The day arrived draped in gold and shadow. The sun blazed over the Callisto estate, illuminating the sprawling marble halls and the towering cathedral where the wedding would take place. Inside, the scent of white roses and myrrh hung thick in the air, blending with the quiet hum of whispered conversations and clinking glasses.
Lydia stood in the bridal chamber, her body still, her mind anything but.
The silk of her gown clung to her skin like a second layer of restraint. Intricate lace wove delicate patterns along her arms, the bodice hugged her form in a way that made it difficult to breathe. Or maybe that was just the weight of what she was about to do.
She was marrying a man she barely knew. A man she didn't trust.
A man who made her pulse skitter for reasons she couldn't explain.
The mirror before her reflected a bride, but she felt like a pawn in a grander game—one she hadn't been invited to play but was expected to win.
A knock came at the door.
Lydia exhaled, turning. One of the maids entered, followed closely by her stepmother.
She should have expected this.
"Beautiful," her stepmother murmured, her tone dripping with something that wasn't quite admiration. "Just as a Callisto bride should be."
Lydia turned back to the mirror. "Why me?"
Her stepmother stilled.
"I know why Father agreed," Lydia continued, her voice steady despite the storm within her. "I know what Adrian's family can do for ours. But why did you give me away so easily?"
A slow smile spread across the woman's face, the kind that never quite reached her eyes. "Because you were always meant for this, Lydia. You just never realized it."
Lydia's fingers curled into fists at her sides. "What does that mean?"
Her stepmother stepped closer, reaching out to smooth the delicate lace on Lydia's shoulder, as if she were a loving mother, as if she had ever been one. "You'll understand soon enough."
Then, she was gone, leaving only the echo of her words and the tight knot forming in Lydia's stomach.
---
The Ceremony
The cathedral was filled with power. Not just from the men in tailored suits and the women adorned in diamonds, but from the weight of expectation that thickened the air.
Adrian stood at the altar, his presence commanding, his expression unreadable.
Lydia forced herself to walk, to step forward as the heavy doors opened and all eyes turned to her.
Her heart pounded.
She barely felt the floor beneath her feet.
And then, she reached him.
Adrian's gaze met hers, dark and knowing.
She expected coldness. Indifference. But there was something else lurking in his stare.
Something surprising.
Something that sent a shiver down her spine.
"Do you, Lydia Montgomery, take Adrian Callisto to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
A pause.
Lydia's breath hitched. She could hear the rustle of silk, the shifting of weight, the sound of a hundred people waiting.
Waiting for her to seal her fate.
Her lips parted, and—
"I do."
The words left her mouth before she had a chance to stop them.
A murmur rippled through the crowd, a collective breath held and released.
Adrian's fingers brushed against hers as he slid the ring onto her finger. A touch so fleeting yet so final.
He leaned in, his voice just for her.
"Good girl."
Lydia's stomach twisted.
Because she wasn't sure if she had just won the game—or lost everything.