The sun slowly rose in the sky, painting it with soft pink and gold colors. A new day had begun. But this was not just any day—it was the day of Ivan and Lydia's wedding.
All the preparations for the big event were complete. The wedding would take place at the grand church in the center of town. Every important person in the kingdom was expected to attend. After the ceremony, everyone would go to the palace for a big celebration. Everything was ready.
But Lydia's heart was not at peace. She woke up when it was still dark and sat by her window, looking at the sky as the first light appeared. Fear filled her chest like a heavy stone.
Daria, her servant, came into the room to wake her up. She was surprised to see Lydia already awake.
"My lady, you're up early," Daria said softly.
"I couldn't sleep," Lydia replied, her voice thin with worry.
Daria helped Lydia with her morning bath. As she brushed Lydia's long hair, Lydia kept looking at her wedding dress hanging nearby. The dress was beautiful—made of the finest white silk with delicate silver details—but today, nothing felt beautiful to her.
---
At the royal palace, Ivan sat on the edge of his bed, lost in thought. Suddenly, there was a knock at his door. An unexpected visitor entered—General Alexei Petrov, the leader of the Zolotaria army. The General was in his fifties, with thick hair that was turning from dark to silver. A small scar ran across his right cheek, a reminder of a long-ago battle. His face was weather-beaten but kind, with laugh lines around his eyes.
"So, the mighty Grand Duke sits alone on his wedding day!" General Petrov laughed loudly. "Why do you look so serious, Your Highness? This is supposed to be a happy day!"
The General walked around the room, shaking his head. "I never thought I'd see this day—you, getting married! And so suddenly, too. I hear your bride is very beautiful. That's good news at least!"
Ivan said nothing, just looked at the General with cold eyes.
"Please leave if you came here only to bother me," Ivan finally said.
As the General was walking out, he turned at the door with a smile. "Oh, and Your Majesty—please dress nicely today. Don't even think about wearing that awful mask of yours."
Ivan shook his head as the door closed.
---
Soon, the wedding was about to begin. Important people had already started gathering at the church, filling the seats with colorful clothes and excited whispers.
At the Andreyevna house, Lydia stood in front of a full-length mirror. She was wearing her wedding dress now. Her hair was pulled back into a low, elegant bun. She wore silver jewelry—a necklace, earrings, and a small tiara with her veil. White gloves covered her hands. She looked like an angel from heaven.
Galina and Daria, who had helped her get ready, couldn't help but gasp in wonder.
"Oh, Miss Lydia!" Galina said, putting her hands to her mouth. "You look like a princess!"
Lydia finally came down the stairs. Her cousins—Pyotr, Mikhail, Anya, and Elena—all stared at her with wide eyes.
"You look beautiful!" they all said together.
Just then, her uncle Alexander came into the room. Unlike the others, he didn't look happy or surprised. His face was serious.
"Since everyone is ready, we should leave now," he said coldly. "The carriage is waiting."
As they were about to go outside, Count Viktor suddenly burst in, his face red with anger.
"Alexander! You must explain this!" he shouted. "I traveled two days ago to talk about marriage, but now I return to hear that my bride is marrying the Grand Duke this morning?"
Alexander began to stutter, trying to find words to explain.
Lydia quickly stepped forward. "The marriage with you is off, Count Viktor," she said firmly. "I don't know why my uncle didn't tell you, but that arrangement was canceled long ago. I am to marry the Grand Duke today. It is a royal order, so you know it cannot be broken. If you have questions, ask my uncle."
Count Viktor opened his mouth to speak, but Lydia cut him off.
"You have no right to complain," she said. "After all, you made wedding plans without asking me, so it's only fair that we canceled them without asking you."
She turned to her uncle. "Uncle, please deal with this later. I am late for my own wedding."
Alexander quickly apologized to Count Viktor and promised to explain everything later.
They immediately left in their carriages. There were three carriages—Elena and Anya in one, Pyotr, Mikhail, and Alexander in another, while Lydia rode in the third one.
---
In the church, every seat was filled. It was time for the ceremony to begin.
The royal family had arrived. First, Czar Vladimir and Queen Olga walked in. Everyone stood up. They walked to the front of the church and took their places. Then Prince Leonid was introduced, and he too took his place at the front.
In the crowd, people whispered to each other about the mysterious groom.
"I heard he wears a mask because he's as ugly as a monster," one woman whispered to her friend.
"No, no," another replied. "They say his face was scratched by the devil himself!"
"My cousin works in the palace," a man said to those around him. "She says he never shows his face to anyone—not even the servants!"
Outside the church, Ivan was waiting. General Petrov came to him, helping him adjust his collar.
"Nervous?" the General asked with a smile.
"No," Ivan replied shortly.
"You should be! Marriage is scarier than any battle I've ever fought!" the General laughed at his own joke.
Ivan did not laugh.
Then, they announced the groom. Ivan walked into the church.
To everyone's great surprise, he was far from ugly—he was incredibly handsome. The crowd had expected a monster, but instead they saw a young man with strong features and clear eyes. They were so shocked that everyone went completely quiet. Even the music stopped. Only whispers filled the church.
Queen Olga had to shout, "Silence!" and ask for the wedding to continue.
---
Meanwhile, Lydia was outside the church, feeling very nervous. Anya, Pyotr, and Mikhail had already gone inside. Only Lydia, Alexander, and Elena remained.
Lydia was shaking with fear. Elena noticed and held her hands.
"Are you okay?" Elena asked softly.
Lydia shook her head. "No, I'm too nervous."
"Just breathe," Elena told her gently.
Alexander looked at Lydia with cold eyes. "If you're so afraid, why did you agree to marry him? I can't tell if this is bravery or foolishness."
Lydia was about to reply, but Elena spoke first.
"Father, not now, please," she said firmly.
Lydia felt better because of Elena's support. She turned to her cousin and whispered, "I'm sorry for how I behaved yesterday."
"And I'm sorry too," Elena replied, "for not understanding you."
Suddenly, from inside the church, they heard the announcement: "And now, the bride!"
Lydia took her uncle's arm. The big doors opened. She took a deep breath and walked down the aisle with Alexander, while Elena held up the long train of her dress.
She couldn't see the Grand Duke's face as he had his back to the crowd and was facing the priest. She walked with her uncle until they reached the altar. Then Alexander stepped away.
Ivan turned to face her.
Immediately, time seemed to stop. Lydia couldn't breathe or think. Standing in front of her was the same man she had saved that night in the woods—the same man she had begun to fall in love with. He was Ivan Romanov, the most feared man in all of Zolotaria. And worse...
She looked at Queen Olga, who gave her a small smile.
The Queen's instructions echoed in Lydia's mind:
*"You will marry Grand Duke Ivan Romanov. But not for the reasons you might think. You will be my spy. You will watch everything he does. Find out his secrets and weaknesses. You have six months. When you complete this task, you will be rewarded. I will give you what you desire most—the ship your parents built for you and enough money to last your whole life. You will be able to escape and live the life you want. No forced marriages, no one controlling you. All you have to do is marry the Grand Duke and be my spy."*
Lydia's heart pounded in her chest. The man she was supposed to spy on—the man whose weaknesses she was supposed to find—was the same man she was already falling in love with.
She couldn't breathe. What was she going to do now?