My Royal Father-in-Law Locked My Bride's Face in a Wooden Barrel

A Royal Nightmare at the Altar

The grand gothic cathedral was bathed in a cold, filtering sunlight that did nothing to warm the chilly air. Prince Sebastian walked slowly down the long stone aisle, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird. Every step felt like a march toward his doom. In front of him, standing before the high altar, was King Charles, dressed in magnificent dark red velvet robes heavily embroidered with gold thread. Beside the king stood his daughter, Princess Evelyn. But she was not dressed in a traditional bridal veil.

Instead, her entire head was encased in a heavy, locked wooden barrel. The rough oak was bound by rusted iron bands, and a heavy brass padlock hung from the side. Sebastian felt a cold sweat break out across his neck. This was the marriage alliance his father had negotiated, but no one had warned him of this horror.

"My daughter is now your wife," King Charles declared, his voice echoing off the ancient stone walls.

The king’s hand gripped Evelyn's arm tightly, forcing her forward. Sebastian stopped a few feet away, staring in disbelief. The bizarre, grotesque sight of his bride made him want to turn and run, but the guards lining the walls made it clear that escape was impossible. He reached out with a trembling hand toward the small metal latch door on the front of the barrel.

With a sharp click, Sebastian flipped the latch open and peered inside the dark cavity. The shadows parted, and he gasped in sheer horror, his breath catching in his throat.

"Oh my God," Sebastian whispered, stumbling backward.

Inside the wooden prison, Evelyn's eyes were wide with a desperate, silent terror. Her lips had been crudely stitched shut with thick silver thread, preventing her from speaking a single word. But even worse was the intricate brass device strapped to her neck, its tiny gears ticking rapidly like a countdown.