A Marriage of Chains

The royal chapel stood eerily silent. The once-grand halls, usually filled with the echoes of celebration and power, now felt suffocating under the weight of an event no one wanted to witness. The heavy stone walls seemed to press in on Thomas as he stood at the altar, his heart pounding in his chest. The priest’s voice droned on, but Thomas barely heard it over the rush of blood in his ears.

He was dressed in formal armor, as if going into battle, but this was no battlefield. The truth was, he would have preferred to face a hundred enemies than stand here, about to marry the man who had tormented him for years. Alexander, the cruel king who took what he wanted, who ruled with fear and force, was now to be his husband. It was absurd. Unbearable.

The king stood across from him, dressed in his royal finery, his cold blue eyes fixed on Thomas as though they were the only two people in the room. There was no joy on his face, no warmth in his gaze—only that unreadable expression that had haunted Thomas since the day they first met. It felt like Alexander was sizing him up, as though even now, in this twisted moment, he was trying to assert dominance over him.

The priest cleared his throat, drawing Thomas back to the present. He glanced down at his hands, fists clenched tightly at his sides. This wasn’t right. His sister had died barely a week ago, and now he was standing here, being bound to her widowed husband. The marriage felt like a prison, one built on chains of duty, not love. But he couldn’t break his promise to Julie. She had asked this of him, and though every fiber of his being screamed in protest, he had sworn to see it through.

“I now pronounce you… bound,” the priest’s voice echoed through the chapel, his words final and heavy.

Thomas didn’t look up. He couldn’t. His gaze remained fixed on the cold marble floor beneath his feet, wishing he could disappear into it.

“Raise your head, Thomas,” Alexander’s voice cut through the air, commanding and sharp.

Reluctantly, Thomas obeyed. He lifted his chin and met the king’s gaze, his heart constricting with a mix of fury and despair. The king’s lips curved into a cold smile, as if he was amused by Thomas’s obvious discomfort.

“You belong to me now,” Alexander said softly, his words meant only for Thomas to hear.

Thomas’s jaw tightened, his fists clenching even harder. “I belong to no one,” he hissed under his breath.

Alexander’s eyes gleamed with a dangerous light, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he reached out and took Thomas’s hand, his grip firm and possessive. The touch sent a jolt through Thomas’s body, a mix of anger and something else—something he didn’t want to acknowledge. His skin burned where Alexander’s hand rested, but he refused to show any sign of weakness.

The ceremony ended as quickly as it had begun, with no celebration, no cheering crowds. There were no well-wishers, no joyous smiles. Only silence.

As the chapel doors creaked open, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the stone hall. Thomas stood frozen for a moment, unwilling to leave. But Alexander tugged at his hand, pulling him forward. The message was clear: the king was in control.

They exited the chapel together, side by side, but the distance between them felt like a chasm. The cool evening air greeted them outside, but it did nothing to ease the heat building in Thomas’s chest. His body ached with tension, every muscle screaming to break free from the chains this marriage had wrapped around him.

Once they were out of sight of the few onlookers, Alexander turned to Thomas, his expression unreadable. “You may hate me all you want, Thomas, but this is our reality now. You will learn your place in this marriage.”

Thomas yanked his hand out of Alexander’s grip, his eyes blazing with fury. “This is no marriage. It’s a prison sentence.”

Alexander’s smile was cold, his eyes narrowing. “Call it what you will. You belong to me now. And whether you like it or not, we are bound by more than just a promise.”

Thomas’s breath caught in his throat at the insinuation in Alexander’s words. He wanted to deny it, to scream that there was nothing between them except the memory of Julie. But deep down, there was a part of him—a small, quiet part—that feared what Alexander was saying might be true.

Without another word, Thomas turned and walked away, his steps heavy and determined. He needed space, distance from the man who had just claimed him. He needed to breathe, to escape the suffocating weight of this unwanted bond.

As he made his way through the darkened corridors of the palace, his mind raced with conflicting emotions. He had always been a man of duty, always put his kingdom, his family, above his own desires. But this… this was too much. How could Julie have asked this of him? How could she have expected him to live like this, tied to a man he despised?

But there was no escaping it now. He was married to King Alexander, bound by the chains of duty and a promise he couldn’t break. And though he hated the king, there was a growing fear in his heart—fear that one day, those chains might bind them together in ways he never expected.

In the privacy of his chambers, Alexander sat in silence, his gaze fixed on the door where Thomas had disappeared. His cold demeanor masked the storm brewing inside him. For years, he had admired Thomas from afar—his strength, his courage, his defiance. There was something about the knight that had always drawn him in, even though he had never dared to act on it.

But now, things were different. Thomas was his, bound by marriage, by promise. And though the knight’s hatred was palpable, Alexander couldn’t help but feel a flicker of satisfaction. The bond had been sealed, and now, Thomas would be forced to confront the tension that had always existed between them.

The king’s hand tightened around the armrest of his chair as his mind wandered to thoughts he had long tried to suppress. He had never allowed himself to truly want anyone, never let desire rule him. But Thomas… Thomas was different.

And now, he had him.

But the question lingered in Alexander’s mind: would Thomas ever see past his hatred? Could there ever be anything more between them?

Alexander wasn’t sure. But for the first time in years, he allowed himself to hope.

To Be Continued...

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