Play My Heart Like A Fiddle

Those who were favored had nothing to fear, and those who weren't wouldn't even get the chance to voice their grievances.

Rosalie smiled bitterly, deciding to let the matter slide. She was used to it anyway.

"I've never left Zolt, Brad. Can you show me the world now that I've left the Sandharan Order?" Lola clung to Bradley and shook his arm, turning on the charm.

He looked at her tenderly, his voice oozing affection as he said, "Alright."

He was supposed to be Rosalie's fiance…

Rosalie's heart twisted painfully. She lowered her eyes, not wanting to see them flaunting their love, and turned to leave.

However, Lola stopped her. "Rosie, you and Brad are getting married in a week, right? Where's the wedding being held? Can I attend?"

Rosalie stopped, unable to take another step forward. Bradley had left the Sandharan Order five years ago, claiming that his inner plane was affected by matters of the heart. He said he could no longer focus on serving Sandhara.

However, she knew for a fact that he hadn't broken his vows for her sake. He hadn't left the Sandharan Order because of her. Their engagement was still valid, but she would never have his heart.

"Is there still a need for the wedding?" She turned to look at Bradley with sorrow. There was a second half to that sentence, but she didn't say it. It was, "It's not like I'm the one you want to marry."

He frowned, his usually stoic face showing a hint of anger. "Don't spout nonsense."

He didn't answer her. Instead, he told her to keep her sorrow and resentment to herself. Everyone but her could harbor resentment, purely because she'd fallen for a man of the monastery like him. She'd already sinned by tainting him with her selfish love. What right did she have to resent him?

Rosalie smiled self-deprecatingly. She turned to leave again.

Behind her, Bradley said coldly, "Since you and I have a promise to marry, I will honor it and marry you."

She'd heard him say that before. When she was younger, she'd cried and asked him, "Are you going to call off our engagement and not marry me? Is that why you're not leaving the Sandharan Order?"

The monks at the monastery didn't have to change their appearances while serving Sandhara. At that time, Bradley had only been 12 years old. He'd never left the monastery, and he sat cross-legged underneath a tree with his hair cascading past his shoulders. He'd been so handsome.

"I won't call anything off," he'd said. "You and I have mortal ties, and I owe you a marriage. I have to marry you in this lifetime to clear my debt so I can serve Sandhara completely."

Rosalie had only been ten years old then, so she was innocent and naive. All she'd understood from his words was that he wouldn't call off their engagement. That had been enough to make her laugh happily. He'd made it clear that he would marry her and that they would be together forever.

How silly. How could she have been so dumb? How could she not tell that Bradley hadn't wanted to marry her at all? All he wanted to do was cut whatever ties there were between them so that he wouldn't owe her anything. Then, there would truly be nothing linking them.

…

Rosalie took a flight home that night. She usually spent as much time at the monastery as possible each time she visited—solely because she wanted to see more of Bradley. Even an extra glance would be enough to satisfy her.

But this time, she came and left on the same day.

Bradley called her the following morning, telling her to meet him for her wedding dress fitting. She didn't want to go—she wouldn't be his bride in six days. She would return to Zolt and become the new Sacred Goddess.

But after some thought, she still decided to go. He was right about one thing—one could only truly serve Sandhara after severing all mortal ties.

So, she would go through the motions of marrying him, allowing him to repay the debt of love he owed her. Then, they would no longer have anything to do with each other. Neither would owe the other.

Rosalie headed to the wedding dress boutique with that thought in mind. But when she arrived, she saw Lola wearing a pure white wedding dress and twirling happily before a mirror.

The wedding dress looked familiar. Rosalie recognized it to be the one Bradley had had tailored for her.