Chapter Text
Henry’s POV
Henry grew up believing his mother when she told him they had to do right by their people by sacrificing three girls to the dragon every generation. All he ever heard from her was that they had to do everything for the good of their people. It was their duty, and what were three girls compared to a whole kingdom? He thought he loved his mother, and so he trusted her to protect him and know what she was doing. By believing in that love and trust, he managed to convince himself that he could do it when the time came.
He promised himself he would go through with it, then find a woman he would dearly love and leave to travel the world with her, as he had always dreamed about. But growing up—and with his older brother fleeing Aurea to save himself from this cruel responsibility—he realized more and more what that meant for him. He had to take on the responsibilities his brother had abandoned. He hadn't fully forgiven his brother for leaving him behind, but he was only five when he left, and since then, he had become the heir to Aurea. So he would have to take on the honor of protecting his people.
But the problem was that it would not end after that. He would have to put his future child and grandchild through all of that again. His mother would not let him leave. So he decided to go through it one last time, to save the kingdom for another generation, and then he would leave this kingdom in secret to save himself, his future wife, and future generations from this fate. He would let his mother figure out the rest, and if the kingdom had to pay for it… so be it. They had saved themselves for far too long, and Henry never understood why the royal family hadn’t just left the Kingdom of Aurea long ago for a faraway land and built a new kingdom where no dragon or creature lived to demand sacrifices and the death of innocent girls just to survive. Why did he have to continue this burden in the future?
When the first girl arrived in Aurea, he tried to keep himself from feeling any emotions towards her and focused on the good of his people, just as his mother wished. The girl was very shy and quiet, so he barely got to know her, which made the whole situation easier. But nonetheless, he felt bad and sick to his stomach after throwing her into the chasm. How could he do this two more times? He felt like he had lost part of his soul doing it. He had just thrown his first wife to her death—and a cruel one at that. To be killed and devoured by a dragon… It frightened him to see how little it bothered his mother to do this. She seemed so soulless, as though she had done it a thousand times before.
When he read the letter from his second wife-to-be, he thought she would be shy like the first one. Her letter was written in such a way that it didn’t compel him to read it fully. He got through it once, and very quickly. He did not look at her name, just as he had not done with the girl before. It was a way to detach himself from her emotionally. But then there she was: Lady Elodie Bayford of the Duchy of Inophe. She was beautiful, witty, and hard to ignore or avoid talking to. The way she stood in front of him proudly, the way she spoke to his mother, the queen, and her smile… She made him smile with the way she spoke and responded to the queen. Her little sister was a sweet and curious child. After meeting her, he asked himself how he could take her sister away from her. The first girl did not have any siblings, so this made it somehow harder for Henry.
He tried to rid himself of any emotions regarding the situation again. He couldn’t afford to think like that. He had to consider his own future, as well as the future of his kingdom and family. His mother insisted he take a walk with each of the girls to show respect and manners. So he decided to walk through the gardens with Elodie once and be done with it, but she was just so damn intriguing that he made the mistake of starting a real conversation with her.
“Do you have any questions for me?” he asked her, immediately regretting opening his mouth. For she would only make everything worse in the next hours by warming his heart to her.
“Questions about what subject?” she asked.
“You may choose the subject,” he responded, still trying to appear disinterested.
“What do you think about me?” she asked bluntly. He did not expect that question.
“Pardon?” he asked, confused.
“Well, you seem disinterested at best, which is your prerogative, but I’d like to know if the person I’m being guilted into marrying truly likes me or not.”
He scoffed lightly. She really hadn’t lied earlier when she told the queen that she always told the truth. He felt a little overwhelmed and nervous. A pressure built in his stomach and chest.
“If my attitude offends you, I apologize. It was not my intention. However, I was unaware that, um, you were being guilted into anything.”
“The land where I come from is exactly how your mother described it: harsh and barren. This union will save us. I’ve made my peace with it. My happiness is a small price to pay for the future of my people.”
There it was again: the harsh truth. She was a bold and honest girl indeed. He somehow liked that. A girl who spoke her mind and was gracefully honest, rather than trying to please him and submit to him. She was different from any girl he had ever met before, and very different from how he had imagined her after reading her letter once.
“Is something wrong?” she asked him. He must have revealed his thoughts to her.
“It’s just… in the letter you sent in advance of your arrival, you sounded different,” he said. She chuckled.
“Different? In what way?”
“Far more, um… flowery,” he responded, and they both chuckled.
“Maybe that’s because my stepmother dictated most of it and my sister’s idea was the heart…”
He had the letter on him and took it out.
“The heart. I thought it was some sort of provincial insignia. You actually drew this?” he asked amazed.
In addition to everything she had to offer, she was also talented in art. She chuckled again while he looked at her letter more closely this time.
“Hold on. It’s a maze, isn’t it?” He asked. She nodded.
“I hope you’ll get to know my heart,” he read out loud, “That is very clever,” he said honestly.
“I used to make them for Floria when she was little. She’s my favorite person in the whole world. Floria's current obsession is the intricate mazes I create for her, always interestingly shaped—a bee-hive, a coyote, a birthday cake on the day Flor turned thirteen...”
They smiled at each other. There was a pause where they didn’t say anything to each other. Elodie sighed.
“I’m sorry. I have, unfortunately, a gift for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. My stepmother always scolds me for being too blunt, that I have to watch my tongue and think before I speak.”
“To be honest with you I don’t mind. I like that you speak your mind. It’s a refreshing change.”
“Then may I ask you another question?”
“Certainly.”
“Do they always follow you so closely?” She looked behind him at his guards.
“This is them giving me space,” he sighed.
“That must be tiring,” she said. He was still amazed by her honesty.
“It is, actually,” he confessed.
“I saw some horses being left unattended at the stables,” she said cheekily.
“Do you ride?” he asked with a grin, and together they managed to escape from his guards.
While riding away with her, he regretted letting her bring him into this situation. He would have to sacrifice her soon. How could he let himself get so attached to her? Still, he couldn’t stop himself from getting to know her. He felt like a little boy again, excited to get into a bit of trouble, just to be free for a while from being the Prince and always being guarded.
“Where did you learn to ride like that?” he asked her.
“My mother. Which way now?”
“Well, it depends on what you want to see.”
“Everything.”
“Very well.”
They rode around, and he showed her more of the landscape of his kingdom. When they found a place to take a break, he was shocked at how attracted he was to her. They took each other’s hands without hesitation or thought, as if they had done it many times before. He liked the feeling of her hand in his, her warm palm against his. It made him nervous again. He felt a strange sensation in his stomach that he had never felt before. But the moment was broken by her next words, bringing him back into the reality of the situation.
“I saw something high on the mountain last night. Torches.”
“You saw that?” he asked, becoming nervous.
“I couldn’t sleep,” she said. He decided to be a bit truthful with her too, but just for a moment.
“It was an ancient ceremony. Or rather, one of three. They’re very significant to my family—our whole kingdom, really. They, um… they honor our ancestors. That’s why my mother chose these dates for our wedding.”
They came to the edge of a hill, looking down at the trees and sea.
“It is quite beautiful,” she said, gazing down.
“Yes, I suppose. I really don’t have anything else to compare it to. May I confide in you something?” he asked.
“Yes, of course,” she said softly.
“My greatest wish is to see the world. To truly set out and explore it, you know?” he confessed once again.
“I do, actually. It’s my life’s dream. For as long as I can remember, I’ve longed to explore the distant lands. The ones you only read about,” she said chuckling lightly and he gave her a soft smile.
He looked at her face and saw the light and hope in her eyes. He tried not to spill the truth to her right then and there. They had the same dream! She was the perfect bride for him… No! The people. I have to think of the people and everyone who would have to die if I saved her, he thought to himself. But would it be possible to convince her to leave with him right now? Could he do it? He would, but he couldn’t. So instead, he decided to live in the moment, holding on to the false hope of a future with her.
“Perhaps one day we will,” she said, and he believed her.
“Perhaps,” he added, hope in his voice.
They continued their day by visiting the farms of Aurea. Elodie had convinced him to show her around more. Henry showed her different fruits, vegetables, plants, and flowers. She grinned and smiled the whole time.
“This is aurum wheat,” he said proudly. “It is a perfect food… a single loaf of bread made from aurum flour contains all the nutrients a person would need for an entire day.”
Elodie slowed her horse so she could reach over and touch the wheat. Its stalks bent gently in the breeze toward her, its golden, grasslike fronds moving against her skin.
“I am grateful for aurum wheat,” she said in awe. It will save many Inophean from starvation.”
“You admire your people, despite their poverty,” Henry said. “I can hear it in your voice.”
“I learned from my mother. She and I always accompanied Father to check on his lands. Now that she's gone, I make sure to visit each household at least once every fortnight to ensure they have enough to eat, shoes for their children's feet, work where work can be found.”
Henry bit his tongue. It was getting harder and harder to do this. She was so pure-hearted, and that was precisely the reason he had to sacrifice her. Otherwise, her spirit of kindness would try to change their ways, and Aurea would pay the price for that. They continued the tour around the farms and rode by a trio of boys who grabbed at the tambourine in a girl’s hand.
“Rahhh! We are dragons and you are Princess Victoria!”
“No! I don't like this game!”
“We are going to eat you, Victoria! But first, we'll trap you in our lair!” They, growled again and shoved her into a gully. She shrieked and disappeared from view. With a cry of alarm, Elodie leapt off her horse and ran into the wheat. The bullies scattered, and she flung herself down into the gully where the girl had been thrown. Henry didn’t move for a moment. This wasn’t supposed to happen. What should he do?
“Are you all right?” Elodie asked her. “Those bullies ought to know better, even at their age.”
“Y-you’re a princess. Like Victoria,” Henry heard the girl say and immediately dismounted his horse. He walked over to Elodie.
“I'm almost a princess. I will be, tomorrow.”
“You saved me. But who will save you?”
“Your Highness!” a farmer yelled. He bowed repeatedly as he climbed down to the girl and Elodie.
“My apologies, my daughter, she didn't mean to say-”
“Thank you, that will do!” Henry said sharply.
The farmer's eyes widened as he realized who had appeared, and he bowed deeply, hastily, then scooped up his daughter and hurried her away. Elodie watched them disappear into the thick stalks of wheat with a frown on her face.
“Shall I carry you out of the ditch in the same manner?” Henry joked, giving her his best smile. She seemingly relaxed again. She shook her head and gave him a small smile, then climbed out on her own. However, she still spent the entire ride back frowning. Henry tried to distract her as best as he could and asked about Floria again.
“Are you an only child, then?” Elodie asked gently.
Henry's mouth pressed into a grim line. “I have a brother. He is a fair bit older than I, but he left Aurea. We are estranged, and I prefer it that way.”
“I'm sorry.”
“It's fine. It's only that, when he decided to leave the kingdom, he saddled me with all his responsibilities. But I'd rather not talk about him, if that's all right.”
“Of course.”
They rode in silence for a long while until they returned to the gardens, where the guards immediately latched onto them, clearly displeased that they had lost track of them for a while.
“You're not like other women,” Henry blurted out suddenly.
“You've been with many other women before?” Elodie asked, her eyebrows raised.
“N-no! I only meant—”
“I was only teasing, Your Highness.”
He flushed. “Oh. Thank the skies.”
“Thank the skies?” Elodie asked. “I haven’t heard that phrase before.”
“Ah, an Aurean saying,” Henry said, “Akin to ‘thank goodness.’ However, more important than our colloquialisms, you don't need to call me Your Highness. I prefer Henry, if you please.”
Elodie smiled. “All right, then, Henry. So tell me, why don't you think I'm like other women? Because I'm not naïve? I know a prince such as yourself could choose any wife he wanted. Why me? Why the daughter of a duke from a barren, distant land?”
“Because there is a great deal of duty and sacrifice required to reign over Aurea, and those seem to be responsibilities you understand.”
She tilted her head. “Indeed, I do.”
He steered her around a bend in the garden path, leading them to a dark green lawn shaded by a willow tree, right next to a pond dotted with little white ducklings following their mother on the water. There was a gold picnic blanket laid out on the grass, with a vast spread of cakes and pastries and delicate petit fours in every pastel color imaginable. Elodie stopped in her tracks.
“Is that for us?”
“Yes, of course.”
Henry dipped his head and gestured for her to go first.
“Henry...”
“Is something the matter?”
“I think we have different notions of sacrifice,” Elodie said. “You see, in Inophe, the people are quite literally starving.”
“It won't be a problem for long,” Henry said, “We are solving it, aren't we?”
“Yes, but…” Elodie shook her head looking at the food in front of them.
“Don't you feel guilty, partaking of a picnic like this when so many others in the world suffer?”
A storm cloud passed over Henry's expression, although he quickly shook it off. “No, because the royal family of Aurea bears plenty of other burdens on its shoulders. You don't understand yet, since you've only just arrived. But you'll see and I urge you to enjoy moments like these when you can. Duty shall call upon you soon after we wed, and you may regret it if you don't eat cake now.”
Elodie frowned. “All right,” Elodie said. “If I am going to be Aurean, I shall try things your way.”
Henry smiled, all his easy charm flooding back as he took her arm and led her to the picnic. Elodie ate her fill of cake and pastry, and Henry couldn’t wait to part from her. He couldn’t take any more.
Later that evening, his father came into his chambers. His father hadn’t been the same since he had to sacrifice his three brides. Since then, his fourth wife, a princess he had met on one of his travels, had taken over. Isabelle had accepted that task immediately after becoming queen, and Henry couldn’t believe that his mother, an outsider, chose to stay in Aurea and deal with all this. She could have saved herself from this life, but the desire to be a powerful queen seemed more appealing to her, and so she doomed her children to this fate. The oldest one escaped this life, and Henry was stuck continuing her life’s choice.
“You could choose her, you know,” his father said. Henry startled from his thoughts.
“Choose her?”
“Elodie,” the king said. You are intrigued by her intelligence, her cleverness and wit. She could be the one you keep.”
Henry didn’t respond. “Henry, you are a dutiful prince. When Jacob ran away from Aurea, you took on the role of heir to the throne without hesitation, and you have carried the burdens of prince of Aurea without complaint for so many years. But you deserve to be happy, as well.”
“That, I disagree with,” Henry said. “A future king does not think of his own happiness. The kingdom's well-being must always take precedence.”
“If I cannot convince you to seize your own happiness,” he said, “then I can at least remind you that it is also your duty to produce heirs. That is how we ensure a lineage that will honor the traditions of Aurea. Elodie would not be a bad choice.”
Henry closed his eyes, breathing in and out slowly. He tried not to show his father how conflicted he was.
“If you had talked to me yesterday,” Henry said, “I'd have agreed that Elodie could be the one. But today in the fields, she kept asking question afer question. And she intervened on behalf of a peasant girl ... No. Elodie has too many ideas of her own. She would fight too hard against customs that cannot be changed. That is why she cannot be the one I choose.”
His father shook his head sadly and put his hand on Henry’s shoulder. He left him, wishing him a good night. They both knew it wouldn’t be a good night. Henry couldn’t sleep. The first girl was painful to sacrifice, but Elodie would be impossible. How could he go through with it? How could he live with himself after it? And how would he be able to do it a third time? He wanted to talk to his mother, to tell her to stop all of this, but it would only anger her. She would never understand what he was feeling, seeing how she organized everything around them so surely and coldly. He had to do it.
He tried to push his emotions and feelings away again, detaching himself and letting the wedding happen as planned. He ignored her beauty when she approached him, ignored her soft lips against his as she became his wife with their first kiss, ignored her smiles and proud posture, and pushed through the torture that was his life right now.
The little girl from the fields somehow managed to get into the palace and tried to reach Elodie to warn her of her fate, but the soldiers knocked her out and brought her back home. Henry assured her that everything was fine.
“Where are we going?” she asked him afer the wedding ceremony and festivities were over.
“Remember I told you about those ancient ceremonies up on the mountain?”
“Yes.”
“We’re going to pay homage to my ancestors…”
He hated to see the masked faces of everyone again. He tried to think of the present as a dream, convincing himself that he wasn’t living in such a cruel world. They approached his mother, and Elodie looked confident and proud the whole time. This made him feel sad and angry.
It’s just a dream, he told himself. I just have to get through this two more times and listen to the next words two more times before I can leave this place forever.
“Welcome, Princess. For generations, it has been our task, our duty, to protect our people. The price is dear, but so too the reward. So, tonight, you join a long line of women who have helped to build this kingdom. When our ancestors first lay claim to this island, they found they were not its sole inhabitants. A creature dwelt here first. The last of its kind. With savage bloodlust, the beast left its lair and set upon the village. So the king gathered his soldiers to avenge his people. But their steel was no match for the monster, and each man met his end. Each save one. For the king, the beast had a far worse fate in store. Give up his three beloved daughters and the island could be shared. A cruel torture. He adored his daughters, but his duty to his subjects was stronger. And so, a pact was made. The three princesses met their end in the belly of the beast, and a kingdom was born. It is this sacrifice we commemorate every generation. A tradition going back centuries,” his mother preached and took out a knife.
“Your hand, child. A legacy of honor and duty you now inherit, Princess Elodie of Aurea. Let our two lines mingle and fast become one.”
She cut their hands and he grabbed Elodies, mixing his blood with hers, making her royal and thus dooming her to death.
“She is now of royal blood,” the Queen said, and Elodie had to throw a coin into the chasm, where she would join it in a few moments.
“The ceremony is now complete. You may make your return,” he heard his mother say.
Just a dream, he thought to himself again. “I’m supposed to carry you back,” he said to her out loud.
“I’m fine with walking, really,” she replied, and he liked the sureness of it, wishing he could honor it. But what he had to do was as dishonorable as it could be. He picked her up and walked away from his mother with Elodie in his arms. She smiled at him shyly for the first time.
“Floria would love this part,” she said, and it made him feel more and more nervous and guilty.
“Close your eyes. I’ve got you,” he heard himself say.
He wanted to make it easier for both of them. He wanted to comfort her, even though he would betray her in the worst possible way. He would lose his wife he had started to really like and could have learned to love in time, if they had been given that chance. He breathed shakily. His heart was beating so fast that he feared it would burst from his chest. She closed her eyes and rested her head in the crook of his neck. He leaned his head against hers for a moment, wishing he could take her far away, consummate the marriage, and live a happy life with her, but the real world had other plans for them. He felt his mother staring daggers at him from behind, pressuring him.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly to Elodie, and he meant it.
Elodie opened her eyes and looked at him questioningly. He couldn’t look away. As he gazed into her eyes, he hesitated for a second and had to force his body to act. He saw fear and betrayal in her eyes just as he threw her into the chasm. He stood at the edge, watching her fall and scream. He couldn’t move or walk away. He regretted it, just as he had with the girl before, but this time he felt it a thousand times more—the regret, the sickness in his body, and the pain. He wanted to jump after her and bring her back up. But before he could do anything, his mother grabbed him and dragged him away from the mountain. He couldn’t hear anything she was saying to him. Her words felt far away, and before they reached the carriage, the sickness overwhelmed him, and he spat up into the bushes.
“It’s alright, Henry. My son, there’s only one girl left, and after that, you’re free to marry whomever you want, and the Kingdom of Aurea will be safe once more for a generation. It’s a shame, but it’s worth it, for it will save thousands of lives. Come now; tomorrow you’ll meet the last one. The day after tomorrow, you’re free,” his mother said to him.
He didn’t listen or respond to her. He left her behind and got into the carriage. He couldn’t look at her anymore. He felt sick, drained, and cursed. He wanted to leave this accursed place and never look back. But he might have just sacrificed himself the moment he threw Elodie over. She would have been the one. He was sure now that he felt what he felt. Did she survive the fall? Could he still save her? He had to find a way to at least try without his mother’s knowledge.
He decided to approach Elodie’s father. He couldn’t do it in person or send someone who might give his plans away to the queen. He tried to go to bed but couldn’t sleep again, thinking of Elodie and what she must be going through right now if she was even still alive. He hoped and prayed that she had survived the fall and that she was fighting. She had the spirit for it.
After hours of thinking about her and rolling around in bed, he decided to write a letter to Elodie’s father and put it under his door. He wrote down whom he could contact to try and find his daughter. He hoped her father was regretting it too and that he would have the courage to save her—something he couldn’t do, under the influence of his mother and the guards watching him.
He was on his way to the dining hall when he met someone he did not expect to see: Floria, Elodie’s little sister. She shouldn’t be here on this side of the castle, he thought. Her family was on the west side, so she and her stepmother wouldn’t see him or the third bride. Only her father knew of the sacrifices. The others would hear from Elodie’s father in a week or two, telling them that Elodie had died from a sickness or an infection after injuring herself on their travels.
“Prince Henry! Why are you here? Aren’t you and Elodie supposed to be on your honeymoon, far away, traveling for a few weeks?” she asked, confused.
She was so confused and surprised that she didn’t curtsy to him. She had approached him too quickly. She was lucky he had snuck out so his guards didn’t know where he was; he could speak to her freely.
“Well… yes…” he could only mumble, overwhelmed.
“Why are you back? Did something happen? Where is Ellie?” she asked, growing worried.
“Yes, something happened. But don’t worry too much about it. Your father will help... I’m sure of it. What are you doing here on this side of the castle?”
“Oh, I’m so sorry! I know your mother— I mean, Queen Isabelle— said we can’t come here, but I just started walking around exploring and ended up here. I didn’t plan it; I’m just curious to see everything. This place is so different and so beautiful compared to where we come from,” she told him excitedly.
He smiled at her, wishing he could be a child again and see only the best and most beautiful things in the world. She was so innocent at the age of thirteen.
“Do not worry; I won’t tell anyone you were here. If you wish to see more, there is a place over there, in that direction,” he pointed to the left. “You will find a garden with the most beautiful animals: birds with colorful feathers and much more. I won’t spoil it for you; you will have to see it for yourself. If anyone troubles you, just tell them Prince Henry sent you, and they will have to answer to me if they bother you.”
“Oh, thank you so much, Your Royal Highness!” she said excitedly and curtsied to him. He smiled and bowed to her.
“No need for that, Floria. Just call me Henry, please.”
She nodded, smirked, and ran away to find the animal garden. He felt so bad for her; she didn’t know what had happened to her sister. She didn’t know what he and his family had done. He hoped their father was on his way to search for Elodie. Henry decided to walk on to the dining hall to join his family and pretend everything they had done was normal and all right, hoping Elodie’s father would succeed.
After his breakfast, during which he managed to only nibble on his bread, he went to meet the last girl with his family. He was mentally and physically exhausted from the past few days and only responded to her when necessary. He looked at her but didn’t really see her. He gave her weak smiles, and she didn’t challenge him like Elodie had. She wasn’t witty or anything like that. She was shy, kind, and polite, like the first girl, trying to do her duty to him without question.
He thought about Elodie the whole time and asked himself if her father had managed to free her. It seemed like he had because, after the walk with the girl, the sky went dark, and fire started lighting up the sky. The dragon was out for the first time, and it was angry. Henry felt a sense of satisfaction. Did it mean she had escaped? He wanted to leave and see for himself.
Before he could attempt to escape from his guards, his mother barged into his chambers and forced him back to the mountains, demanding that he throw Floria into the chasm to balance the second offering in place of Elodie. He couldn’t believe his mother. It was bad enough that they had sacrificed all those other girls until now, but to sacrifice a much younger, innocent child? The little sister? No. He couldn’t do it! Hearing Floria plead, whimper, and scream made everything clearer to him.
“Please let me go! No, don’t do this!” Floria screamed.
“Mother, enough! She’s too young!” he tried to reason.
“A prince protects his kingdom without hesitation or complaint. Give me your hand!” she demanded.
There it was. That was everything he had ever heard from his mother. She never showed him love, understanding, compassion, or a softness like his father did. She saw him only as a prince, not as a son. He had heard those words from her so often that they were burned into him, and he believed them enough to go through with two sacrifices. But not this time! He was done following orders. He had had enough. Elodie had awakened more emotions in him and made him feel more joy in the last two days than his mother ever had.
"I cannot do this. She’s just a child!”
“You’re weak,” his mother said spitefully, and he had to control himself with everything he had to avoid pushing his mother into the chasm after hearing that. After everything he had done up to this point, to hear her say that showed him that his mother never loved him; she only had him for this purpose and never cared for anything else other than to raise him to marry and kill innocent brides. Every time he didn’t follow her orders or beliefs, she called him a disappointment or weak. She never let him think for himself.
“No! Please don’t do this to me! Get off of me! Let go!” Floria screamed.
Before he could decide what to do next to save the little girl, his mother cut herself, mixed her blood with Floria’s, and gave the order for her to be thrown down the chasm. It happened so fast that he had no time to react or do anything other than watch her fall. He felt numbness, and he was sickened by his mother.
She didn’t let him out of her sight after that—more than before. He couldn’t even use the chamber pot without someone being in the same room. She suspected he would run away otherwise. So, he was forced to marry the next girl. There was no way out other than to fight his way out, but the guards had removed his sword from his chamber.
He stood in the courtyard the next day, having not slept for even a moment, as he placed the ring on the third bride. He felt and looked miserable. He had decided he would jump down with his third bride to try and find Elodie or die trying. What he hoped for most was that someone would come and stop this ceremony somehow, and his wish came true—Elodie herself emerged. She walked down the path toward him, and he couldn’t believe his eyes. The sight of her was horrific and powerful at the same time.
Her dress was torn and burned; barely anything was left of it. She was covered in ash and blood, with burn marks and wounds all over her body, and her hair was much shorter than before, just about reaching her shoulders. He felt so relieved to see her alive yet guilty for everything she had to endure. Where was her father? Did they find Floria too? She was alone as she walked up to him. What was her plan here? The guards could easily kill her like that. He approached her carefully.
“Elodie, you must believe me. I haven’t slept a moment since—”
“Since you tried to kill my sister?”
He wanted to tell her that he had refused and that it was his mother alone, but that wouldn’t change anything about what she had to go through because of him.
“I had no choice,” he said instead. It was idiotic; he had a choice. He could have warned her, he could have run away with her, or he could have pushed his mother into the chasm instead. He had many choices.
“Don’t you dare explain yourself to this… this commoner!” his mother spat.
“Is she to be the third? Princess number three?” Elodie asked, stopping beside the third girl.
“She’s the last, and then I’ll be free to marry whoever I…” he started, grateful for once that his mother interrupted him. What a stupid thing was he about to say? He would have been free to marry whoever he wanted, but it wouldn’t have been the bride he had already cast aside, the one he had decided to throw to her death.
“That’s enough, Henry! You know nothing of what we’ve endured! You know nothing of our story!” His mother said harshly to Elodie.
“Take your family and run,” Elodie said softly to the girl. “I will offer you all one last chance to do the same… you all have a choice… No?” she asked the rest. Some more people started running away.
“You insolent creature! You think we ought to fear you now?! Why? Because you somehow managed to escape the dragon?” Queen Isabelle asked her.
“It’s not me you should fear. This is the end of your story,” Elodie said in an eerie voice. It made all the hairs on his body stand on end.
He heard and felt it coming before he could see it: the dragon. Elodie had somehow managed to befriend a dragon. If he hadn’t feared for his life in that moment, he would have bowed down to her. But the only thing he could do was stand there, shocked and frozen, and look up at the dragon. He deserved to die after everything he had done in the past few days and what his ancestors had done over the centuries. He looked up at Elodie, wanting to see her powerful stance and the strong woman she was before he died alongside his family.
He focused his attention on her, looking at her face, and to his surprise, her eyes met his. She gave him a look—a look that seemed to offer him one last chance to leave before the dragon unleashed its full power and burned everyone and everything to ashes.
“Despite the suffering you have wrought upon others, I cannot know all the ways in which you, yourself, have suffered in inheriting your kingdom's bloody legacy. So I offer you a choice: accept your end now, or abdicate, leave Aurea, and never return.”
After that, she turned around and left the courtyard. Henry gathered all his strength and ran as fast and as far as he ever could in his life. He heard his mother scream and felt the heat of the flames even from far away, but he had survived. Elodie had given him a chance for some reason. That was the only reason his whole family had died while he was still here.
He didn’t understand. Why had she given him the chance to decide whether to run or die there with his family? If she hadn’t looked him in the eyes, he would’ve accepted his death. After all, he deserved it. Would he be able to talk to her? He had to try, at least. While running out of the castle, he heard the screams of the people still burning alive, and he could smell the charred flesh in the air. He looked at the sky, scared that the dragon would chase after him and kill him.
After running and stumbling around, he saw Elodie walk out onto the bridge, the dragon flying above her. It looked majestic and powerful. He watched them for a while, starting to shake. How could he approach her without dying? She had told him to leave, but he wished to talk to her. This was still his home, and Elodie was still his wife. She needed a proper annulment to be free of him. He looked up at the castle. They hadn’t burned the whole castle down, just the courtyard where everyone had gathered for the wedding ceremony. Would she take over and rule Aurea, or would she leave?
He looked in her direction again. She and the dragon had just reached the end of the bridge. Guards were approaching her. He saw them bow down to her, pledging their loyalty to her and the dragon. She said something to them that he couldn’t hear from where he stood. He wondered whether he should run away or approach her, but before he could decide, she looked in his direction, and the guards started running toward him. He let them seize him, and they brought him before Elodie.
He knelt down and looked at the ground, not daring to look at her. She could do with him as she pleased; he wouldn’t resist. He deserved everything she had in store for him. He was still shaking and sweating from the heat, the running, and the fear he felt. His heart was pounding, and his hair was sticking to his face. He held his breath, waiting for her next words.
“Prince Henry of Aurea, I gave everyone a chance to leave or die. Normally, I would have let everyone live who wished to, but not the royal family. They wouldn’t have had that luxury. I intended for all of them to die, including you, as did the dragon. But when I found Floria, and after she was safe, she told me of your kindness toward her and that you didn’t want any part in her death. That is the only reason I will let you live, my dear husband.”
“Thank you, truly. Is there a chance for me to stay here and prove to you that I’m a changed man?”
She thought for a long time before she continued speaking. “You will have to earn your way back into your titles. For now, you will be watched at all times by my guards. They have just surrendered to me. The dragon will only spare you because she has just learned what it means to have mercy on those who are innocent or manipulated. I know you were raised into this and felt like you had no choice but to follow your mother, but you had many choices to change your course. So I will decide, in time, if you’re worth keeping alive. As of now, I do not trust you, and you will be my prisoner,” she said coldly.
“I am thankful to Your Royal Highness, Princess of Aurea. I will do anything to prove myself worthy of your trust once again one day. I am yours to command,” he said, looking up for a moment so she could see the honesty in his eyes.
“Guards, please escort him to his chambers and ensure he cannot leave until I say otherwise. There must be someone with him in his room at all times. If he tries to escape, kill him.”
He gulped once and promised himself that he would do everything in his power to get back on her good side and gain her trust. He swore he would never break that trust again. He had to take full responsibility for his and his family’s actions. What they had done all this time was wrong, and he would show Elodie that he wouldn’t do anything like that ever again.
He was sent to his chambers, where he had time to think. Elodie did not let him out for days. When a week passed, she decided to pay him a visit for the first time since she appeared with the dragon. He looked at her standing by the door, asking to speak with him. His heart started racing. He swallowed hard and decided to be on his best behavior.
“Princess Elodie, you honor me by coming here. Have you decided my fate?” Henry asked, bowing to her. She looked back at him angrily, and his heart began beating faster.
I’m doomed, he thought to himself as he waited for her response.