The Uninvited Princess ✔

Chapter 81

Chapter 81

Pranee didn't shut her eyes this time. She wanted to see everything that happened.

The branches reached out towards them but instead of grabbing them and having them struggle in its grasp, it went after the high wizard.

The high wizard didn't seem deterred at first as his vines grew around the staff and he stabbed it into the branch. The branch recoiled for a moment before doubling down, letting more branches wrap around him tightly.

"He's going to get out of there fast since he has his staff," Shashi said. "We need to— Pranee!"

Pranee had already made the reckless move of jumping off the staff towards the high wizard. Her hands grasped around the vines that clung onto the man and could feel his staff tip downwards from her weight. The man let out a strangled yell as he tried to hang on but the vines began to snap.

Pranee looked behind her to see that Shashi had been whisked away by the other high wizard, trying to stop them from getting any closer to Pranee. Shashi gave a worried glance towards her but she signalled she was fine. For now.

Her attention went back to the trapped man and more branches had grown around him as he couldn't use his magic as freely as before. He desperately gave one large heave with his arm, and a sputter of leaves erupted from it but it was no use. His time was ending.

Before Pranee could think of any plans of getting down to safety, there was a snap. The familiar feeling of falling engulfed her body as her hand was still latched onto the broken staff.

She took a deep breath and prayed for it to be painless.

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Ubol found herself riding a white elephant with her hands bound behind her back.

Ritthirong stood in front of her with a smile with an entourage of men behind him. It looked like he completed the first part of the ceremony. Typically, he would have to get past "gates" guarded by friends and family each with tasks or riddles before making his way to retrieve the bride.

She had no choice but to sit on the animal, waiting underneath an ornate paper umbrella attached to the saddle of the elephant with a mahout to keep the animal calm. She had tried to speak to the man a few times earlier but he didn't respond to her probably because he was unable to.

"I'll hold the reins while we travel back," Ritthirong told the mahout. "It'll look good to our guests."

The mahout gave a silent nod before handing over the reins and they began to move forward. She could see a crowd of people in the distance waiting in front of the palace for the couple with cheers or instruments in hand to welcome them.

"I hope you're comfortable. It was difficult to acquire a white elephant," Ritthirong said.

She suppressed her scowl. "There is nothing comfortable about being bound."

"Once this part of the ceremony is done, I'll unbind you. I can't expect you to pour holy water from shells with tied hands now, can I?"

She let out a disgruntled sound and the cheers and laughter grew louder. The nobles and other people who were attending the wedding were loud and overly joyous. She scanned the crowd and couldn't see any familiar faces.

"Looking for someone?" He asked.

"My mother," she said quickly.

"Ah yes, she should be waiting inside. An old woman can't be left outside for too long. They should be seated in the shade."

Ubol's stomach turned at his phrasing and the ride came to a stop.

The mahout left briefly but came back with a ladder to retrieve the bride. Some of the groomsmen had taken the initiative to hold the ladder down while the mahout climbed up to lessen its wobble. He began to untie Ubol's bounds and she stared at him with the panic setting into her chest.

"Are you really okay with helping him go through with this?" She whispered.

The mahout didn't reply but the shakiness in his hands grew. In the end, she couldn't change his mind and she descended the ladder to join the groom.

The moment she touched the ground, Ritthirong clamped his hand over her wrist and raised it to the air in triumph, prompting another round of cheers and yips to sound from the crowd.

The king looked to Ubol, his smile wider than ever. "Now, it's time for us to go inside."