The Bride He Hates

Chapter 143: End Of Courtship

Eve came to meet Lyanna after fifteen minutes, wearing the same nervous and scared expression.

"Your Majesty," Eve said, curtseying. "You wanted to see me?"

Lyanna didn’t bother with pleasantries.

"Drop the act. We’re alone. Just be honest for once."

Eve’s expression didn’t change right away. She stayed like that for a few seconds, trying to see if this was another trap.

"I don’t know what you mean," She said.

"You do," Lyanna replied. "The sweet, scared young vampire who was forced into courtship against her will? That’s a performance. We both know it."

Eve looked for a moment. Then her vulnerable expression melted away, revealing a sharper look underneath.

"Well," Eve said, her voice calculating, and cold now. "That’s refreshing. I was getting tired of pretending to be weak and helpless."

She sat down without being asked, crossing her legs.

"How long have you known?"

"Since the ball," Lyanna said and sat across from her.

"Why? What were you actually trying to achieve ?"

Eve laughed.

"Initially? Exactly what you suspected. Get pregnant, secure my position, and replace you as queen."

"Initially?"

"Before I actually met you both." Eve clarified. "But you two are different. The bond between you is something I’ve not seen in vampire political marriages."

"But that didn’t stop you from trying to destroy it."

"No," Eve confessed. "Because my family’s survival depends on gaining power, and this courtship was our best chance in decades."

"So you staged the attacks to succeed in your plan."

"Obviously." Eve replied. "Both. I knew you caught me during that meeting with Azrael." She smiled.

"It was a good plan. It would have worked too, but you’re smarter than I thought. Most queens would have waited until the council meeting to present evidence. But you’re confronting me directly, trying to...what exactly? Get a confession?"

"Actually, I’m trying to understand you. Because I feel you’re not evil. You’re desperate."

Eve was surprised.

"Tell me why does House Silverwood need power so badly that you’re willing to go to such lengths for it?" Lyanna asked.

"My house is dying. We made poor alliances fifty years ago, backed the wrong faction in a territorial dispute, and lost most of our lands and resources. We’ve been surviving on debts ever since." She looked at Lyanna.

"I have three younger siblings. If we lose our noble status, they’ll be left with nothing."

"So you volunteered for this courtship?

"I demanded it." Eve replied. "My family wanted to send my younger sister but she would not have been able to handle this courtship. So I insisted on going instead, promising them I’d secure our position at any cost."

"I was wrong about you." Lyanna said. "I thought you were just ambitious. But you’re actually trying to save your family."

"Does understanding my motivations change anything?" Eve asked. "I still tried to destroy your marriage and manipulate your husband."

Lyanna stood up.

"In tomorrow’s council meeting, you need to confess everything."

Eve stared at her in disbelief.

"That’s suicide. The council will strip my house of any remaining status, possibly execute me for trying to manipulate the king..."

"But if you confess voluntarily, the council might show mercy to you."

"You’re protecting me?" Eve asked in disbelief. "After everything I did, you’re trying to minimize my punishment."

"I just want to end this courtship nightmare," Lyanna replied. "Your confession will give me an opening to address the real problem."

"But what would happen to my family, if I confess?"

"I don’t know, honestly." Lyanna replied. "But I promise I’ll try my best to protect your family if you’re honest."

The next morning, the council assembled, expecting a dramatic confrontation. The captured assailant from last night’s attack sat in chains, ready to give his rehearsed confession.

"We’ve gathered today to address last night’s attack on Their Majesties and the growing threat of anti-courtship violence..."

"No."" Eve said as she stood up. "We have gathered because I need to confess what I’ve done."

The entire council went silent.

"Lady Eve?" Cassius said. "You..."

"I manipulated the courtship process." She began. "I staged my own attack to gain sympathy and access to the king. I planned to get pregnant, so I could leverage it for a permanent position."

Gasps echoed through the council chamber.

"The attack last night on Their Majesties?" Eve continued. "It was also staged by me. I hired the assailant currently in chains to create a counter-narrative that would make the king and queen look paranoid before they could expose my manipulation. I did everything to destroy their marriage and secure power for myself and House Silverwood."

The council burst into chaos. Nobles shouted questions, demanded explanations, and called for immediate punishment.

Azrael raised his hand, and the room went silent.

Then Lyanna stood up and began speaking.

"Lady Eve tried to manipulate the courtship. But it’s because this system is corrupt. You started this courtship performance because I can’t conceive. You paraded potential replacements through my castle, forced my husband to court other women publicly, and expected me to accept it gracefully because political necessity demands it." She paused.

"But, I’m done accepting it. I’m done being graceful about a system designed to humiliate and replace me."

The council went quiet. Lyanna had never spoken this directly, and angrily, about this situation.

"I am your queen," Lyanna continued. "I have fought for this kingdom. I have bled for it. I have made decisions that still haunt me every night so that you could sleep safely in your comfortable estates." She looked around the room.

"And you repay me by parading my replacements? By creating systems where desperate people like Eve feel they have to destroy marriages to survive?"

No one said anything. Azrael stood, walking to stand beside Lyanna.

"The courtship is terminated, effective immediately. My wife is my queen, now and always. Any further challenges to her position will be treated as treason against the crown." He looked directly at Cassius.

"This council seems to have forgotten that I am king and that your role is to advise, not to demand. Consider this a reminder of that hierarchy."

"But the succession..." Cassius began.

"Will be addressed through methods that don’t humiliate my wife or force political theatrics that serve no one except nobles planning for power."

He then gestured to Eve.

"As for Lady Eve, she confessed voluntarily, and showed more honesty than most people in this room would under similar circumstances. I’ve decided to reduce House Silverwood’s status and have her arrested immediately."

He then looked around the council chamber.

"This courtship harmed my marriage, created an environment where people like Eve felt manipulation was necessary, and achieved nothing except political chaos. It ends now."

The candidates will be compensated for their time and offered formal alliances with Thornfield to maintain their houses’ political benefits." Lyanna added.

The council debated for another hour, but the decision had been made. The courtship was terminated. Eve would be arrested instead of being executed. The king and queen’s marriage was publicly affirmed as permanent and unbreakable.

By the time the session concluded, the political landscape had shifted dramatically. Cassius’s faction had been publicly reprimanded. The courtship tradition had been condemned as harmful. And Lyanna had claimed her position as queen through strength rather than apology.

After the council dispersed, Eve approached Lyanna and Azrael one last time.

"Thank you...for showing mercy I didn’t deserve. For protecting my family and for understanding that desperation makes people do terrible things. I’m sorry for everything I did."