Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Meeting the Murderer.

My heart thundered as I walked with the procession. Step after step, Siha to my side, and several maids of Devania to accompany me.

The golden bracelets on my wrists jiggled loudly with every step. Cold air hitting the exposed back of my dress. I was on my way to my wedding reception and I was to be introduced to the King.

————————

“Are you going to explain to me, what the hell that was?” I hissed at Prince Kael through the bathroom door as I paced up and down.

Gold eyes! Gold freaking eyes! What does that even make him?!

That’s certainly above Lycan status, goddess knows I’ve never known anyone to fully have gold eyes.

The bathroom door pushed open and unconsciously I took a step back.

Kael stood at the mouth of the door, with his hands in his pockets.

I swallowed hard at the sight of him and slowly raised my head.

Black. His eyes were black once more. I didn't imagine everything, the dark prince uses contacts to get dark eyes.

“Why?” The question left my lips softly as I stared at him in confusion.

Almost immediately, Kael’s face seemed to close up as his eyes grew cold and heartless.

“Don’t ask questions, you won’t get answers to them,” he hissed. His voice sent shivers down my spine.

“Right.” I gave a dramatic nod. “This isn’t a real marriage so it’s none of my business. Anyway, I’ll be gone come daybreak and I can finally put this nightmare behind me,”

I turned around to go back to the couch. Resolved to sleep and forget all about him when his low growl stopped me in my tracks.

“YOU ARE NOT LEAVING,”

My head whipped back to face him suddenly.

He has to be joking.

“I am,” I shook my head. “I have no desire to be married to you. I’m leaving by daylight—“

“Selena!” I gasped in fear as Kael snapped and took a menacing step towards me.

“You c can’t make me stay. I’m leaving,” my body began to tremble as my mind raced.

A yelp left my mouth and I shut my eyes as Kael moved and raised his hand to hit me.

My eyes blinked open slowly to see him in front of my face. He had his hand on the wall behind me, we were so close, that I felt his breath on my face.

My heart thundered and I breathed heavily, my chest rising up and down.

“Selena,” Kael leaned to my ear and dropped his voice to a whisper “YOU KNOW MY SECRET. The only way you’re leaving is dead. In a body bag.”

The threat has me shaking; somehow, I knew he wouldn’t hesitate to carry it out. If his secret leaked, it would mean instant death for him.

Men have killed for less than to protect their lives and secrets.

For the rest of the night, I couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning about.

Come daybreak, Siha and Devanian's maids came to prepare me for my wedding reception.

My mind was full of thoughts of Nadira, Prayan, Kael’s threats, and Mamma so I indulged in what I did best, to reduce stress. I played dress up.

Now on my way to the main hall with every part of my body dripping with gold and diamonds, and a sexy dress with a low dip in the back I wondered if I had gone overboard.

—————-

“ANNOUNCING THE BRIDE! Selena FROSTBLADE! LAST ROYAL WIFE OF DEVANIA, FIRST DAUGHTER OF CALANTHA, PRINCESS OF CALANTHA AND THE CAPITAL CITY OF DEVANIA!”

My skin crawled at my new title and the announcements but I barely had a few seconds to recover before the huge double doors of the hall pushed open to reveal the mass of people at court.

The hall was deathly silent.

“Your Highness!” Siha whispered as she nudged me to start walking.

The loud clacking of my jewelry filled the hall as I waved and came into view.

I knew the instant they saw me. Whispers of shock and outrage rumbled through the crowd.

An amused smile tugged on my lips and I held my head up higher, closing the distance down the aisle with every step.

To each side of the decorated aisle, I walked were the royal guests. The elite crowd of nobles was allowed to attend the wedding reception.

At the end of the hall, my eyes met Ayesha’s. Royal wife Ayesha of Xintha with her ginger locks.

Today she covered her hair with a blue scarf, and her black-lined eyes widened in shock. To her right was Lilith a man I assumed was the second prince.

The entire royal family was at the end of the hall, and my heart thundered as my eyes drifted to land on him.

He was recognizable. On a decorated golden throne with maids waving fans by his side. The King stared intently at me.

I swallowed but didn't falter. Each step seemingly louder than the last, I maintained eye contact with my mother’s killer and wondered if he truly knew who I was and if he cared.

The loud clanking stopped as I came to a stop before the king and stared at him silently.

My eyes darted to where Kael stood amongst his brothers. I frowned slightly.

He seemed different. Weaker almost, like being around them drained him or he just pretended to be less than them.

Siha nudged me silently and shot me a panicked look.

With a start I realized, all my maids and the wedding procession had bowed before the king but I was the only one standing upright.

I looked into the King’s face. He didn’t seem to be angry, he just seemed to observe me intently.

“Forgive her, Your Majesty!” Lilith rushed from her spot beside her husband and dramatically dropped to her knees before the king. “She has not learned the ways of our People,”

Irritation clawed at me but I ignored Lilith. She could apologize if she wanted.

“And What are the Ways of Her People?” The king’s loud voice boomed across the hall.

“Answer me, girl, will you not bow before your king?”

The King trained his gaze on me.

I let a small smile grace my lips. “I do not recognize you as my king, Your Majesty”

Lilith's face turned pale and shocked whispers rippled through the crowd.

I didn't fail to notice how the king tightened his fists in anger.

“ I am Princess and First Daughter of CALANTHA!” I let my voice ring out as Faith, my wolf took over.

“I uphold traditions, in the old ways of the moon goddess. I am devout,” I lied through my teeth.

“Solstice law two. A woman’s first king is her husband. Today is the day after my wedding. I will only bow before my husband,”

Surprised murmurs went up around me.

“Forgive me your majesty but she cannot do that!” Ayesha hissed as she stepped forward with a hand on her scarf. “Those laws were made to keep order. Not to be used against the King,”

“Silence woman,” I watched with no small amount of satisfaction as the King raised a palm for Ayesha to stop talking.

“If you insist, then you should bow now before your husband,” The King seemed amused as he turned to Kael.

I followed his gaze to catch Kael staring at me strangely.

“Come forward,” The king waved a hand to command Kael.

Kael walked forward to the base of the throne then the King waved a hand at me.

“Bow,” He gave a single command.

I swallowed but got to my knees according to tradition and bowed before Kael.

The hall was so silent, that you could hear a pin drop.

“With all the gold, you're decked out with—I’m not surprised your brain is empty. These are the best kind of brides! Trained from birth to favor their husbands!”

The King roared in laughter and the whole hall joined in.

I scoffed and slowly raised my head. Siha quickly helped me back to my feet as the laughter subsided.

The hall seemed to be at ease but the King locked eyes with me and I couldn’t help but feel he was observing me intently.

“Now!”

The King’s voice boomed loudly.

“Girl, I have a gift for you,”

My heart thundered as I discreetly looked around the hall.

What kind of gift could he possibly give me?

“Since you know the traditions so well, I have decided you will finish it,”

The King slowly got to his feet and smiled at the guests.

“General public, in honor of the new royal wife, there will be a contest between all the royal wives.