The church was beautiful that morning.
Sunlight spilled through stained-glass windows, casting radiant colors over the polished marble floor. The scent of fresh roses hung heavy in the air, and the organ hummed softly in the background. Every seat in the cathedral was filled with expectant guests, whispering among themselves, waiting for the ceremony to begin.
But I wasn't the bride they were expecting.
My palms were damp with sweat as I stood at the edge of the grand hallway, dressed in a white gown that didn't belong to me. The corset was too tight, the lace too delicate for a girl like me—someone who never wanted to be the center of attention, someone who had always lived quietly in the shadows.
I wasn't supposed to be here.
That honor was meant for my sister, Amara.
She was the one everyone adored—confident, beautiful, with a smile that could charm kings and eyes that sparkled with ambition. She was the one the Crown Prince had chosen.
But she ran.
Hours before the ceremony, she vanished. And my parents... they panicked.
"This marriage must happen. Do you know what's at stake?" my father had hissed, dragging me into a room where my mother held Amara's wedding dress.
"But I'm not her!" I had cried. "He doesn't want me. He'll know—"
"He won't. Not today. You will walk down that aisle and marry him, Zara," my mother snapped. "For the sake of this family, you will."
Zara. That's me.
The quiet daughter. The shadow.
The sacrifice.
I clutched the bouquet tighter, my fingers trembling. I hadn't even seen the prince's face in person. All I knew were the rumors—that he was cruel, ruthless, powerful beyond imagination. A tyrant in royal robes.
And now he would be my husband.
The heavy church doors creaked open. The music swelled. All eyes turned to me.
I took a shaky step forward, my heart hammering so loudly I could barely hear the music. Step by step, I moved down the aisle, toward a man I didn't know, toward a future I never asked for.
He stood at the altar, tall and cold, dressed in a black ceremonial suit that matched the dark scowl on his face. His presence filled the room, even in silence. I couldn't meet his eyes. I didn't dare.
My steps faltered.
My knees threatened to buckle.
Then I reached him.
He didn't offer a hand.
He didn't smile.
He stared at me with unreadable eyes, as if trying to see through the veil. I lowered my gaze.
When the priest began to speak, his voice was little more than a distant echo in my ears. The words—vows, oaths, promises—meant nothing to me. I was here because my parents forced me to be. I was here in my sister's place.
The moment the priest said, "You may kiss the bride," everything stopped.
I flinched.
He didn't.
He stepped forward slowly, leaned in close—too close—and his lips brushed the edge of my cheek. Not a kiss. A warning.
"Don't ever lie to me again," he whispered.
My eyes snapped up to meet his. Cold. Gray. Unforgiving.
He knew.
He knew I wasn't Amara.
The ride to the palace was silent. I sat stiffly beside him in the back of the royal limousine, unable to speak, my thoughts spiraling.
Why didn't he stop the wedding?
Why did he go through with it?
The silence grew heavy, almost suffocating.
When we arrived at the palace, guards lined the entrance. Servants bowed as we entered the grand hall. The palace was cold, opulent, and unfamiliar—just like the man I was now married to.
He led me to a room. Not our room. Just mine.
"I don't tolerate betrayal," he said, standing in the doorway.
"I—I didn't mean to—"
"You wore your sister's dress. You said her vows. You pretended to be her."
My voice shook. "They forced me—"
"Save your excuses."
I flinched.
His eyes bore into mine, unblinking. "From this moment forward, you are my wife. Whether you were chosen or not. If you want to survive here, Zara, learn one thing: loyalty is everything."
Then he turned and walked away, slamming the door behind him.
I collapsed onto the bed, tears spilling down my cheeks. My wedding day was supposed to be magical. But instead, it felt like a prison sentence.
Married to a man who didn't love me.
Trapped in a palace I didn't belong in.
And carrying a secret that could destroy me.
That night, I cried myself to sleep.
The sheets were too soft. The pillows too plump. The silence too cruel.
I didn't know what tomorrow would bring. But I knew one thing—
This tyrant wasn't going to make my life easy.
And I was no longer the quiet girl in the shadows.
Now, I was the Queen.
And the game had only just begun.