Unduh Aplikasi
6.7% Bride of the Demon Lord / Chapter 22: Substitute Bride (2)

Bab 22: Substitute Bride (2)

This couldn't possibly be happening to her and her family. There was no way Junifer would be taken away from them. What kind of criteria did the royal court use to choose the sacrificed maidens anyway?

As her eyes took in the physical appearances of the maidens, Iris then thought that it was one of the factors. The young maidens were as pure as a flower that was about to bloom. Each had some physical features that made them stand out from the rest.

If what the elders and peddlers said were true about Asnar and the darklings, there's no way her younger sister would be able to survive in such a dangerous place. She should have allowed Junifer to elope with Luca when they had a chance.

She would rectify her mistake and save her sister, no matter what it cost her.

Now that she knew that Junifer was one of the chosen maidens, Iris pushed through the crowd with a strength she didn't know she possessed. Her mind kept telling her to find her younger sister, save her from this horrible situation.

She could hear Ren following after her in a hurry, pleading for her to stop and wait for him. And then Iris saw Junifer. Her face was blanched, the color on her lips gone as their mother and Luca tried to keep her in a vice grip, refusing to hand Junifer over.

"Jun! Wait! Don't take her! Don't take her!" Iris cried over and over again, until her voice turned hoarse as she pushed her way through the crowd to reach her mother and Junifer. But the royal guards had already taken Junifer and forced her to make her way up stage to accept the royal court's decree.

Junifer dragged herself with teary eyes, walking as if she had just been sentenced to death. Just as she was about to take the steps up the stage, a hand grasped her wrist and pulled her backwards.

"Iris?" She stared at her sister with widened eyes. If she hadn't been chosen today, she would have thrown her arms around Iris, thanking the heavens for allowing Iris to return to her.

However, Iris ignored her words and pushed her behind her, as if protecting her from the royal guards and the crown prince, who was looking at them with displeasure.

Iris fell on one knee and lowered her head, surprising everyone.

"What the hell are you doing?" The old chancellor sneered at her, gesturing for the guards to take Iris away.

"Your Highness, please hear this one's humble request. Please allow me to replace my sister as part of the tribute." Iris announced, aware that Junifer was now crying hysterically behind her, begging her to stop.

"No, Iris. You can't do this. You can't go!" Junifer had never begged anyone throughout her life, but she was aware of the reason her elder sister was doing this.

"Oh?" Prince Rupert stood up from his seat and walked until he was hovering a couple of feet away from Iris. He gave her a good look, taking in her appearance.

"You're a woman?"As if seeing her wearing a dress didn't proved that she was one.

Iris didn't take it as an offense. She had already gotten used to being mistaken for a young man due to her short hair and lean body. She didn't have the soft feminine curves other maidens her age had.

"Yes, Your Highness." She affirmed. Iris refused to shed any tears or show any weakness at this point. If she was going to die, then she wouldn't go down without a fight.

"Lift your head and let me see your face." The crown prince demanded. He lifted a hand to the chancellor, who was trying to convince him not to meddle with the royal courts' decision.

Iris did as she was told and showed her face. The prince regarded her for a moment, then scoffed.

"Your name?"

She swallowed hard and steeled herself.

"Iris Scarborough, Your Highness."

"And why do you want to replace your sister? Don't you know that being a tribute is the highest honor one could give to our kingdom?" Prince Rupert continued to probe.

Iris kept her face blank and met his gaze, hoping that he would agree.

"My sister is about to wed my friend this coming autumn. I do not wish for the lovers to be separated like this."

"Sire, you can't let this happen. The royal court would surely question you and criticize you if you agreed with her request." The chancellor reminded Prince Rupert. It wasn't a secret that the crown prince didn't get along with the royal court and would always find a way to annoy them.

"Didn't you say that my popularity among our citizens is quite low?" Prince Rupert hissed at him, his blonde hair glimmering slightly under the sun. "Shouldn't we take advantage of this situation?" He added in a low voice before turning his attention back to Iris, who was waiting for his decision.

"Up you go, Miss Scarborough. Let me make this clear. Know that this will be one time and there's no way I will rescind my decision. Be thankful that your sister is spared this time." Prince Rupert said with a vicious laugh, not waiting for the old chancellor's response.

Iris steeled herself and ignored Junifer's pleading. Once she climbed up the stage, she found Luca and her mother, trying to pacify her sister's tears. She tried not to let her tears flow and to maintain her composure.

Maybe this was for the better. With her magic resurfacing, Iris wasn't certain if she was still able to contain it. She might be able to avoid the death trap waiting for her if she stayed a little longer here in Dravial, but this also meant she needed to leave her family behind.

'I'm sorry, Father. I wouldn't be able to protect Mother and my siblings after this.' She thought as Amelia and Chrysanthe drew her to their side and encased her into a tight hug.


Bab 23: Goodbye for Now (1)

On the night of the Selection Day, some families would celebrate having their daughters spared from being selected as tribute, while others would close their doors, using the remaining time to bid goodbye to their loved ones. None of the families would bother each other, and this had become a tradition carried on for hundreds of years in Calaren town. The emissaries of the Court of Shadows were expected to arrive the very next day to collect the chosen maidens, so there wasn't enough time for the tributes to prepare for their departure.

Iris came home with the rest of her family in silence. However, the minute their mother closed the front door, Junifer threw her arms around Iris and broke down in tears. She kept muttering her apology in between her sobs, telling Iris that it was her fault.

"You can't go, Iris. You can't." Junifer clung to her in despair.

Iris let out a weak smile and peeled her sister's hands off her. No one can deny accepting a royal decree, and since Prince Rupert had given her a go-signal. There was no way she would be able to escape it.

"You heard what the Crown Prince said, Junifer. He won't rescind his decision, as do I. I chose this on my own volition and I'm not planning to break my word for the second time."

Volunteering to become a tribute instead of her sister also meant that she wouldn't be able to uphold the promise she made to their father.

"But…" Junifer looked at her with teary eyes. She knew very well why Iris had sacrificed herself for her sake and she would never forgive herself for this.

"I won't ask you for anything, Jun." Iris cupped her sister's face, trying not to break down in tears. "I wouldn't be able to return this time, so as the second child of our family, you need to step up and take care of Mother and Ren."

Junifer couldn't stop her tears this time, but she nodded nevertheless. It was nothing compared to what Iris had done so far for their family.

Iris then continued, telling them all the things they would need to remember once she was gone. At times like this, she wished she could use her magic to put them under an illusion. It would have been better if they believed that she left Calaren town to travel, that she would be back before they knew it, but it's impossible.

Junifer was never to step into the woods. Iris forbade her from joining Luca and his other friends on their hunting trips. There was no telling what kind of darklings they may encounter and Iris would rather have Junifer focus on the things she liked most, like knitting, embroidering and making dresses that she sells at the town square. She was good at that anyway and her creations were sought upon by the young ladies in their town, no matter how hard it was to procure it.

Luca would continue collecting the herbs her mother couldn't grow in their backyard. Iris was thankful that Luca had been with her during the days she collected herbs for her mother, so he would be able to find them at their usual spots.

"Ren, in a few more years, you'll become a man. I wish you to grow up as a good man that Father and I want you to be. Work hard to reach your dreams, no matter how hard it is. You are the one who's born with a good head over his shoulders amongst the three of us. We can't let that go to waste." She smiled at him.

Ren tried to keep his tears at bay, but once he heard Iris's words, his tears broke like a dam and it streamed down his face. He clenched his fists hard on his sides and nodded. He hoped that someday, no other family would experience having to say goodbye to their loved ones because of one stupid treaty.

His mind couldn't comprehend why they must give up one of their own to honor the treaty and why their family needed to take the burden for humanity's sake. There must be a loophole somewhere or an alternative to keep the peace between the two parties.

"Mother." Iris regarded their mother. She didn't need to ask to know that this would be harder for their mother to take. Years ago, she lost her husband to death, and tomorrow, she will be losing her eldest child, who was also the pillar of their family.

She rushed into her mother's waiting arms and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Iris, Iris." Her mother wept, as if her name was the only thing she could say. "I'm so sorry, little peanut."

"There's no need to apologize, Mother. You did nothing wrong." Iris replied with teary eyes. "Junifer is in a terrible spot and I cannot, would not allow anyone take her away."

"But not at your own expense, dear." Her mother squeezed her tighter. Iris thought that she wouldn't be able to hold back her tears any longer if her mother kept holding her like this.

"I know, but I have no regrets, Mother." In a low voice, she whispered. "My magic is unstable and I can't control it anymore. Perhaps someone out there would be able to help me."

She then pulled away and wiped the tears from her mother's cheeks.

"Don't cry, Mother. It's all right." She tried to sooth her mother, though her voice was cracking from the sight of their tears. She swallowed hard, trying to drown her emotions.

"Maybe someday there would be no need to do any selection, and no maidens need to sacrifice or be taken away from their families anymore." Iris gave her mother's hand a squeeze and drew quivering breaths as the three of them continued to weep.

"I'll find a way to return, Mother. No matter how hard or how long it would take, I will surely return to you." She promised, her eyes then shifted from her mother to her siblings. "Until then, please take care of yourselves."


Load failed, please RETRY

Hadiah

Hadiah -- Hadiah diterima

    Status Power Mingguan

    Membuka kunci kumpulan bab

    Indeks

    Opsi Tampilan

    Latar Belakang

    Font

    Ukuran

    Komentar pada bab

    Tulis ulasan Status Membaca: C22
    Gagal mengirim. Silakan coba lagi
    • Kualitas penulisan
    • Stabilitas Pembaruan
    • Pengembangan Cerita
    • Desain Karakter
    • Latar Belakang Dunia

    Skor total 0.0

    Ulasan berhasil diposting! Baca ulasan lebih lanjut
    Pilih Power Stone
    Rank 200+ Peringkat Power
    Stone 6 Batu Daya
    Laporkan konten yang tidak pantas
    Tip kesalahan

    Laporkan penyalahgunaan

    Komentar paragraf

    Masuk

    tip Komentar Paragraf

    Fitur komentar paragraf sekarang ada di Web! Arahkan kursor ke atas paragraf apa pun dan klik ikon untuk menambahkan komentar Anda.

    Selain itu, Anda selalu dapat menonaktifkannya atau mengaktifkannya di Pengaturan.

    MENGERTI