Princess Of The Skulls - Chapter 18: Chapter 18

The day before my wedding dawned grey and cold, with storm clouds gathering on the horizon like an omen of the chaos about to descend on both kingdoms. I spent the early morning hours in final preparations, reviewing every detail of our plan while trying to maintain the appearance of a nervous bride focused on ceremonial details rather than magical warfare.
Kael arrived at my chambers before dawn, slipping through the window with the silent grace that had first caught my attention weeks ago. Now, watching him move through the shadows of my room, I felt the familiar mixture of desire and wariness that defined our relationship.
"The cult's final preparations are complete," he reported quietly, settling into the chair beside my writing desk where I'd been reviewing maps of the castle's lower levels. "Lord Cassius brought additional mages with him—three death-speakers and a bone-binder."
I looked up sharply. "A bone-binder? That changes our calculations significantly."
"How so?"
"A bone-binder can manipulate skeletal remains directly, which means my skull communion abilities might be turned against me if I'm not careful." I traced patterns on the map absently, considering the implications. "It also means the ritual they're planning is more sophisticated than we anticipated. They're not just trying to bind souls—they're planning to create a permanent magical construct."
Kael leaned closer to study the maps, his shoulder brushing mine. "What kind of construct?"
"The kind that would make the marriage binding, absolute, and unbreakable. Not just politically, but magically." I met his eyes, seeing my grim understanding reflected there. "If they succeed, Prince
Aldric and I won't just be married—we'll be bound at the soul level. Neither of us will be able to act against the other's interests, even if we want to."
"That's ." he paused, processing the full implications. "That's not just a political alliance. That's magical slavery."
"For both of us, yes. But particularly for me, since I'm the one with the dangerous abilities they want to control." I set down my pen and turned to face him fully. "Which is why our plan has to succeed. Because if it doesn't, the woman you claim to care about will cease to exist in any meaningful way."
Kael's expression darkened. "Then we make sure it succeeds."
A soft knock at my door interrupted us. Kael was behind the heavy curtains before the sound finished echoing, and I called out permission to enter.
Elena slipped inside, carrying a tray of breakfast and wearing the expression of someone with urgent news to share. "Good morning, Your Highness. I have your meal, and also some information about the guest arrangements that might interest you."
I gestured for her to continue while pouring tea from the pot she'd brought.
"Lord Cassius's guards have been asking very specific questions about the timing of tonight's feast and tomorrow's ceremony. Not just security questions—they want to know exactly when each part of the celebration will begin and end."
"Coordinating their security measures with ours?"
"That's what they claim. But they're also asking about things that wouldn't matter for security. Like how long the blessing ceremony will take, and whether there are any traditional breaks in the proceedings where guests might step away."
I exchanged a glance with the curtains where Kael was hidden. "They're planning something specific that requires precise timing."
"That's what I thought too. And there's something else—Master Dorian asked me to tell you that the sword you requested has been prepared and placed in the location you specified."
The sword was part of our contingency planning. If everything went wrong during the public ceremony, I would need a weapon that could channel my necromantic abilities without being detected by the magical wards that would be monitoring the chapel.
"Thank you, Elena. Is there anything else I need to know about the preparations?"
"Lady Lydia has been asking questions about your morning routine. She wants to know if you'll be visiting your mother's tomb before the ceremony."
I paused with the teacup halfway to my lips. "Did she say why?"
"She claimed it was so she could coordinate the timing of helping you dress, but ." Elena hesitated.
"But you don't think that was her real reason."
"No, Your Highness. She seemed more interested in whether you'd be alone during the visit."
After Elena left, Kael emerged from his hiding place with a grim expression. "Lady Lydia is planning something."
"Yes, she is. The question is whether it's connected to the cult's plans or if she's pursuing her own agenda."
"Does it matter? Either way, she's a threat."
I considered this while finishing my breakfast. Lady Lydia had been part of our oath-bound group, but that didn't mean her loyalty was absolute. If she'd been compromised or if she'd decided to pursue her interests, she could undermine our entire plan.
"It matters because we need to know whether to defend against her specifically or whether she's part of a larger threat," I said finally. "If she's working with the cult, then they know details about our countermeasures. If she's working independently, then we're dealing with multiple enemies instead of one coordinated group."
"How do you want to handle it?"
"Carefully. We proceed with our plan, but we prepare for the possibility that she'll betray us at the worst possible moment."
The rest of the morning was spent in the tedious work of final preparation—checking weapon placements, reviewing signal systems, and memorizing backup plans. Prince Aldric arrived shortly before noon for our final pre-wedding meeting, looking as troubled as I felt.
"My father brought more men than we discussed," he said without preamble. "And they're not just guards—some of them are mages."
"We know. The question is what you plan to do about it."
He met my eyes steadily. "I plan to honor our agreement and protect you during the ceremony, even if it means acting against my father's interests."
"And if your father orders you to restrain me during the ritual? If he commands you to hold me still while his magicians complete their work?"
"Then I'll have to choose between filial duty and what I believe is right." Prince Aldric's voice was quiet but firm. "And I've already made that choice."
I studied his face, looking for signs of deception or uncertainty. Finding none, I nodded. "Good. Because tomorrow we'll discover whether good intentions are enough to overcome superior preparation and numbers."
"Are you afraid?" he asked.
"Terrified," I answered honestly. "But fear is useful if it keeps you alert and focused. It's only dangerous if it paralyzes you."
"And you don't intend to be paralyzed."
"No. I intend to fight until either I'm dead or my enemies are." I touched the skull pendant at my throat, feeling the familiar weight of my mother's bound spirit. "Whatever happens tomorrow, it ends with blood."
As Prince Aldric left to attend to his own preparations, I found myself alone with the weight of what we'd committed to. In less than eighteen hours, I would either be married to a man I was beginning to respect, or I would be dead along with everyone who'd tried to help me.
The storm clouds on the horizon were growing darker, and I could smell rain in the air. By tomorrow night, either the kingdoms would be united under a new alliance, or they would be united under the control of a cult that had been planning this moment for years.
I spent the rest of the day in final preparations, knowing that everything—my life, my crown, and the fate of everyone I cared about—would be decided before the next sunset.
The was ready for war.