The trip to Roland was long and uncomfortable, and Callum had finally moved to sit next to Madelynn. They dozed, her head on his shoulder, as she lied to herself about happy promises and brighter futures.

Elise roused as they passed the town’s border and the road changed from dirt to stone. “Aw,” she cooed when she picked her head up and her gaze found Madelynn and Callum cuddling. “See? I told you true love persists.”

Madelynn cringed, lifting her head up to glare at her. “I’m going to ignore that,” she said in a hushed tone, hoping not to wake Callum. “We’re in town now. I wonder how far the carriage is going to take us.” She glanced out the window. Roland was a miserable little town. It was home to the poor and unfortunate: prostitutes, gamblers, widows, and bastards. But, it had one of the only churches in Malyre that would perform weddings without parental consent.

“Are you alright?” Elise asked her, offering a pitiful smile.

Madelynn sighed, closing her eyes. “I feel like I’m going to explode and vomit and burst into flames all at the same time.”

Elise reached out and squeezed her hand. “I’ll be here with you the whole way. Just tell me how I can help.”

Madelynn stretched her lips into a thin smile. “Thank you, Elise.” She huffed and turned to Callum, his eyes darting around behind closed eyelids. “I suppose I should wake him.”

“By the way-” Elise smiled deviously- “what happened between you two? When I fell asleep, you definitely were not on cuddling terms.”

Madelynn shook her head and puffed out her cheeks in embarrassment. “I’ll explain later.” She watched Callum for just a moment. He looked so tense, even at rest. Did he ever relax? She placed a hand on his arm and shook him gently.

His eyes shot open and he pushed himself up with a gasp. “What?” he said sharpy, his eyes searching the carriage until they landed on Madelynn and he relaxed slightly. “Oh, sorry.”

“Everything okay?” Madelynn asked, her eyes wide.

“I’m fine,” he said in a pinched tone, and pushed himself back to sit up straight. “Are we nearly there?” He winced as he stretched his back.

“We’re in Roland,” Madelynn said as she glanced out the window. “But I’m not sure where the carriage is taking us.”

“It’ll find the church,” he said flatly.

(I’m totally losing momentum on this scene- I’m skipping ahead to them arriving at the church)

The chapel doors groaned as they swung open, the sound reverberating through the empty space. The flickering candlelight cast long shadows across the stone walls, and the faint scent of wax and aged wood hung in the air.

Madelynn hesitated at the threshold, her heart hammering in her chest. This was it. The point of no return.Callum stepped in first, his movements stiff, his jaw clenched. Elise hovered behind, her hand resting lightly on Madelynn’s back, a silent encouragement to move forward.

At the altar, the Rector raised his head, his eyes narrowing as he studied them. His robes seemed to absorb the light, his presence towering and severe.

“Who comes seeking the sanctity of marriage at this hour?” His voice, deep and resonant, echoed in the stillness.

Callum glanced at Madelynn, his expression unreadable. Then, with a stiff nod, he stepped forward. “Callum Whitlock,” he said, his voice steady but devoid of warmth.

“And you?” The Rector’s gaze shifted to Madelynn, his sharp eyes pinning her in place.

“Madelynn Hawtrey,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

The Rector studied her for a long moment, the weight of his gaze pressing down on her. “And what brings you here, seeking union under such urgency?”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Madelynn opened her mouth, but her throat closed. Her hands trembled at her sides, and she felt the weight of Callum’s silence beside her.

She swallowed hard, forcing the words out. “We… need to be married,” she said, her voice cracking.

The Rector’sbrows drew together. “Need?” he repeated, his tone sharp. “Marriage is a sacred bond, not a solution to desperation.”

Madelynn’s heart sank. “Please,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I… I’m with child.”

The words echoed in the silence, harsh and jarring. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Callum.

The Rector’s gaze hardened. “You claim this, yet you speak with hesitation. Is this the truth, or a lie born of fear?”

Callum stepped forward, his shoulders tense. “It’s true,” he said, his voice low but firm.

The Rector’s eyes lingered on him, then on Madelynn. The silence stretched unbearably, every second a crushing weight.

Finally, the Rector exhaled, the sound heavy with reluctance. “Very well. Step forward.”

Madelynn’s legs felt like lead as she approached the altar, Callum at her side. The Rector motioned for Elise to stay where she was but turned to address her.

“As their witness, do you have any objections to this union?”

Elise straightened, clutching her bag tightly. “No objections, sir,” she said, her voice clear.

The Rector nodded, his eyes scanning the three of them with a scrutiny that made Madelynn feel like her skin was being peeled back. “Do you have rings to exchange?”

Madelynn’s stomach dropped. Rings. Of course. Why hadn’t she thought of that? She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. Beside her, Callum shifted uncomfortably, his silence heavier than ever.

“I… we…” Madelynn stammered, her voice barely audible.

The Rector’s gaze sharpened. “No rings, then?”

Elise, who had been standing back, stepped forward in a sudden burst of motion. “Wait!” she said, her voice bright and strained. She fumbled with her bag, pulling out a small spool of thread. Her fingers worked quickly, twisting and knotting the thread into two small, uneven loops. “Here,” she said, her voice breathless as she offered them to the Rector. “It’s not much, but it’s something.”

The Rector raised a single brow, taking the makeshift rings with deliberate care. He examined them for a moment, then handed one to Madelynn and the other to Callum. “A humble gesture,” he said, his tone unreadable. “Sometimes, the strongest bonds are the simplest.”

Madelynn’s fingers trembled as she accepted the delicate thread loop. It felt impossibly fragile, as if it might snap at any moment—just like her.

The Rector raised his hands, the motion commanding immediate silence. His voice shifted, taking on a rhythmic cadence as he began to speak in the ancient tongue of the Essence. The words vibrated in the air, heavy and resonant, carrying a weight far beyond their meaning.

Madelynn’s breath caught. She didn’t know what the words meant, but they settled over her like an incantation, binding her to the moment. She glanced at Callum, who stood rigid beside her, his jaw tight and his shoulders squared.

The Rector’s voice softened as he turned to Callum. “Do you, Callum Whitlock, take Madelynn Hawtrey to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, to protect and to honor, from this day forth and forevermore?”

Callum’s gaze locked onto hers. For a moment, the tension between them shifted, softened, as if they were the only two people in the world. “I do,” he said, his voice steady but low, the words carrying an unspoken gravity.

The Rector’s gaze turned to Madelynn, and her heart thundered in her chest. “And do you, Madelynn Hawtrey, take Callum Whitlock to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, to support and to honor, from this day forth and forevermore?”

The words hung in the air, suffocating her. The thread ring in her hand felt unbearably light, yet it anchored her to every choice she had made to reach this moment. She glanced at Callum, whose eyes hadn’t left her.

“I do,” she whispered, the words barely audible but carrying every ounce of her resolve.

The Rector lowered his hands, his expression softening for the first time. “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife—Mr. and Mrs. Callum Whitlock.” He stepped back, folding his hands in front of him. “You may seal your vows with a kiss.”

Madelynn froze, her breath catching in her throat. The world seemed to narrow, the edges blurring as Callum turned toward her.

His movements were slow, deliberate, as though he was giving her every chance to back away. His hand lifted, cupping her cheek, and for a moment, the warmth of his touch made the rest of the world fall away.

The kiss was soft, tender—hesitant at first but growing in surety. It wasn’t desperate or demanding; it was a promise, quiet and unspoken.

Madelynn felt her heart twist painfully, and for a fleeting moment, she forgot the lies, the desperation, the weight of the vows. It was just Callum—Callum and the way he held her as though she were the only thing tethering him to the earth.

When he pulled away, the silence was deafening. Callum stepped back, his hand falling to his side, and the weight of reality crashed down on them both.

“That was a dazzling ceremony, Sir and Lady Whitlock,” Elise said, breaking the silence with her usual cheer. She clapped her hands together, her grin wide enough to fill the empty chapel.

Madelynn exhaled shakily, her heart heavy and her mind spinning. They were married.

And nothing would ever be the same.