Chapter 20

"Where is Cora?" I asked her maid. She fell to the ground kneeling before me. She was afraid that she did not know where the princess was.

"I am unaware prince Keres."

"Why, because you slept and she ran out of the castle." My voice higher than usual.

"Brother." Arthur came. "Why the behavior."

"Cora has been missing since morning. I've searched everywhere."

"You might have missed some spot, she won't go anywhere especially if it's her wedding day."

"Maiden, you can leave." He told her, her stand ungraceful.

"You must not talk like this." Arthur added. I did have no mood to listen to the rubbish he made me hear. I walked away.

For last check I knocked the door to her chamber and a breathy sound came from inside and I pushed the door open.

Her color look faint like she was seconds away from getting caught. She was trying to manage her breath.

"You were not in the castle." I told her, anger controlled by the actions. To my sides my hands formed fists.

"I was, in the garden. As soon… as I heard you searching for me I rushed her."

"Lies." I hit the mirror behind her. Startled she looked away from my eyes. The glass cracked, crimson staining my knuckles as pain rushed in sharp and edgy.

"Keres." Her scared voice brought me back. "Are you alright?" she asked taking my hand.

"Yes." I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Yah, yes. Go get changed. I'll be waiting."

"Me?" she pointed to herself.

"I would not want another women to get changed in to the wedding dress." I raised my eyebrows.

There was something so wrong, she was hesitant with her movements, she disappeared for the whole afternoon and earlier this morning when I asked her maid where she was? She replied that the princess was still asleep and what did Cora do in the library and what was the page she tore.

Cora walked out of the dressing room wearing her wedding dress, white ball gown with red roses trailing up to the body. Her hair down, soft brown curls reached the length where her hands were put beside her. There was tiredness on her face, she was obviously not a sleep for the night.

She snapped her finger in front of me to bring me out of the trance.

"Oh, you look stunning." I put my hands on her shoulders. "I completed your crown." My head turned to where it was placed on a glass box.

"It is… beautiful." She claimed, tears welled in her eyes. She carried it to me and a silent request. I nodded as I took the accessory from him and put it on her head. My finger went under her chin and lifted her head. I started in to her brown, soft eyes.

"You know that I hate people who lie." I told her with a warning in my voice.

"Yes."

"So don't ever try to play with me."

There was a maiden who interrupted us. "Sorry your highness. I did not know you came to meet the princess. I must…"

"No, it's okay. I will be off now. Get her ready." I paced out of the chamber and headed to my space to get ready.

I sat down for a moment before I changed my attire since I bathed in the morning.

I held my sketchbook open and the image I had scribbled last night under the dim light was Asena's. Why did I draw her? Unknowingly. She stood before a bookshelf, from what happened last night in the library. Why was it that seeing her melted away the hatred? But it was never about the lies she said but the feeling so real that came from false moments. The times we had fun were planned by her they why did they feel so natural and unplanned.

Didn't she say it was all to make me get close to her and then break me then why did those moments mattered? Why she awaited me outside the cave of memories like an idiot and when she found me at last she looked like a whole mess? Why did the hug felt so real? Why did her every deed her every care mattered? Those deadly stares that meant different for me.

I shook my head to get rid of the thoughts that reminded me of the best moments I had in centuries.

I changed in to my new attire. Whatever those memories brought me they were the past before she cheated and I was about to get married to another.

I brushed my hairs, as always hiding the scar that made people question to whoever saw it.

There was a lot I hid, afraid to let out. I took a long breath before I let it go and pushed open the door to walk myself out.

***

Whispers kept on increasing they awaited the bride. The advisor asked me twice and how was I supposed to know when I too stood there with him all that time. Arthur started to get worried and I was about to leave to bring her when she came. Her steps decent, I doubted her for no reason. I could not see her face since she was vailed with a read cloth. According to Wasadonia's tradition it was the grooms right to see his bride first but after they got married and the broom carried her to his chamber.

Tales mention that there had been times where brides were changed. But there was no way that was going to happen.

She came to stand before me inches between us. Princess Uttara, the elf princess did the deed to engrave each other's name on the ring finger.

After the name in black appeared on our finger the advisor offered us the wedding bands before I slid the silver around her finger she did mine. There was a round of applause and then it dulled out. I took her in my arms and carried her, walking down the aisle. She was light weight, surprisingly. Not that I had lifted her before. Marriage in Wasadonia was just an act of wearing the rings and the name on each other's finger to make the couple confirmed. It was everything later that made their bound stronger. The groom was to carry his lady in to their chamber while the guest were to be served with dessert to share the happiness.

Once we reached the chamber I stood her on the ground and went to close the door. Standing before her I grabbed the veil and took it off. The room seemed to close up, breath sucked in my chest and I felt the world diluting away.

The one stood near me was Asena. Where was Cora? This could not be happening. But it seemed Asena too was not in her senses. She stood rigid. Her eyes not blinking and she was cold, like dead. No. she couldn't be dead. I backed up and she fell on the ground, not moving. I checked in case and she did not breathe.

I threw away the crown I wore. My fingers ran through my nicely brushed hairs. What was I supposed to do? Stay there and take care of her or leave the castle to find the women I was truly supposed to get married.

I pulled open the door and she stood there guarding the door. "Asena is inside, unconscious. Lock her up in the dungeon. I am going to cursed land. Don't let anybody know. And once you lock her up. Don't come back at least not to stand at my door." She was wise and I knew she'd do her job correctly. There was nothing that worried me on behalf of her. I escaped. Wedding was not over yet, guests were still in the hall celebrating and waiting for the food.

Little did they know that the bride was to end up in prison and groom headed to the cursed land to go in search of his wife? I had this feeling that she might be taken away by the snake queen. Why? Because she needed me to get married with her daughter which was my half-sister but she did not know about it. But if she wanted that why was it Asena instead of Brenna.

My mind went black at the moment all I thought was to bring Cora back. I rode faster, pulling the rein of the horse. He did not fight back instead raced faster than I would normally do.

Once I entered the cursed kingdom nobody at the gates stopped me. Did they expect me? I stopped before the castle. A memory flared in to my mind. It reminded me of the time I came here with Asena. She managed to pull us out of here but I had this feeling that I went back in there would be no way out.

I took a long breath and those corridors were the same where we ran almost losing our lives. I saw myself holding hands with her as she pulled the delicate swords from those metal soldiers. It reminded me how she had stood by me when I face my worst memory. How she had fought with me.

How could I forget where these hallways led? I ended up in the throne room. She was there, my mother. The snake queen, a replacement until I was ready to become the heir of this land. She was unaware of every single information I carried.

She looked pleased to see me her smile told me so.

"I did not expect you to be here, you just got married."

"Stop the act and tell me where is she?" I asked her, tone rougher and demanding than I would have liked to communicate with my mother. But she wasn't she did not remember me. She did not know I was his son.

"I heard. Cora ran away, didn't she?"

"Shut up." I shouted. From the archway Brenna came in.

"You have no right to talk to my mother like this, Prince Keres Aphelion. You did not want to marry me. I understood."

"You understood. Huh. A war started miss. Are you unaware?" I mocked her but she did not take it.

"You should be thankful since it was only Asena and not me, Cora came here. She needed me. I rejected."

"Where is she?"

"We don't know." The princess added.

"Lies."

"I can be anything but a liar."

"Aquileia." Right that was my mother's name and it took guts to speak of that. I was tired. I hadn't slept for days. The thing was I couldn't. I just had difficulty falling asleep.

Besides I did not wish to stay here for the night.

Brenna was some furious little sister she ran to me with her sword aimed at me. I unsheathe mine. I blocked her strike and she kicked me in stomach. Did Asena give all people sword lessons? Who told them they could use feet in the fight to kick people and sprout blood out of their mouths.

She was some fighter. I got up and stroked an aim she deflected. The queen stood there watching us fight she did not bother to interrupt.

Brenna poked the blade and I moved away, it cut in through the pillar, before she could pull out I stepped away. Ending up on the stairs. One that bought bad memories. The same spot where I lost my mother to the snakes. The same sport I was helpless and unable to fight back. The same sport I got the scar across my brow. The same sport I fell unconscious hitting my head on the marble.

My head spun, heavy to carry. I saw the image moving in front of me. I saw her hover above me but I was helpless like before. I lifted my hand that held the sword but the strike wasn't strong enough. I hit my head. History repeated itself. I heard voices, not for long. It was all pitch, my world black and unaware.

***

Every muscle in my body hurt. It was like I was whipped. My cuts burned. I did not have any my head reminded me. I smelt blood and the craziest part I craved it. The smell lulled me, I felt the taste in my mouth, rust. It was all heavy and blurred.

I moved my arms and the only sound I heard was rattling of chains. As If I was locked up. And I was. My hands rose above the head that dipped in. My backbone did not allow me to lift my head.

But none of the chains were supposed to hurt like it did. The more I struggled the more burns I got. Like it drained my energy.

My skin itched like crazy and I could not help but force myself to scratch the areas that were dry like skin in winters.

"Set me free." I wailed in pain, drenched in sweat I hated my hair at the moment they sticked to my temples.

"Keres." Cora, was she here?