When the bells fell silent

The sacred bells rang once. Then twice. Their echoes drifted through the Grand Hall like a blessing settling over everyone beneath it.

The High Priest raised both hands toward the altar. "Today, beneath the gaze of Astra, we witness not merely the union of two hearts, but the beginning of peace between kingdoms."

A hush settled over the hall. Thousands of eyes rested on Ariana and Lucien. The air itself seemed to hold its breath.

Lucien turned toward her. For the first time since arriving in Elaria, they stood close enough to truly see one another. Her sapphire-blue eyes reflected the candlelight, and there was warmth in them — not the practiced grace of royalty, but the quiet kindness worn so naturally she likely didn't know she was showing it.

Lucien offered a small smile. "I believe we should introduce ourselves properly."

Ariana blinked, then laughed softly. "I think we're a little late for introductions."

"Perhaps. But I'd rather begin as strangers who choose to trust each other than as royals forced together by duty."

Something in his words eased the last of Ariana's nervousness — a knot she hadn't fully admitted to carrying until it loosened.

"I would like that."

For the first time that morning, the marriage no longer felt like a political arrangement.

Among the gathered nobles, murmurs of approval spread quietly through the hall.

"They suit each other."

"The kingdoms chose wisely."

"Perhaps peace truly has come."

Queen Elowen quietly wiped away a tear. King Alaric reached for her hand without looking away from the altar.

"You've been crying all morning."

"I'm a mother."

"You've been crying since yesterday."

She laughed through the tears anyway.

Cedric chuckled from beside them. "I warned you."

"Parents never stop worrying," Helena murmured, and for once no one argued.

---

The High Priest continued the ceremony, his voice carrying the weight of a hundred generations before him.

"Crown Prince Lucien Alexander Draven. Do you swear to protect Princess Ariana Elara Vale — not only as your wife, but as your equal?"

Lucien answered without hesitation. "I swear it."

"And Princess Ariana Elara Vale. Do you accept this vow?"

Ariana looked at Lucien. His expression was calm, honest, steady in a way that made the answer easy.

She smiled. "I—"

A sudden chill spread through her body, so sharp it stole the rest of the word from her throat. Her smile faltered.

For the briefest moment, the voices around her turned distant. The candle flames blurred at the edges. The Moon Pendant resting against her chest went icy cold, colder than it had felt during the vows an hour before — a warning she hadn't known how to read the first time.

Ariana pressed a hand against it. *Strange. It's never felt like this.*

"Your Highness?" The High Priest's voice sounded far away, as if spoken through water.

Lucien noticed the change immediately. "Princess?"

"I'm..." She forced another smile, steadier than she felt. "I'm fine."

The priest, sensing the moment needed room to breathe, gestured for the ceremonial goblet to be brought forward — the traditional pause between vows, where bride and groom shared a sip of wine before the union was sealed in full. It would give the princess a moment to collect herself. No one in the hall thought anything more of it.

Far above the ceremony, hidden behind the stained glass, the hooded figure watched in silence. Slender fingers, hidden within a sleeve, closed around a small crystal vial — already empty, its work finished the night before, when the ceremonial wine had first been sealed for the day. The vial crushed easily, glass and dust scattering to the wind the moment the figure's grip tightened.

"There is no turning back now."

---

The ceremony resumed. A palace attendant stepped forward, outwardly composed, the goblet held level and steady in gloved hands — though beneath the glove, those hands trembled faintly.

Near the back of the hall, an elderly palace librarian noticed this. His brow furrowed. Something is wrong about the attendant's gait. He started forward, one hand already rising to signal a guard —

But he was thirty feet back, behind a wall of nobles and armored escorts three deep, and by the time he'd pushed halfway through them, the goblet had already changed hands.

The attendant lowered their gaze and stepped back into the crowd, unremarkable once more.

Ariana accepted the goblet with both hands. Lucien watched quietly, still faintly troubled by the paleness he'd seen in her a moment before. She lifted the cup. The hall remained silent, thousands of guests holding a single breath together.

One sip. Then another.

Ariana returned the goblet to the waiting attendant.

For a heartbeat, nothing happened then the silver goblet slipped from the attendant's hands and struck the marble floor with a sharp, ringing crack that seemed far too loud for the size of the cup.

Ariana's breath caught. Pain exploded through her chest, sudden and total, stealing the air from her lungs before she could even cry out.

The world tilted violently.

A single crimson drop stained the white fabric of her wedding gown.

Blood.

Lucien's face was drained of color. "Ariana!"

The princess swayed. Her knees gave way beneath her. Before she could strike the floor, Lucien caught her, one arm sweeping beneath her before he'd consciously decided to move at all.

Gasps erupted throughout the hall. Queen Elowen screamed,

"ARIANA!"

The musicians fell silent mid-note. The bells outside kept ringing, oblivious, as if the kingdom itself hadn't yet realized its celebration had become a tragedy in the space of ten seconds.

Cradled in Lucien's arms, Ariana struggled to focus. The faces around her blurred into color and candlelight. The voices became echoes, layered over each other until none of them meant anything.

Somewhere in the distance she thought she heard someone whisper:

*"The first move is complete."*

Darkness rushed toward her from every direction at once.

And the last thing Ariana saw, before it took her, was Lucien — a man she had known for less than a day and somehow already trusted — desperately calling her name like it was the only word he still remembered.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***