Chapter 384: The Bride Swap

"Rebecca, it’s time!"

?Stephanie’s excited voice pulled Rebecca away from the mirror. She was now wearing her beautiful ivory wedding gown, and her hair had been arranged perfectly beneath a delicate veil. She stood slowly, smoothing her hands over the front of her dress as her heart began beating faster.

?Lady Maria approached and carefully lowered the veil over her face.

?"Ready, sweetheart?" she asked.

?Rebecca took a deep breath before smiling. "Ready."

?Stephanie opened the door, revealing several attendants waiting to escort the bride toward the ceremony. Rebecca slipped her arm through Lady Maria’s, and together they followed the attendants into the corridor.

?As they approached the central garden, a strange breeze swept through the pathway. Rebecca blinked when the flowers surrounding her appeared to shimmer for a moment, but the sensation disappeared almost immediately.

?"Everything alright?" Lady Maria asked.

?"Yes, Mother," Rebecca replied with a reassuring smile.

?They eventually reached a junction where two beautiful pathways led toward opposite sides of the estate. An attendant stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

?"This way, my lady."

?Rebecca followed without hesitation, with Lady Maria remaining beside her. Neither woman realized that they had been directed toward the eastern ceremony instead of the western one. Under the influence of the ancient spell, the pathway looked exactly as they remembered it, and they had no reason to suspect that anything was wrong.

?At the opposite end of the estate, Rola stood beside King Adrian as the wedding attendants prepared to escort them toward the ceremony. Her father had been smiling ever since he’d entered the bridal suite, although the slight redness around his eyes suggested he’d already shed a few tears.

?"You look beautiful, princess," Adrian whispered.

?Rola smiled warmly. "Thank you, Father. And before you start crying again, Mother has already warned me that you’ve been emotional all morning."

?Adrian chuckled. "Am I not allowed to be emotional on my daughter’s wedding day?"

?"Of course you are. Just don’t start crying before we reach the altar, or you’ll make me cry too."

?Her father laughed before offering her his arm. "Then we’d better get going before I embarrass us both."

?Rola slipped her arm through his, and together they followed the attendants into the corridor. As they approached the garden pathways, a faint breeze brushed against her veil, and for one strange moment, she felt slightly disoriented.

?She slowed her steps, looking around as though she’d forgotten something important.

?"Rola?" her father asked. "Is everything alright?"

?"Yes, Father." She smiled. "I just thought I heard someone calling me."

?Adrian glanced behind them, but the corridor was empty apart from the attendants.

?"Perhaps it’s the music from the gardens," he suggested.

?"Perhaps."

?An attendant approached and bowed. "This way, Your Highness."

?Rola nodded and continued walking beside her father, unaware that the enchanted pathway was leading them toward the western ceremony instead of the eastern one.

?At the eastern ceremony, Kaden stood beneath the magnificent floral arch, watching the guests settle into their seats. Logan stood beside him, occasionally glancing toward the entrance as the wedding musicians prepared to begin the bridal procession.

?"Almost time, Alpha," Logan murmured.

?Kaden nodded, his heart pounding with anticipation. He straightened his shoulders and turned toward the entrance just as the music changed and every guest rose from their seat.

?At the far end of the aisle, Rebecca appeared, holding Lady Maria’s arm.

?But to everyone watching, the bride walking toward the altar was Princess Rola, accompanied by King Adrian. The ancient glamour had altered their perceptions so completely that even those who had known the royal families for years saw nothing unusual.

?Lady Maria was equally deceived. When she looked toward the altar, she saw Melvin standing there, smiling lovingly at her daughter, and she couldn’t have been happier.

?"Are you nervous, sweetheart?" she whispered as they walked.

?Rebecca smiled beneath her veil. "A little, Mother. But mostly I’m happy."

?"That’s good. Melvin is a wonderful man, and I know he’ll make you happy."

?Rebecca nodded, her heart fluttering with excitement as she looked toward the altar. She could see Melvin waiting for her, his familiar sea-blue eyes filled with affection. The smile on his face made her want to hurry down the aisle and throw herself into his arms.

?But the man standing beneath the floral arch wasn’t Melvin.

?It was Kaden.

?And as Rebecca approached, Kaden’s breath caught. To him, the woman walking toward him was Rola, looking more beautiful than he’d ever imagined. He could see her silver-blonde hair beneath the veil, and even from a distance, he could recognize her familiar scent.

?His wolf stirred happily inside him.

Our bride.

Kaden smiled, unable to take his eyes off the woman approaching him.

Yes. She’s finally going to be our wife.

?When Rebecca and Lady Maria finally reached the altar, Lady Maria turned toward the man standing before her. She smiled warmly, feeling emotional as she prepared to give away her own daughter.

?"Take good care of my daughter," she said softly. "She’s very precious to me."

?Kaden heard King Adrian’s familiar voice and saw the Lycan King standing before him. He smiled respectfully and nodded.

?"You have my word, Your Majesty. I’ll always take care of her."

?To Lady Maria, it was Melvin speaking, and his promise brought a satisfied smile to her face. She gently placed Rebecca’s hand in his before stepping aside.

?Kaden took his bride’s hand and smiled at her, seeing Rola’s beautiful face beneath the veil. Rebecca smiled back, seeing Melvin’s familiar face and feeling overwhelmed with happiness.

?Neither had the slightest idea that they were holding hands with the wrong person.

?On the western side of the estate, King Adrian proudly escorted Rola down the aisle. The elderly king couldn’t stop smiling as he looked at his daughter, remembering the little girl who used to follow him around the palace asking endless questions about the kingdom.

?"You look beautiful, sweetheart," he whispered.

?"Thank you, Father," Rola replied, squeezing his arm affectionately.

?At the altar, Melvin stood waiting.

?But to King Adrian, the man standing beneath the floral arch was Alpha King Kaden. And to the guests watching, the bride approaching was Rebecca, accompanied by Lady Maria.

?Melvin smiled as he watched her approach. His beautiful Rebecca looked breathtaking in her wedding gown, and he couldn’t wait to finally call her his wife. He had spent months imagining this moment, but seeing her walking toward him was even more wonderful than he’d expected.

?When they reached the altar, King Adrian turned toward Melvin and studied him for a moment. Under the influence of the glamour, he saw Kaden standing before him, looking handsome and happy.

?"She’s my greatest treasure," Adrian said quietly. "Please, take care of her."

?Melvin smiled, hearing Lady Maria’s voice and seeing Rebecca’s mother standing before him.

?"I promise I will. You have nothing to worry about."

?King Adrian nodded approvingly before placing Rola’s hand in his.

?Rola looked up at the man she believed was Kaden, her violet eyes shining with happiness. Melvin looked down at the woman he believed was Rebecca, smiling as he gently squeezed her hand.

?And as the officiant stepped forward to begin the ceremony, neither family suspected that the two brides had been exchanged.

?The sacred wedding rites began.

?At the eastern altar, the priest opened his ceremonial book and addressed the couple standing before him.

?"Do you, Alpha King Kaden, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love, honor, and cherish her for the rest of your life?"

?Kaden smiled at the woman beside him. He believed he was looking into Rola’s beautiful violet eyes, and the happiness filling his chest made his answer easy.

?"I do."

?The priest turned toward Rebecca.

?"And do you, Princess Rola, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love, honor, and cherish him for the rest of your life?"

?Rebecca heard her own name, just as the spell intended. When she looked at the man standing beside her, she saw Melvin, the man who had brought so much happiness into her life and whom she couldn’t wait to spend forever with.

?"I do," she replied happily.

?The ancient magic continued altering every word, every face, and every sound, ensuring that neither the couple nor the guests noticed anything unusual.

?Across the estate, another priest was conducting the second ceremony.

?"Do you, Dragon King Melvin, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and cherish her for the rest of your life?"

?Melvin looked lovingly at Rola, believing he was standing beside Rebecca.

?"I do."

?"And do you, Rebecca, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

?Rola heard her own name and smiled at the man she believed was Kaden. She had waited a long time for this moment, and now that it had finally arrived, she couldn’t imagine being happier.

?"I do," she answered without hesitation.

?The priests proceeded with the exchange of rings. At the eastern altar, Kaden gently slipped a beautiful wedding ring onto Rebecca’s finger, believing he was marrying Rola. Rebecca then placed a ring on Kaden’s finger, smiling as she imagined the wonderful future awaiting her and Melvin.

?On the western side, Melvin and Rola exchanged their rings with equal happiness, each believing they were making a lifelong promise to the person they loved.

?As the final vows were spoken, the ancient black crystal beneath the gardens began glowing brighter. Golden threads of magic formed around the four wedding rings, invisible to everyone present.

?The royal marriage bonds had been established.

?And unlike the illusions surrounding them, those bonds were real.

?"By the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife," the eastern priest announced.

?The guests erupted into applause as Kaden smiled and gently lifted Rebecca’s veil. To him, it was Rola’s beautiful face staring back at him, her violet eyes shining with happiness.

?"Hello, wife," he whispered with a smile.

?Rebecca laughed softly, seeing Melvin’s familiar face smiling down at her.

?"Hello, husband."

?Kaden leaned forward and kissed her, drawing louder cheers from the guests. Rebecca wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss, overwhelmed by the happiness of finally becoming a married woman.

?For the first time in years, she felt completely certain about her future. She believed she had married the man she loved, and she couldn’t wait to begin their life together.

?But the man holding her wasn’t Melvin.

?It was Kaden, the former mate she’d once promised herself she would never return to.

?On the western side of the estate, another crowd erupted into applause as the priest pronounced Melvin and Rola husband and wife.

?Melvin smiled and lifted Rola’s veil, seeing Rebecca’s beautiful face staring back at him. He couldn’t contain his happiness as he gently cupped her cheeks.

?"Finally," he whispered.

?Rola laughed softly, seeing Kaden’s handsome face.

?"Finally," she repeated.

?Melvin leaned down and kissed her, and the guests rose to their feet, cheering as the newly married couple embraced. Rola closed her eyes, overwhelmed with happiness as she imagined the wonderful future awaiting her and Kaden.

?After everything they’d been through, she believed she was finally the Alpha King’s wife.

?She had no idea that the man kissing her was the Southern Dragon King.

?And while two royal families celebrated what they believed were beautiful unions, the ancient black crystal continued glowing beneath the estate, its dark magic holding four unsuspecting people inside an illusion that had already changed their lives forever.