"Brother... the Princess... she has blindfolded herself, for some reason."
Isandros stood still for a heartbeat, digesting the words. "Blindfolded herself?"
King Alector furrowed his brows, staring down at his daughter-in-law. "What in the blasphemy is this…"
The joyous air of celebration quickly soured.
No sooner had the marriage rites been concluded than Queen Mother Callidora rose from her seat, her face tight with barely contained fury.
With swift, regal steps, she approached the King of Iberica, who stood flanked by his entourage, he has an awkward expression.
"What is this, King Alector?" She questioned him, her voice as sharp as a sword. "How dare your daughter mock the descendants of the Acadian Dynasty? We approached you with a marriage proposal, and in return, you are insulting us?"
Before he could open his mouth, a soft yet firm voice answered it for him.
"I took this oath, Queen Mother Callidora," said Princess Ismene, stepping forward. Her hands were folded calmly in front of her, the long blindfold still wrapped around her eyes. "On the day I accepted Prince Isandros as my husband, I vowed that I would wear this blindfold for the rest of my life. Our culture taught me that I don't have the right to enjoy the vision I was blessed with by God when my husband cannot."
Letting out an inward sigh, Lycandros gathered his arms and spoke. "My Child, while we respect your culture and traditions, when you marry into Athens, the culture of Athens will become yours. You should have known atleast that much. Why have you taken such an oath? You knew that our Prince Isandros was born blind. Our Prince needed a wife who could become his vision, who could become his eyes and complete him."
As the hall fell into stunned silence for a moment, Princess Ismene answered, "Lord Lycandros, I don't see my husband as incomplete. He is only different from the rest. That is why the question of completing him does not arise. And in order to become his true partner in life, I have to accept this different lifestyle. And to understand one's joy and sorrow, it is also important to understand their lifestyle. That is why I have decided to sacrifice the vision forever."
Isandros' whole body started shaking in rage. He clenched his fists to control his rage, but his emotions were evident on his face.
Lycandros sighed, looking at the girl. "While your thoughts deserve appreciation, you should have learned more about your husband's past. Only Isandros, my nephew, knew the pain of not being blessed with eyesight, despite being born in the Acadian Dynasty, as an eldest royal prince. This decision of yours will surely make you understand his lifestyle, but this doesn't bring any happiness into his life. Before taking such an oath, you should have given this more thought, my child."
"But deep thoughts about positives and negatives give birth only to a decision," Princess Ismene argued back. "An oath is born from the pure feelings of one's heart. Thoughts can be clouded by deceit, but never by an oath. Pardon my impudence, Lord Lycandros but…" Her voice softened a bit as she said. "Who else can know more about oaths than you?"
At once, the entire hall went silent; no one could speak upon hearing those words. Even Queen Mother herself couldn't help but keep mum.
Prince Isandros stood motionless for a moment, as though he tried to digest those words.
The Princess of Iberica then addressed the crowd around. "I request the elders who gathered in this hall to give me your blessings to help me absorb the pain of my husband's heart into my own. Give me the blessing that whenever my husband is hurt, I feel the pain instead of him. I pray to the elders of the family to accept me as your daughter-in-law and to bless me with the opportunity to bless the Acadian Dynasty with 100 illustrious children."
As her words moved the hearts of the listeners, chants of her praise echoed in the throne hall. No one knows who started it, but very soon, the common citizens who gathered there began chanting, all together. "Long live Princess Ismene." "Long live Princess Ismene."
And those cheers did nothing but further sour Isandros' mood. He couldn't keep his anger any longer.
"I have had enough of this humiliation," he said, his voice trembling with rage.
"Brother…" Magnus tried to cool him down, but Isandros pushed him away and shouted. "I never wanted a wife! It was you all who convinced me... that my wife would be my eyes, that she would help me see the world I was denied."
He turned on his heel, fury in every step, his hand clenching into a fist.
"This marriage is nothing but a mockery of my life. If this is her oath, then I reject it. I reject this marriage!"
The hall watched in breathless shock as Isandros stormed away, his figure cutting a solitary path through the ornate hall. But before he could reach the great doors, a single command rang out.
"Isandros. Stop."
It was King Alector, his voice firm, carrying the full weight of his authority, speaking for the first time since the princess entered the throne hall.
The blind prince halted.
"You will stop," the King said. "You will listen."
Isandros gritted his teeth, his back still turned.
"An oath," Alector continued, "is a bond with the heavens. It is not something to be broken at whim, nor treated lightly. Secondly, you have already accepted her. You consented before the altar of goddess Hera, and the alliance was sealed. You cannot turn your back on your wife now. Not without bringing shame upon yourself—and upon Athens."
There was no warmth in the King's words. He knew that his eldest son wouldn't listen to kind words. If he had to be harsh now, he would be. "I order you to give respect to your wife's oath, and treat her properly."
Slowly, reluctantly, Isandros lowered his head. "I understand," he said, clenching his fists.