Chapter one : A humiliating proposal

Celeste

“You can't be serious, Father,” I said, staring at the seven-foot-tall man seated on his throne, disbelief and disapproval thick in my throat.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. No– I refused to accept it.

It had to be one of his sick jokes. Taking me away from my soldiers right in the middle of a war for this? That was too cruel, even for him.

He ran his hands through his greying hair, his heavy brows knitted together in distress. Even he knew how ridiculous, how vile this was.

“Unfortunately, child,” He sighed. “I am. This is the only way,” he said, his eyes pleading with me to understand, but how could I? His words made no sense.

I turned to my mother, desperate for help.

She was trying and failing to hold back tears.

“Mother, this is a joke, right?” I asked, stepping towards her, hoping for her next words to be “Yes.”

She shook her head to my dismay.

A dry, humorless laugh escaped me. This was a bad dream. It had to be. In reality, I was still on the Frontlines of war, leading my warriors, I had to be.

My father shifted in his seat. “I know it's not what you want, but it's the only way to get back your cousins, to get back our land and end this senseless war…”

“I am not marrying the man responsible for the deaths of my soldiers, my warriors. I am not!’ I spat, cutting him off.

“You don't have a choice. His forces are great, he has your cousins captive, and he will kill them with no hesitation, and even if he doesn't, he will destroy us. Enough of our men are dead. You almost died on the battlefield for the goddess's sake!”

“And I am prepared to die, I'd much rather die brutally than be given away like a cow to that bastard. I mean, do you hear yourselves, for goddess's sakes!” I spat, looking between my parents in disbelief.

My father sighed, looking like he was holding on to his last shred of patience.

Well, the feeling was mutual.

“Sweetheart, please. You have fought well, but Edgar is powerful. If he continues, we will lose our land, our lives. You would be taken by force and not as his wife.”

“No, no,” I shook my head fiercely, “I have a plan, mother. I can win this, please believe in me.” I pleaded, but even as I said it, I felt the hollowness of my own words.

My parents were right.

This war had dragged on for a year now,w and I had been away for 8 months, trying to fight. At first, we were winning until Edgar allied with Tauran, a man who claimed that my father's pack and Kingdom belonged to his father.

Edgar, a powerful, ruthless Alpha King, somehow hijacked the takeover and had been destroying my soldiers.

It was only a few days ago that Edgar discovered that my father's general was a woman, his only child, and now, he had requested to marry me.

It was a humiliation tactic.

“No,” my father's voice cracked for the first time. “We've lost thousands of men. You've done everything you could. We are just up against a monster. I don't want to lose you.”

I looked at my mother, tears now streaming down her face freely. The two strongest people I knew were broken, and all I could do was stare.

They didn't believe in me, and I couldn't blame them. They were right about Edgar.

Edgar didn't mind killing children; he didn't fight fair or follow rules.

If I were going to win this war. Marrying him was the best option.

I'd just have to destroy him from the inside.

“Okay,” I said, looking up at both my parents.

“I'll marry him. I'll marry the monster.”

“Excellent!” A voice said behind me, smugly. I turned swiftly, my hand already reaching for the dagger shielded in my thigh.

"Peace, General Celeste," he said with a smug grin, raising his hand in mock surrender. "I'm just the messenger. No need to spill blood…yet,"

He was tall, lean, and dressed in the black and silver armor of the Darkroom kingdom. The dugil of Edgar's reign-an obsidian wolf's head with blood dripping from its fangs- was embossed on his chest plate. His slick black hair was tied back, and his blue eyes sparkled with amusement.

I glared at him, my hand still on the dagger. "You should choose your words more wisely in the court."

He chuckled. "You'll need to get used to my words, my lady. I am General Maverick, your escort to your new... Home,”

Bile rose in my throat.

Home

As if that fortress of slaughter and steel could ever be called home.

My father rose from his throne, his voice gruff. "You'll treat my daughter with respect.”

“Of course. I serve the Alpha King's will. He asked that I bring her safely, no scratches.”

“How generous,” I said dryly.

Malrick turned to me, a smirk on his lips.

“Well, the Alpha is quite generous to his allies.”

I glared at him, my jaw clenched.

He didn't seem to care because the next thing he said made me even angrier.

“You should get your things ready. We leave in an hour.”

“Absolutely not,” I reiterated.

“I beg your pardon?” he raised a brow of confusion as if I had just told him the sky is yellow.

“You can tell your king that I won't be leaving my father's palace until I am ready, which is in a week.”

Maverick blinked, clearly not expecting resistance, not like this. His smirk faltered for a brief second before it returned, sharper this time. “That was not a request, General…”

“And this is not your kingdom. “ I countered, stepping forward so that we were now chest to chest.”You can prance in here, bark orders like a dog, and flash your little emblem all you want, but you don't get to decide when I leave,”

Behind me, I could hear my mother gasp, my father’s chair creak as he moved to stand. But I didn’t care. I wasn't about to be disrespected in my own kingdom.

Maverick's eyes narrowed, but he didn't take the bait. “The Alpha king gave specific instructions, if you delay…”

“He'll what? Kill my cousins, burn another village? Surprise me, please, I beg of you,”

A tense silence fell over the throne room. My words hung heavy, dangerous.

My father stepped forward now, his tone weary but firm. “Celeste…”

“I said I'll marry him,” I said without looking at him, “but I'll do it on my own terms. One week. I'll prepare, say my goodbyes to my soldiers and friends. I'll ride out with my head high and not dragged out like some prisoner.”

Maverick stared at me for a long while before a sigh escaped his lips.

“Fine, one week. You better be ready or I'll drag out by your pretty bow myself.”

“Try it!”

He gave me a shallow bow, the mockery still glittering in his eyes. “Until then, my lady.”

He turned and strode out, his boots echoing through the halls like a countdown to my downfall.

He was entirely too cocky for a messenger… he was going to be the first I'd kill.