Lost Princess's Vengeance

The council chamber emptied quickly after my humiliating audience. I stood alone, clutching my rejected marriage contract, when a soft voice called my name.

"Miss Edwards."

I turned to find the beautiful woman who had stood beside Aurelio. Up close, her eyes were even more calculating, though veiled with practiced sympathy.

"Eliana Gonzales," she introduced herself, her voice honey-sweet. "I believe we got off on the wrong foot."

I backed away instinctively. "What do you want?"

"To help you." Her smile didn't reach her eyes. "I've spoken with the prince and the council. We're willing to... accommodate your claim."

Hope flared painfully in my chest. "Aurelio remembers?"

"No." Her smile tightened. "But we're prepared to offer a compromise. A wedding ceremony."

"A wedding?" I echoed, confused.

"A formality," she clarified, examining her perfectly manicured nails. "To honor any possible debt. It would be a public ritual to satisfy your contract. No consummation, no real marriage."

The cruelty of it stole my breath. "You want me to go through with a fake wedding?"

"The palace physicians will provide medicine for your grandmother." She tilted her head. "Isn't that what you came for?"

I thought of Grandmother's labored breathing, her burning skin. "And Aurelio has agreed to this?"

"He doesn't need to agree to a formality." Eliana's voice hardened slightly. "Do you accept our terms?"

I had no choice. No alternatives. "Yes."

"Good." She turned to leave, then paused. "Oh, and Vanessa? Don't expect too much from your... ceremony."

---

The wedding day dawned cold and gray. I stood in a threadbare dress—my best, but still woefully inadequate—in a small side chapel far from the main cathedral. No flowers adorned the altar. No music filled the air.

Palace servants clustered in the corners, whispering and laughing behind their hands. Their eyes followed me with undisguised mockery.

"Look at her," one whispered loudly enough for me to hear. "Thinks she's a princess in that rag."

"I heard she forged the prince's signature," another replied.

I kept my gaze fixed on the empty altar, clinging to a desperate hope: perhaps when Aurelio spoke our vows, something would awaken in him. Perhaps the ceremony itself would restore his memories.

When he entered, my heart lurched painfully. He wore his princely regalia, but his eyes were distant, his movements mechanical. Beside him stood the same cold advisor who had dismissed my claims.

"Dearly beloved," the advisor began, his voice flat. "We gather today to honor a debt."

Not to celebrate love. Not to join two souls. To honor a debt.

Aurelio went through the vows without looking at me once. His responses were clipped, emotionless.

"Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"Yes."

"Do you promise to cherish and protect her until death parts you?"

"Yes."

No emotion. No recognition. Just mechanical responses.

When it came time for the kiss, he merely brushed his lips against mine—a perfunctory touch that felt like ice. Then he turned and walked away without a word, leaving me standing alone before the altar.

A sneering official thrust a document into my hands. "Here's your marriage certificate. The debt is paid. You're to leave palace grounds immediately."

I clutched the worthless paper, watching Aurelio's retreating back. Had there ever been a moment when he truly loved me? Or had it all been a dream?

---

I raced back to our cottage that evening, the precious medicine clutched against my chest. Hope drove my feet faster than they'd ever moved before.

"Grandmother," I called as I approached our home. "I've brought medicine from the palace!"

But something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

Smoke billowed into the sky, dark and ominous. As I drew closer, the acrid smell of burning wood and... something else... filled my nostrils.

"Grandmother!" I screamed, breaking into a run.

Palace guards surrounded my burning home. Villagers stood at a distance, their faces masks of horror and grief.

"What have you done?" I shrieked, trying to push past the guards. "Let me through!"

"Stand back, witch," one growled, shoving me away.

Through the flames, I caught a glimpse of movement inside. A figure huddled on the floor.

"Vanessa," came a weak voice—Grandmother's voice.

"Help her!" I begged the guards. "Please!"

"She cursed the prince," one replied coldly. "We caught her performing dark rituals. She must be purged by fire."

"No!" I fought wildly, trying to break through their line. "She's innocent! She's dying!"

Two guards held me back as I struggled and screamed. Through the roaring flames, I saw Grandmother look directly at me.

"Vanessa," she called, her voice surprisingly strong despite the smoke. "Don't cry for me. Remember... love is stronger than hate."

The roof collapsed with a thunderous crack, cutting off her final words as flames engulfed everything inside.

I collapsed to my knees, watching my world burn away.