Chapter 2

Ryu

"How does it feel to be marrying the Princess?" One of my rivals, Blaine, asks me with a cold smile on his face, "I know that you have been kissing the King's ass to always be on his good side, but I would have never expected you to stoop low enough to be messing around with his daughter to become the next King. I have to give it to you, Ryu, you have really outdone yourself."

I just ignore him because I know he is just trying to pick a fight. I'm getting dressed in my outfit, hating all the fabrics and jewels on my body but it's just something that I have to do while marrying the Princess. I know that everyone thinks that I did this for the status, but I didn't even want it to go this far. I just owed the King, and he knows I'm the best warrior. I think he wants to make sure that his precious daughter is taken care of and that she would have a mate that would be able to protect her.

My first impressions of Avalon are a spoiled brat who didn't want to do for the best of her kingdom. She is beautiful, there is no doubt about that, but she is much too young for me. I'm thirty-seven years old and I was quite okay with never having a mate. Now to be wedding the twenty-one-year-old Princess, I don't know how I feel about it.

She is much shorter than me with fair skin and a curvy body. Her long, curly blonde hair is actually longer than mine, and her blue eyes kind of reminded me of jewels. She has soft, delicate features but the sharpness of her tongue was enough that it was a dangerous game. I know she didn't want to marry me, but it looks like neither one of us had much of a choice and we would just have to live with it. I hate that it had to turn out this way but there just wasn't anything that could be done about it.

"You have to let us know how she is in bed." Blaine continues and I really want to knock his teeth out, "I'm sure even if she's a bitch, she must have a tight pussy to fuck. At least something good will come out of it."

Although I don't want to marry Avalon, there is no way that I'm going to just listen to the crude words coming out of his mouth. I whip around before he would even realize it and my fist connects with his face. He stumbles back, hitting the ground hard from the sheer force of my punch. He is lucky that I only did that because if the King heard anything like this, he would have already been dead. I should have killed her for speaking that way, but I know he is just jealous that he didn't get picked. Blaine is second-best compared to me and I'm sure he is getting tired of it.

"Don't ever speak about the Princess that way again or I will kill you." I warn him, slowly turning away from him, "I don't care what beef you have with me but don't drag her into this. She does not deserve it."

I hate that he is doing something like this, pissing me off in the process but there is no way that I'm going to just let him win. I hate that he thinks he can talk about Avalon like that just because she is marrying me. No matter what, she is still the Princess, and she deserves our respect. If he can't handle that, then he needs to get the fuck away from me before I kill him.

Finally, after what feels like forever, I am led out by guards to the ceremony area. I walk down the aisle, seeing a bunch of royal people from around the world. I knew that the King was going to make this extravagant, but I can tell by the look on people's faces is that they didn't understand why he picked me. I'm nothing special, that is very clear, and they can't help but probably wonder why he would pick someone like me who does not come from a Royal background to become the next King.

I know he never cared that I wasn't a Royal because he knew that I was more than capable of leading. I don't have to prove this to anyone either and if they tried to test me, I would be more than happy to show them that I won't put up with it either. Standing at the end of the aisle with the High Priest, I just wait for Avalon to show up.

The music shifts and everyone rises to their feet. I keep my eyes trained on the door as it slowly opens, revealing the King and then Avalon. I still almost immediately, seeing how she is dressed in a beautiful white ballgown dress that shows off her shoulders and the curves of her breasts. She wears a little veil, making me think that maybe she is too beautiful for someone like me. Oh shit, why is she tempting fate right now?

He walks her down the aisle and her eyes never leave mine. I don't even know how she made it done to me until I take her hand and help her get closer. The King takes his seat as the High Priest starts to do his thing, but I can barely hear him. I'm just looking down at Avalon who looks just as nervous.

"Avalon, do you take Ryu to be your lawfully wedded husband and the next King?" The High Priest murmurs as he hands her the ring to slip onto my finger.

"I do." She murmurs as she does so.

"And do you, Ryu, take Avalon to be your lawfully wedded wife and vow to protect her and this kingdom?" He continues, handing me the other ring.

"I do." I promise as I slip the ring onto her finger.

"Now by the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife." The High Priest murmurs, "you may kiss your bride."

I lift the veil, knowing this game we're playing as I lean down and kiss her, feeling the sparks and how it's like she melts right into me. Shit, I might be a little screwed.