Chapter 10

“THIS is fucking great. We're inside of a fucking prayer house," Niklaus was whispering to his best man, Ian, as the marquis was chuckling at the duke. Niklaus glared at his friend before Ian was arching his eyebrow.
"I thought you wanted to keep the secret until the end?" He taunted Niklaus before he gritted his teeth.
"It would be nice if it was not a fucking church. Why do you have to do such a stupid thing, Ian?" He hissed before the young queen of Niapachad Island was coming up to Niklaus.
Queen Arabella Dragomir was the 10th monarch who ruled Niapachad Island. Her husband, Aiden, was the Prince Consort as she was greeting Niklaus. He smiled at his cousin before Queen Arabella hugged him.
"Ara, I thought you would not come here. How surprising!" Niklaus said as the young queen was giggling as she was holding her husband's arm. Aiden was nodding at Niklaus and Ian. Being the lords that were working in the Higher Court, they would have a close relationship with the young Queen and Prince Consort.
And of course, the fact that Niklaus was related to the young queen as her cousin from her paternal line.
"Of course, I would be coming here, cousin. Your parents would roll in their graves if I did not come and be a part of this celebration," Ara said as she was smiling at him. Niklaus smiled weakly.
"Your parents would be rolling inside the graves as well," Niklaus stated before Arabella was rolling her eyes. The late King and Queen of Niapachad Island have died of a sudden attack.
Their deaths were still under investigation led by Baron of Fell.
"Whatever. I could care less but I was too curious to see your future bride," the young queen said before Ian chuckled. Niklaus glared at his best bud.
"Well, that is a very interesting question. Niklaus here has snatched—"
"Lords and Ladies, please take your seats. The wedding will be starting now," the archbishop stated before the young queen and the prince consort were saying their goodbyes before they took their seats. Ian was standing next to Niklaus before he was looking at the oak doors.
"I hope you're ready," Ian whispered to him as Niklaus was smirking.
"I was born ready for this," he whispered before the door opened and the Wedding March was playing. Niklaus was greeted with the sight of an emerald green wedding gown that was out of society's norm.
He can hear the mumbles and chatters of the polite society when his bride was standing tall in her shoes as her father, Lord Matthew was walking her down the altar. Niklaus forgot to breathe when Lady Rebecca Davis was walking toward him. She was gliding like a swan before Ian was whispering to him.
"Breathe, Nick. You're pale," he stated before Niklaus blinked his eyes and took a deep breath. He was smiling at the approaching bride with the bold spirit of defying the society's norm as she was standing in front of him, in an emerald wedding gown, with a black veil covering her face.
Looks like someone was trying to defy this wedding and create scandal as much as she could, Niklaus mused to himself before the archbishop cleared his throat.
"Dearly beloved Lords and Ladies, we gathered here today—"

BECCA was breathing hard through the black veil that she instructed Lady Ivashkov to match as she was trying to put as much rebellion into this wedding as she could. Her mother could not complain when she requested that this bizarre veil, as well as the wedding gown, should be in emerald green, not the white that most brides would take.
Not Becca, not this wedding.
She was breathing hard when she was looking at the duke who was in the full glory of his status. A red sash was slung over his shoulder to show his status, as well as his blonde hair that was reflected by the sunlight in the prayer house, which made him look more handsome than usual. I think I need to get my eyes checked, Becca mused when she was blinking as the archbishop was clearing his throat.
"Milady?" He asked Becca as she turned to look at him. The archbishop was eyeing the ring before Becca was taking the wedding band into her shaking hand.
"Do you, Lady Rebecca Davis, take this man as your lawfully wedded husband, through thick and thin, rich and poor, health and sickness, and will cherish this holy matrimony until you both shall live?" The archbishop as Becca was taking a deep breath.
"I do," she replied before she slipped the ring onto Niklaus' left finger. It fitted perfectly as Becca was looking at the wedding band. Then, it was Niklaus' turn.
"Do you, Lord Niklaus Dragomir, Duke of Belikov, take this woman as your lawfully wedded wife, through thick and thin, rich and poor, health and sickness, and will cherish this holy matrimony until you both shall live?" The archbishop asked Niklaus before he was smirking at Becca.
"I do," he said before he slipped the wedding band next to her engagement ring. It fitted perfectly and Becca knew it would be stuck on her fingers, like the engagement ring. Only Niklaus was allowed to remove it.
What sorcery was that?! She fumed as she was looking at the rings on her finger.
"With the power that has been vested to me by Queen Arabella Dragomir of Niapachad Island, I pronounce you Duke and Duchess of Belikov. You may kiss your bride, Your Grace," the archbishop stated before Niklaus removed Becca's veil as the blue orbs were smirking at her.
"Now, you're mine, Rebecca Davis," he whispered to her lips before he was capturing it into a kiss. Becca was trying to resist but it was hard when Niklaus Dragomir, Duke of Belikov, now her lawfully wedded husband was kissing her.
Niklaus was putting his hand on her cheek as he was caressing it with his thumb before the clapping of the crowds made Niklaus break the kiss.
"More to come tonight, my dear," he stated as Becca was glaring at him. He chuckled before they turned to the crowd and smiled.
Not on my watch, Belikov, Becca mused as she was coming up with a plan to avoid their wedding night from happening tonight.
At any cost necessary.