CHAPTER 33
Aelys
I sit on the chair in our room at Leroi Manor, nervously looking at my reflection in the mirror.
Our wedding day has finally arrived, and I'm a wreck.
We arrived at the Manor last night with Mattheo, Arthur, and Nancy.
I slept in our room with my cousin, while Mattheo slept in Arthur's, since it's traditional for the bride and groom not to see each other the night before the wedding.
It brings bad luck.
I didn't sleep much, I was too nervous, and I missed Mattheo's embrace terribly. It was our first night apart since we met, and it made me realize how much I depend on him.
Perhaps too much.
My gaze turns to my cousin, watching her carefully brush my hair, a concentrated pout on her features.
Carmen offered to hire professionals to do my hair and makeup, but I refused.
I didn't want anyone but Nancy helping me get ready.
She's my cousin, sure, but she's also my best friend.
We can't have witnesses at the wedding because it's not exactly a traditional union, but to me, she's mine.
I know Arthur is Mattheo's, even though he'll deny it if I ask.
Nancy hums softly as she begins to tie my curly hair into a low, elegant, slightly messy bun. She slips a rhodium-plated crown depicting elegant laurel leaves into it and smiles softly, proud of her work.
“What do you think?” She asks softly, almost shyly.
My brown eyes turn to my reflection and my lips part slightly in shock. I struggle to recognize the young woman I see in the mirror.
“That's perfect, Nance,” I reply in a whisper.
Her smile widens and she turns my chair a little so she can do my makeup. Once she's finished, I look back in the mirror. My eyelids are colored emerald green and gold, my eyelashes lengthened and thickened by the black mascara she applied, my full lips now tinted a vibrant burgundy red.
It's perfect.
She mutters a spell I don't know and smiles proudly. My gaze falls on my hand, I gasp in surprise. My nails are now almond-shaped and tinted green, matching my eyeshadow with a hint of gold.
She has to teach me this spell!
She mutters another spell, but this time I recognize it. It's to protect my hair and makeup; that way, they can't move unless I cast the counter-spell. I can enjoy my day without worrying about ruining my appearance.
She steps back and I stand up, heading towards my dress hanging on the dressing room door. My fingers glide slowly over the fabric and my lips curl into a small smile. I'm still nervous about getting married, but excitement is also starting to spread through me.
It's an arranged marriage, yes, but I've grown to love my fiancé and I'm looking forward to finally becoming his wife.
For me, it no longer feels like an arranged marriage, because I can't imagine marrying another man.
Plus, we were lucky and got to choose how we wanted our wedding to go.
Normally, in arranged marriages, the fiancés' parents choose everything, from the theme to the dress, but Mattheo and I had the opportunity to plan it ourselves.
“Go ahead, honey. Put on your dress,” Nancy encourages me softly, pulling me from my thoughts.
I nod and let my silk bathrobe fall to the floor, leaving me in my matching red underwear.
Mattheo's favorite color.
I take the dress and put it on, turning my back to Nancy so she can help me lace it. Once she's finished, she gives me my white heels with red soles and I put them on.
I turn to the mirror and look at the woman reflected in it.
I almost don't recognize myself. I'm gorgeous and it's weird.
I know I'm pretty, but I never thought I was beautiful.
I always thought I was a common beauty, like all girls.
Yet, looking at my reflection in the mirror, I feel like a goddess.
“You look absolutely gorgeous, Aelys,” Nancy whispers as she comes up behind me, a smile on her lips and her eyes moist.
I turn to face her, feeling my cheeks burn. She tilts her head gently and her smile widens.
“Mattheo will be speechless.”
I blush even harder and she laughs softly.
A knock at the door makes us jump and we exchange confused looks.
She motions for me to stay out of sight of whoever is knocking and goes to open it, carefully to keep me hidden.
I see her freeze and she looks at me, silently moving her lips to form the word 'Tom'.
My eyebrows furrow and I nod, silently telling him he can come in. She steps aside, still careful not to open the door wider so no one else can see me. Tom enters and his blue gaze falls on me. He freezes and his lips part slightly as his eyes widen.
“I'm going to get ready in your bathroom,” Nancy says to us, closing the bedroom door. “I'm going to put a spell on the door so you two can talk in private.”
I smile softly and nod, watching her disappear into the bathroom. I hear her mutter the spell and my eyes turn to Tom. I wait for him to start speaking, but he's still entranced, eying me up and down.
I clear my throat and he comes back to reality. He pulls out his wand and casts another spell on the room so anyone walking past us can't hear us either. I frown, confused.
What does he want to talk about that is so secret?
“You are… breathtaking, darling,” he says in a breath.
I cringe at the nickname but mutter a small thank you, not wanting to start an argument by correcting him.
He slips his wand back into the pocket of his dark gray suit jacket and strides toward me.
He stops in front of me, I have to lift my head a little because he's quite close and still taller than me despite my stilettos.
His eyes flick between mine, and he sighs.
“Don’t marry him, Aelys,” he begs, his left hand moving to cup my cheek.
My eyes widen in shock, my lips part, but I can't form words. His thumb begins to gently stroke my skin, and I freeze. I want to step back, to escape his touch, but I can't move, frozen in shock.
“Please,” he whispers. “Don't marry my brother. Marry me.”
I didn't know it was possible, but I freeze even more, my whole body tense. My eyes feel like they're about to pop out of my skull, my lips are still parted, my voice still unable to make sound. I can't believe what I just heard.
It seems unreal. Am I hallucinating?
I jump in surprise as he presses his forehead against mine and I immediately try to pull away, but his right hand moves to my waist, trapping me in an embrace. I look at him with wide eyes as he closes his eyes and sighs softly, his jaw clenching for a few seconds.
“I have a plan,” he mumbles. “You don’t have to marry him. We can be together. Please,” he begs hoarsely.
I try to speak, but again, no sound escapes my lips. His grip on my waist tightens, I wince in pain, trying to pull away, but again without success.
“Mattheo has been useless these past few weeks. If he were to… die. My father would appoint me his right-hand man, and I could marry you. We could carry on the Rigast name together.”
A small smile tugs at his lips and I feel my heart skip a beat in horror.
I try to escape his embrace again, but he holds me even tighter. I frown, my lips trembling as I feel tears begin to well up in my eyes. I can't believe what he's implying. He wants to kill Mattheo so he can marry me. It's a completely insane idea, and I'm terrified.
He pulls back and begins to lean in to kiss me.
That's when my reflexes choose to kick in again.
Finally remembering the existence of my shapeshifting power, I force him away from me, finally freeing me from his grip.
His eyes snap open and widen in surprise as he backs away and steadies himself.
He tries to move closer again, but I push him away, harder this time.
“Aelys… Please, darling, I won't hurt you,” he pleads, hoping I'll let him get close.
I giggle and start laughing maniacally. I'm stunned by every word that escapes his lips. Does he think I'm afraid of him? Is he serious?
“I'm not afraid of you, Tom,” I breathe in disbelief.
“Does that mean you agree with my plan?” He asks, his eyes shining with hope.
I snort and shake my head in disbelief. I clench my fists and glare at him, my jaw clenching in anger and frustration.
“Are you listening to yourself, Tom?” I cry out. “I won't accept anything! I won't let you kill Mattheo and I won't marry you.”
He frowns and I almost feel bad when I see his expression fall and how devastated he looks.
“I love him and I want to become his wife for the love of the Gods!”
He snorts and I give him another glare.
“Why?” He growls, furious now.
I sigh and shake my head. “That's how it is, Tom. I'm sorry. You're my friend, I thought you knew that.”
He purses his lips into a thin line and doesn't move for a few seconds before slowly nodding his head. He turns on his heel without another word and leaves the room, slamming the door behind him, startling me.
I stand frozen in place, staring at the door, my mind still racing, trying to comprehend what just happened.
I hear the bathroom door open, my eyes finally move to watch Nancy enter the room, wearing her magnificent emerald dress.
Her short black hair curled and loose, her makeup matching her dress.
She looks beautiful, but I can't seem to form words, too shaken by my conversation with Tom.
“Hey, is everything okay?” She asks worriedly.
I nod slowly and finally force myself out of my thoughts by smiling at her. She smiles back, not noticing that my smile is fake, and spins around to give me a better look at her appearance.
“So what do you think?”
“You're perfect, Nance,” I hug her gently and she laughs.
My thoughts involuntarily return to Tom's plan. I need to talk to Matt about this so we can find a way to stop Tom from killing him. I'll tell him after our wedding, when we're back at the Academy in the comfort of our dorm.