Chapter 3: The Cold Wedding
***Cadiz***
Mrs Garrett walked me through the halls quickly. "Try to keep up, my Lord." she said, kindly. The place was massive, all black stone that looked like it had been carved right out of the mountain. Torches flickered in metal holders along the walls.
Every servant we passed moved fast and didn't chat with each other like they did back home. They bowed when they saw Mrs Garrett, glanced at me curiously, bowed a little then hurried on. I could tell they were wondering who I was and what I was doing here.
I kept telling myself this was supposed to be my home now. But it felt like being a guest who'd overstayed their welcome.
"This wing is for family," Mrs Garrett explained as we walked. "It's quieter here. Your things will be unpacked by dinner time."
"Thank you," I said, though my voice sounded small in the big hallway.
She opened a door and waved me in.
The room was huge but cold. There was a fire going, but it barely warmed the space. The bed looked like it could fit four people, covered in dark blankets that smelled like smoke. A big wardrobe sat against one wall, and there was a desk by the window.
I went to the window and looked out. Soldiers were practicing in the courtyard even though the sun was setting. They moved in perfect lines, following orders shouted by their captain. I'd heard the Ashfordes had their own army, but seeing it was different. It made the place feel more like a military base than a home.
"Dinner's at seven," Mrs Garrett said. "You don't need fancy clothes tonight, but dress nicely. Lord Raizel doesn't like people being late."
"I'll be there," I promised.
After she left, I stood at the window watching the soldiers. They marched and drilled like machines, their boots hitting the stones in perfect rhythm. Back home, our guards would joke around and lean on their spears when they got tired. Here, nobody seemed to relax. Ever.
When I heard the bells ring six-thirty, I changed into a dark blue suit. It was nice enough, though it felt too soft for this hard place.
The dining hall was all stone and shadows. The table could seat twenty people easily, but only two places were set. Torches burned along the walls like sentries.
Raizel was already there, sitting straight at the far end. He didn't stand up when I came in, just pointed at the chair beside him.
"You're on time," he said. Not as a compliment, but as a fact.
"I thought I should be," I said, sitting down.
Servants brought food without making a sound, roasted meat, boiled vegetables, and thick bread. It was filling food, not fancy stuff. At least it was honest.
Raizel ate while reading papers beside his plate. He seemed to have documents with him everywhere, like they were his best friends.
I tried to start a conversation. "The fortress is impressive. Those soldiers I saw practicing..."
"They're necessary," he cut me off.
"Necessary?"
"We guard the northern border. We have to be ready." His pale eyes flicked up to mine. "Don't think this place is like your father's manor. We don't have time for parties and leisure."
My face got hot. "I didn't mean..…"
"I know what you meant. But you need to understand that house Ashforde has enemies. Discipline keeps us alive."
His words weren't mean, exactly, but they felt heavy. I nodded and focused on my food, though I'd lost my appetite.
We ate in silence after that. Just the sound of forks and knives, and servants quiet footsteps. I wanted to say something else, but everything seemed wrong.
Finally, Raizel put down his utensils and looked at me directly. His eyes were cold as winter. "The wedding is tomorrow. Don't expect much from your role here. Nobody wants you managing anything or giving orders. Do whatever you want with your time, just don't interfere with important business."
It felt like being slapped. I swallowed hard. "I understand."
He stared at me for another moment, like he was waiting for me to argue. When I didn't, he went back to his papers.
When dinner was over, he stood up. "Goodnight."
He left without looking back. I sat there staring at the empty table, knowing exactly where I stood in this marriage.
Nowhere.
**The Wedding**
My wedding morning was gloomy. The sun couldn't break through the thick clouds, and bells rang from the tower like they were calling people to work, not a celebration.
Mrs Garrett came to my room early with maids to help dress me. The wedding outfit was formal and stiff, a heavy dark blue coat that was almost black, with silver trim. The collar was so high and tight I could barely breathe. White gloves that didn't help my shaking hands at all.
"You look fine, my lord," Mrs Garrett said gently. "The Ashfordes value dignity above everything. You're showing that today."
I looked at myself in the mirror and saw a stranger. Someone beautifully dressed up like a doll for display.
Henrik knocked on the door. "It's time, my Lord." he said.
The great hall looked different for the ceremony, but not in a good way. Instead of flowers or decorations, there were black and silver banners with the raven symbol hanging everywhere. Torches burned in holders, but they felt cold somehow. Duke Magnus, Raizel's father, stood on a platform by the fireplace, looking as stern and scary as his reputation suggested.
Magnus looked exactly like an older, harder version of Raizel. His eyes were the same pale color, but crueler. Family members stood beside him, all watching me with curious but unfriendly expressions. Nobody smiled or looked welcoming.
Raizel was already waiting on the platform in his usual perfect clothes. He didn't look at me as I walked up, just stared at his father.
The hall wasn't full of wedding guests like I'd expected. Instead, there were household officers in uniforms, soldiers standing in straight rows, and servants lined up along the walls. Everyone was perfectly quiet and still.
I walked up the steps with my heart pounding so hard I thought everyone could hear it. When Raizel finally looked at me, his eyes were like ice. But for just a second, I thought I saw something else there. Something that looked almost... uncertain? But it was gone so fast I probably imagined it.
The ceremony started.
A priest in plain robes stood between us and spoke in a boring, official voice. No pretty words or romantic stuff. Just legal vows that sounded more like a business contract.
"Do you, Raizel Von Ashforde, take Cadiz Von Eberhart as your lawful spouse, to honor the bonds of union as decreed by empire and house?"
"I do," Raizel said. His voice was steady and emotionless, like he was confirming a delivery.
The priest turned to me. "Do you, Cadiz Von Eberhart, take Raizel Von Ashforde as your lawful spouse, to honor the bonds of union as decreed by empire and house?"
My mouth was dry and my heart was racing. Everyone in the hall was staring at me. "I do," I whispered, barely getting the words out.
For a split second, Raizel looked at me again. That flicker of something was back, like a crack in a wall. But then the priest finished talking and it disappeared.
"You are bound," the priest announced. "What the empire has decreed, let no man undo."
Silence. No cheering, no clapping, no celebration. Just words echoing off stone walls.
Raizel nodded once at his father. "It's done."
Duke Magnus looked at me like he was examining a weapon that might be defective. "The bond stands. Remember that your duty is to this house, not to yourselves. House Ashforde has no room for weakness."
The words hit me like cold water. I bowed my head, feeling something break inside my chest.
The ceremony ended as coldly as it began. Servants started cleaning up, putting out torches, getting ready for dinner. Raizel talked quietly with his father, then walked over to me.
"We're married now," he said in a voice as cold as the mountain wind, "but this marriage is purely political."
Even though I'd expected it, the words still hurt. I nodded, keeping my voice steady. "I understand."
He looked at me for another moment, his expression unreadable, then walked away.
Mrs Garrett appeared at my side. "Lord Cadiz, let me show you to your new rooms."
I followed her through more stone hallways, past portraits of serious-looking Ashfordes, past windows showing snowy mountain peaks. My new room was in the same wing as Raizel's. It was big, with a fire already going and a bed covered in heavy blankets.
"That's the door connecting to lord Raizel's room," Mrs Garrett said, pointing to a door in the wall. "Though it's probably locked."
I wasn't sure if that was good news or bad news.
After she left, I collapsed in the chair by the fire. My hands were still shaking. The ceremony kept replaying in my mind - Raizel's cold voice, his father's harsh words, that brief moment when Raizel's mask seemed to slip.
It had probably been nothing. Just wishful thinking on my part.
But still...