'Ye are Blood of my Blood, and Bone of my Bone,
I give ye my Body, that we Two might be One.
I give ye my Spirit, 'til our Life shall be Done.'
-Diana Gabaldon, Outlander

~~~

The Palace;

Zachary steadied his shaking hands behind his back as he made his way towards the chamber that had housed his daughter.

Today was the day of her wedding; the day he had to leave her here.
He had not spent even a single moment with his daughter since months.
His work at the Estate, and then the wedding preparations had demanded his entire time and attention.

It was only after realising the dearth of time that he had left with Maya, that Zachary found himself walking towards her chambers with an evident urgency.

It was the last time they would be conversing while she still carried his name.
He was going to give her away to another man in less than an hour.

The guards standing in the corridor gestured for the maid to open the doors, allowing him inside.

He was soon met with the site of Maya's innocent, inquiring gaze. Her smile had vanished as she met his gaze from where she stood surrounded by other ladies.

Zachary saw his sister and her daughter-in-law among them.
This was the first time he was meeting Eleanor in sixteen years; and much to his chagrin, she had refused to spare him a glance ever since she arrived.

He knew that she was only tolerating his presence as the wedding was taking place in the Palace.

Over the years, he had learnt to accept the fact that he would never gain her forgiveness.
But it did nothing to reduce his anguish each time she chose not to acknowledge him.

"May I have a word with my daughter, in private?"
Zachary kept his voice stable as he spoke, directing his gaze at Maya.

His sister looked at Maya with questioning eyes; it was only after she saw her small nod, that she led all the other women outside, all the while avoiding his eyes.

The door closed with a soft thud.
Zachary smiled softly as he looked at Maya.
She looked breathtakingly beautiful!

In that moment, he was reminded of another time- another bride.

He could see Saya's reflection in her eyes.

Had his wife looked this beautiful on their wedding?
He could not remember; he had been too bitter with self-pity and frustration to notice that.

But now, as he stood before their daughter, he could not help but wonder if this was how her mother had looked in her bridal attire.
If she had, then he had been an utter fool to overlook that.

"Maya...how are you?"

Maya stiffened at her father's soft questioning gaze.
She had not been expecting him here.

They had not held a decent conversation ever since her betrothal and she was glad for that.
Being in his presence only brought forth emotions that she wanted to avoid.

She loved her father- it was only natural.
He had been the most doting father.
It was easy to bask in his love while she was a child. She had not known anything about the hurt that he had caused her mother.
He was her dear Papa.

But all that changed.
Now that she knew everything, her consciousness would not allow her to remain the same around him.
She felt betrayed.
She no longer knew how to act around him- especially when he looked at her with so much love and hurt.

Maya could not be as forthcoming as Brandon, that was not her nature. But she also could not overlook the fact that although he tried to be a good father to them, he had failed to be a good husband to her mother.
He had filled her with an indelible distrust and misgivings. For that, she did not think she could ever forgive him.

"I am fine, father. What brings you here?"

Maya's distant voice and dodging eyes, sent a pang of anguish through Zachary's heart.

"Do I need a reason to visit my own daughter?"
He tried to keep the hurt out of his voice as he went to stand near her.

Maya gave a reluctant smile.
"Of course, not. I just presumed that you would be busy..."

"I was, Maya. But nothing would ever be more important than you."

Maya's face stiffened as he spoke those words.
She did not find it to be fair.

Why would he say all those things when they did nothing to ease her of the very pain that he had caused?
Why did he have to bring them to this?

Zachary flinched at the accusing glance that Maya pinned him with.
It was only for a brief moment; she quickly regained her composure and slowly nodded her head.

"Of course, father."

Zachary felt disgruntlement well up within him.
Her defences were back.
He longed to see love and trust in her eyes as she looked at him, but he knew that he would never get the chance.

He sighed deeply and pitched her with a last desperate glance,
"I know this is not the time, but I want you to know that I am sorry."

Maya's gaze jerked up in surprise.
"I know I have hurt and disappointed you and your brother, my dear.
Trust me- if I could undo all that hurt, I would not think twice before doing it.
But I cannot.
That is a burden that I have to bear my entire life.
It is the worst punishment for a parent to have their children look at them with eyes filled with shame and disappointment. But I am ready to bear it. Just know that my love for you had always been true.
You are my world, Maya; always have been. You have kept me sane all these years-"

Zachary's throat clogged with emotion and he found it hard to keep going.
He cleared his throat before speaking in a short voice,
"You look beautiful, Maya."

Maya stood with unshed tears as her father exited the chamber with defeated steps.

She had seen the torment in his eyes.
She wanted to tell him it was alright. But her voice did not obey her.
She realised she could never completely forgive him.
It was not under her control anymore...
__________________________________

Emma's face broke into an unbidden grin as she looked at her friend.

She could not believe Maya was married!

Although they had been preparing for this day since the last two months, now that it was here, it felt too surreal to be believable.

Maya looked magnificent in a dress fit for the queen.
Her black hair flowed down the length of her torso, shielded by the intricately woven ivory veil.

The gown that she wore was sure to be the envy of all the women witnessing the ceremony today.
It was hand-embroidered with weaves of golden thread and an inlaying of pearls at the waist, accentuating her figure.
The fabric seemed to embrace the contours of her body effortlessly.

Emma had wanted to be the one to prepare her for the day.
But since it was to be a royal wedding, the bride was readied by the best hand-maidens in the Kingdom; and seeing the results of their handiwork, she could hardly complain.
They had done an incredible job- not that Maya needed it.
She would have looked beautiful even if she was wearing a common peasant's dress.

Standing beside Prince Edward, who looked as handsome as ever in his Royal attire, as they took their vows, Maya's face radiated happiness.

Emma sighed deeply as the ceremony ended and the newly-weds faced the people.
They made a handsome couple. She could not have imagined Maha with any other person.

She kept standing at her position, near the end of the aisle as the others were involved in the formalities of congratulating the couple.

Emma was well aware of the fact that she would not even have been invited to the wedding had she not been a friend of Maya.
Her family could not compare to the wealth and power that the people around her wielded. But she was happy enough to be able to witness this delightful occasion.
__________________________________

Maya looked around her, trying to spot her brother among the crowd.

She could see almost everyone there except for Brandon.
He had been there at the start of the ceremony.
She had seen him standing between her grandmother and aunt Eleanor.

But as soon as she saw Edward- standing in front of her with a look of pure adoration on his face, she had lost all sense of her surroundings.

It had been just them and no one else.

He had held her hands as they uttered their vows, just as oblivious of his surroundings as her; she could see it in his eyes.

However, as the ceremony ended, and they turned to face the others, she searched the crowd for her family's faces.

She could see all of them there- with their gazes directed at her; but her brother was not to be seen.

Maya found herself getting restless by the minute as she searched the corners.
Even Edward turned to face her with a worried look,
"Are you alright, Maya?"

She shook her head and smiled shortly to let him know that she was alright and focussed back on acknowledging the people congratulating them, trying to hide her worry.
__________________________________

Geoffrey made his way through the crowd surrounding Maya and Prince Edward.

Maya's face immediately broke out in a warm smile as she saw him approaching.

Geoffrey's breath hitched as he saw her.
Saya would have been proud of her daughter.
She was carrying herself with a grace that could only be attributed to a Princess and Geoffrey was convinced that she would have no problem in adjusting to the life of one.

"Uncle Geoffrey! Why did you take so long?"

Geoffrey immediately held the extended hands of Maya in his own, holding them in a warm grasp.

The slight disappointment in her voice did not go unnoticed by him.
In his defence, he had not wanted to meet her while she had been busy with the greetings of others.

"You were busy, Maya. I thought it would be better to wait for a while."

"You did right, Lord Berkeley. Maya would not have liked to compromise on her time with him."
Prince Edward grinned as he gazed lovingly at his wife.

Geoffrey saw the love in his eyes and sent a prayer of gratitude to the skies.
His Maya would be alright.

"I hope you are not angry at me, my dear."
Geoffrey spoke in a hopeful tone.

He could not fathom the fact that she was married.
She would have her own family now.

It seemed like it was only yesterday that she was running towards him with a toothy grin, flinging her tiny body in his arms.

Maya's voice softened as she saw the emotions reflected in his eyes.

"Of course, not. How could I ever be angry at you, Uncle Geoffrey?"

Her words, spoken in the most loving voice, caused a sense of relief to fill his heart.

Oh, Saya! If only you were here to see her...
__________________________________

Emma finally found the chance to talk to Maya after an entire hour had passed.

She had seen the restless look in her eyes earlier and had been worried ever since.

Maya seemed to relax visibly as she saw her coming near.

"Oh, Emma! It is such a relief to see you here."

Emma frowned at the tone of her voice.
She was sitting at the table with the other ladies; the men conversing on the opposite side of the hall.

Lady Margaret sat beside her with Lady Eleanor and her daughter-in-law, Lady Magdalene.

"What is the matter, Maya?"
She spoke in a whisper, trying not to attract the attention of the other ladies.

"Have you seen Brandon?"

Emma's frown deepened.
"Was he not here?"

Maya tried hard to keep the edge out of her voice.
"No, Emma. You know how had had been ever since the betrothal.
I fear he has gone back to the Estate...I do not want my brother to be like this at my own wedding.
How can I be happy, if he is not?"

Emma was filled with compassion for her friend.
"I am sure he would do no such thing.
He might be a fool but he has a sense of responsibility.
He would not do this."

Seeing her worried expression, she continued in a hesitant voice,
"But if you want, I could go and check where he is and bring him here, alright?"

The last thing Emma wanted to do was to face Brandon Hayworth.
But if that was what made Maya happy, then she would gladly do that.

Maya looked at her with gratitude.
She knew how they did not get along.
"Would you really do that?"

"Of course."

"Maya, dear, is something wrong?"
Lady Eleanor's voice reached them.

"Nothing, aunt Eleanor."

Maya sent a last thankful glance at Emma before turning her attention back to the table.
__________________________________

Emma huffed as she entered the Palace courtyard.

She had been searching the different nooks and corners of the Palace but had not a clue where he could be.
She cursed under her breath.

This man!
If it was not for her friend's happiness, she would be the happiest if he suddenly decided to disappear.

She had almost given up when the sight of a hunched figure, silhouetted against the moonlight, stopped her in her tracks.

Emma slowly made her way to the bench and just like what she had anticipated, she found Brandon Hayworth, with elbows held on his knees and eyes directed towards the ground.

Her heart clenched for a moment.
She could feel his dejection even without seeing his eyes.
"So, this is where you have been hiding."

Brandon started at the soft voice and turned to face the lady sitting beside him.
He was shocked to see Emma Mortimer.
"What are you doing here?"
His voice was thick with emotion as he presented his question with a perplexed face.

"I should be asking you the same thing.
You have been absent since the middle of the ceremony and your sister is flustered.
She thinks you have abandoned her wedding ceremony."
Emma kept her tone light as she spoke with a smile, trying to avoid the nagging feeling of distress that was surfacing upon seeing the pain on his face.

Brandon sighed deeply at the mention of his sister.
He knew she must have been startled to find him absent.

A few hours back, this had seemed a pretty harmless action. He had thought that it was highly unlikely that she would notice his absence.

However, he soon realised how wrong he had been.

He could not help himself.
He had felt overwhelmed when he had seen her there- looking heartbreakingly beautiful.
He was proud of her.
She was the princess consort.

But she only had eyes for her groom.
They looked at each other like no one else mattered.

Brandon felt her slipping away, no longer needing him; and he could not bear to see that.
So, he had come here- to wallow.

"I just needed some fresh air. The heat inside was stifling."

Emma could clearly see the lie in his eyes- they had lost their playfulness and were looking anywhere but at her.

She knew he was trying to hide his sorrow.
She knew how affected he had been upon Maya's marriage.
He was a good brother.

"Alright, if you say so.
I would not disclose the fact that you were sitting alone and crying in the courtyard while others were enjoying themselves. Consider it my debt..."
She spoke in a mischievous voice.

Brandon's eyes widened as he looked at her with incredulity. Even though she had caught her at a weak moment, he had a reputation to keep.
Also, he had not meant for anyone to see him in this sorry state.
It would be humiliating if people knew about this.

Emma kept her face straight as she looked at him.
"Why are you looking at me like that? I would advise you not to be so hell-bent on appearing totally unaffected by your feelings.
There is nothing wrong in showing your emotions to your sister.
She would know even if you do not tell her anything."

Brandon's stance broke as he looked at her in a strange way, like he was seeing her for the first time.
"I know...I just cannot see her like this."

He found himself unable to stop his words once he had started,
"We have been together since the moment we were born.
She is the most important person for me. She is not just my sister, but a part of me.
We shared the same womb.
And now she is going away.
It feels like she does not need me anymore."

Emma's heart clenched as she saw the stark insecurity on his face.
She could see his eyes with so much anguish in them. She spoke in a heightened voice,
"That must have been the silliest thing you have ever said, Brandon...and that is saying something.
Of course, she needs you.
You are her brother, no one would be able to take your place in her life.
As for Prince Edward, he would take good care of her. You should be happy."

Brandon knew that.
All his doubts had been removed the day he had fought the duel with him.
Prince Edward had ended it before it even culminated.
But Brandon knew that if they had fought till the end, he was sure to lose.

Prince Edward was a kind man. The condescending tone that he had earlier was lost and they had ended the duel with mutual respect.
It wasn't him he was worried about.
"I know"

Emma saw the conflict in his eyes.
"Brandon, you need to go and rest her worries.
Let her know how much you love her. Do not hide it."
She touched his arms gently, easing their tension.

Brandon's gaze spun to where their skins touched.
He slowly raised his eyes and looked at her with a peculiar expression, one that seemed unsettled her enough to make her retract her hand from its position.

"You really are something else, Emma Mortimer."

Emma felt her face flush as his eyes bore into hers, their intensity igniting an unfamiliar feeling in her heart.
She willed herself back to reason and spoke in a seemingly unaffected tone,
"You are not that bad too.
Who knew there was a soft heart beneath your insufferably cocky exterior?"

Brandon easily saw through her attempt to salvage her emotions. He grinned before reverting back to his usual self. 
"I have more than a soft heart. You should not hesitate to see it, if you want to."

His voice had taken a playful turn as she smacked his arm.

"And there- for a moment I thought you had changed."
Emma rolled her eyes, quite welcoming his usual self.

"Now, please. Let us go before everyone leaves."

Brandon continued grinning as he followed her.
__________________________________

In the shadows of the corridors, the figure of Averey Hayworth stood still as he saw them leave the gardens.

He had come to look for Brandon, noticing his absence from the hall and seen them sitting together.
He had stopped at the unusual site.

Emma usually stayed as far away from Bran as possible.
It was a peculiar sight indeed, to see them smiling at one another- like they were enjoying each other's company.

Emma's flushed face still swam before Averey's eyes...she had looked beautiful.
But the knowledge that it was Brandon who brought that emotion on her face, filled him with a foreign nagging feeling.

Seeing them together had caused an unintended pain in Averey's heart, but he soon dismissed it.

Emma Mortimer did not concern him.
His brother's inescapable charm must have been at its work today.
No girl was known to have been able to evade it anyway.

As far as his own reaction to the incident was concerned, there could only be one explanation-
The exertion of preparing for Maya's marriage must be playing tricks with his mind...
__________________________________

Maya's face lit up as she saw Brandon entering the hall, alongside Emma.

She threw a grateful glance at her before engulfing her brother in a hug.
She knew it was an inappropriate behaviour but she could not help herself.

"Where were you? You had me worried."

Brandon squeezed his eyes shut as he breathed in his sister's essence, trying to save it in his memory.

"I am always by your side, Maya."
__________________________________

Author's Note-

Hello to all my wonderful readers!

So, after the last chapter, I decided to bring the trigger-meter down a couple of notches.

This was fuzzy chapter for me.
It might not seem like it, but I had a MAJOR WRITER'S BLOCK while trying to write it...so it might not live up to your expectations. I tried to make it as good as possible though.
Do feel free to point out any typos!

There have been a few new occurrences in this chapter.

Maya is finally going to begun a new life.

I already have the chapter outlines made for this entire novel.
It is going to be a long one.
Since it is focussing on so many characters, I don't want it to feel rushed. But at the same time, I don't want it to be slow-paced.

What do you think of the chapter?

P.S. I am always grateful for your support and encouraging words! Your comments make my day.😊

Know that I thoroughly enjoy the mini-debates and discussions that go on in the comments. It feels good to know that this story is making people think and that you all are engaging in healthy discussion regarding it.

I am really wrapped in work, studies and other things.
Writing this novel is my priority right now. I do not want to leave you guys hanging again.
Hence, I might not be able to respond to the comments.

I always made sure to respond to each and every comment in the past, but I was comparitively free those days.

But know that I read and appreciate each and every one of them.❤️

Lastly, stay safe, everyone!

Till the next time!👋