She didn't know who she should hate more: Timur or herself.

"Are you ready?" Timur asked.

Lily uncontrollably nodded yes.

As the door to the dressing room closed behind her, she heard Timur whisper to the other men, "We need to start preparing for the ceremony."

Lily stood in the middle of the room as the men left. As much as it pained her to admit it, she couldn't help but admire the elegance of her wedding gown. But she had imagined that she would be wearing a gown such as this for Allan, not this horrid man.

Although she tried to suppress it, tears began to well up in her eyes. She wiped the moisture away and tried to focus on what was coming next. There was no point dwelling on the past. She had to accept whatever fate awaited her.

"Follow me," he said, "we have only a short time until the guests arrive."

Lily followed him through the halls of the temple. At times she found herself wondering if there was an exit, but she never saw one. Eventually, they arrived at a large ornate door that led outside to a balcony overlooking the Tethys Sea where she had escaped by canoe with Abner days ago.

"This way," he said.

Timur opened the door and stepped outside. He looked out across the sea, and then turned to face her.

"You look stunning,” he said softly.

He then lifted her chin and drew her close to him. He kissed her deeply. It was like being taken prisoner by a psychopath. She couldn't tear her lips away from his, no matter how hard she struggled to do so.

When he finally pulled away, her breath came in short gasps. She felt lightheaded and disoriented.

"Go and wait for me in the courtyard," Timur said. "Our wedding party is arriving very soon."

Lily stumbled away from him as her limbs betrayed her. She was nothing more than a pawn in Timur's game. She wouldn't have been able to stop him if she wanted to. This whole ordeal was a sham.

How could she hope to defeat Timur without her dragon by her side? What had happened to Tiamat anyway? Had she survived the attack? Was she still alive?

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The questions raced through her mind like a swarm of bees.

She took a deep breath and steadied her nerves. Whatever Timur planned to do to her, she needed to remain calm and keep fighting. She owed it to herself, and most importantly, she owed it to Tiamat.

***

The guests began to arrive shortly after Lily returned to the temple. They filed in one by one, and soon the entire room was filled with people. Many of them were dressed in elaborate robes, while others wore simple suits. A few were even dressed in outfits that resembled those worn by monks.

Timur stood with his men in front of the altar. A priest stood beside him, wearing a white robe.

"My people," Timur addressed the crowd, "I present to you my bride: your soon-to-be Queen Lily."

Lily watched as the priest approached the altar and took a bottle of wine from the table. He uncorked it and poured its contents into a glass. He handed the drink to Timur, and then returned to stand beside him.

Timur took a sip of the wine and then cleared his throat loudly.

"Let it be known that today is the day that our marriage shall be blessed and sealed by the gods themselves." He raised his voice, "Today is a great day in history! It is the day that a new queen will be crowned, and a new era begins!"

He held up the glass so everyone could see it, "Let us drink to the health and happiness of the newlyweds!"

Lily could feel the tension rising in the air. Everyone was staring at her and Timur. The anticipation was palpable.

"Would someone please lead us in the first toast?" Timur shouted.

A woman stepped forward, “Please raise your glasses for the royal couple."

There was a stirring among the crowd as they stared at Lily. She suddenly realized that they expected her to speak, but her mind was numb.

Timur took the opportunity to step closer to her, and whispered in her ear, "Do you understand what is expected of you?"

Lily just stared ahead, unable to respond.

"Just say 'yes,' and I'll handle the rest."

Tears streamed down her face. She wanted nothing more than to run away. But she knew that she was powerless. Not only did she have no control over her actions, but she had no idea how to escape again. Last time one of the priests took pity on her and led her through an underground labyrinth. She had absolutely no idea how she would be able to find her way through it again.

"Yes," she mumbled quietly.

"That's a good girl," Timur cooed, "now drink!"

He shoved the glass of wine into her hands. She didn't know what else to do. She gulped it down quickly and tried to mask her disgust. It was warm and sour tasting.

The crowd clapped enthusiastically. Their cheers echoed in her ears.

"To the future Queen!" Timur shouted.

"To the future Queen!" the crowd shouted back.

Timur's men cheered along with the crowd, and then they all drank together.

"How are you feeling?" Timur asked.

"Fine," Lily lied.

"Good, good. Now, why don't you stand beside me," he said, "and we can begin the ceremony."

Lily stood next to him awkwardly. It felt wrong to be standing with him like this. She didn't belong with him. She belonged with Allan. And yet, she didn't have any choice in the matter. Her mind was trapped in a vice.

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