daughter, all grown up and about to start your own family. I could not ask our God for more. I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you, mother. That is all I have ever wanted, to make you proud," replied the princess with a half-smile, her mind seemingly lost in distant thoughts.

Observing her daughter's distant gaze, the queen ordered the maidens to grant them privacy. Once alone, she focused on Theodora, who looked at her with a questioning expression. "Why did you make them leave, mother?" inquired the princess.

The mother didn't rush to respond. Instead, she circled her daughter, her turquoise eyes turning black, revealing runes in both pupils. After a while, she shook her head, returning her eyes to normal. "You do not want this wedding to happen, now do you?" the queen asked, noticing her daughter's dark aura through her rune-enhanced sight.

Theodora, realizing she had been discovered, decided to confess. "No, I do not. Prince Bai's heart is not with me, and the same goes for my heart. It belongs to another man, even though he chose to leave under the pretense of death." The queen silently listened to her daughter and, keeping quiet, reflected on how devastating it had been when the boy Theodora loved faked his own death to escape. However, when the queen had uncovered the truth – that the boy was no ordinary person but royalty, a crown prince – her daughter seemed to have moved on. Now, it appeared she was greatly mistaken.

"That boy is not someone you can have, daughter, and you know that. If he cared about you even half as much as you did, he would have surely returned to ask for your hand. But he did not. Today is a day we've been planning for over twelve seasons, and it's not something we can cancel. You and your soon-to-be husband and king will have to learn to love each other as the years go. Sorry, daughter, that boy was not your destiny; Bai is," her mother's words were like a bucket of cold water being splashed down on her.

As she grappled with the reality of her impending marriage to Prince Bai, Theodora began asking herself questions. Why did he not return for her? If he truly felt the same way she did, why did he not reveal the truth about his origins? She found herself answering each question logically, and all the answers favored the destined path laid out for her. The nickname "devil" resurfaced in her thoughts – a moniker she had given him after witnessing his berserk episode in the deep. His flames had an alluring, sinister presence, burning even underwater. A half-broken devil horn adorned his head, inscribed with strange runes. His skin had changed to ashen gray, and his very presence felt wrong, defiled, as if he were an abomination in their world.

The memory of that day lingered vividly in her mind. The ground had trembled, splitting open with flaming chains surrounding him. Theo, calling out to him, had witnessed his slow reversion to normalcy. She had kept Finn's dark secret, never speaking of the abominable spectacle to anyone. However, from that day forward, a rift had formed between her and Finn.

"You are right, mother. Thank you," The princess straightened up her posture.

The queen smiled and rang the bell, summoning back the maidens to continue preparing the princess for her wedding ceremony.

In the throne room, King Aerem sat on his throne, flanked by four guards standing behind him ,Standing in front of him was the Crown Prince of Nesa'i, Bai Chan with typical nesa'ean features with the only exception being his fiery orange eyes . Typical Nesa'ean looks featured brown skin, flat noses, and a shorter stature (around 5′3″ to 5′6″ for men and about 4′11″ or even shorter for women, with some Nesa'ean women reaching at least 5′3″). Many of them had round faces, and some Nesa'ean men, especially the older ones, sported beer bellies, resembling the man standing next to Prince Bai.

The King of Nesa'i himself had a pot belly, and his appearance mirrored that of a drunkard. A lazy smile adorned his face as he gazed at King Aerem, remarking, "Old friend, you have become more handsome and refined over the years, just like me, hehe."

King Aerem's left eye twitched as he looked at the King of Nesa'i, a stark contrast to the man he had once known.

"Do not flatter me, Baichun."