Chapter 43 - The Engagement (part Seven)

The King and Queen of Xeris were announced, they walked side by side with each other and walked to the high table and took their seats. 

Their was a lot of functions to happen during the engagement ceremony hence all didnt take their time getting to their seats.

"Now, for the couple that you have all been waiting for," the page said forcing everyone's eyes to the door. 

"The beautiful Sashina and prince Nedryn," the page announced. The door swing open revealing the couple. 

Sashina stood with her hand hooked around Jason's hand. She was dressed in a beautiful red coral ball gown, her neck was adorned with a diamond necklace that sparked with the light from the chandelier. 

She had a no make up look, radiant and beautiful she stood elegantly beside prince Nedryn who was dressed in a white suit with a red shirt inside. His hair neatly arranged in place, bringing out his features for all to see. 

They stood by the door for few minutes as the guests admired them, they looked beautiful together. Standing side by side in matching outfits, they couldn't look better. 

Sashina smiled satisfied with the reaction from the crowd, her eyes shot up looking for the crown Prince. He was her target for the night and she needed to make sure that he was watching. 

She was going to shatter his heart into a million pieces that he would never dare love again. She convinced herself that he deserved it for choosing to love a man when she was available and willing to do anything to win over. 

What more was that he fell for her second option. And now, since she couldn't have the person she wanted, she would settle for Nedryn and break Davion so that no one else can ever have him. 

If she couldn't have him then no one else deserved ro be with him. 

Her eyes met with Davion's gaze. The corners of her lips stretched further up provoking him. The crown prince looked at her I'm bothered by her smile, ge was more concerned about Jason and what he was doing. 

Jason gulped meeting Davion's eyes. The prince looked at his hand that was intertwined with Sashina's before returning back to his eyes. He understood that the man was asking him to stop holding Sashina's hand but he couldn't. 

He averted his eyes from the prince and turned to Sashina. He flashed her a weak smile, "Shall we?" He asked. 

"Sure," Sashina said and held his arm tighter. Her act annoyed Jason. He thought that she was doing that just to irritate him, little did he know that he was far from her target. Every move she made was for Davion to see and not at all for him. 

They marched into the ballroom together, they took slow steady steps. It was there day and they were in no rush. 

Jason looked everywhere in the ballroom except at the man glaring daggers at him. With every step that he took closer to the high table, his heart sank further and further down. 

He hated being there, if possible he would wish the author to get him out of the book and not let the night play out. He prayed that she would give up on the book and drop it right at that minute. 

If she doesn't keep writing then everything would pause and he wouldn't have to go through with everything. He was going to break the heart of someone that he cared about and that made him feel so suffocated. 

"It is a happy day, you can at least pretend to smile," Sashina reminded noting his mood falling. 

Jason forced a smile on his lips. He smiled on the outside but cried deep inside his heart. It was crazy that his life had taken such an unexpected turn. He hated it. 

They walked to the table. Sashina noticed the change of seats with Amaru coming between her and Davion. But she didnt say anything and took a seat quietly. It didn't matter where she sat. A heart can break from any distance, she just won't be close enough to see it. 

"We are gathered here today to attand the engagement of the prince of Xeris and the dukes daughter," the began to say. "It is a night of celebration and hence, dont hesitate to have fun," he added. 

"To the king," the duke proposed a toast. 

Everyone raised their glasses, "To the king," they said in unison and took sips of their drinks. 

"We will start off with the ri...ring ceremony," he read from the program that he was given. Everyone shared looks in the room. 

Just like the king, they were confused as to why the ring ceremony was the first thing. It was the tradition of Aphidia and Xeris, that the ring ceremony come after the entertainment. 

But since the king had announced it, the guests clapped their hands together for thr ring ceremony to begin. Jason's hearts shattered into a million pieces when he heard that. 

He had not prepared himself for it yet. He thought that he would get some food in his stomach and some drinks to prepare him for it. But to his surprise the ring ceremony was the first thing in the program. 

"Isn't he calling the engagement off?" Amaru asked the crown prince. 

"Apparently not," Davion replied. Sashina's words rang in his ear. He couldn't believe that the girl was winning, what more that Jason had wanted that from the beginning. It just too shocking that he had read Jason's feelings wrong. 

"But what about you?" Amaru asked getting angry. "I cant believe he played both of us," he added. 

The queen of Xeris helped Jason and Sashina out of their seats. She walked them both to the centre of the room and had them stand facing each other in close proximity. 

"As Nedryn's mother, it is my humble honor to give him to you Sashina," she said all smiles. 

She raised her hand in between them revealing the rings to them. Sashina looked up at Jason.. 'This is just the start,' she thought.