[Zeve’s POV] Amor didn’t sit beside me on the throne. I was sitting there alone while he stood beside me the whole time. I tried to avoid those glowing eyes that were burning with questions, but whenever I looked at them, I got goosebumps all over my body. “Calm down, don’t be nervous,” Amor whispered. “Easy for you to say. I am shivering with my bones right now. Why are you doing this? Why won’t you sit on the throne? I am not even your luna yet.” I looked at him. “Don’t look at me,” he said, and I shifted my gaze to the gathering that was enjoying the gentle music flowing into the room. “There are reasons you won’t understand. Just play along, ok?” “You didn’t even tell me there would be a ceremony like this when we get here,” I whispered to him with a fake smile that addressed the glaring eyes on me. He stretched out his hand in front of me. “May I have the honour of having the first dance of the ceremony with you, Princess Zeve Freedom?” “What? A dance? But I am not prepa
[Zeve’s POV] “Amor didn’t tell you about the Sylvia purification ritual?” Lady Ella asked. Lady Ella came to my room early in the morning and it had been three hours since she had been preparing my room, clothes, and bath. I sat on the bed in a thin white bathing gown, and she sat beside me. “Sylvia purification ritual? What is that, your highness?” I asked her, tilting my head. She sighed. She looked angry. “I don’t even know if he is planning to honour our rituals and culture or marry you just for the sake of marrying you. I don’t understand, Zeve. Why are you still with him? When he said he would go on the premarriage journey with you, I thought maybe you would escape…” I slowly slid my hand over hers. “Your highness,” I smiled faintly. “I consent to this marriage.” She furrowed her brows. “Even after what he did to you and your pack? Even after he disrespected you in front of our entire family? How can you?” “Your highness, he didn’t mean to rip my clothes. It was an acc
[Zeve’s POV] “Don’t worry, Zeve. If he doesn’t come? I will get you ready. My florists are already creating the flower jewels. I know Amor should be the one doing this, but his representative can do it as well. There is no problem.” Even though she smiled, I could see disappointment and sadness in her eyes. “Mother. I am happy,” I smiled. She returned my smile. “Your highness, the holy bath is ready,” a maid said with a bow. Lady Ella held my hands and led me to the grand bathtub. There was a faint scent of lavender fuming from the hot bath. It was covered with rose and jasmine petals. I descended the stairs holding lady Ella’s hand and submerged myself in the comforting, warm and tranquil bath. The water felt different from normal water. It was as if I was in the Healer pool. “We’ll leave now, Zeve. Let your hair dry on its own, ok?” “Yes, mother.” Mother and the other maids left my room. Rethinking about the Healer pool brought back all those memories with Amor. Heat and
[Zeve’s POV] “What do you mean, Amor?” I asked, holding my breath. His eyes changed instantly. “Don’t get me wrong. But what do you want us to mean in front of the world? Husband and wife, right?” He cocked an eyebrow. I let out my breath, licking my lips. I was a little confused by the sudden change in his aura. “That’s what the contract wants,” I said. “Cool. So, that means I should fulfil all our marriage rituals with all my heart to achieve that, even though it’s fake. But who decides if the fake is real or not?” I tensed my brows, peering at him. “Stop confusing me…” I murmured to myself, lowering my head. My hopes that reached sky high were crushed in less than a second. “What did you say?” He asked. “Shut up and do whatever you want. It doesn’t really matter if you perform these rituals or not. I don’t care, you don’t care…” “Woah! Woah! What’s up with that attitude now?” He frowned. The bitterness in my chest was flowing out into my words. I took a deep breath. “N
[Zeve’s POV] “Amor!” I got up and held him. “What’s wrong?” “Tsk!” He breathed through his clenched teeth. “As usual. The spine pain. I think I am on my five-hour limit again.” “I told you there was no need for all this. You even made these. Don’t tell me you collected the flowers on your own, too?” He looked at me and smiled playfully. “How do you know? Do you have spies?” “I can’t believe this. Why? Why would you?” “For the luna of my pack and for a friend.” He said, peering into my eyes. I didn’t know what to say anymore. “Lie down on the bed and rest a little. Did you take your medicine?” I helped him lie on my bed. Others didn’t know about Amor’s condition and they shouldn’t. “I will call Lucella…” I was about to leave when he held my hand. “No, I have taken my medicines. Calling Lucella is only going to create talks. Remember, eyes are always on us from now on. A quick massage could do a better job,” he shrugged, raising his brows as if he was asking me to give him a
[Zeve’s POV] The temple was majestic. Tranquil, as if even the walls had reached the highest level of salvation. Safe as if as long as I was there, even death couldn’t touch me. And though there were no torches ablaze, it was lit with a glowing white light. I stood outside the temple with Amor, adoring the monumental wonder. According to the traditions, the bride and groom reach the temple first and only once they have paid tribute to the deity of the temple, their families enter the temple. The high priestess stood in front of us in pure white robes. Her eyes were covered with a white blindfold. Her hair and eyebrows were white as snow. She looked in her forties. A white translucent veil covered her face from nose and below, but neither the blindfold nor the veil could hide the divine aura she was emitting. Her closeness felt like home. In her hand was something that looked like a silver staff with the top designed like two snakes intertwined with one another and in between the
[Zeve’s POV] “I think you should rest and prepare yourself a little more for the marriage because it’s going to be real…” he said, licking his lower lip. “Nothing about our marriage is fake, Zeve. The vows we take, the rituals we perform, will bind us together for life. It’s just a little more twisted than normal marriages… so if you need more time to get ready…” “No. I know and I am completely prepared mentally, physically, in every manner. It was just that when I stepped—” I was about to tell him about the memories that the temple transferred to me. It was nothing new for me, but it took its toll on my body. “The temple was so grand and lit even without the torches that I was a little dizzy. That’s it! I am not stressed about marriage at all.” It was a lie. I was nervous. Wasn’t that normal, though? For once I thought he was going to call off the marriage. And now I am worried he might think I was too desperate to marry. “But…” “Let’s get married!” I sprung up from the bench.
[Zeve’s POV] We followed the priestess to the deity room to pay our tribute. The blue light radiating from the grand statue of the moon goddess welcomed us. The statue was carved out of pure white marble. Who could not recognize her? Her beauty, her elegance, her gravity, her serenity and her unmatchable divinity. But beside her was the statue of a male deity I didn’t recognize. The statue was dull, grey and had cracked all over on it. It wasn’t ugly; it was broken as if the statue was dying. Just looking at the statue made disturbing agony crawl to my throat. Even the holy light emerging from the moon goddess’ statue couldn’t remove the gloom from the statue that was right next to hers. “If you are wondering whose statue is beside the moon goddess, it’s of the sun god Solariz,” the priestess said in a sad tone. “How did this happen?” I asked, and a scary silence fell in the room. I shifted closer to Amor. He glanced at me, then at the priestess. “When natural balance in the