Chapter Text
Sophie barely remembered anything that had happened after the wedding.
The night had appeared to come alive from the moment they had left the church and arrived in a ballroom back at the castle.
From the toasts to the drinks to the waltzing, everything had been a blur. Even her so-called betrothed had ended up seeming weary of the celebration. His brother had been no where to be found, suddenly having been disappeared from sight.
Rhian had been probably too drunk to care, claiming to curious rulers that his brother had merely left for some fun with the rest of the kingdom outside.
The entire night, Kei had trailed her like a dog, followed by Wesley and another guard Sophie had never seen before. The female was quite pretty, though her glacial-blue eyes were cruel, no hint of a person that had endured a single moment of happiness in their lives.
Some part of Sophie genuinely felt sorry for her. How many of the guards had been forced to come here tonight?
She wasn't even sure why there were so many guards.
Pure rage enveloped her like a blanket. Who were they even watching out for when the supposed enemies were dead?
She rolled her eyes and walked away, heading to the beverages table to have yet another drink for the evening-
A wince left her as she violently bumped into something. Or rather, someone.
She glared at the king. "Move."
Rhian arched a brow, surprised at her random outburst in public. She hadn't noticed the small group he was talking with before she had run into him.
He played it off with a laugh, pulling her to his side by the waist. Sophie didn’t know if gagging on her own tongue was as visible as it had felt. “My wife grows more exhausted as the night runs by.” Nausea rose in her throat as he placed a kiss onto her temple. He seemed to notice her visibly disgusted face and grinned at her.“It’s no big deal, love. You already know that your adorable anger is one of the reasons I fell in love with you.”
The small crowd that was surrounding them laughed and swooned at that, and Sophie’s eyes narrowed as she looked up at him, forcing her lips to curl in disgust rather than amusement. Before she could retort, a duke jumped in and said, “hope she’s not too tired, majesty. Wouldn’t want her half-asleep for your wedding night!”
A few more snickers echoed at that, and Sophie blinked, growing sickly pale at the words.
Even Rhian flinched at her side, his fingers straightening at her waist. He chuckled nervously, and she swallowed thickly. There was no way there would be a wedding night…would there? She hadn’t thought this far…
She swallowed thickly, realising her now snow-white complexion must be clear as the crowd now turned their eyes to her.
But a lady in their midst huffed, and walked towards her with such confidence Sophie knew there was no way she was of a lower-class. The woman looped her arm through Sophie’s before saying encouragingly, “it’s alright to feel nervous, deary. I too, was petrified on my wedding day whenever I remembered the aftermath of the night. Then I continuously reminded myself that my husband was the one that I was sharing it with, the same man that I had fallen in love with. Then, all of those jitters vanished faster than nothing. I’m sure you can relate with your own partner.”
Maybe she could have, if he hadn’t ended up being the monster he had become. She laughed politely, though even the sound shook, as if her very body was prepared to take flight.
Rhian seemed to notice her cringe, for he pulled her by the hand again and interrupted, “please excuse us.”
The lady frowned as Sophie continued to put on her smiling mask, but once her husband led them to a dark corner of the ballroom, she stiffened and shoved the king away from her. “What are they talking about?”
He seemed to take a long, deep breath in the darkness; so dark she could barely even make out his face. Despite the festivities happening around them, she knew nobody would identify them in the corner. “Trust me, I have no plans for that to happen.”
She frowned at him, rage bubbling to the surface. “Last time I trusted you, an imposter king took the throne to the biggest monarchy in all the Woods, and I ended up with a dead school.”
For a moment, silence was shared between them for so long Sophie thought he had magically turned himself into a statue. But then, “I’m serious. There will be no wedding night.”
She crossed her arms, eyes narrowing again. “And what will you do about the curious servants and guards after they see us leave seperate rooms in the morning? Kill them, too?”
For the first time, Rhian snarled, though she didn’t back away. Instead, she tilted her head higher and took a bold step towards him in the darkness, staring daggers at him. “Mark my words, Rhian. I will never forget what you did to them or to me. Never. No acts of chivalry or public defence will ever change that.” Her hands fisted at her sides, biting on the urge to punch his face in. “For as long as Camelot remains and you stay alive, there are those that believe the present king doesn’t belong on the throne, and neither does his precious queen.” She grinned at him, emerald eyes twinkling. “It won’t be too long before someone takes an opportunity to take our lives as an act of revenge for the true heir being dead.”
”I have guards,” Rhian‘s voice trembled in the slightest way possible, as if he had predicted it from happening already. It only made Sophie’s lips curl more. “Look around you. Half of them are drunk, the other half are waltzing or away from their posts.” She drew in closer. “You’re a fool if you think you stand a chance against Camelot. Don’t be tempted to believe the whole Woods is now on your side just because you have a few monarchs at your wedding.” She angled her head to the side and lowered her gaze to his bare throat, knuckles flinching against her skirt. “Just ask your beloved queen.”
Rhian was struck into silence, heavy breathing occupying the space they were standing in. Before he could say anything, the King of Foxwood approached them, a moony grin on his face as he slurred, “the kingdom is wondering when Lionsmane will be writing its first tale, majesty. You know, to commemorate your success on becoming the One True King.”
Rhian cleared his throat, and Sophie flexed her jaw. Her back was to the king, still facing her husband. But Rhian nodded and stepped into the light again, a cheerful smile on his face, as if all was well in the world. “As I should, Dutra. Thank you for reminding me.”
Sophie watched him follow the King towards the shallow steps that led to an elevated stage before she too stepped into the light again. The commotion in the room came to a pause as they glimpsed Rhian hold a wine glass, expecting him to make a toast. “Tonight, we are gathered here to celebrate the union between Sophie and I as your King and Queen. Though we are now your official rulers and vow to protect you from any threats in the Woods, it appears a pen has something to vow, too.”
The crowd murmured in excitement as Sophie’s heart raced. This was it. This was when he would become the One True King. There was truly no going back now.
Rhian opened the fold in his doublet before Lionsmane flew out again for the second time that night, glowing like a ray of the sun. Sophie’s eyes dropped to see everyone’s reaction, and arched a brow when she saw Japeth back in the room again.
She couldn’t help but frown. His black and gold suit was now as ashy as it was back in the castle, hair ruffled against his face, which was a combination of exhaustion and annoyance. She knew him too well to know that strange glint in his eye belonged to the sadistic man that he was. He usually had it after he had done something especially dangerous or when he’d gotten something he wanted.
Sophie’s back stiffened, pinning her attention back to the pen that was hovering in the air as it flicked golden letters for all the Woods to see:
”After tonight, the One True King will rule.
No longer will any danger or threat bypass the Woods; not while the Lion reigns.
It is you, the people of the Woods, that have deemed this possible. Because as Camelot’s King- a King that has been sired to rule ever since the days of our forefathers- I pledge to lead with honour, to protect our people, and to uphold the values which make us strong.
By the grace of the heavens and the might of our ancestors, I am the One True King. My rule is not by mere chance or conquest, but by destiny itself. Trust in me, as I trust in the destiny that binds us.
I am your king, chosen by fate, and with your support, our kingdom shall be eternal.”
Sophie couldn’t believe her eyes. He’d never written something so prophesied before.
She held her breath as Rhian grinned at the applause, finally nodding at Lionsmane to condemn the words as the truth-
Everyone including herself gasped as the pen gave out a God-awful shriek, trembling across the words as if it was physically unable to write them any longer. A black ink oozed out of the pen’s nib, as if indeed someone had broken it.
Sophie subconsciously took another step towards it in curiosity. What was happening?
Everyone shielded their eyes with a scream as a loud boom! erupted, the delicate letters twisting and turning before they spelt out a word Sophie was too numb to even smile at.
“LIAR.”
The kingdom was silent, no one even gasping anymore.
From the stage, Rhian had paled two shades lighter than Japeth. Sophie clenched her fists in silent triumph.
Lionsmane had failed in announcing Rhian as the One True King. Which meant Rhian wasn’t the One True King at all.
Sophie glimpsed Japeth ushering something to Kei in a hurried whisper as everyone began murmuring and yelling at Rhian.
Before she could react, every single light in the ballroom shut off, and a few screams of fright sounded again.
She yelped as a hand momentarily clasped around her wrist, the voice that whispered to her familiar in the wrong way. “We need to get out of here. Turn around and quietly leave through the door.”
Sophie turned and saw the double doors to the ballroom were already slightly ajar, Japeth already there as he gestured at his brother to follow him.
She gritted her teeth as Rhian gently shoved her towards the door, not knowing why she was obeying him. Then again, it was no better being in here with the dark chaos of the crowd.
Ignoring Japeth, the three of them scuttled out before she overheard Kei begin to usher out the angry room through the other back door, and she let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding when Rhian finally closed the door behind them. “What happened?”
Her voice was breathless, still stricken from the aftermath of the event. Rhian seemed as if he couldn’t answer either, so Japeth fisted his hands before pointing at her. ”You. What the hell did you do?”
Sophie blinked before gaping at him, temper on an extremely tight leash. “You think I did this?”
She glimpsed the king clench his fists, and Japeth’s voice echoed in the hall. “Who else could have pulled off such sorcery? Who else wants us more humiliated than you do?”
”Japeth…” Rhian murmured, pulling his brother slightly back. “There’s obviously an explanation for what happened, but it doesn’t mean it could just be her. Maybe it’s to do with the rings-“
He stopped when he noticed the withering glare his twin was giving him. He bared his teeth, turning his wrath on his twin. “Are you defending her, brother? What happened to trusting her being ‘as likely as growing horns’?”
Rhian didn’t seem to have an explanation for that, and Japeth clicked his tongue. In the midst of this, Sophie’s back just continued to straighten. She’d seen the brothers fight on more occasions than one, but something about the consistency of their arguments was becoming unnatural. How much longer would they fight until one of them couldn’t take it anymore?
Japeth snarled before pointing at him. “I’ve hunted for you. I’ve killed for you, and all I’ve ever asked in return was a simple favour. And you can’t even give that to me, Rhian!”
”Are you trying to say that this is my fault, now? That the pen that belongs to you isn’t working properly because I did something to it?” Rhian was gaping at him now, and Japeth hissed at him.
Before they could continue, the ballroom door behind Sophie opened again, making her flinch in fright before she recognised Wesley’s sunburnt face. From what she could tell from the silent darkness behind him, everybody that had arrived for the wedding were now nowhere to be found.
“The Captain is sending everyone home, sire,” he grunted, not even peering at Sophie. “Commotion is happening in Camelot’s streets right now, though. Not even Kei knows what to do. We are waiting on your orders.”
Rhian parted his lips to say something, but Japeth barrelled on with a livid tone. “I‘ll go.”
The three of them turned to stare after the Snake as he strode away from them and down the hall, disappearing behind the door. The King’s gaze lingered on where his brother had just been, as if wondering what or who exactly the anger in his words was directed to.
He cleared his throat and locked eyes with Sophie for a split-second before nodding at the pirate. “Take her to her rooms. Make sure there’s two guards positioned at the entrance, including her balcony.”
Sophie clicked her tongue, rolling her eyes as Wesley made a move to direct her with a hand on her shoulder.
She immediately wriggled out of his grip yet walked along in surrender, not turning back to look at the king.
The kingdoms of the Woods were filled with fools, yet Camelot was the spark that would ignite the fire to result in the change of the century.
And right now, Sophie had just controlled the source.