The Bride Who Sailed Away

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Chapter 2

"Leonora, you've suffered enough," High Priestess Elowen said softly.

She stepped down from the altar, her wrinkled hand gently smoothing my windblown hair.

"If I had known it would come to this..." She sighed, her eyes full of deep regret. "I never would have granted you two the Goddess's blessing. I wouldn't have let you endure this humiliation for so long."

Tears spilled over my lashes again. My own mother had left me stranded in an empty hall for my stepsister's "headache," yet here was the High Priestess offering me the first ounce of genuine warmth I’d felt in years.

"Are you absolutely sure about the Frozen Sea alliance, Leonora?" Elowen asked, her voice tight with concern. "It is a harsh, unforgiving land."

"I'm sure," I whispered. "Anywhere is better than here."

“And please, High Priestess... keep this a secret for now. Don't announce the alliance just yet.”

Elowen didn't press me further. She nodded and pulled me up, wrapped me in a thick wool blanket, and let me sleep in the private sanctuary chambers.

At dawn, she ordered a temple carriage to take me back to Haven Manor.

The moment I entered the grand foyer, a burst of cheerful laughter drifted from the main parlor.

"Oh my god, just look at that waistline, Meredith! It is absolutely breathtaking!" my mother’s voice rang out. She sounded thrilled. "Turn around, sweetie. Yes! It’s like the Sea Goddess herself tailored this just for your body. I told you, you were born to wear this gown!"

"She’s right," Edric chimed in. His tone was incredibly gentle. "You have such a delicate grace, Meredith. Your curves really bring out the true beauty of the fabric. You look perfect."

I froze dead in my tracks.

I walked slowly to the parlor entrance and looked inside.

There, standing right in the center of the room, was Meredith. She was wearing my wedding dress.

The Matron's gown.

My breath hitched in my throat. For six straight months, I had pricked my fingers bloody embroidering that dress. The silver threads formed an intricate star-and-wave pattern along the bodice and sleeves. Edric himself had once told me that the motif meant "sailing together with one heart"—the ultimate romantic vow for seafarers.

Now, those silver waves were fastened tightly across Meredith’s chest.

My mother stood beside her, gently smoothing out Meredith’s cuffs with a loving smile. "So gorgeous," she beamed. "Honestly, it looks a hundred times better on you than it ever would on Leonora."

Meredith caught sight of me in the floor-length mirror.

"Sister! You're back." She gripped the skirts of my dress, looking like a startled deer. "I... I slept terribly last night. My head was just pounding. The Prince and Mother felt so bad for me, they suggested I try on your gown just to take my mind off the pain."

She tilted her head, shaking whisper. "You aren't mad at me, are you, sister?"

"She wouldn't dare," my mother snapped.

My eyes locked onto the man sitting comfortably on the velvet sofa.

"Edric," I said. "You told me you were coming back to the temple for me."

Edric shifted uncomfortably, avoiding my direct gaze. He picked up his teacup.

My mother waved a dismissive hand in the air. "The Prince is a very busy man, Leonora! He didn't have time to go hunting for you in the middle of the night. Are you a child? Did you really think you'd get lost walking home?"

I swallowed the bitter lump in my throat. I looked back at Meredith.

"Take it off," I said coldly. "That's my wedding dress."

Meredith smiled. "I know it is, sister. But the Prince said the embroidery was just exquisite. He really wanted to see how it looked on me."

I stared at Edric. "You told her to put it on?"

Edric frowned, setting his teacup down hard. "Leonora, relax. It's just a dress. Once you marry into my royal family, you can have a dozen gowns made of better silk. Why are you making such a massive scene over this?"

"A scene?" I yelled, my composure finally cracking. "I spent six months embroidering that gown by hand! Every single stitch!"

"Leonora! Have you lost your damn mind?" my mother roared, marching up to me. "It is just a piece of clothing! Your sister is sick! She has a weak constitution! Can't you just let her have this one little thing to make her smile? Why must you always be so unbelievably selfish?"

"What about me?" I screamed, my voice cracking. "Mom, what about me?! I am your biological daughter! Why do you always take her side? Since we were kids, I’ve had to give her everything!"

My mother looked away. "You and Meredith are different."

Different.

Always that same damn word. Just because I was born on the exact day our family’s main fleet was swallowed by the sea. My father called me cursed and abandoned my mother forever because of it.

To her, I wasn't a daughter—I was the living, breathing symbol of her ruined marriage. So she poured all her twisted maternal love into Meredith. She took the bastard child of a lowly sewing maid and pampered her like a fragile treasure.

A bitter laugh ripped from my throat.

"Different? Oh, I see," I sneered. "Because she's just the bastard spawn of a ignoble maid—"

SMACK.

The sharp crack echoed violently through the parlor.

My head snapped to the side. A searing, blinding pain exploded across my left cheek. I stumbled back, catching myself on the doorframe. The heavy, coppery taste of blood instantly filled my mouth.

I touched my cheek, my fingers trembling.

Edric stood towering over me, his hand still raised in the air. His chest heaved, his eyes dark with absolute fury.

"Watch your mouth, Leonora," he spat.

The man who had once dove into a freezing squall to save my life had just struck me across the face. For a bastard sister who was faking a headache.

I slowly turned my head to look at him. I spat a mouthful of blood onto the plush rug at his boots.

"Am I wrong? I’ve had to give up my toys, my room, my mother’s love," I rasped. "What's next? Are you going to tell me I need to give up my fiancé to her, too?"

Edric glared down at me, his patience completely gone.

"Enough! Meredith and I are already married!"

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