TAKEN BY HIM

CHAPTER 18

Gem watched from behind her purple veil as the people danced around, rejoicing that their crown prince was finally getting joined. The ceremony had been boring and long but she did enjoy tightening the marriage band round his thighs and close to his balls which earned her  shocked gasps from the elders of the court. He fumed while he tied  his own golden band round her wrist, tightening it twice to pour out his embarrassment at how bold she was to do such a thing.

She had not expected her wedding to be like this, the hall was too gloomy even with the thousands of red flowers decorating it, the purple curtains trimmed with red and gold looked too much like the guards color of the land and reminded her of war and Riblah and her father were also missing so the joining ceremony seemed null in her head. Even after she walked down the golden isle it all still felt like a dream.

She smiled cold like at them, pushing her nose up as if they were dirt. She had already planned what she would do with her share of the kingdom and nobody was going to stop her. Not the prince nor his grandmother who had been the only one really welcoming in the entire palace.

The prince hardly said a word to her, his best friend had not even spared her a second glance and since the guards were loyal to the two of them it had been a cold reception. Even though they had both come to an agreement to be civil to one another, it did not stop her from stepping on his tail, and he in turn was always ready to bare his teeth.

He stared straight at his grandmother who was sitting at the far end of the mahogany rectangle table, quietly mouthing how proud she was that he was getting married and he rolled his eyes at her, she was always proud when he did something good. But if he did something bad, then he was no longer her grandson but his father's son.

Gem watched them dance and she was perplexed because since the beginning of the reception when they had left the temple for the official joining ceremony till now where they had been plowed with wine and did not have their wits about them, it was blatantly obvious that these people liked to be merry.

She yawned to catch the attention of the prince who had not had a drop of wine. He looked pale, as if he had seen a ghost, probably caused by all the clenching of fists and gritting of teeth, either way Gem ate like a woman who was truly happy.

"Are you tired?" He asked with a frown.

"Yes, I wondered when you would notice from my continuous yawning that I would like to retire for the night." She said sarcastically.

"Respect or-"

"Or else what," she jeered at him, drawing the attention of half the onlookers, ready to tear into her if she so much as looked at their prince wrongly. Ebedmelech glared at them and they hastily minded their business.

"Do not push me," he gestured for Shashan who looked just as pale faced as his friend. "Take her to her quarters, I believe you prepared it earlier."

"I did, until that old...." He trailed off, trying not to insult the queen, with his eyes closed he took three deep calming breaths before continuing, "she said you had to share a room unless people would start getting suspicious that all this was fake and for her benefit."

Gem began to panic as sweat pooled under the silky veil, sticking it to her face as she became hot, her feet tapping the floor in an agitated manner which did not go unnoticed by her husband.

"I see," Ebedmelech said, finally smiling for the first time since he found out he was to be joined to an outsider, he could clearly feel her panic and if he had to be unhappy, so should she.

"I refuse to share a room with you," Gem said with an air of finality which he dismissed in a bored manner.

"We are one my lady, you are now crown princess until I become King and then you will be queen, it is only right that we share this night in each other's solid embrace under the silver moonlight on silky sheets, or what do you think, Shashan?" He smirked.