Chapter Two

A MATE WHO COULD NOT STAND ME

The entire royal courtyard fell into a thick silence and everyone’s eyes were fixed on me. Meanwhile, Rowan’s grip was still very tight on my wrist.

The question he asked me hit me hard on the chest like I was stabbed with a knife. My lips parted severally to give a response, but no sound came out.

I never prayed nor asked for this, I’m shocked as everyone here that the Moon Goddess chose me. The silver mark on my wrist continued to glow, proving that the Moon Goddess created this bond herself.

High Priest Orion stepped forward, “your highness, the Goddess has made her choice and the sacred bond cannot be questioned”.

Rowan let out a cold and mocking laughter that made me flinch despite the fact that he still held my wrist tightly.

“So you expect the future King of Moonfang kingdom to stand beside weak omega that can’t even defend herself?” Rowan questioned him.

Immediately, the royal palace was filled with whispering from different corners that people sat, but I heard some of the things they said clearly and I just wished the earth would open up to swallow me because the embarrassment was unbearable.

One voice said loudly, “I knew the prince wouldn’t accept her”. Another voice chimed in, “the Goddess must have made a mistake to choose her”.

My breath hitched and my fingers shook uncontrollably. Every whisper felt like I was stabbed with a knife, and for a second I couldn’t move or even a word.

My mother stood up from her seat quickly and hurried to bow before Rowan. “Your highness, please forgive this huge embarrassment… my younger daughter is different”.

For years now, this was the nicest thing she has said about me. Finally, Rowan released my wrist and he rubbed his palms roughly against each other. Then he asked for water to wash his hands, like he had dirtied his palms because of touching my wrist.

He looked at me with gray icy eyes from my head to my worn dress, to my old shoes and back to my face, then he rolled his eyes at me.

His face was filled with disgust and disappointment. He hissed multiple times before he spoke in a very cold and harsh voice.

Rowan responded rudely, “I will only obey the royal law”.

I was overwhelmed with happiness the moment he accepted the bond, but it shattered the moment whisperings and murmurings filled the room.

He pointed at me and said, “but don’t mistake my obedience for desire”.

I lowered my gaze to the floor, my chest tightened for a brief second, and my heart began racing terribly.

“I have accepted the bond”, Rowan heaved a deep sigh of relief, like he was forced to say what he just said.

The moment I raised my head, he was already staring at him with disgust.

Aaa if that wasn’t enough, he added “that doesn’t mean I want it though”.

Those mean words shattered the little hope I had left in me. Soon after, the ceremony ended and the noble left in pairs discussing the Moon Goddess choice. Some of them looked at me with pity and some with disgust.

While walking quietly and gently towards the palace gate, one of the servants deliberately stretched out his leg and I fell. I sustained an injury as a result of the fall, immediately they bursted into laughter.

One of the servants said, “imagine the future princess can’t even protect herself from a little fall… I give her marriage just a month to last”.

Another person responded, “oh no, a month is too far… I give it just a week”.

I managed to get up slowly despite the severe pain from the injury, and I continued walking. I can’t allow this to weigh me down because I’m already used to being humiliated and talked down on despite all my efforts.

Later in the evening, Blackwood manor was unusually quiet, no servant greeted me, and no one called me to come grab dinner. Reluctantly, I entered the dining hall and everyone was having their dinner peacefully.

I looked around, but there was no seat kept for me and I stood there staring at the three of them eating.

“Do you know that you’re late?” My father questioned while his gaze was still fixed on his food.

I apologized immediately, “I know, and I’m sorry”.

Since I came to the dining hall, my mother and Seraphina didn’t even stare at me for a second. They acted like I was invisible in the hall and I lowered my head to my turn slippers.

Seraphina finally looked at me and offered a cold smile, “there are leftovers, hope you don’t mind eating alone”.

My heart dropped and I managed to fake a smile, “no”.

“Splendid”!

“Then go to the kitchen, you’ll see bread and soup that the servants left on top of the wooden table”.

My stomach dropped the moment I heard those words from Seraphina. I stared at my parents and they didn’t say anything afterwards either.

I forced a smile and nodded even when I was about to tear up. Before I turned to leave, Seraphina muttered “I can imagine how Prince Rowan feels now”.

Lady Blackwood let out a dry laughter, “he’s probably regretting right now”.

My chest tightened to the extent that breathing properly was so hurtful. I lowered my head and wished the earth could just open and swallow me up.

“Don’t worry, he’ll regain his full senses soon because there’s no way a royal Alpha would accept a weak omega” my father giggled.

Every single word they said dropped heavily in my chest like a stone and I also felt like I was being punched with those words. I couldn’t stand for a second anymore, so I quietly turned and walked out.

I looked at my wrist and then I saw the real, beautiful and glowing silver mark still on it. I held on to one with that, no matter the amount of hatred Rowan has for me, the bond still existed and he can’t do anything.

I’ll give him time to adapt and come off his cold attitude towards me, because he can’t reject me. The next morning, the palace discussed sending several instructors to teach me royal etiquette since I’m the prince’s destined mate.

A few minutes afterwards, an etiquette instructor arrived looking at me with disdain, like we have met or had a horrible encounter before.

The instructor pointed at me and asked, “you must be the destined mate of the future king right?” She let out a soft and mocking chuckle.

I looked confused at first, then I remembered that either one of the servants, my mother or Seraphina have told them horrible things about me.

I cleared my throat and straightened my gown then I nodded slightly to the question she asked me. Without further questioning, the instructor started with the training.

All of a sudden, the etiquette instructor hit the cane on the group, “bend lower”.

I obeyed and bent lower, but she still complained that I was doing the wrong thing. I tried again, but she still complained “you’re too slow”.

My eyes burned so hot that tears were about dropping but I controlled them from dropping in front of her. My throat tightened so hard that I couldn’t even say a word or swallow any saliva.

I kept on trying to bend to a position that she’s comfortable with for two hours, instead each trial came with painful and piercing words from her.

By noon, my legs began shaking so seriously that I couldn’t work properly.

The instructor mockingly asked, “you can’t even walk because of a simple etiquette that I taught you?”

I didn’t give her any response, instead I walked away and one of the maids responded in a very loud and clear voice.

“No matter how much you teach her, she’ll always be a weak omega”. Another maid interrupted, “you’re making a mistake, a weak future princess”. They all laughed, while pointing at me and I walked away gently.

A week later, a palace messenger came to me saying “his Highness requests for your presence”.

My chest buzzed with a strange excitement and I grinned. My heart pounded in joy that I couldn’t even fathom the feeling.

Finally, Rowan is willing to see me and talk to me. I quickly stood up and hurried to change into my cleanest dress. Although the dress wasn’t beautiful, that's all I have.

The guards accompanied me to Rowan’s palace. They opened the big iron door and I walked inside cautiously.

Rowan stood beside the window with his hands crossed behind his back. The radiation of sunlight was slightly on his broad shoulders.

He didn’t even turn around to acknowledge my presence, instead his gaze was still fixed outside the window.

After a few minutes of silence, he cleared his throat to speak “so you’re finally here”.

I bowed immediately and responded “yes, your Highness”.

He turned and looked at me slowly for a few seconds and neither of us uttered a word again. The air in the palace became so thick and heavy that I almost suffocated. I thought he sought my presence because he was willing to talk to me? Why is he then acting like my presence is already irritating him?

I cleared my throat and swallowed hard before speaking since he doesn’t want to talk first. “I came to appreciate you too”, I said softly.

His brows furrowed instantly and he clenched his fist tightly by his sides. “What do you want to thank me for?”

His cold response landed like a very hard slap on my cheeks and my throat tightened in such a way that no word could slip out again. For a few seconds, I just stood there and stared at him in silence.

He interrupted the suffocating silence in the room and yelled, “can’t you talk again?”

I snapped out of my thoughts and bowed, “I’m sorry your Highness”. I paused and continued in a very soft and gentle voice, “I came to appreciate you for accepting the Moon Goddess decision”.

He tilted his head slightly, and a fake smile played at the corner of his lips, clear enough to tell me that he doesn’t want the bond.

“You’re so ridiculous, do you really think that I accepted it?” He sneered.

I froze and the smiley face I forced vanished instantly. My stomach twined and I stood there trying to process what he had just said.

He walked briskly towards me and every step he took felt like he was crushing me, so I lowered my gaze to the well-polished floor.

He stopped in front of me and said, “I only accepted because the royal law gave me no other choice”.

I raised my head slowly and our eyes met, neither of us looked away for a few minutes.

Rowan broke the intense silence that settled between us and added, “if rejecting the bond didn’t threaten the throne, then I wouldn’t have even considered accepting this bond”.

My chest tightened seriously, and for a moment I forgot how to breathe. Regardless of what he said, I refuse to give up on our bond with the hope that he’ll change with time.

I gathered the courage to look at him and say, “I know for a fact that you dislike me, but if we get to spend time together…”

He clenched his jaw tightly and interrupted, “enough of that”. His loud voice echoed tremblingly through the quiet room.

His expression darkened and he spoke rudely, “there’s something you don’t understand, Lyra”. He paused and gazed at me from head to toe then he continued, “I don’t dislike you, I don’t just feel anything for you”.

The little hope I had left shattered totally and a burning pain spread through my chest. He  turned and walked towards the door, then he commanded “leave here now”.

I walked up to him and bowed respectfully, “as you wish your Highness”.

As I walked through the hallway, I heard a soft, familiar and feminine laughter from the private royal gathering, a place where outsiders were forbidden from entering.

Out of curiosity, I looked towards the open gate, in between the flowering trees and I caught a glimpse of her hair.