Claimed by the Prince of Darkness-Chapter 19: Kiss the bride

Ruelle’s breath came in shallow gasps as she ran through the narrow streets, clutching the front of her dress with her feet pounding against the cobblestones. She could feel the loose strands of hair that had slipped free from her bun whipping wildly in the wind, brushing against her flushed cheeks. She was worried of being too late to witness her sister’s wedding ceremony.

"Not much further," Ruelle whispered to herself, her voice barely audible over the sound of her footsteps and the rustling of her dress.

When she caught sight of the walls of the church, a smile spread across her lips. She could hear the priest’s voice echo faintly from within the church, carrying the words of the ceremony. As she approached, she noticed two men standing by the entrance, who turned to seemingly leave. Slipping past them, she finally reached the doorway, quickly spotting Caroline and Mr. Henley standing at the altar.

Ruelle’s hand instinctively reached to grasp the doorframe as she heaved for air.

Mr. Belmont stood to the side near the altar with a composed expression, while his wife’s eyes kept darting between the entrance, the altar, and then the guests, offering polite smiles. But then, her eyes caught sight of Ruelle, and her posture tensed. She tried to hide her fidgety fingers behind the bouquet she had temporarily taken from Caroline.

When Ruelle’s eyes met her mother’s stern gaze, she understood the silent command—a quick jerk of her mother’s head, signalling her to step aside. Bowing in acknowledgement, she quietly slipped inside, keeping close to the wall to avoid drawing attention to herself.

"And now, if you would exchange the rings," the priest’s voice drifted through the air.

From her distant position, Ruelle watched as Ezekiel lifted Caroline’s hand and slid the ring onto her finger. Then it was Caroline’s turn. She momentarily fumbled, the weight of the ring heavy in her grasp, before managing to place it onto Ezekiel’s hand.

Ruelle heard the priest speak once again, "Do you, Mr. Ezekiel Henley, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," Ezekiel’s voice rang out, strong and confident, though there was a flicker of something deeper beneath the surface—something almost triumphant.

"And do you, Miss Belmont, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Most of the people in the church didn’t notice the omission of the bride’s name, as they were all eagerly focused on the ceremony. At the same time, Mrs. Belmont had dropped the bouquet, catching people’s attention, before she muttered a quick apology.

For a split second, silence hung in the air. Then Caroline’s voice, slightly muffled beneath the heavy veil, answered, "I do."

Ezekiel’s brows knitted when he heard his Ruelle’s spoken promise. Her tone was lower than her expected, with a faint rasp to it. The voice felt different, almost a touch deeper. But he quickly dismissed it, reasoning that she must have caught a cold from the night before, which he was responsible for in the first place. After all, he had been the one to ask her to meet him in the cool evening air.

The priest smiled and raised his as he declared, "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Ezekiel turned towards his bride, a smile spreading across his lips as his hands reached up to lift the thick veil. The music swelled.

But the moment Ezekiel raised the veil, revealing the face beneath, his smile faltered. His eyes locked onto the face before him.

Caroline. Not Ruelle.

On the other hand, beneath the weight of the lifted veil, Caroline struggled to conceal her eagerness. She had rehearsed this moment, knowing she must appear every bit the shy, demure bride she was expected to be.

Caroline could tell by Ezekiel’s reaction that he was stunned—his breath seemed to catch in his throat, his eyes wide as they lingered on her, confused. She believed it was because he was marvelling at her beauty, just like her mother had said. She subtly inched forward, anticipation building as she waited for his lips to descend on hers.

Meanwhile, Ezekiel gripped the veil tightly. He had held Ruelle in his arms only yesterday, so how could this have happened?! She was right there with him, and now... today... He wanted to snap at Mrs. Belmont, but doing that would ruin years of his effort. He forced himself to contain his anger, his jaw clenching.

The priest, unaware of Ezekiel’s internal turmoil, smiled patiently and gestured towards the newlyweds. "Go on, son."

The wrong bride.

The wrong sister.

He could tell Lorenzo and Count Westerling’s gazes were undoubtedly watching him closely. He couldn’t falter now. Not in front of them. Not when everything he worked for depended on this.

Forcing a strained smile, Ezekiel leaned forward, placing a quick, almost mechanical kiss on Caroline’s lips. It was brief, impersonal—nothing like the triumphant, passionate kiss he had envisioned he would share with Ruelle.

As they turned to face the guests, a cheer erupted from the crowd. The ceremony was finally over. Caroline beamed beside him, basking in the attention, her fingers wrapped tightly around his arm as they made their way towards the church entrance.

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Henley!" one guest called out as they passed.

"Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness!" another chimed in.

Upon reaching the entrance, Caroline, glowing with happiness, turned to her friend Priscilla and, with a quick glance, tossed the bouquet right into her friend’s arms.

But Ezekiel’s attention was elsewhere.

Standing just beyond the threshold of the church, Ruelle appeared in his view, her soft smile and calm presence cutting through the fog of his confusion. She had the same quiet grace she always carried.

Her eyes met his, and for a brief moment, everything around him seemed to fade—the applause, the congratulations, even his new wife’s presence at his side. All that remained was the weight of his miscalculation, pressing down on him.

Ruelle’s voice, warm and steady, broke the silence. "Congratulations, Mr. Henley and Caroline."