"And I will hold, I'll hold onto you. No matter what this world'll throw, it won't shake me loose."
~Andy Grammer, 'Don't Give Up On Me'

~~~

*Tutor's POV*

The palace is bustling with life and excitement, but all I feel is dread knotting in my stomach.

Why did Fighter have to find me in the cabin? The night before my wedding? Now, my head is even more fucked up than it already was. I had been slowly getting better at focusing on other things these past few weeks, but seeing Fighter last night just derailed all my progress. I'm a complete mess inside, without my love here to comfort me.

I really hope Fighter stays safe, so all of this heartache isn't for nothing.

"Prince Tutor!" A familiar voice calls out, and I have to restrain myself from groaning.

"What is it, Tee?" I ask annoyedly. Ever since discovering that Tee was the one who told my father about my relationship with Fighter, I've been trying to avoid Tee like the plague. Not that it's easy, considering he's my personal advisor.

"We need to start getting you ready for the ceremony," Tee informs me, pushing his glasses up onto his nose. "The royal tailors are here to assist you on your big day."

This time, I actually snort. My big day. Yeah, like this wedding is anything I'm actually looking forward to. With a sigh, I follow Tee to the library, that has been taken over by the royal tailors. Large mirrors stand in a semi-circle, with a short platform in front for me to stand on. Two dividers are lined up together to create a private changing area. I roll my eyes. They could have chosen anywhere in the palace to help me get ready, and they chose the library. Why? Because the royal tailors are eccentric and don't enjoy doing anything normally.

"Your Highness!" One of the tailors chirps cheerily. "We have your suit ready for you. Let's begin, shall we?"

I nod numbly, stepping behind a divider to start stripping. Once I'm down to my boxers, a tailor comes around to help me get dressed.

"Oh, my prince! You forgot to take your... jewelry off," he says, looking at my crystal necklace with an odd expression.

"The necklace stays on," I inform him coldly, clutching the necklace tightly to keep him from trying to take it away. I promised I would wear this necklace for as long as I loved Fighter, and I intend to keep it.

"But, sir—"

"The necklace. Stays. On," I growl lowly, glowering at the tailor. He swallows thickly and nods his head before quickly grabbing my suit. The suit, which was hand-picked by the royal tailors, is one that I have seen several royal men wear for their weddings in the past few years. They didn't offer to let me give my input, and frankly, I didn't care enough to ask.

The white suite is made entirely of satin and silk, with gold accents lining the lapels and vest. My necklace is tucked beneath my clothes, pressing to my bare chest as if Fighter is right here with me.

I find it odd that I would be wearing white; after all, isn't only the bride supposed to wear white? But according to the tailors, white complements my skin tone the most, and appearances are really important to these people.

I'm ushered out to the platform in front of the mirrors as the tailors flit around me, smoothing out wrinkles and adding the finishing touches. As I stare at myself in the mirror, I begin to fantasize that I'm preparing for my wedding with Fighter.

A smile graces my lips for the first time in weeks as I imagine Fighter standing at the alter as I slowly walk towards him. Just us in the room, no one else around to judge or separate us. He would be decked out in a gorgeous black tux, fitting his body perfectly in a way that would have my mouth watering. Fighter would have tears in his eyes as he watched me walk towards him, ready to tie our lives together.

Throughout the whole ceremony, I would catch him checking me out with unbridled lust burning in his eyes; a promise of what would commence during our wedding night. The moment he slipped the ring onto my finger, I would start crying tears of love and joy. He would be mine forever, and no one could take him away.

"Is the suit to your liking, Your Highness?" One of the tailors snaps me out of my daze. I blink my misty eyes, clearing my throat as I pretend to look over the suit with serious interest.

"Yes, it's fine. Thank you."

The wedding will be taking place in an enormous cathedral, per my father's request. The members of the courts, high-classed members of our society, and royal families from around the world have been invited to attend. The only request of mine that my father actually listened to was to not televise the event. I've hurt Fighter enough; he doesn't need to see me getting married on television.

I wonder what he's doing right now. Did he locked himself away in his room to avoid hearing about the wedding? Or maybe he's thrown himself into his work to keep his mind occupied.

I follow Tee out of the library, preparing to meet up with my father before heading over to the cathedral. As I'm stepping into the hall, I notice Saifah and Xan talking in hushed, serious tones. Xan is holding a piece of paper tightly in his fist; his face contorted with a mixture of anger and fear. Neither of them are dressed for a wedding, indicating they aren't planning on attending. I step towards them, wanting to ask what's going on, but Tee steps in front of me.

"Prince Tutor, we can't delay," Tee tells me. "It would look bad if you were late to your own wedding."

Clenching my jaw, I release a breath through my nose and nod my head. Tee beams and places a hand against my back, gently nudging me down the hall towards the foyer where my father is waiting. My father looks me over once before nodding approvingly, and we head outside into the awaiting carriage.

The carriage ride is filled with a tense silence as I stare out the window. I can feel my father's gaze on me, but I'm having trouble returning it. While Ruen was the main reason for my break up with Fighter, it still hurt deeply that my own father was so disapproving of our relationship. He never gave us a chance; not caring that Fighter made me happier than I've ever been, and ever will be.

Cameras flash in my face the moment the carriage pulls up to the cathedral. Keeping my face neutral, I mentally curse each and every one of them for nearly blinding me with their flashing lights.

Palace guards form a protective bubble around me as we walk into the cathedral, where all the guests are currently seated and waiting. My name is announced, and all the guests rise to their feet. I force a polite smile on my face, walking down the aisle stiffly until I reach the alter.

The priest stands next to me, giving me a small bow. I look out at the massive crowd of guests, feeling my stomach clenching. Having an audience to one of the worst days of my life makes me feel queasy.

My father sits in the front, next to Hwa's family, with Zon and his family directly behind them. Zon gives me a small smile, and I feel my shoulders slightly relax.

Hwa's name is announced, and I look towards the doors as the music begins to play. Despite not actually wanting to get married, I smile widely at how beautiful my best friend looks. If this had been her wedding to a man of her choosing, I probably would've been sobbing happy tears. Hwa looks absolutely radiant in her long, off-white wedding dress, accentuated with crystals.

Hwa looks around at the crowd before meeting my eyes. She smiles at me and gives me a nod; a silent reminder that we're in this together and I'm not alone. While we both recognize this isn't our ideal marriage, it's better that we have each other as opposed to strangers.

As Hwa walks down the aisle, clutching a bouquet of red roses with baby's breath, her eyes catch someone in the crowd. I tilt my head curiously, watching the blush spread across her cheeks as a very handsome man smiles at her. Hwa regains her composure, refocusing on me as she glides down the aisle.

I hold my hand out for her once she reaches the alter, which she takes with a soft smile. The crowd sits as the music dies down, and we turn towards the priest.

The priest's voice rings throughout the cathedral as he begins the ceremony with a strong voice. "We are gathered here today in the presence of God, His Royal Majesty, and our great kingdom to witness the union of Prince Tutor and Lady Hwa Hwa."

I take a deep breath, trying to keep my hands from shaking at the wedding proceeds. Hwa's eyes keep flickering to my face, and she squeezes my hand tightly. Before I know it, the priest announces that it's time for us to recite our vows.

Turning towards Hwa, I clear my throat before reciting my memorized speech. "I, Tutor, take you, Hwa Hwa, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part; according to God's holy law. In the presence of God, I make this vow."

The priest smiles at me and then nods at Hwa for her to recite her vows. She bites her bottom lip nervously, glancing over to where our parents are seated in the front row.

"I, Hwa Hwa, take you, Tutor, to be my..." she trails off, squeezing her eyes shut. "To be m-my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward..."

She stops again as her voice grows shaky. Her eyes snap open as she looks up at me apologetically, shaking her head.

"I can't do this," Hwa whispers, earning gasps and murmurs from the crowd. "I can't. It's not right. Tutor, I don't know what's been going on lately, but you've never been the type of person to just accept things like this. You're stubborn and brave, and that's what I love about you. So, go. Be brave. For the both of you."

Tears of relief flood my eyes as I pull Hwa into a crushing hug. The murmurs grow louder, but I'm too busy floating on air to pay any mind to them. Pulling back, I smile and kiss her on the cheek before turning on my heel and racing down the aisle.

"Tutor!" My father's shouts are lost as I run out the door towards the carriage. Hopping in, I instruct the driver to take me back to the palace.

"But, Your Highness, the wedding—"

"Are you disobeying your prince?" I question with a raised brow, and the driver pales.

"N-No, sir," He stammers, climbing to the front of the carriage and pulling away from the cathedral. I'm practically bouncing in my seat the entire drive back to the palace.

What am I even going to say to Fighter? Ruen said if I told Fighter that he approached me, then we would both be killed. Even with that thought, I'm filled with a new sense of hope that we'll be able to protect ourselves. We have warlocks, a kingdom, and an entire royal army to protect us from one vampire. Whatever happens, I now know that I shouldn't have let Ruen scare me into abandoning the best thing that's ever happened to me.

As soon as the carriage pulls up to the palace, I jump out and run inside, ignoring the wide-eyed stares of the staff that stayed behind to work. Running downstairs, I barge into Fighter's room.

"Fight—" I come up short when I see that his room is completely empty. Furrowing my brows, I search through his room and notice that all of his things are gone. What the hell? Where did he go?

"Tutor?"

I spin around to see Saifah standing in the doorway with shock covering his face.

"Saifah," I breathe out, gesturing to the empty room around us. "Where's Fighter?"

"He's gone," Saifah responds, his voice wavering.

"What?" I hiss, a suffocating fear filling my chest. He left? But he knows he's only safe if he stays in the palace!

Although, that didn't stop Ruen from approaching me.

My blood turns cold in my veins. Ruen.

"Where did he go?" I demand, and Saifah hands me a crumpled sheet of paper.

"He left this note behind, saying he's going to stay at one of the inns. My father left a little bit ago to search for him."

"I'm going too," I announce, and Saifah's eyes widen.

"You can't! It's too dangerous. His father could be out there," he points out, and then his eyes harden. "Besides, I thought you didn't care. Fighter told me what you said to him."

I swallow a lump of guilt in my throat. "I didn't mean any of it. Ruen showed up in my room and threatened us. He was going to force Fighter to complete the ritual and become an immortal vampire by forcing him to eat the heart of the one he loves. I thought that if I broke Fighter's heart, he would stop loving me and he would be saved."

"With all due respect, Your Highness... that's the dumbest fucking plan I've ever heard."

"Excuse me?"

"Did you really think Fighter would stop loving you just because you hurt his feelings? He would love you no matter what. All you did was give him extra pain that he didn't need."

Oh my god. He's right. Fighter told me time and time again that he would love me no matter what. What the hell made me think he would stop loving me just because I dumped him?

"We need to find him," I declare firmly. "If you're worried about my safety, come with me. I'm going to find him and make this right."

~~~

Sorry for the late update. I've been super exhausted lately (speaking of, sorry if there are any errors in this. I'm super tired lol I'll re-read this later and make corrections)

Thoughts??

Did anyone predict that Hwa would stop the wedding like that?

ANNOUNCEMENT:
I am now on Patreon! Between having a baby and dealing with this pandemic, our financial situation is shit, so I started a Patreon to get some extra income. I probably won't get a lot, but every little bit helps. There's more info in Gumbie's Journal, and my Patreon link is in my bio

See you soon, Gumballs!
-Gumbie