My footsteps against the spotless marble floors echo into the high ceilings of the expansive living area I'm to call home.

The whole room glows a heavenly white and gold. The lighting, the ornate furniture, the embroidered curtains... all of it glitters in the arlite lanterns.

No expense was spared when he prepared this place for me. My whole apartment could fit in this living room twice.

"Good sylph, Leeza!" Fletch calls into the expanse. "The bride of Alvar has arrived!"

The sound of nails clicking on the floor indicates Leeza doesn't have human feet and also isn't wearing shoes.

The person who enters through a door at the back of my living room is one of the bird-like people I'd seen in the paintings.

A crest of vibrant yellow feathers grows from the bridge of Leeza's human-like nose and up over her forehead. Black feathery hair, falls down her shoulders with hints of yellow feathers in her tresses. Her feet resemble bird feet more than human feet, however, she's not chicken-legged. There is the thickness of human calves and thighs that make up her legs. She walks on four toes with curved talons at the end of each, and on the back of her heels is one longer toe with another talon. She wears a yellow dress that opens up in the back for the angel-like wings coming from between her shoulder blades. Her wings are the same vibrant yellow as the feathers coming from the crest on her head. In form and face she is human-looking. Her skin is a rich milky chocolate in color.

She bows to me.

Fletch gives my hand a reassuring pat. "I'll leave you to it then, Lucy."

"As the good regent, Fletch, said, my name is Leeza, I am a sylph," the bird woman tells me in a voice with a lilted accent after Fletch takes his exit. "I have prepared your room for you. Would you like to sleep?"

"Uh—" I can't get anything else out.

"You are unfamiliar with the sight of me," Leeza says, she extends her wings out. Now I see there is a mixture of purple in her base feathers. It's breathtaking. It makes me think of a tropical bird, like a parrot or bird-of-paradise.

"I'm a sylph," Leeza continues, "Our people rule the skies. We come from the Skylands of the south. When Alvar set our people free from the tyranny of Saul some of us decided not to return home. We stayed to work for the king."

"I'm not meaning to stare," I say apologetically to her. "I'm sorry. I did the same with Fletch." I laugh nervously.

"Tis alright. I am to instruct you in our history, peoples, and customs," Leeza explains with a warm smile. "But first, you must be tired. Come with me I shall prepare you for bed."

She motions and I follow her.

"Your first lessons tomorrow will be on proper etiquette as a queen of Underland," Leeza continues. "I will teach you how you are to behave during the wedding ceremony too. It's in a few days I hear?"

Leeza walks me down the hall and into an expansive, elaborately decorated bedroom. The bedding and linens are gold and white in color. A fireplace with a glistening white marble mantel glows warmly and a huge white fur rug lies across the floor. The bed is so massive I figure I'll get lost in my sleep.

"Alvar will join you in here on the wedding night. He directed that you are not to go to his quarters unless summoned," Leeza is explaining everything so fast, but that last statement has me afraid.

But how could he come here on our wedding night? Does he really expect me too—after only just meeting him?

My face and hands get cold, and I pull the rubber band on my wrist like crazy.

Nope. Nope. Nope.

I want to scream. I want to cry. I want to—just go back to Earth!

"I don't know how it is here, but in my world women have a say in what happens to them," I blurt out.

"Oh, child!" Leeza coos, she's caught on how distressed I am by what she said and now she's worried about me. "I'm sorry I said all of that without thinking! You should talk to the king. He is a compassionate man, he'll understand your feelings."

"If women have a say here then why am I expected to let him rape me?" I say, I'm beginning to hyperventilate.

"Rape you?" Leeza's voice raises a pitch. "Rape you? By the Light, girl! We will not have that. If you cannot marry him and consumate, I don't know what will happen, but we'll figure it out."

"That's a comfort," I say. So much for forward thinkers here...

My stomach growls. Hunger mixed with stress is a terrible combination.

"Is there any food? I'm kind of shaky," I say meekly.

"There is indeed much food for you to eat!" Leeza assures. "Shall I get you some?"

I nod.

Leeza presses a button on the wall and promptly a human woman dressed in a plain black uniform appears with a tray of fragrantly spiced red meat with a side of seared greens.

My mouth is practically watering by the time she sets it on the engraved silver table near the fireplace in my living room.

"I will leave you to eat," Leeza says. She's taken something out of the wardrobe in my room and places it on my bed. "Change into this when you feel ready and leave your clothes at the door so I can pick them up after you're asleep."

Her and the maid leave and I find myself alone.

I comfort myself with the thought that Mom mentioned Alvar was going to bring her here for the wedding. I need someone familiar.

The meat and greens they brought me are good. The flavor is something I've never tasted on my budget on Earth, a mixture of spicy, tender, and sweet.

After I'm finished eating, because I don't know what else to do, I take off my clothes and change into the silky nightwear Leeza laid out for me.

There isn't much to the clothing. The thin fabric hugs every curve of my body, but I'll begrudgingly admit it is the most comfortable clothes I've worn in my life.

I climb into the bed and find myself floating on its unexplainable softness.

Wow. This—this is actually really nice.

I'm living in the most breathtaking luxury, but it might as well be a prison cell.

I doze off easier than I thought I would, but my sleep is filled with dreams, some of them flashbacks, others of Emily frightened and alone in a gobli cave, and my last dream is one of Alvar with his eyes glowing red, staring at me like a snake waiting to devour its prey.

I am awakened to the sound of my door opening. I sit up in my bed and clutch my sheets up to my chest, covering my very exposing nightgown.

Alvar stands in the doorway. He's wearing Underland clothes now: a black cape buckled onto a chain of gold hanging around his neck. Red trim and gold embroidery is stitched onto the front of his lux black shirt. His pants are a dark grey in color and hang nicely from a black leather belt off of his hips. A band of yellow gold crowns his brow with a bright white gem at its center.

Everything about the way Alvar looks commands respect, and I hate to admit I'm attracted to him.

He's hot and I'm hating him for it. Does he know I think he's hot?

"Did they make you sufficiently comfortable, Lucy?" he asks, an unreadable expression on his scarred face.

Oh, am I comfortable? Is that all he's in here to ask me?

"Yes, I'm comfortable, but it's difficult to accept when I know Emily is in danger because of me."

Alvar runs a hand on the back of his neck and sighs.

Is he nervous? How can I make him nervous?

"I heard some news about your friend," Alvar begins, as if he doesn't want to tell me because it's horrible news.

My heart skips a beat.

"Yes?" I say, while trying to remain calm in front of him.

"She's been handed over to the custody of the gobli queen, Remora," Alvar states. "They've caught on that she's not you. The true bride of Alvar."

"What does that mean?" I ask, holding my breath.

"It means we need to get married right now or—Emily will be executed in the morning," Alvar says quickly.

"Executed," I repeat the word with a hushed voice, the iciness of it settles on me. I swallow again, this time my throat balling.

I slide out of my bed and pace the floor with my arms cross over my chest, trying to breathe. I want to cry for Emily, but I can't. With everything going on my emotions aren't working anymore.

"I brought your mother over the Bridge, Lucy," Alvar states, "because the wedding is tonight."

"Tonight?"

No time to think. No time to plan.

I snap my rubberband once.

Alvar cocks his head at the action, his eyes narrowing at my wrist momentarily before he pulls his gaze back to my face. "Yes, the sooner the better, or your friend dies in the gobli custom of execution."

"How is that?" I ask.

"They tear their criminals apart on what they call a Star Wheel. Limbs pulled off one at a time before the head," Alvar says these horrifying words without flinching.

Why the hell had I asked about the gobli custom of execution?

How hardened is Alvar to violence that talking about this doesn't visibly upset him?

Emily. Oh, Emily. I'm sorry, Emily. What kind of nightmare world is this?

"If we marry I will be able to declare all Earth humans protected. If they are, it will mean declaring war on me," Alvar states.

"I can't believe it," I mutter, shaking my head, "I really have no choice? If you hadn't wanted me as your wife instead of giving me a choice like a good guy would, none of this would have happened to Emily! I didn't even get to say good bye to Mike."

"I'm not good at saying things like this... so..." He steps toward me and puts a hand on my shoulder. "Look me in the eye, Lucy."

I gaze up at him, searching for sympathy or compassion.

Searching for something human about him.

"I will do everything in my power to save Emily, Lucy. I apologize for springing the wedding on you. I'd hoped we could ease into it. Take our time to get to know one another first. But this—this is the only thing we can do in order to save your friend."

"Leeza mentioned we needed to consummate our marriage on our wedding night," I say coldly, my gaze going to where he's placed his hand. "I can't do such a thing with a complete stranger."

Alvar withdraws his hand quickly, as if he's upset with himself for comforting me by touching me.

Huh? What's up with him?

"I am forced to marry you tonight like you want so I can save my friend," I say, as calmly and authoritatively as I can. "But I'm not having sex with you."

"Of course, I didn't expect us to. We will simply give the appearance that I am treating you as my wife," Alvar says, not at all perturbed. "I must spend the night with you. As backwards as that seems to you, we must adhere to an old law in order to be taken seriously by the rest of Axus."

"If you have to stay here tonight I can live with it, but that's it, you're only sleeping in here," I say, raising my chin up determinedly. It feels good that he's not trying to force me into anything either.

I almost appreciate him for it. Almost forget he kidnapped me and is the cause of every struggle I've endured up till this point.

Alvar bows to me with a grateful smile. "You say what you want and I completely respect your desire to find me an honest as well. I will prove to you I am."

"Alvar, don't make me like you," I mutter. "You're different than I expected."

"Were you expecting a tyrant who saw you as an object?" Alvar asks, his expression sympathetic and pained as if his words strike awful memory. "Know this, Lucy, I've committed unspeakable things, but I have never raped. I prefer being with a woman who wants me. I find you, especially in that nightdress, maddening, but I would never force myself on you." He nods at my attire.

My nightdress...

I'd forgotten I'm still wearing the skimpy nightgown Leeza gave me. And he's just noticed how it hugs everything.

I cross my arms over my chest, cough, and take a step away from him. "Y-yeah, sure. Now just—uh—leave."

Alvar turns from me without a word, shutting the door behind him.

I don't have time to ponder my mortification over my upcoming wedding ceremony long because the doors to my bedroom swing open and it's Leeza with Mom standing beside her holding the wedding dress Alvar bought me on Earth.

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