13 - The Wedding Part 2 - Draft

After an awkward and regrettable night, the newlyweds spent the day together in Prince Shar’s room. Darcy tried everything to have an intelligent and exciting conversation with her new husband but he only cared about superficial things and impregnating her. She detested every minute of it. Thankfully tomorrow would bring a reprieve. It was the day of their second wedding ceremony that followed the traditions of Jahim. She would get to see Aisha again. She missed her so much and looked forward to being with her again.

In the morning Aisha took Darcy to get ready for the next celebration. It was a somber occasion for them both. Darcy felt disgusted about sleeping with Shar and guilty for cheating on Aisha. Aisha felt guilty that Darcy was enduring a miserable marriage for her. Whenever they were alone during the preparations, they just held each other and apologized for their situation.

Darcy was escorted into the great hall by Narcissus once again. This time she was wearing a white gown with more silk, lace and pearls than was necessary or practical. Her pale skin matched the dress and made her look like a ghost once more.

Narcissus walked her down the aisle to the awaiting clergyman and Prince Shar. The audience was all a twitter with comments about her gown and their marital bed. After Narcissus gave her away, she was on autopilot. She became someone else entirely to get through every moment with Shar.

The reception was filled with awkward moments thanks to the tradition of clinking glasses or ringing bells to encourage the newlyweds to kiss. Public displays of affection were not socially acceptable in Dunya so those in attendance averted their eyes, quite frequently. Those from Jahim were incessant.

Prince Shar felt awkward at first because of his customs but soon found it enjoyable. Each kiss was met with hoots and hollers of encouragement. The more intimate or longer the kiss, the more adulation he received. Darcy was mortified by it all. She never ate because she was forced to kiss every time she was about to put her fork to her lips.

Darcy had hoped to dance with Aisha but never got the chance. She was swept up in dollar dances or kisses for charity when not with Shar. It felt like a disgusting tradition that allowed nasty men to get their jollies in a socially acceptable way. The clergyman grabbed her ass and stuck his tongue down her throat during his turns. Others were even worse.

One would think that a man from a country where the sexes were separated and didn’t touch, would be infuriated by this tradition. Unfortunately, Prince Shar was discovered to be a less than honorable man. He indulged in the alcohol that was provided and danced with numerous young ladies, some of whom he kissed and groped. It wasn’t discovered until later but he also took the money earned by Darcy that was meant for charity.

Once there were no more guests to violate Darcy for charity or for Shar to violate, they returned to his room to sleep briefly before leaving on their honeymoon.

Their honeymoon would be a trip around the world that would last six months. Aisha spent those months getting their quarters ready. She relished the few brief moments when she got to speak to Darcy on the phone and hear about their latest exotic location. It was always the highlight of her trip as well. Just hearing her voice eased her heart and calmed her enough to endure until the next call.

Prince Shar was enjoying his turn in the spotlight. In Dunya he was a prince of the lowest standing. He was rarely invited to Royal events. He had to work or mooch off of relatives to survive. Now, he was the next in line to be king of the wealthiest country on Wahid. He was doted on wherever they went and no expense was spared.

Whenever Darcy was too exhausted for yet another party, Shar would berate her before going out on his own. He would frequently come back the next day reeking of booze and lipstick on his collar. His escapades were plastered in the local papers and then abroad. Darcy got to read about it before he even returned. Her humiliation was palpable.

Narcissus read about Shar’s exploits but only encouraged him by expanding his expense account. The humiliating behavior of Shar made her look even better. He was also destroying Darcy so that she would be even easier to manipulate and control. All of this pleased her greatly.

The only thing that caused Narcissus concern was having an heir. She didn’t want Darcy to ascend to the throne. She was weak minded, kind, just and generous. All of the qualities that Narcissus hated. Shar was a foreign playboy. She certainly didn’t want him on the throne. Her greatest hope was a grandson who she could mold into the king that she wanted to replace her.

The only topic of conversation between Narcissus and the newlyweds during their honeymoon was if Darcy was pregnant or not. Since Darcy was never pregnant, the conversations became angrier in tone. Shar didn’t want to lose his meal ticket. He enjoyed this life too much. He began forcing himself upon her at all hours. He berated her for not being fertile enough, not woman enough. He would come to her drunk and unable to perform, blaming it on her disgusting looks and lack of enthusiasm. He even turned to beating her.

Darcy was thankful to return home but she was a shell of her former self. The constant abuse and humiliation made her anxiety worse than it had ever been. Aisha didn’t recognize her. She was thin, pale and had a blank stare on her face. All of her joy was gone.

After the usual fanfare died down, Shar became restless and decided to go out on the town. It was the first opportunity for Aisha to see Darcy alone. Darcy just laid in bed most of the time. She had to be ready for Shar to attempt to impregnate her at any moment plus she was just too weak to do much.

Aisha entered her room after seeing Shar leave the palace. Darcy was able to flash a weak smile. It was the only sign of happiness she had left. Aisha told her that Shar was gone before climbing into bed with her.

Darcy laid her head down on Aisha’s chest as Aisha stroked her hair. They talked little and tried unsuccessfully to stifle their sobs. After several hours Darcy seemed to be calmer. Aisha gave her mango juice to give her some energy and calories. This perked her up enough to attempt some soft foods. After Darcy’s belly was full, they felt more comfortable talking about what Darcy had endured, what the locals were saying and their future.

They spent hours discussing their horrible fate. They tried comforting each other with love and affection but they were still extremely saddened. When Prince Shar arrived home from his drunken, sexual escapades, he found them making love for the first time since Darcy’s wedding.

The prince fell into a blind rage. He called them all sorts of names, blamed Darcy’s empty womb on her desire for female company and beat them. He then remembered the traditions of their homeland. An adulterer was to be executed. He didn’t care that he was an adulterer himself or that the death sentence required three witnesses to see the actual penetration of the penis into the vagina. He demanded satisfaction and couldn’t kill the princess of Jahim in her own country without repercussions. He also enjoyed her money too much.

Shar grabbed a ceremonial sword from the wall as he tightly gripped Aisha’s hair. One quick swish of his blade and her body fell lifeless to the floor. Shar tossed the sword and severed head aside before fleeing into the streets.

Darcy was still on the bed screaming and sobbing uncontrollably. Servants came rushing in as Darcy made her way to what remained of Aisha, her beloved, her life. Darcy picked up Aisha’s torso and cradled it in her arms as servants tried to calm the princess and alert the authorities. When they were finally able to pry Darcy away, she noticed her wedding malehfa on the floor. Aisha had delivered it to her so that she might pass it on to another bride. Now, the beautiful, black fabric that she wore on her wedding day was soaked in Aisha’s blood. Her dream came true, only it was Aisha’s blood instead of Darcy’s.