14: “I WILL MARRY HIM”

The grand hall of Calithea's palace was silent, the kind of silence that felt louder than words. Zara sat on a throne that didn't feel like hers. Her fingers gripped the carved edges of the chair as if holding on to something solid would ground her. The council had just left, their faces filled with approval and satisfaction after she had spoken the words they wanted to hear.

"I will marry him. For Calithea."

The words still echoed in her mind. She had said them confidently, even firmly. But now, sitting here alone, the weight of what she had agreed to began to settle on her shoulders.

You're doing the right thing, the familiar voice of Lysandra whispered inside her. "This is what Calithea needs. Sacrifice is what makes a queen."

Zara closed her eyes, trying to shut out the voice, but it didn't help. She could still feel Lysandra's calm presence, steady and composed, so different from her own fiery spirit.

"Sacrifice," Zara muttered under her breath. She leaned back and stared up at the high ceiling, painted with scenes of past queens. She wondered how many of them had sat in this chair, making choices they didn't believe in for the sake of their kingdom.

The door creaked open, pulling her from her thoughts. Erythian entered, his steps deliberate and slow. He looked tired, his blonde hair was falling into his face. For a moment, he didn't say anything, just looked at her with an unreadable expression.

"I heard the council went well," he finally said, his voice low.

"They got what they wanted," Zara replied, her tone flat.

Erythian stepped closer, his gaze sharpening. "And what about you? Is this what you want?"

Zara hesitated. Her instinct was to say no, to tell him that this wasn't the life she had imagined, to tell him that she didn't trust him and a large part of her hates his guts. But then she thought of Calithea, of the people who would pay the price if she let her emotions rule her decisions.

"What I want doesn't matter," she said softly. "What matters is Calithea's future."

Erythian sighed and crossed his arms. "You've changed."

Zara's eyes flicked up to meet his. "Have I?"

"The Lysandra I know is bold, calm, confident. She wouldn't let anyone dictate her choices, not even a kingdom," he said, his voice holding a trace of bitterness.

"It wasn't supposed to be a difficult decision, I was ready to marry you Erythian, I felt something; I believed we could do this together but YOU Erythian made it difficult when you turned out to be a snake and a liar…dont come here telling me what or who I should be, you have no right." Zara said back to him.

Erythian's jaw tightened, but he didn't argue. Instead, he walked to the window and looked out over the city below. The lights of Calithea flickered in the distance, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.

Erythian broke the silence. "Do you trust me?"

Zara blinked, caught off guard by the question. "What?"

"Do you trust me?" he repeated, turning to face her.

She hesitated. Did she trust him? She wanted to say yes, to believe that he was the man who could save Calithea with her. But Alaric's words from days ago still lingered in her mind. "He's not who you think he is."

"I want to," she admitted.

"That's not the same thing," Erythian said, his tone sharp.

"I'm doing this for the kingdom," Zara snapped, her voice rising. "Isn't that enough?"

Erythian's eyes darkened. "A kingdom built on doubt won't survive, Zara. If you don't trust me, this marriage will fail before it even begins."

Zara opened her mouth to respond, but a knock at the door interrupted her. One of the palace guards stepped inside, bowing deeply.

"My queen, there's been a development," the guard said.

Zara frowned. "What kind of development?"

The guard hesitated, glancing at Erythian before answering. "It's about Alaric"

"Can I not have one moment of peace to myself?" Zara snapped "what has he done this time? Surely it must be bad enough for you to disrupt my conversation to report it" she added. 

"He's moved his forces closer to the border. It seems he's preparing for something."

Zara's stomach tightened. "What do you mean, preparing?"

"We're not sure yet," the guard admitted. "But scouts have reported increased activity. It could be an attack."

Erythian cursed under his breath, his hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of his sword.

"We need more information," Zara said, her voice steady despite the unease rising in her chest.

"I'll handle it," Erythian said, already moving toward the door.

Zara violently grabbed his arm, stopping him. "No! This isn't your fight anymore. You've done enough Erythian, I need to approach this carefully and I would be damned if I let you endanger my people" Zara snarled.

Erythian looked down at her hand on his arm, then back up at her. "And what do you suggest Lysandra?"

The way he said her name sent a chill down her spine. There was something in his tone, it was mocking, it felt bitter but she had to ignore.

"We'll send a small group of scouts to gather more intel," she said, forcing herself to focus. 

"And we'll prepare the council for the possibility of war but we must keep this as quiet as possible, we do not want the people to find out, unless it would start an uproar; not even a word nor a rumor about this should get out there".

Erythian nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But if this escalates, we need to act fast."

"When…IF that time comes, I will handle it" Zara released his arm, and he walked out without another word.

As the door closed behind him, Zara sank back into her chair, her mind racing. She had thought agreeing to the marriage would simplify things, but it seemed to have done the opposite.

"You're stronger than this," Lysandra's voice whispered.

"Am I?" Zara muttered to herself. She didn't feel strong. She felt like a pawn in a game she didn't fully understand, Alaric was also starting to get on her last nerves but she couldn't help but feel sympathy for him.

A soft knock at the door startled her. It was Mirenna, her court lady, her face was pale and her eyes wide.

"My queen," she said, with her voice trembling. "There's something you need to see."

Zara stood, her heart pounding. "What is it?"

The court lady hesitated, then handed her a folded piece of parchment. Zara unfolded it quickly, her eyes scanning the words written in a familiar, sharp hand.

"Marriage? You never learn.

this is far from over. Calithea will fall and you'll have front row seats to watch it burn; you have picked a side Queen and it is not mine; bad choice."

The note was signed with a single letter: A.

Zara's hands shook as she folded the parchment. Her chest tightened, and for a moment, it felt like she couldn't breathe.

"It's a warning," Lysandra's voice said, calm as ever.

"No," Zara whispered, her voice trembling. "I know Alaric…It's a promise." She added as she stared into thin air with fear lingering in her eyes.

To be continued…