It’s been around four months since Elio proposed and I said yes. He sent word to Ocelon once I’d agreed and we’ve been planning the wedding since then, though it would be more accurate to say that he along with his mother has been planning our wedding.

I’ve been swamped with work from the empire especially since other nations bristled when they heard about the wedding and I needed to work extremely hard to assure them that we had no intention of continuing my grandfather’s conquest of expansion.

My relationship with Tia has gradually returned to its former glory and it has given me a huge relief.  It was difficult to continue working without him, he has always been my closest confidant and one of my most trusted ears on the ground.

For the wedding, we compromised on having it both in the empire and on the Ocelon kingdom. As for our residence, the main palace will be moving to the Tiarhan district which is both closer to the Ocelon Kingdom and more convenient because there is already a palace in the district.

The wedding will be held in less than a month and as usual, everyone is invited in the celebration in the Pavenia Empire while the celebration that will be held in the Ocelon Kingdom will be exclusive to close relatives, friends, and nobles.

“Are you ready?” Tia asks while I was getting fitted for the wedding dress.

“I will never be ready,” I tell him and he chuckles.

“You look like you’re heading for slaughter instead of being a blushing bride,” he says and I roll my eyes.

“You know I don’t really like formal occasions. Why should our union be showcased to stuffy people whose most likely priority is their own agenda?” I answer and he nods.

“You had better get used it. You’d be expected to attend every gathering they have once you get married,” he said, a snicker in his voice.

“Ugh, don’t remind me. They even wanted a different wedding dress for the two weddings. They said that what I wanted was too simple but I’m the bride so I thought if I can’t have the dress that I want for my own wedding, then there will be no bride. They didn’t like that,” I said, chuckling at the memory of their surprised faces.

“There’s just so much that I can concede for my own wedding. I want to at least feel like me when I vow to spend the rest of my life with someone else,” I say sighing, Tia doesn’t answer so I look up only to see the sadness in his eyes and Elio by the door.

“Oh, I didn’t know you were coming,” I said, surprised.

“I just came by to see how the dress fitting was going,” he said.

He probably heard what I just said and I felt bad. It wasn’t his fault that his kingdom’s preferences and customs were different from ours, nor was it his fault that the advisers that came with him all but tried to bulldoze almost every decision we had for our wedding.

Even though he was the crown prince he didn’t have enough power or standing to fight for the things he wanted. I guess he never really thought it was necessary, after all he was male and an only child; his mother’s coddling and his father’s a bit of ‘hands-off’ approach has made him ignorant to how the world works.

“I’m sorry,” he suddenly says and I look at him. “I know you never thought most of the decisions for your wedding would be made by old men who aren’t even related to you and I’m sorry I don’t have the power to at least try to stop them. I don’t know how to. You must think I’m pathetic,” he flops down on one of the couches and releases a heavy sigh.

I gently tap the seamstress who was busy putting pins on my dress and I ask her for a bit of privacy then I sit next to him.

“Honestly, I think you are a bit pathetic but most of all I pity you. The way you are isn’t entirely your fault. You were raised inside a bubble and there was a time when you were too young to understand what it meant but I do hold you responsible for your lack of curiosity and awareness,” I look at him, gauging his reaction.

“You knew that you would be the next king, a ruler of a whole kingdom with more than thousands of people as your responsibility but instead of seeking out how to make their lives better you opted to lock your doors and play house,” I grit my teeth.

“A king who doesn’t know how to wield his power is as dangerous as a blindfolded knight. A mere puppet and I will never be married to a puppet so you better be ready,” I tell him then I pat him on the shoulder and stand back on the podium.

“Now, tell me how ravishing I look as is the duty of any groom to their bride,” I say smiling and he looks up, a thankful smile on his lips.

“You are indeed ravishing and I may just be the luckiest man alive,” he says and I scoff.

“There is no question. You are the luckiest man alive,” I say jokingly and we spend the rest of the fitting joking around.

I didn’t miss how he was trying to include Tia in our conversations and I also didn’t miss how he has been trying to get to know him better. He would often ask to tag along in Tia’s early training and he would even ask him to spar. I would sometimes see him eating with Tia when I couldn’t join in and I was thankful. I didn’t say anything but he knew that I would never accept a life without Tia by my side.

The month flew by and before I knew it we were already in Ocelon celebrating our wedding for the second time. Unlike the celebration at the empire where our wedding was held in an intimate setting with the reception being informal and open to all, this gathering was more subdued and full of formalities.

There were a bunch of servants who were expected to bring us each course and even the seating chart is a roadmap of who held the most power and who had less. I make a mental note to tell Elio the people he should keep close and who to be wary of.

I on the other hand have been having a difficult time eating, every time I try to put food in my mouth the King and Queen, Elio parents, have questions that I am expected to answer.

I liked how interested they were in my personal life because I would rather discuss that than state affairs but I also wished they timed it after I had chewed and swallowed my food. My preoccupation with this dilemma was what made me slower in detecting a threat in the room and before I knew it, the room was engulfed in chaos.

Someone had tried to assassinate me and if Tia had not yelled, I would have been hurt. I take my dagger which I keep with me at all times and find Tia. The King and Queen along with Elio had already been whisked away to safety and while they tried to do that with me too, I refused to budge without Tia.

I see him in the middle of fighting three people and I hurriedly make my way to him but the panicked guests and the guards who were persistent in taking me away made it a challenge then I see it, a sword stabbing Tia in the stomach.

In that moment something clicks in me and a surge of strength crackles in my whole body. My mind goes blank, the only thing pushing me to move was to make it to Tia’s side before it was too late and when I come to, I am covered in blood with the unmoving bodies of the assailants around me.

What happened after was more of a blur, I remember making Tia lean on me and I was yelling for someone to point or take us to the hospital. I remember the blood gushing out of his wound and him breathless, trying hard to reassure me. I remember laying him down on the hospital bed and excusing myself.

When the water from the shower hits me, I am brought back to my senses and I am wracked with sobs. No thoughts come to my mind. I don’t know how long I was on the bathroom floor, the water pelting down my back, and the sound of my cries echoing in the room but when my cries stop, numerous thoughts start to overwhelm me.

How could they have come in undetected when we were assured that our safety was the utmost priority? This is especially suspicious since the party was exclusive to close friends, relatives, and nobles. The thought that we weren’t safe in the palace jolted me and I hurriedly dress and dry my hair. I run to Tia’s room without minding the people who were trying to stop and calm me.

We weren’t safe and Tia is vulnerable. I will not allow myself to crumble to the thoughts of ‘what ifs’, I’ve learned in the battlefield that these thoughts were a waste of time and energy but what I can do now is ensure Tia’s safety and that is what I will be doing.

When I enter the room, I see the doctor still tending to his wound and I slowly approach the bed. The wound on his stomach was still bleeding but not as severely as before but from the looks of it the wound was deep and the blade was poisoned.

“The blade was poisoned. The poison they used was lumera,” I say aloud.

I ask for some paper and pen then I jot down a list of herbs. I look around and see a servant of my employ and tell him to quickly find the ingredients and tools on the paper then come to me directly. The doctor looks at me in surprise and I give him an explanation.

“The wound is slowly being surrounded by a green tinge and boils. These characteristics are unique to the poison lumera. I’ve crafted an antidote once before and that’s what I instructed my servant to fetch,” he nods.

“We’re having a difficult time stopping the bleeding. At this point we need to stop it if he has any chance of survival,” he tells me.

“Transfer my blood to him,” I tell him and he starts shaking his head.

“No, this treatment is too risky and there haven’t been adequate studies…” I grip his shoulder and look at him straight in the eyes.

“I’ve been with this man on the battlefield and his blood had been transferred to me. It’s safe, now start the transfusion. If you won’t do it, I will find someone who will,” I tell him and he nods. They put a chair next to me and I sit. I grasp Tia’s hand and start a silent prayer.

This is not the first time he has lied on his deathbed because of me, but the fear that grips me every time it happens has not subsided. If anything, it becomes worse. There is only so much luck and goodwill in the world for one person to be brought back from the brink of death multiple times, what if his had run out?

Half an hour later, the servant returns with all the things in the list and I start making the antidote. I wash my hands in a bowl of water and apply the paste myself. I tell the doctor to wait for an hour, assuring him that the paste will get rid of the poison and will allow him to sew the wound close and that is exactly what happens. When the treatment is done, I thank the doctor and nurses then I scoot closer to the bed.

“If you hadn’t volunteered to give him your blood, he wouldn’t be alive right now,” the doctor tells me before leaving and I nod.

 I never let go of his hand, just in case he needs motivation to live and I prepare myself for a long night. I nurse him when his fever spikes and I never leave him alone except when I need to go the bathroom. I don’t know when I fell asleep but I jolt awake when I feel his fingers twitch.

“Tia, it’s me,” I whisper, brushing his hair out of his face. His eyes open slowly and when he sees me, he smiles. I assist him in drinking some water because I knew he wanted to speak and that his throat was probably dry.

“Here we are again. I’m probably a cat on my third life,” he says jokingly and I sit on the side of the bed. I lean on his shoulder and I cry in relief.

“Hey, I’m okay. We’re okay. You have got to stop crying every time I wake up from being wounded or else I might not wake up just so I won’t see you cry,” he says and I smack his arm.

“Never say or even think that again or I swear, I will follow you out of spite,” I tell him, serious.

“Okay, okay. I won’t,” he says, holding his hand up in surrender then he looks me in the eyes.

“They have someone on the inside Aife. The assassins were dressed as servers,” he says and I nod.

“I know. I instructed our staff to never let anyone in this room without my express permission. I’ll leave Arden with you and I placed your sword on your right side, between the mattresses,” I whisper and when he starts shaking his head, I gently place my hand on his arm.

“Don’t worry, I’ll have Arian with me at all times and half of the shades, the other half I stationed with you. I need to get to the bottom of this and fast before anyone else gets to them,” I tell him and he nods.