Ariadne's POV

"We are all gathered here today," the priest began as he wrapped a ceremonial cloth around mine and Prince Wilson's wrists, connecting them forever. 

I looked over at Prince Wilson and he gave me a reassuring smile. 

Then I saw his eyes fall down to my neck and his grip tightened.

"Where is the necklace?" he mouthed.

I shrugged, not sure how to explain it in front of everyone in the middle of the ceremony. 

"To protect, love, guide, and sustain..."

Prince Wilson looked confused. 

"Are you okay?" I mouthed back, remembering what Peter and Amity had told me. 

He nodded but put on a fake smile. 

"Do you take Queen Ariadne Cardwell of Glendowin to be your wife and Queen?"

Prince Wilson looked at me and grinned. "I do."

The priest continued on with the vows.

 I looked at the Prince and looked down at where the necklace had been. Was all of this fake? Was Estevan really controlling the Prince? It would make sense why Estevan wanted me to marry Prince Wilson. 

"And do you Queen Ariadne, take Prince Wilson Mears Worthington II of Credarus to be your King and husband?"

"I..." I glanced at him. Was it too late to say no? 

"Are you Estevan?" I whispered. 

All the color immediately drained from his face.

I tried to step away, but the cloth held us together. Before I could say another word, Prince Wilson pulled me to him and kissed me. Hard. 

"Umm... Your highnesses, we're not to that part yet," I heard the priest whisper.

He didn't stop. 

The kiss got more intense and I felt my strength leave me, my legs buckled under me but the Prince, or was it Estevan, held me up until I mustered every last ounce of strength I had left to push him away and I fell backward onto the ground.

"I suppose that kiss will do for now, your highness." He hissed in my ear. "It has transferred quite a bit of your power to me. And if you don't marry me then I will use it to make everyone around you suffer. You wouldn't want to hurt all of these nice people, would you?"

I looked over the confused faces in the audience and the guards with their hands on their hilts as they looked at me with questions in their eyes. I shook my head and they stood down.

"That's a good Queen."

"I apologize profusely, I'm just so excited to be this beautiful queens husband." He said to the priest. "I guess I got a little too carried away, you may proceed."

He helped me up, and I noticed the pendant on his lapel was glowing red. "It's just like my necklace," I whispered.

"What did you say?"

I stood on my feet and felt some strength returning. "Don't worry, Prince Wilson, I will free you." 

I ripped the pendant off his lapel, threw it to the ground, and smashed it under my heel.

"I will only proceed with this wedding if the Prince still wants to," I said hoping I was right about this.

The man looked terrified and confused. The real Prince Wilson turned to me, looked at the crowd and shuddered. "M...Marry... You?"

I nodded. "Please say no."

"N...No."

The priest looked beyond confused and murmurs were spreading through the crowd.

"So is there to be a wedding today?" The priest asked.

I opened my mouth to respond but a loud voice interrupted.

"Yes, there is!"

I turned to see Estevan striding down the aisle. Oh no. How did he escape?

"I apologize for the confusion. This man is not who he says he is." He said pointing at the Prince who looked white as a ghost. "He is an imposter who had some of his guards lock me in a shed while he traipsed in my uniforms, trying to win over the queen's heart. However, she had already won mine."

An aww swept through the crowd. 

"I will forgive this blithering fool if he will allow me to take my place at her side instead."

The ghostly prince nodded his head vigorously and then scurried away like a scared mouse.

"I have a gift for you, my love." In his hand lay the necklace that had so kindly been taken off my neck not moments before.

"I do not require any gifts from you."

"Why ever not, my dear?"

"Because..." I tried thinking of something... Anything to get me out of this mess. "My heart belongs to another," I said loudly for all to hear.

"You can't possibly mean that cowardly man who you were about to exchange vows with?"

I shook my head. "My heart belongs to a man who would always stand next to me, even when he does not agree with me." I searched the crowd for the familiar face but he was nowhere to be seen.

Estevan glowered at me. "But you are the queen, you have to choose someone who is better fitted for the kingdom, like a prince!"

The people seemed to agree.

"Unless the prince is a tyrant!"

The next moment happened so fast, I barely had time to blink. One second I felt like I had the upper hand and was winning, the next Estevan and clasped the necklace around my neck and whispered harshly in my ear.

"If you care about anyone in this crowd then you will marry me right now."

I pulled my arm out of his grip. "What could you possibly do? I have hundreds of guards around the whole room who will stop you." I whispered back.

His eyes gleamed. "Shall we test this?"

All at once he started changing, almost like Amity when she shapeshifted. But when Amity did it, it was beautiful, but this was terrifying. Then all of a sudden he stopped and became human again.

I almost laughed at his failed attempt, except the look in his eyes said he hadn't failed. He just had a better idea.

Then something glowing started coming from me, I looked down at the necklace and screamed. He cannot do this to someone else, he's not that powerful! Then pain shot through my entire body and I fell to my knees. I heard several people join in on my screaming.

"This is who your queen truly is. She's the monster! Not me! Make me your king and I will defeat her!"

If everyone wasn't running away, I'm sure they would have immediately made him their king in their panic.

I felt a scream started in my throat and building bigger and bigger until it exploded out of my mouth, and with it, a stream of fire came with it.

"What did you do to me?" I roared. 

Literally roared.

He laughed. "Don't worry, I will conquer this great evil in your kingdom!"

One of the knights handed Estevan his sword and then ran away, looking terrified in my presence.

"The mighty dragon will be slain!"

"I'm a dragon?" I screamed.

I moved limbs that I didn't have before and it took me off the ground, over the castle and I roared as loud as I could in frustration, blowing out large volumes of fire.

How could he do this to me?

Go pick up Estevan.

Before I knew what I was doing, I flew down and wrap my large hand around Estevan's now tiny frame.

Not too tight.

I loosened my grip a little. "Are you controlling me?"

"How could I possibly do that? You are a huge beast!"

"Because of you!" I roared and flames went and spilled over the empty chairs and tables scattered in the courtyard. I had to learn to control this, I didn't want to hurt innocent people who got in the middle of my fight with Estevan.

"You are right. I am much stronger now, thanks to your delightful kisses. Each one has given me more and more power."

"You used me!" I cried and wished so bad that I could crush him in my claws, but he held me off.

"Just like any other man would in order to marry the heir to the throne."

"You're wrong," I spat

"Who wouldn't? Peter? He just wants to marry you so that he can get back a title and finally afford that medicine for his pathetic little sister."

"She is not pathetic and you're wrong about him!"

"Am I? As soon as you told him you didn't love him, he left you! He would have left you forever if it wasn't for that little animal!"

That hit me right in the heart. It seemed true, even from what Peter had told me. He probably only apologized when he was being forced to see me! And I had said I loved him in front of the whole kingdom!

Fly to the village.

My wings began moving and I didn't even bother trying to stop them. Everyone around me appeared to be using me in some way or another. Then the roofs of houses began appearing through the treetops.

Burn them.

I was so startled by the command that I couldn't stop the flames from coming out of my mouth. And once they started, I couldn't seem to stop.

Then I saw Peter's cottage in the distance.

You know what to do.

SO... What do you think will happen? 

Are you angry at Estevan? 

Did you see it coming?