[Arthdal Chronicles] Fight for freedom

CHAPTER 36: A royal wedding.

The two weeks separating Tanya from her wedding had passed way more quickly than she thought they would. The marriage was planned for the day after. Everything was ready, except for her. She was nervous. She didn't know anymore if that was a good idea to marry Saya, even if that was to assure an alliance with him, with the King and to assure her protection when the Prince would be absent from the city for the war. She had enjoyed the Prince's supportive and protective presence the past few weeks, more than she would admit it and yet, she didn't want to imagine that she could possibly be in love with Saya. 

"Are you feeling fine?" a voice asked, pulling her out of her thoughts. Tanya turned her head, nodded and gave a faint smile to her visitor who was closing the door behind her. "You don't seem like you are though."

Tanya sighed then lowered her head. It seemed Enoria didn't have to read her mind to see the truth and it meant that maybe her worries were more visible than she thought they were. She would have to hide everything the day after to not arouse the suspicion of the people: they had to believe she was in love with the Prince, not see her fears. "I am not. I am scared about tomorrow," she replied as she walked to her balcony.

"It's understandable. It's not nothing to get married," Enoria replied, joining her, "what are you afraid of? The engagement in itself? Your future husband? Or your potential feelings for him?"

"All of that, I think," Tanya answered in a sigh.

Enoria gave a faint smile. She wished there was something she could say to reassure Tanya but there wasn't much that would ease her doubts. The answers Tanya was searching for, she had to find them herself. "Is there something I can do?"

"I do not know," Tanya replied before the silence of the night surrounded them again.

For a moment, the two women stayed silent, watching the stars in the sky, listening to the wind dancing with the leaves and to the goodnight songs of the birds. 

"I brought you this," Enoria said, breaking the silence a little while after, giving a vial to the Priestess, "it will help you relax a little so that you'll be able to sleep. No more than three drops or else you'll pass the day sleeping."

"Thank you," Tanya said with a faint smile, "it could be useful."

"I also have this," she continued, handling another vial, "that is something you must not take except if it's absolutely necessary."

"What is that for?" Tanya asked, looking at the small vial.

"It's in case Saya and you decide to consummate the marriage but you don't want to deal with potential consequences, that will allow you to get rid of it."

"Oh," Tanya just said, taking the vial. She didn't intend to consummate the marriage. Saya and her had an agreement so they wouldn't have to do that and so, she wouldn't need that concoction or at least that was what she hoped for.

"I insist: only if it's absolutely necessary. It's strong and more than efficient. It will destroy everything inside and any chanc-"

"Have you ever taken that? Is that why you think you can't car-"

"No, of course not. Why would I have done that? Yangcha is the only one that has ever touched me that way. I wouldn't have willingly destroy the fruit of our love," she defended herself, almost offended by the idea, "I have witnessed girls taking it because they couldn't deal with how the baby had been conceived but they never got pregnant again. That's why you must be careful."

"Do you think Saya could break our agreem-"

"No," Enoria interrupted, "I don't think you have to worry about that. You two have an agreement indeed but I also think he truly likes you, even though he may not really know how to show it. He won't force you into something you don't want to do. And if that reassures you: Yangcha, Sana and I will relay at your door the whole night, you'll just have to call or make noises for one of us to burst into the room," she said, taking Tanya's hands in hers. The High Priestess nodded but she didn't seem reassured. "He won't touch you against your will, Tanya. I think he is truly trying to be a good person for you. Not that I think he is a bad person. He is just someone who needs to be guided because it's like he mirrors what he is given. And trust me, during the training this morning I made him perfectly understand what would happen to his pillar and stones if he ever decided to act like an asshole with you."