Ileus: The Dark Prince

Aed Ruad had gone back to talk to his father but the man refused to come out. He said, "Not until you deliver me to Vilinski. The moment I slither inside that territory, I will free your woman!" They had more conversation after that. Gritting his teeth, Aed Ruad had come back and then focused on dressing for the wedding. He felt tricked, but he would do something about it. 

He had given instructions to five men to be present at the wedding with him. He didn't need many witnesses. And now Aed Ruad looked at the man, who was to officiate the wedding. "Ráild, you may start." 

Ráild gave them a tight nod after giving Siora a glance. When Aed Ruad had told him about the plans, he had become a little wary about them, but he never questioned. Aed Ruad and Siora stood in front of him. There was a small alcove in the cave where he had lit several candles and had made some ancient symbols in fae language. He gave them iron bands as rings to wear. After they exchanged the rings, he started chanting in sacred fae language and a few minutes later he asked Aed Ruad to give his hand. Ráild took a small knife out from his pocket and sliced his palm in the center. Blood started trickling, but Aed Ruad didn't flinch. "Give your hand," Ráild asked Siora. When she gave it to him, he made a similar cut in her palm. He took both their hands and joined them. "Take your vows, Siora," said Ráild. 

This was it. Siora took a deep breath and said, "I vow that I will offer you the throne of Galahar as my king and as my husband." She looked at Aed Ruad to speak but the man stayed silent, his face etched with tension. She narrowed her eyes. The blood trickled down her wrist onto the floor. She could feel the seal of her vow, the magic that was traveling in her blood. Suddenly realization dawned upon her. She smiled and said, "I vow that whatever belongs to me would belong to you too." And then Aed Ruad's shoulders relaxed. 

"I vow that I will look after you as the king of Galahar," Aed Ruad took his vow. 

Siora's wife flew wide open. "Wh—" she was cut off when the red lights started whirling around them and the vow was sealed within a few seconds. Ráild had made sure that Aed Ruad didn't speak anything else. 

All of a sudden, blue and silver light broke out of Siora's body. She found herself shrieking in Seraph's voice. "Aaaaaa!" Her body convulsed and arched forward. She didn't know what was happening. When the scream stopped, Siora doubled up, coughing. What had happened and why was she feeling lighter? Panting, when she straightened, she saw that the blue and silver lights had merged with Ráild. Seraph had left her. She couldn't believe that Seraph had left her. Was the vow so potent or did Ráild chant something in ancient language that affected this change? Whatever it was, Siora felt great. 

And Ruad had successfully cast his father out with Ráild's help. 

The vow was sealed, and the red lights retreated. Their skin started healing on its own. Ráild announced, "You are now husband and wife." 

Siora looked at Aed Ruad with admiration in her eyes, but then she remembered the vow he made to her. "You tricked me!" Siora retorted. "You tricked me with your vow!" Her eyes were cold and hard and her face had become red with anger. Her body had tensed. She bared her teeth. "How dare you?" 

Aed Ruad looked at all the witnesses and jerked his chin towards the door in silent dismissal. The men left and he turned his attention to Siora. He opened the top buttons of his shirt and then went to sit on a chair near the hearth. Crossing his one leg over another's knee, he rested back. He chuckled when he saw that Siora was still watching him with anger. "You never once told me that your husband, King Edyrm, is dead. Is he?" 

Whatever anger that was surging through her dissipated like a candle's flame in a gust of strong wind. She saw him turning into his feral form and then he flew away. Her lips parted to say something, but nothing came out. She bit her bottom lip. Aed Ruad was watching her intently. "I don't know," she replied. 

"What happened to him?" This was the question his father had asked him and that is why he felt that Siora was tricking him. 

Her skin broke into a sweat. "I saw him being reduced to his feral form. He left Galahar the day he was defeated." 

"Does that mean that he would never be able to come back to his original form?" 

"He can," she replied in a very low voice, her lips quivering. This was all going wrong.

"And yet you married me? Now where does it leave your vow, Siora? What if he comes to his original form? Will he not come for Galahar? Will not stake his claim for it?" He said in a sharp voice. "You played with me." He waited for her to say something but she didn't. And when she didn't, he continued. "But guess what? Now you are tied to me and to Edyrm. I will only take care of you once I become the king of Galahar and I know that Edyrm will not sit quiet. And that brings me to my vow. I will take care of you only if I become the king of Galahar." 

Siora's stomach plummeted. She had vowed to him that she would share the throne as well as her wealth with him, but he had only vowed that he would help her only after he became the king. Gods, she was in deep trouble. Even more than what she had ever thought of in her life. She was now practically the wife of two men, and that was against the laws of Galahar. 

"So, what are you thinking, dear wife?" Aed Ruad said as he got up. He started to walk towards his room and motioned her to follow him. "How about you come to my room and we share the bed?" When she didn't move, he sauntered to her, held her hand and pulled her to his room. He closed the door behind them. Furious as hell, she tried to leave, but he pulled her hand towards him. She spun close to his chest and he pinned her against his body with his arm. With his free hand, he brushed his finger along her cheek and said, "I have been without a woman for a long time." 

She growled. "You are the true son of Etayalar. Full of deceit."

"And you are a true demoness. Full of ploys." He licked her ear lobes. "Together we are going to make a great couple, won't we?" Saying that he pushed her to his bed. She tumbled and fell on it. "If you try to deceive me, the vow will kill you, and if you deceive Edyrm, the vow with him will kill you. So you better not deceive any of us." 

Siora'e eyes became wide. On the inside she chuckled and let him think that he was winning.. She had weighed her options well.