That evening the palace burned with light. Torches lined the long marble corridor that led toward the banquet hall. Servants hurried back and forth carrying trays of wine, fruit, and roasted meat. Musicians tuned their instruments near the grand doors, their notes drifting through the air like restless birds.
Inside the hall, nobles had already begun to gather. The high ceiling glittered with chandeliers. Long tables stretched across the chamber, dressed in crimson cloth and silver plates. Banners of the royal house hung proudly from the walls.
It was a celebration. At least that was what the palace wanted it to be.
The engagement banquet.
The doors opened. A servant pushed Sonia's wheelchair forward slowly. The wheels rolled softly across the polished marble floor.
Conversations quieted for a moment as people noticed her entrance. Heads turned. Eyes followed.
The young noblewoman sat straight in the chair. The pale silk dress Bianca had chosen shimmered beneath the torchlight. Silver threads traced delicate patterns along the sleeves.
She looked every bit the future queen the nobles expected to see.
Except for her face. It was calm. Too calm.
The servant rolled her carefully down the aisle between the tables until she reached the place prepared for her near the center of the hall.
Nobles greeted her with polite bows. She acknowledged them with small nods.
Nothing more.
Then someone approached from the other side of the hall.
Ryli.
The prince moved with the easy confidence of someone who had never been denied anything in his life. His dark coat was embroidered with gold threads. Rings glittered on his fingers.
He stopped beside her chair. A pleasant smile curved across his lips. "You are looking as gorgeous as ever."
The words floated softly into the air. On any other day they might have worked.
On any other day Sonia might have smiled politely. Perhaps even blushed a little beneath the attention.
But not today. Her eyes remained fixed on the hall ahead. Her face did not move.
Not a flicker.
The silence stretched. Ryli waited for a response. None came. His smile remained in place, though something faintly uncertain moved behind his eyes.
Still, he pulled out the chair beside her and sat down as if nothing were wrong.
The music began. Drums beat slowly while dancers stepped onto the open floor at the center of the hall. Their bright skirts swirled through the torchlight as they spun and leaped across the marble.
Nobles clapped and laughed. Wine was poured. Magicians followed the dancers, producing birds from empty sleeves and coins from behind astonished ears. Tricksters tumbled across the floor, drawing bursts of laughter from the guests.
The hall filled with noise. Yet Sonia remained still in her chair. Ryli occasionally glanced toward her.
Her expression did not change.
At the high table near the front of the hall, King Robert watched everything. Edmond sat close beside him.
Robert lifted his goblet slowly and took a sip of wine. His eyes drifted across the room until they rested on Sonia.
She sat motionless. Even from across the hall her mood was visible.
Robert lowered the goblet.
"Sonia isn't looking happy," he said quietly.
Edmond turned slightly. "What is going on with her?" Edmond's shoulders lifted in a small shrug.
"The Prince is the cause of her sadness." Robert's brow creased. Edmond spoke plainly. "She caught him having sex with another woman."
Robert froze.
"Sex!"
The word burst from him before he could stop it. His hand slammed down on the table. "That boy!"
Several nearby nobles glanced toward the king, startled by the sudden outburst.
Robert leaned back in his chair, his jaw tightening. "Do not worry," he muttered. "I will handle the matter."
He lifted his hand slightly. William Grin, who stood a few steps behind the throne, immediately moved forward.
He bent respectfully. "My king."
Robert's voice dropped low. "I want to know the girl Ryli was with this morning."
William listened carefully.
"Find her," Robert said. "And bring her to me."
William bowed once more. Without another word he turned and disappeared quietly into the crowd.
The banquet continued. Wine flowed freely now. Laughter grew louder. Nobles leaned across tables to exchange gossip while servants refilled their cups.
The dancers returned to the floor again. The music grew faster. But through it all Sonia remained quiet beside the prince.
Ryli occasionally tried to speak.
She did not answer. Eventually the night stretched late. The final dancers left the floor.
Guests began drifting out of the hall in groups, still laughing and arguing over the evening's entertainment.
One by one the torches burned lower. Servants cleared the tables.
The celebration ended. Ryli stood. He moved behind Sonia's chair and placed his hands on the handles.
Without asking, he began pushing her out of the hall. The wheels rolled softly through the empty corridors of the palace.
Neither of them spoke.
Their shadows stretched long along the torchlit walls as they moved deeper into the quiet sections of the castle.
Eventually they reached Sonia's chamber. Ryli pushed the door open. The room was dimly lit by a few candles near the bed. He rolled the wheelchair beside it.
For a moment he simply stood there.
Then he bent down and slipped one arm beneath her shoulders, the other beneath her legs.
He lifted her carefully.
Sonia did not resist. He placed her gently on the bed. The mattress shifted beneath her weight.
She remained silent.
Ryli stepped back slightly..He watched her. The quiet stretched longer than he expected.
Something in the silence began to bother him.
Even though he did not love her, he still needed her. Without this marriage, everything he had planned for years would collapse.
Finally he spoke. "Why have you been cold all through the evening?"
Sonia did not answer immediately. She slowly turned her face toward him.
"You may act all sweet," she said quietly. Her eyes were sharp now. "But you can never fool me anymore."
Ryli blinked. He stepped closer and sat beside her on the edge of the bed.
His expression softened again, the same pleasant mask he wore in public. "Have I offended you?"
Sonia let out a short, bitter laugh. "You should stop pretending." She looked directly into his eyes. "It is already irritating enough."
Her voice dropped. "I walked into you this morning." The words hung there. "When you were banging her."
Silence followed.
Sonia paused.
Then another quiet laugh escaped her lips. A bitter sound.
Ryli's hand trembled slightly where it rested on his knee.
Sonia watched him. "I also heard everything you told her afterwards." She shook her head. "You are only marrying me to ascend your father's throne and when you sit on the Golden Throne, you will discard me."
The silence deepened.
The pleasant mask on Ryli's face slowly cracked. His eyes changed. The softness drained away. They darkened.
His gaze hardened, a faint red glint appearing within them. He leaned closer.
Sonia's body tensed. Something about his expression made a chill crawl across her skin.
"Now you know," he growled. His voice sounded different now.
Lower, and colder.
"What can you do about it?"
He studied her face carefully. Then he leaned even closer. "I am only doing this because my Dad has made it compulsory for me."
His lips twisted slightly.
"Why else should a flawless guy like me settle for a cripple?"
The word landed like a slap.
For a moment Sonia's breath caught. Then she straightened slightly on the bed. She forced the fear down.
"Then don't. Because you are marrying because of the throne," she paused and chuckled bitterly. "Then you might never sit on the Golden Throne of Astarous."
Her voice was firm.
"I am not going to marry a man who sees less than who I am."
Ryli hissed softly.
"I won't bother myself with you." He waved a hand dismissively. "But I need you to ascend my throne. After that, you can go to he'll."
"I do not care," Sonia snapped. Her voice rose now. "I am not marrying you."
The reaction was immediate. Ryli's hand moved violently. His fingers clamped around her throat.
The sudden force drove her back against the pillows. "What did you just say?" His grip tightened. "If you do anything to jeopardise my dream of ascending my father's throne."
His eyes burned with rage. "I won't just hunt you." His fingers pressed harder.
"But every member of your family." Sonia gasped. Her lungs struggled for air. Her hands flew up, grabbing at his wrist. Her nails dug into his skin.
"Let go of me," she forced out hoarsely. "You are killing me." For a moment Ryli held her there.
Then suddenly he released her. Sonia collapsed against the bed, coughing violently as air rushed back into her lungs.
Ryli stood.
He did not look back. He turned and walked out of the room. The door slammed behind him.
Sonia lay there choking, one hand rubbing her throat. Her chest rose and fell sharply.
"He is a monster," she coughed out.