A knock came on Micah's chamber in the middle of the night. Micah turned in her bed.
"My lady, Lady Berth is here to see you." A guard announced, and Micah rubbed her eyes tiredly.
"Berth? Let her in! She screamed the last sentence loud enough for the guard to hear.
She had barely said those words when Berth barged into the room. Tears trailing down her cheeks.
Micah was stunned….
"You have to stop him, Micah. I… can't do it. I can't spend my life with a man I know nothing about." Berth's face was innocent, her tears genuine.
Micah could only watch as her sister sat beside her and cried her eyes out.
"He wants to give me away to the duke." Berth sniffed as she laid her head on Micah's lap.
"And…?" Came Micah's voice.
"That's already horrible enough; what else do you want me to say?" Berth sounded frustrated.
Micah was quiet for some seconds.
"Why do you have a problem getting married to the duke? He is rich, wealthy…
"He is not the king! He doesn't have a castle. He can't guarantee my safety."
"When the King had asked me to get married to the Duke and I hesitated, you lectured me the whole day. Why are you reluctant now? Micah threw her sister's ignorance back at her face.
"This is different, Micah… We are talking about me here, not you." Berth slowly raised her head and gazed at her sister. The candlelight in the room reflected on her face.
Micah stroked Berth's hair and tugged a string behind her ear.
"What will you have me do, Berth? I can't go against the king's orders; if I could, I wouldn't be sitting here in this castle." She said the honest truth, but that seemed to annoy Berth.
"You are a queen…
"It is just a title." Micah retorted.
"Micah, you can't let him do this to me. How can I spend the rest of my life with a man I know nothing about?
"You were willing to spend your lifetime with the king just a few days ago. I don't remember you ever knowing the king before then; he was a stranger….
"You are mixing facts with reality, Micah! Berth snapped, raking her hair with her fingers, then she climbed down from the bed. She started pacing to and fro in Micah's chamber.
"You have always been the one good at manipulating Berth; do not weigh yourself down with thoughts; accept things the way they are." Micah said, pulling the blanket over her legs.
"You are going to sleep?! Berth, she said, gazing at her sister.
"Tomorrow I will be the one forced to wear a gown I am not comfortable in, forced to smile and wear uncomfortable shoes. I need all the rest I can get." Micah said, shutting her eyes closed.
Berth clenched her fist, her teeth gritting in exasperation… She groaned before walking out of Micah's chamber. Immediately after she got to her room, Berth took hold of a jewelry box and flung it out the window in anger.
"No, no, no!!!
...…
Today the clouds were dark, the sun hardly taking a peek. It looked like it was going to rain.
The weather was gloomy, the servants were more quiet than usual… Or maybe this was just how Berth was viewing the world. Like a horrible nightmare.
The maids added the final touch to Berth's hair, then slid a shoe under her feet. Her ears were already dangling with coral pearl earrings, her neck embellished with a silver necklace.
The plain red gown she was wearing didn't scream luxurious; it screamed elegance.
As Berth was led to her wedding arena, which was at the inner court hall, reality slapped her hard in the face.
She was like a walking corpse, a robot led in any direction the maids took her. When the door to the hall opened, Berth still had her eyes fixed on the floor beneath her; the maids standing beside her finally took their leave.
She had no father, no one to give her away, and she also had no mother… but suddenly she felt the presence of someone beside her.
She slowly raised her gaze, and her eyes locked with Micah's.
"Today I will be giving you off as a bride." Micah didn't sound happy; instead, her words felt like a burden. But then again, she had to fulfill her responsibility as the only close relative of the bride.
"You…can still stop this." Berth whispered, her rosy lips barely moving. Micah took her sister's hand in hers, and together they began to walk down the aisle.
"I…can't, Berth; fate has dealt us a heavy blow. We must both play our parts, as required." Micah said with a faint smile… It was fake; only Berth could see through that smile.
There was no crowd in the hall, just Ragaleon, the other four queens, some elders, the small council, and most importantly, the groom.
Berth still had her gaze on the floor; today will be the first time she will be seeing her husband-to-be. She wasn't nervous; instead, she was filled with hatred for whoever was standing beside the priest posing as the groom.
Micah placed a kiss on Berth's forehead when they got to where the groom was standing. Then she slowly retreated, her eyes stung with unshed tears.
She stood a little distance behind Berth to have a good view of the wedding ceremony. Someone stretched out a napkin towards her direction; Micah took the napkin and dabbed her eyes, which were filled with tears.
She tried to pass the napkin back to the owner without taking a look at who it was…
"Keep it…" came Ragaleon's voice.
"You will need it later." He added, his gaze fixed ahead.
Micah didn't turn to look at him; she hated him. Instead, she crossed her hands in front of her elegantly before blinking her eyes to prevent more tears from falling.
"We are gathered here today to witness the wedding ceremony of…" The priest started talking, but his voice slowly faded away in Berth's head.
Finally, after much hesitation, she raised her gaze….
She wasn't amused; she was just speechless. He was very handsome, with dark short hair, blue eyes, and a straight nose. Masculine structure, broad chest…a serious face?
Just then the priest ran a knife through her palm, and blood trickled out; the priest did the same for Dickson. Then their hands were placed together, loosely tied with a red material. The priest began to offer his prayers.
Berth lowered her gaze; she still couldn't bring herself to like him. She was lost in her thoughts throughout the whole wedding ceremony, and when it was time for the kiss, Berth didn't feel a thing when their lips collided.
Instead she felt like crying; she wanted to curse the gods, to just flee away from the presence of these people.
"You are now man and wife." The priest announced, to Berth's dismay, her eyes had lost their vigor; only pain was scripted on them.
Dickson took Berth's hand in his, and together they walked down the aisle. The elders showered their blessings on them, but Berth could hardly hear a thing. They made their way to the awaiting carriage outside.
The rest of the royal family dispersed after giving their blessings, but Micah followed the couples from behind.
"Berth…" Micah called out softly, her voice shaking. She wasn't the bride, but her eyes were red from crying.
Berth didn't spare Micah a glance; she disengaged her hand from Dickson's and made her way to the carriage in front of her.
Micah could only watch as her sister ignored her. She wiped her eyes with the napkin, her lips dried and her face mournful, even though it was supposed to be a course to celebrate.
She turned to Dickson after gathering herself…..
"She is all I have in this world…" she started off, her voice unstable.
"Please…take good care of her." She said in a whisper, her voice breaking.
Dickson nodded before bowing to Micah in courtesy, as she was the third queen, and then he made his way to the carriage.
Micah stood there watching the carriage fade out of sight until she could no longer see a thing. She held the napkin up to her nose; she was beginning to have a runny nose from crying too much. After a while she began to feel weak in the knees.
She swiftly turned around and began to make her way to her chamber. First she walked elegantly, but her steps were fast; she was holding herself. But then she couldn't any longer; she began to run, the orange gown she was wearing giving way to the wind, spreading behind her, and moving gracefully.
Her black curly hair swaying in the wind, as she ran along the long hallway, she didn't stop running until she got to her chamber.
She barely stepped into her chamber before crumbling on the floor on her knees… crying, groaning… Shrieking in pain, her gown spread around her, one hand placed on her chest, the other holding up the napkin to her nose.
She cried for some minutes, then suddenly became numb, unable to move from the position she was in. Her eyes drained of life, she sat there like a dead corpse.
...…
The house help struck the matchstick, and it erupted into flames, which reflected in her eyes. She went round every nook and cranny of the house, lighting up the candles and the oil lamp.
She got to a door but walked past it, knowing her mistress and master were there and today was their wedding night.
Berth was seated on a bed, her black hair let down, in a plain white dress. Her lashes and hair wet with water, her knees drawn up to her chest, with her hand wrapped around her knees.
Dickson took off his shirt and gazed at his wife, whose eyes were lost in deep thoughts. She has been like that ever since they arrived, refusing to talk or ask for anything.
He slowly hung his shirt on a chair in the room and slowly made his way to where Berth was seated. Suddenly Berth's eyes flashed with fury…
"What are you doing? She asked, retreating backwards on the bed.
"It is our wedding night." He said, reminding her.
"I don't need to be reminded; I know it is our wedding night." Berth's tongue was as sharp as a blade.
"Then you know what that means…" Dickson was now at the edge of the bed and made to climb on it...when a shining object reflected from the candlelight in the chamber...it was a knife!
"I swear if you come any closer, I will kill myself." Berth said, holding the knife up to her throat boldly, her gaze daring. She had it with her the whole time. In anticipation of this very moment.
Dickson was stunned, his handsome face slowly becoming distorted. He slowly retrieved from the bed, then picked up his shirt from the chair he had hung it on… He turned to gaze at Berth one more time; her eyes were still fixed on him. The knife she placed on her neck bruised her skin and her neck was now bleeding.
He looked away, then made his way out of the room. Berth's heart was thumping in her chest, her eyes filled with unshed tears as she slowly brought her hand down and then threw the knife on the floor across the bed.
Her lean fingers grazed her bleeding neck as she trembled still seated on the bed. She gazed at the knife across as if it was sin itself before retreating her gaze to her hand, which was now smeared with blood… She couldn't hold her tears any longer.
She collapsed on the bed, her body shaking as she cried uncontrollably, her shadow reflecting under the candlelight, the bedsheet getting soaked with tears and blood.