Beneath Hyacinth

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐞

Since when was the last time that I still had freedom within my grasp?Since when was the last time that I had been chasing after it?How did it lead to me, loathing the very thing I desired for in the end?

Bruise covered hands gripped on the garment of his robe intensely, his stare remaining hollow and rigid at the ground.

His fragile and small figure was lavishly adorned by an exquisite robe that conserved the majority of his body. Intricate symbols in gold were engraved throughout the royal blue silk; A large veil of a similar color hid his feminine visage from clear sight. Heavy jewelry decorated the male from head to toe - they were heavier than what he had anticipated, and perhaps it wouldn't fail to put him into a struggle later on. He didn't put much attention about the matter, as what he was currently feeling made his heart grow heavier than what he had ever weighed before. A strange feeling comtinuously stirred within him, he felt as if he was being pierced by daggers and hugged by the cold.

A voice inside his head was telling him to run as far as he could from this dreaded place, but his body refused to move. His eyes averted at the mirror which was being held by the handmaiden in front of him. Her smile described the joy she felt more than words. "Our emperor is certianly lucky to have you, your majesty..", She sighed dreamily. He was too lost in his thoughts to even give her a simple nod.

If we had crossed paths in different circumstances..if somehow, he would have a change of heart..would I have been wearing that kind of expression today?

As the thought invaded his mind, a bitter smile was brought up upon his youthful face. That mere hope, once again, clenched his heart forcibly, to the point that he could no longer hold the tears that were now racing down on his ghostly pale cheeks.

Taken back, the handmaiden took a cloth from the table in front of them and raised the hindring veil to his head. She flinched, seeing the reddened cheeks of the lad and his eyes that were screaming pain and grief. Crestfallen would be an understatement to describe the state that devoured him. Not knowing what upset him, nor how to console him, she was left no choice but to do her job.

Although it pained her to see the bride crying in front of her, she couldn't see why she should be. Perhaps it was because he was finally getting married that his emotions had driven him into tears? If that was the case, why does he have that kind of look?

"W-what's wrong, your highness?",Her hands patted his back gently, attempting to comfort him.

He nibbled on his bottom lip, trying to refrain himself from crying any longer. The ceremony would soon commence, and before he knows it, he would be bound with the man he both loved and hated the most for an eternity.

He shook his head, "N-no, it's nothing..I'm just nervous.." Who wouldn't be? Sooner or later, before he knows it, he would already be married to the man who swore to end his life and the people who are close to him once he disobeys him. The very same man who made him feel emotions that he never fathomed to feel in his lifetime. The very same man who effortlessly captivated and claimed him as his own. The very same man who had brought him to this living hell, torturing, suffocating, humiliating him to no end.

He was falling continuously in the abyss and there was no way for him to escape out of it anymore.

After a minute or so, his face returned into its usual , perplexing the handmaiden how his mood would shift so quickly. Little did she know, that inside, his emotions had left him restless.

"Is the bride ready?It's already time." A servant, who poked out his head from the curtains of the exit, stated. Even standing up seemed hard to Soleil, his legs were trembling as he did so.

There's no turning back. This is it.

Along with the servants that surrounded him, they walked down the path that lead to the cardinal. His feet seemingly grew heavier the more he inched towards the venue as he recalled the past. When he lived without any worries, kept in solitude with his family, when everything was still okay.

Lifting up his wrist, his line of sight switched to the bracelet which was loosely hugging his hand. If I could turn back time...what would we be doing right now?

"Fix your face. I don't want you looking so..down,"a gentle voice in front of him captured his attention. His eyes met his piercing stare which was coupled with a wide grin. It was the same smile that had enticed him and brought him to his demise. He knew well that his expression was anything but authentic.

Soleil wanted to scream to at least ease a bit of his pain so badly. This man was driving him to the edge of his sanity. Offering his arm, he said in a gentlemanly manner, "Let's not keep the crowd waiting...", like an obedient dog, he linked his smaller arms with the older male's.

While walking down the aisle ever so gracefully, the guests looked at them with varying emotions but what stood out the most were envy and joy. Although the path to the was short, it was as though time had slowed down that he felt it took them long enough before they reached it. The music that lingered throughout the place sounded more of a requiem than a tune that suited a wedding to his ears.
He couldn't hear well nor process what continued to happen around him. His mind was blurred out from reality as his memories of the past started to haunt him. Their blood stained faces, their dismembered limbs, their innards dangling out of their skin..and their pained voices crying for help.

"Today, we will witness the union between two souls that have been brought together by love, as well as the union of two Empires. Let us listen as they pledge their loyalty and devotion to each other before us today."

All because of this man.