Hera POV

"Show your smile and happy face," mom told me. She put the wedding veil on my head. "Marry was waiting for this day, but because of you, she's lying in a coma in the hospital, alone."

I clenched my fists at my sides. I had explained a hundred times that I hadn't poisoned Marry, but they were still stuck to their guns.

I wasn't a monster who would harm my sister just for loving a man. Even though my love for that man was great, my family was the most important thing to me.

"From now on you will act, behave, and speak like Marry. Remove the desire to be yourself. You replace her, remember that."

I nodded while biting my lower lip. "Yes, I will remember that well."

Mom then led me out of the dressing room to enter the venue for the vows, a place called Citadel. She gripped my hand so tightly that it was painful.

"No one has forgiven you until now, including me. So know your limits," she whispered.

The veil I was wearing danced with the wind as I walked towards my father.

There, on the altar, stood Alexander looking at me without expression.

Step by step is painful, my feet like stepping on invisible thorns.

I gripped the wedding dress that Marry was supposed to wear. My tears are about to fall again, remembering that this wedding dress was a gift from my parents but not for me. And now I'm standing at the altar with the man that we both love.

"What's wrong with your makeup?" Alexander asked in a heavy voice. "You can talk, right? Answer my questions."

"I like natural makeup," I replied in a choked voice.

He raised one eyebrow. "You usually put on heavy makeup when you see me."

"The wedding dress, tiara, other accessories I'm wearing and the flowers I brought are festive. If I wear heavy makeup, then it will ruin the whole thing."

He just nodded and then looked at the elder.

"Please take the place," the elder ordered.

We obeyed. We knelt side by side, putting our right hands forward, holding the hereditary weapons of each kingdom.

"Follow my words, together," said the elder.

I took a deep breath.

"From this moment on, we will be a married couple, for the rest of our lives. We will also be the navigators for Duchy Haersley, and our people. We promise to be together in joy and sorrow, to abide by the rules of the Traiton Kingdom, and we will be loyal members of the Royal Family."

Me and him mimicked the elder's words together.

But in my heart I denied it. One word spoken, then one curse uttered in the heart.

After saying the vow, Alexander wrapped his arms around my body. "Relax your hands, just follow the movement of my hands," he said in my ear.

"The show's not over yet. We're going to Talverton Palace to welcome the people and give a speech," he explained.

Wait, was I going to do that tradition with him?

But I can't kiss him after what happened. That feels disgusting.

"What's wrong with your face? Is this going to be your first kiss?" He chuckled. "No need to be shy, I'll lead the kiss."

Alexander put one hand on my waist and the other holding my face.

I couldn't refuse it. So I could only close my eyes as Alexander gave me two kisses.

"You didn't kiss me back?" he asked in a very low voice.

I squeezed my hand.

Marry was so in love with him, if I refused, it would blow my cover immediately. So reluctantly, I ended up kissing him twice quickly and in a hurry.

"You will read your message as my wife and also as a member of the new royal family. In that bouquet of flowers is a hidden message, that's what you have to read, no less no more." He pointed to the bouquet of flowers I was holding.

I took one step forward and read out the written message.

But that wasn't the end of it. We still had to be paraded along the streets, and there was still a wedding banquet. The whole procession wouldn't finish until around midnight.

"Are you tired? Try smiling, it will be over soon," he said, very close to my ear.

I reflexively shifted my seat. But unfortunately due to the heavy dress, my legs got entangled and I almost fell off the carriage if he didn't catch my body quickly.

"Be careful. I want a wife and a child later. If you fall, I won't get either."

I glanced at him sharply. But my focus was diverted to the words on the blue sash he was wearing: Quis Separabit. In Latin, it means 'who will separate us?'

I smirked, I was the one who would separate 'us', on the 60th day after the wedding, after I found evidence that showed he was guilty. And if that happens, then I will leave him.

"We're going on a honeymoon to Smithrose Island," he whispered.

"Who's going there?"

"Us, you and me. It's a gift from my parents. I can't refuse it."

"We don't really have to go there."

He brought his face close to mine until our noses were almost touching. "Why not? We'll just spend time together like you've been looking forward to all this time. It's a private island, no one will bother us there."

I clenched my jaw. I wasn't Marry, who was crazy about Alexander. Standing here with him for a few hours already made me feel sick. Let alone having to go to the island only with him.

But I still showed my smile. "Can we postpone it? I need to rest because my body is sore."

"You can rest there as much as you want. Our schedule will be arranged by the royal advisor. There is no need to worry. It wasn't my wish nor my suggestion, but it was a gift from my father, King Sirius…"

A small lightning-fast and lethal object suddenly flew past my arm. When I looked at it, it was bleeding and just stinging.

I was still processing what had happened when Alexander bent over me as he ripped off his sash and tied it around my bleeding arm.

"You're wounded. Someone wants to harm you."

I tried to pull his hand off my waist. "Let go of me."

"What are you doing, Marry! You're in danger!"

He closed his eyes for a second. A transparent bubble protected my body. "You stay here.”