3⁰ King of Winter

Winter Kingdom

Cassian 

In two hours, I will marry Rosa, the princess of the Autumn Kingdom, I don't love her, but since we were children, we were already engaged, and now the time has come for us to get married, in those times we didn't have the freedom to decide the direction of our lives, we were used as toys. I could even face my father to choose my destiny, but the person I had never loved was already gone. It had been a year since my mother passed away, that was my worst day of my life, nothing else mattered to me or my life, but when I saw the situations that my people live, it gave me courage to be a good king. Today, besides my wedding, is also my coronation. I decided I wanted both ceremonies on the same day.

I was in my room getting ready, in no mood, no matter how hard I had tried to fall in love with Rosa, in fact, I kept trying for real, I couldn't, my heart had broken. I am taken out of my thoughts with a knock on my bedroom door, I get ready and send in whoever it is.

" Come on your highness, it's the bride who should be late, not the groom. " said the guard Alex, he is my best friend and also the only one I trust.

" Stop being boring, Alex. " I said with a sarcastic tone.

" Me? Boring? What the hell, and hurry up, I'm out here waiting for you, and change your face soon, you're getting married and not going to a wake. " He said leaving the room, leaving me alone.

If I were in love with my fiancée, this would be my best day, but nothing is as we want it.

Alex is the head of the palace guards, he is like my older brother, we have little age difference, he is 30 years old. With my mother dead, I only have Alex in my life, otherwise it is a total hell. A proof of this, is my father, the man I hate most in my life, because of him, my mother died, he was the one who killed her, but unfortunately, I have no proof of this.

Me, I am an arrogant and cold man, who fears nothing in this life, and all that I have left that I care about is my kingdom and nothing else.

I thought I could be happy again, but I was wrong, I loved a woman for whom I would give my life for, I was willing to call off my engagement to Rosa, but one day when I met Sanar in the garden. I totally regretted it, I found her kissing one of the guards, the rage overwhelmed me inside and I ended up sending that bastard to the medical wing of the palace. But the worst of it all was Sanem begging me, saying that he was the one who had grabbed her and she couldn't let go.

I was impressed by the way she tried in every way to convince me that nothing was her fault. But to no avail, I told her I didn't believe her, that was the worst part, she said she never loved me, that she only wanted to marry me to become queen. And every time I went out to take care of some palace business, she would come in with the guards, how foolish of me to think that she was still a maiden, every time I wanted something other than kisses, she would tell me that it was not the right time.

How foolish I was not to realize that I had fallen in love with a woman who didn't love me, but from now on, I will never fall in love again, no woman will ever use me to get what she wants, from now on, everything will change.

I will no longer be deceived by anyone, nor will I be influenced by, my feelings. I will be bitter as a lemon, and will not allow anyone to try to get close to me, so as not to make room for disappointment. I have suffered enough in this life, and I don't want to suffer anymore.

Now it's time to get married, I'm already at the ceremony site, only Rosa is missing and I should have known that she would be late, because of the delay I could even think that she had run away, but as I know that this is not possible, I just have to wait. The room she is getting ready is guarded by guards, to prevent anything from happening, after a few minutes, she arrives walking slowly through the floor covered with flowers of all kinds, so that the other duchesses could see what it was like to be a queen. For the few days that I lived with Rosa I realized that she likes luxury and humiliating those who have nothing.

Finally she comes, to me, and the priest begins the ceremony, in a speech about faithfulness and loving until death.

" I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride " says the priest

I kiss Rosa, but I feel nothing, I don't love her.

"Now let's go to the coronation of our new couple " said a priest again making a speech full of flattery about the former kings, and about me.

After a few hours, I became King and was married, after five hours, the party was almost over, and I had had practically no fun, I just sat there, there was nothing to arouse my interest, a few minutes later we went to the wedding night.

When dawn broke, I had a headache from thinking my life was changing, but I didn't feel alive. There was nothing in this life that would keep me here, and I am still trying to gain the trust of my subjects.

I got up and took a shower, the day would be busy, when I was in the tub, which was made of stone, Rosa appeared to join me.

" You didn't even invite me to take a bath together, my love." she said, approaching me.

"There is no need to pretend Rosa, we know there is no love between us. Only in front of others do we pretend to be a couple in love."

" But we can try. " she said, smoothing my face.

" We can't, because I don't want to."

I got out of the tub and left her alone; I had many things that needed my full attention.