My groom

Hera’s POV

The sound of the door interrupted my thoughts and I turned to see the maids trooping in.

Everything about Elisora was extravagant.

The chambers, the dresses and even the maids.

A total of 10 maids and the stylist trooped in to prepare my dress and despite my state of mind, I couldn't help but wonder what sort of dress it was that needed 11 hands to be worn on a capable adult woman.

As if they read my thoughts, they opened a wall I didn't know could be opened and in there were the most exotic pieces I had ever seen.

My mouth dropped without my knowing and the stylist smirked, a proud look on her face.

"His Majesty chose all of this himself, he said you would make the final choice."

At the mention of Eleazar, my heart rate picked up as the only memory I had of him resurfaced.

"One last thing." I had said, mustering all my courage.

He had come to hear me consent to marrying him and after he had confirmed my agreement for himself, he had immediately stood up to leave without sparing me a glance.

Even when I had called him back , he had only halted his steps, but did not turn back.

I took a deep breath, a part of me glad I didn't have to say this while his hooded eyes scrutinized me.

"May I see your face?"

Alpha Eleazar, the masked tyrant.

His name has travelled wide across kingdoms and despite his fame, nobody, not even a rumour could describe his face.

People said it was a secret known to only his family and the king makers of Elisora.

Wherever he went, world conferences, International treaties, even airports had been forced to acknowledge him with his mask,that was the kind of power he held.

Some said he wore it because of a scar he had acquired as a child and that only struck me as being foolish since he could afford plastic surgeries, others said it was because he doubled as a spy. Apparently he had trust issues, so he liked to blend with people to hear their real thoughts instead of what they showed him.

I had wondered if he had done that to me but no matter how much I thought, I had not met any unknown man, at least not of recent.

"I don't think you have the luxury to worry about my face now, My Luna." He replied and though I couldn't see his face, I heard the dark-  humour and mockery laced beautifully in his dark, velvety voice.

I couldn't reply as I watched him walk away, my heart hurting from his blatant truth.

He was right, it didn't matter if his face was repulsive because of a scar or a skin condition, I would still consent to this marriage because at this moment, the man behind the mask is the only choice I have.

I stood up from the cushion I had been sitting on, my eyes fixed on the dresses before me. I have never seen anything as exquisite as what was displayed before me.

The dresses stood with such elegance that it made me pull at my sleeves nervously.

Was I really worthy of a position as powerful as the Luna of Elisora?

I may be a princess of the White Moon pack but my whole pack was but a city in Elisora.

How was I supposed to rule by Eleazar's side?

Or did he intend to make a trophy out of me?

I rose my chin in defiance as I marched into the closet.

I may be a small town princess, a rejected, wolfless Alpha but I refuse to be a trophy to anyone.

I surveyed the dresses as I walked further, my palms sweaty from the nerves that wrecked my heart. This little act of picking a dress could determine a lot.... If I do it right.

One dress caught my eye and I stood in front of it making the maids behind me come to a stop too.

I could feel the gaze of the stylist but she made no move to say a word.

My hand caressed the dress and I could pick out the gold plating intricately woven into the soft fabric. Gold crawled on the otherwise black veil that laid several feet on the floor. The dress was an elegant tight fitting black dress that flowed graciously on the floor. The same gold crawled on the fabric like stems begging to be associated with the dress. It looked both mournful and powerful but that was all it was.

Mournful and…begging to be powerful.

I removed my hand almost too fast making the stylist raise a brow in question.

I continued walking, my eyes falling from one exquisite dress to another all begging for attention.

Today, I am not to beg to be noticed, today I am to lay a claim.

As I passed each dress, I slowly began to lose hope, maybe I wouldn't find the dress I hoped for, maybe the dress I imagined only belonged to my fantasy just like a happy wedding and a loving husband did, maybe my reality was to make do with what I could get, maybe I had to return to the black just like I had fallen back to Eleaz.......

My thoughts halted as my eyes fell on the last dress on the row.

It was a white dress embroidered with thin silver strings that lined the edge of what looked like blood splattered across the entirety of the dress and the veil attached. From afar, it looked like something vain, flowers or gems but on a closer look, it was nowhere near vain. It was broken and beautiful.

The dress was an off-shoulder that was only fitted to the waist and had evolved from there on into a huge ball gown, laying graciously onto the floor, the red splatters striking. The waist had something that caught my attention, something that made the dress the perfect choice.

The Elisora emblem, the same emblem on Eleazar’s mask subtle yet bold, hidden yet claiming.

If I intend to assert my position today, that dress is the perfect choice.

**************

I stood against the mirror, my eyes scanning my reflection.

My full red hair was up in an elegant updo, blazing more than it ever did, the contrast of my pale skin and my dress granting it the perfect setting to shine, adoring my ears were beautiful silver earrings which held a tear drop ruby pearl, my necklace laid elegantly on my neck only lightly grazing my collar bone, tear drop ruby pearls sticking out inches away from each other, each sparkling in a beautiful harmony.

I was already veiled but I could still see through the thin veil that settled down atop my breasts in front and beautifully sprawled to the floor behind.

I took my reflection in and told myself I looked nothing like how I felt.

In the mirror and to my audience, I would be a stunning, elegant Luna.

That was all I could do to calm my racing heart as my father and a dozen maids stood behind me.

The stylist walked back into the room, a proud smile on her face and I wondered what warranted such happiness.

"Your highness, it is time."

The announcement made my heart skip a fatal beat, my view blurred for a moment and I thought my legs were going to give up on me however they didn't and somehow, I even nodded in response.

I felt my father's sweaty palm wrap around mine and I held him tighter, milking the comfort he was offering. Since he had walked in, I had made a conscious effort not to look at him, scared he may see the fear I had worked so hard to hide and I was also scared I may see the pain I was causing him in his eyes, if nothing else did, the sight of that would break me.

"Let's go Hera." He said, his voice a soothing melancholy.

I nodded and even managed a reassuring smile hoping he would see it.

The walk was the longest and the most painful I had ever embarked on in my life but despite this, I wish it wouldn't end because then I wouldn't have to walk into the lion's den and even worse, swear love and loyalty to a man that promises nothing but mystery and rumours my mind cannot comprehend.

But it did end and I was standing in front of the huge closed silver quoted door with an emblem similar to the one on my dress boldly carved on it.

I held my father's hand tighter as reality threatened to sweep me off my feet. My heartbeat was the only sound I could hear as it raced almost to a nauseating extent and as I struggled to keep my composure, the door groaned open, the sound of it echoing through the walls and sending ripples to the pit of my stomach.

The music began, soft yet bold, the effect of it causing goosebumps to rise all over my skin. I looked up and if I wasn't already composed, the sight before me was enough to make me.

Countless eyes stared at me, each gaze holding its own meaning and I realized this was the moment that would define my forever and my forever would begin at this altar.

I pulled my father's hand gently and raised my chin, my gaze focusing on everybody and nobody at the same time. I refused to dwell on whatever their gazes held, all I cared about was what I showed them.

Suddenly, my eyes fell on the most compelling figure in the room. It felt like he demanded my attention as my pupils dilated to accommodate the whole of him.

'My groom.'

The thought brought my heart to a halt as I realized what I had just claimed.

I had claimed the man standing there like the world was at his feet, the man whose presence seemed to command even the air, the man whose existence made every other being small, I had just claimed that man as mine.

As I walked closer, I took him in, from his pristine white suit to the black robe that boldly carried the Elisora emblem carved in silver on its back, to the black half mask that laid elegantly, covering from his nose upwards.

My eyes settled on his and I realized, they were on me, the knowledge of that almost made me halt and check myself again but I refused, pushing the thought away, I willed myself to proceed.

If I was going to be his wife, if I wanted him to see me as one, I needed to act like one, and Luna, unlike others around him, does not cower in front of her Alpha.