The Cursed King

However, even though Loriel said those sweet vows aloud for everyone to hear, he found the need to clarify it to Elise. 

The temple priest approached them and gave Loriel the second goblet for him to use and the jug of wine.

"Elise, today, I married you to fulfill the agreement between our two  mothers," he said underneath his breath so nobody else would hear it except for her. "I promise to always care for you and to protect you for as long as we live. And I will keep my promise because I am a man of my word."

Loriel said those words as he poured the wine into their cups and asked Elise to drink to finalize the wedding rituals.

Elise forced a smile as she tried hard to hold back her tears from falling down to her cheeks. She was well aware that Loriel didn't mention anything about love. He didn't love her now, and he didn't say that he would.

Elise whispered, "I understand. I take you as my husband to fulfill the agreement between our mothers. And I promise to always care for you and love your for as long as we live."

Those were the bride and groom's personal oaths that they uttered to each other to solidify their bond. 

"Good..." said Loriel as he handed one cup to Elise and took the other. "Let's drink and finish the wedding."

***

Everyone else was unaware of what was happening in the altar. The groom didn't smile even once, and the bride was in the brink of tears. However, people thought it was because the couple was nervous. Many brides and grooms got cold feet or even emotional on their wedding day. It was not unusual.

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"It's beautiful, I wish Catalina was here to see this." Queen Maude murmured with tears in her eyes. "She would have been so thrilled to know that we are true sisters at last."

King Alexander was not the happiest about this marriage, but seeing his one and only daughter smile joyfully as she sipped the goblet of wine from Loriel's hands made him accept that this was it. 

"Yes, our families have come together at last," he said.

"She already sees Summeria as her home," Myrcella Leoralei added. "You must accept it, my son." The weather changing, the trees and flowers blossoming were a sign that made it obvious to both of them.

"Really?" Queen Maude looked up to the much older queen dowager and smiled. "I'm relieved to hear that Elise sees this as her home."

And yet those words would be one of her last statements. 

The day was supposed to be glorious and wonderful, but it quickly turned dark as Queen Maude succumbed to her last moments during the hours of celebration after the wedding.

The bright and cheerful atmosphere of the banquet halls of the king's residence turned completely dark and cold when the queen dowager of Summeria suddenly crashed on the floor while she tried to stand up.

"Mother!" Loriel quickly glanced at his mother far away. His heart pounded in worry as the royal physician rushed to her side alongside the king and queen dowager of Myreen.

While people were still holding on to their own goblets of wine, feasting and engaging in merry conversation… Queen Maude was gone in a flash.

Elise who was being congratulated by many diplomats, officials and other people from Summeria also stopped cold at the sudden wind that blew through the banquet halls. 

Loriel was kneeling at his mother's side as Elise quickly joined his side. There was a terrible feeling in her stomach as she awaited the physician's words.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," Zaff, the royal physician, said with tears in his eyes as he took the pulse of the late queen. "Your mother is gone."

Loriel gritted his teeth and looked all around him. The faces of the people were now bleak at the sudden proclamation and he wished that King Alexander and the Queen Dowager could say anything or something.

The same miracle that healed King Alexander, Loriel wished it was possible to have it with them now or through the use of magic and restoration. 

But even with the presence of the most powerful witch and wizard of the entire continent, the queen dowager of Summeria's death was not stopped at all. 

It was an outcome that couldn't be changed.

***

After the entire hall was thrown into a state of chaos and madness at the queen dowager dying during the day of the wedding, Loriel and his men did their best to handle the visitors and guests.

There were rumors that there was poisoned food that attempted to kill the king and queen. 

It was hard to placate such concerns and also not make them worry if this was another sign of rebellion by Loriel's older sisters and brothers-in-law. 

Right now, Loriel was in the queen's residence… he needed to take care of the belongings of his mother. Not only that, but because this place now belonged to Elise.

Behind him, Elise wished to help him despite everything that happened during the wedding, but Loriel was only brushing her off.

Loriel didn't think it would happen so soon after the wedding, but he should have known that his mother was only holding out until the wedding itself. The man refused to mourn until the preparations for the funeral were finished.

And yet Loriel saw Elise watching him from afar.

There was a look of worry and concern on his wife's face that Loriel refused to accept right now. But there was an expectation that they would spend the night together despite everything.

That wasn't important to Elise though. She wanted him to be okay, so gathering her courage, Elise walked up to Loriel. 

The king was seated in the chair that Elise always sat on whenever she visited Queen Maude. She could see the weariness in his face. "Loriel?"

Loriel sighed inwardly and looked up to her, "I would appreciate it if the two of us slept in different chambers." 

Elise understood that it would go against normal practices, but with the sudden death of Queen Maude… she knew that Loriel wanted to grieve alone. 

Elise wanted to be there for him, but the man seemed to be holding it in.

Loriel was someone who refused to show weakness, but Elise knew that his heart must have been in the depths of grieving. She reached out to him and held his arm. "Please take as long as you need, Loriel."

The man already planned to request this from the start. Even if Loriel's mother hadn't died now, he would have asked the same… so he wanted to make things clear to her.

"Elise, I will not sleep with you."

"I know that," Elise said. 

Loriel looked at her seriously and said. "I cannot and will not consummate our marriage. This is a terrible time to say this, but I do not wish to give you false hopes that after all of this is over… the two of us will do it."

Elise already knew that and she nodded numbly. "Of course, I accept that."

Loriel bit his lip. "You are only my wife in name."

Elise lowered her head and tried to hide her tears. She nodded weakly.

"I am sorry if you expected differently from this union. You know how bad was my mother's condition. Seeing us married is her dying wish. I have to do it for her sake. I hope you understand."

"I understand," Elise nodded again.

Loriel could see she looked disappointed and shocked, but he didn't want to give her false hopes. He got up and went to the table and poured wine into their wedding goblet. He drank half and then gave the rest to Elise.

"Drink this. It will make you feel better," he said gently.

Hesitatingly, Elise took the goblet and sipped it. This was supposed to be their first night together. Husband and wife usually would drink the wine from one goblet to celebrate their legal union before their consummate their marriage in physical union.

However, this time, Loriel only gave her wine to calm her down her nerves from the disappointment he caused her.

"You can sleep here," Loriel said as he rose from his seat. "I will sleep in the other tower in my residence."

The king left her.