Chapter 0236

Lillie

I was pushed back into the guest quarters like an animal that morning, and severely warned against any form of violence in the palace by the guard who had my hands cuffed behind my back.

“You’re lucky. He seemed to be in a good mood this morning. He would have had your head hanging on a stick. He hates your kind for what they did to his mother.” The last sentence escaped his tongue, and the disgust in his heart escaped along with it.

It seemed to be in my destiny to suffer for a decision my father made. It was his greed that led him to connive to sell women and children for money. I was ready to bear my cross, but it hurt me everytime.

I was determined to continue to test different escape plans. After all, he would never notice my absence. The queen’s hand would be pleased if I didn’t show up at the first class, I could tell by the way she looked at me last night. He would just assume I didn’t make it to the final presentation.

However, plans changed on the first day of the test. We were to have a class on dining etiquettes when I heard one of the contestants, a blonde girl, saying the last five contestants who made it to the final presentation would each be awarded ten million.

My eyes widened that morning. That was more money than I had ever had in my entire life! It would go a long way to take care of Logan’s bills, and we would leave Darkmoon and never return. We could start life in another pack, where I would make sure to wear turtlenecks for the rest of my life, because I was tired of being stared at like I was the most disgusting thing that existed.

The ten million I stood to win was more than enough motivation for me to want to make it to the top five. For that reason, I put my all into all tests that occurred over the next five days.

We had etiquette classes, literature classes - we were told the alpha king enjoyed reading classic literature whenever he had free time - dance classes, and even classes on how to play the harp.

None of the girls could help the shock on their faces whenever I successfully passed a test, and moved on to the next class. At the end of every test, one contestant was always eliminated, but I always passed successfully. What they didn’t know was that despite being a “banished one”, my mother was still high born and enjoyed teaching Logan and I etiquettes, dance, and instruments in her free time. She was the one who had thought me to play the harp perfectly. We would always sing and dance together in whatever fancy clothes she still owned around our very small living room.

It was a wonder to everyone how I made it to the final five contestants, but the queen was more than fair in her judgement after every class and test. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t treated based on the tattoo on my neck. It was almost like Queen Sophia was blind to the screaming wolf on my neck.

We had been told no one was allowed any form of meeting or engagement with any of the princes, so I made sure to keep my encounter with the prince at the garden to myself, and I had a feeling he had done the same too.

Alas, the night of the presentation arrived! The night we were to be presented to the alpha king so he could make his choice.

I was led into a large room along with my other four finalists. The dressing room held hundreds of dresses, shoes, and five vanity mirrors with stylists and makeup artists stationed at each of the tables.

Lady Mary was present to welcome us into the dressing room and give us the much needed instructions. All the while, I couldn’t wait to receive my check of ten million, so I could leave this place and NEVER return!

“The queen has been generous enough to produce you girls with a variety of clothes, shoes, and jewelry. You are free to make your pick and head over to any of the chairs were the five best makeup artists and hair stylists in the pack are waiting to make princesses out of you.” Her eyes landed on me again and she scoffed.

“Or as many of you as can be made. Some people are just not destined to have greatness in them, wouldn’t you agree?” She was staring at me.

I nodded, silent.

I wasn’t going to make any trouble. This was my last night here, and ten million was on the line.

“What is your name again?” She asked.

I cleared my throat, fighting hard to keep the scowl that tried to form on my face away.

“My name is Lillie Rome, ma’am.”

She looked sternly at me, from my head to my toe.

“If I were you, I would wear something suitable. You know, to cover up…” she didn’t say it, but I could see her eyes drop on my neck.

On instinct, my right hand rubbed my tattoo, and I heard the girls beside me chuckle.

“You would need to cover THAT up if you even want to stand a chance. It’s just a friendly advice. You’re free to take it or leave it.”!