The air in the grand hall was thick with tension as Cassius loomed over me, his gaze unwavering. The priest stared at me with anxiety and fear written all over his face.
"Lady Amara, do you take King Cassius as your wedded husband and king? Do you promise to love him, serve him, and stay loyal to him for the rest of your life?"
Silence enveloped my mind like a suffocating blanket.
My heart raced and my thoughts were tangled in chaos. Cassius's penetrating stare made me painfully aware of his presence. I balled my hands into fists, feeling his grip tighten around my arm as a warning, but my voice was lost.
"Speak," he whispered, his tone laced with an unsettling threat that sent chills down my spine.
The command felt like a noose tightening around my throat. I shook my head, panic rising within me. Ethan's terrified face filled my thoughts, and the image of my innocent brother held captive squeezed my heart, paralyzing me with fear.
