I will marry her.

“Finally, Astrid! You took forever!” Lena, one of Astrid’s overly dramatic friends, grabbed her arm the second they stepped inside. Her eyes already scanning Astrid’s dress with approval. “You missed so much! Come on! Prince Mark is about to choose his future bride!”

Astrid gasped like she had just been told she missed a royal coronation. “Are you serious? Oh, I cannot miss this!”

Just like that, the two of them rushed off, leaving me standing alone.

Wait.

She missed a lot? I suddenly panicked.

I didn’t waste another second. Lifting the edges of my gown, I ran inside, going through the crowd like a woman on a mission. I didn’t have time to admire the big castle, the chandeliers, or the way the whole place smelled of expensive perfumes and wealth.

I needed to get to the ballroom. Now.

By the time I finally reached the big ballroom, my heart was beating so fast I thought I might have a heart attack.

And then I saw him.

Mark.

Standing on the stage, tall, confident, and unfairly handsome. His royal blue outfit was perfect and his eyes were scanning the crowd, searching for something.

And then his eyes landed on me.

At that moment, I almost forgot how to breathe but I forced a smile.

A soft smile.

Oh. Oh, this was happening.

I felt excitement taking over me and for a second, I forgot about everything else. Because Mark was looking at me.

Like I was the only one in the room.

Then he spoke. “As tradition states, tonight, I will choose my bride.”

The ballroom went silent.

I barely managed to stay standing. My legs felt like jelly, my heart was thundering, and my hands were clenched so tight that my nails were probably leaving little crescent moons on my palms.

This was it.

My moment.

Mark took a step forward, still looking straight at me.

“Among all the beautiful ladies gathered here tonight…” His voice was teasing now, dragging it out. He knew exactly what he was doing.

The girls in the room straightened, holding their breaths, eyes locked on him. But I knew.

It was me.

It had to be me.

Mark gave me that same special smile again.

Then he raised his hand. Pointed.

“I choose..”

I drew in a breath, waiting for it, bracing for it.

“Astrid.”

Wait. What?

For a full five seconds, my brain just stopped working.

The ballroom exploded into gasps and whispers, but I couldn’t hear any of it.

Did he—

Had he just—

No. No, no, no.

This had to be a joke. A mistake. A prank for the whole kingdom to laugh at.

But then Mark smiled at Astrid, reaching for her hand, pulling her closer to him like she belonged there.

And Astrid?

That girl was eating it up. Smiling, laughing, acting all sweet and shy. As if she hadn’t spent her whole life being a nightmare in expensive gowns.

I felt like I had just been slapped in front of the entire kingdom.

My mouth went dry. My vision got blurry.

This wasn’t real.

It couldn’t be real.

But Mark was already turning back to the crowd, lifting Astrid’s hand in the air.

And me?

I felt myself shatter.

I stood there, completely still, my mind spinning so fast I could barely think.

No. This had to be a mistake.

My Mark was standing there, holding Astrid’s hand like she was some delicate flower, looking at her with the same look he used to give me.

“She,” Mark said, his voice certain, lifting Astrid’s hand to his lips as he kissed it, “is the woman I have chosen as my bride. The one I wish to spend eternity with.”

The air in my lungs vanished.

Mark had promised me. He had told me again and again that I was the one. That tonight, he would choose me.

So why was he standing there, kissing Astrid’s hand, making vows he was supposed to make to me?

“You couldn’t have made a more perfect choice, Prince Mark,” Kaia’s voice said. She stepped forward, resting a proud hand on Astrid’s shoulder. “Isn’t she simply radiant?”

The crowd responded with nods, murmurs of approval, even soft smiles of admiration.

I felt like the world was tilting.

Was I the only one seeing this for what it was? A betrayal?

“You made the right decision, son.” Luna Dena, Mark’s mother, said. She stepped forward, smiling warmly at Astrid, who, of course, returned it with a perfectly rehearsed, graceful bow.

No.

“What are you doing, Mark?”

I suddenly asked. Every head in the room turned toward me. The whispers started almost immediately, but I paid no attention to them.

Kaia glared at me, obviously wanting me to keep quiet, but I didn’t back down. I couldn’t. Not now.

“This is a joke, right?” I let out a dry laugh. “You said you were going to choose me, Mark. We have been together for years. You bought me this dress.” My voice shook slightly, but I forced myself to keep going. “You promised me. You said tomorrow, you would make me yours.”

Mark didn’t answer.

Didn’t even look at me.

Queen Dena, however, looked almost offended that I was still speaking. She turned to Astrid, ignoring me entirely. “Who is this?” she asked, waving a lazy hand toward me like I was nothing more than a nuisance. “Is she related to you?”

“I am her sister,” I declared, lifting my chin. “And Mark is my lover.”

The room gasped.

Good.

“We have been together for years,” I continued. “We have kept it a secret, but now you all know. So, Mark, tell them.” I turned to him, my heart pounding. “Tell them why you are choosing her over me.”

Mark finally looked at me.

And that was when I knew.

There was no regret. No guilt.

Nothing.

“Stop this madness,” my mother Kaia said as she held my arm tight. “You are humiliating this family.”

I ripped my arm away. “You have been humiliating me my entire life, so I guess we are even.”

Astrid gasped dramatically, turning to Queen Dena with an apologetic smile. “I am so sorry about this, Your Highness,” she said, placing a hand on her chest. “My sister, she’s always been like this. A liar. Completely delusional.”

Astrid wasn’t just trying to shut me up, she was making me look crazy.

“She rarely makes public appearances,” Kaia added. “Because, well, we are not exactly proud of her behavior.”

And just like that, the room turned against me.

The whispers grew louder.

The judgment. The disgust from everyone.

“She’s not lying,” Mark suddenly said, shutting everyone up.

Gasps filled the ballroom, shock spreading like wildfire.

“She was my lover,” Mark continued, his voice calm. Too calm.

Was.

“What…?” my voice came out weak. “What do you mean was?”

Mark let out a dramatic sigh, rubbing the back of his neck like this entire situation was just so inconvenient for him. Then, with an infuriating smirk, he turned to the crowd.

“Honestly, I am surprised she even appeared here,” he said. His voice was full of mockery, like this was some kind of joke. “Did she actually think I was going to choose her?”

What?

Laughter rippled through the room.

I couldn’t believe my ears.

No. No, no, no.

“What are you saying, Mark?” I started, my voice shaking. “You promised me.”

“I lied,” Mark said simply.

Just like that. No hesitation. No shame.

Suddenly, I felt like I had lost all purpose to live, the pain in my heart wanted to tear me apart.

Mark stepped closer, smirking. “Come on, Wrenna. Did you really think I would choose someone like you?” He tilted his head, pretending to think. “A woman with no status, no importance, just a fun little secret I kept for a while? I am bored now, it is time to move on.”

Laughter again, louder this time.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to disappear.

But it got worse.

Because Mark leaned in, his voice low but loud enough for everyone to hear. “And if any man wishes to marry her here today, just know this.” He chuckled. “I already took her virginity, she is useless.”

He didn’t—

I was dumbfounded as a single tear found its way down my cheeks. What?

Gasps. Horrified whispers. Judging eyes burning into my skin.

I felt the blood drain from my face.

Mark stood there, smirking, while the entire ballroom turned into a storm of scandalized voices.

“She’s impure?”

“She gave herself away before marriage?”

“What a shameful girl.”

“Who would want her now?”

Tears welled in my eyes. I felt sick, and before I could have the time to fully process it all, I felt someone slap my cheek.

The impact was so sudden, so brutal, that I stumbled back, clutching my face. The entire room went dead silent.

For a moment, everything blurred. The only thing I could hear was the ringing in my ear.

“You disgraceful little whore,” my mother yelled. Kaia’s face was filled with fury. “How dare you bring shame to this family?” she hissed, grabbing my arm so tightly that her nails dug into my skin. “I should have killed you when I had the time.”

It hurt, the way Kaia held me hurt, but I couldn’t react. Instead, I just looked at Mark, who simply smiled at me—an evil one that showed he was satisfied with my humiliation.

“You let a man touch you before marriage?” my mother’s voice rose, echoing through the hall. “Do you know what you have done? No real man will ever want you now. You are ruined. Worthless!”

The crowd murmured in agreement. Some cursed me. Some outright laughed.

My hands trembled.

I had never felt so small.

So helpless.

So humiliated.

And as I looked around—at Mark’s satisfied smirk, at Astrid’s victorious smile, at the nobles mocking me like I was nothing—

Something inside me snapped.

I wanted to die. Mark really hurt me like this?

“I will marry her,” someone suddenly said.

The entire hall went dead silent. Every noble, every warrior, even the damn servants froze, eyes traveling around in shock.

My breath immediately seized. I turned my head slowly to the direction of the voice, my heart beating so loudly I swore everyone could hear it.

And then he stepped forward.

A man.

No. Not just a man. A beast of a man.

He was huge, broad shoulders, long legs, and an aura so powerful that even the most arrogant nobles seemed to shrink under it. But the weirdest part of him was the mask he was wearing. A heavy thing that covered most of his face, hiding it completely.

His clothes were expensive, his posture was confident, but there was something strange about him. Something dangerous.

Also, the way he smelled.

I stiffened.

That scent.

I knew that scent.

It was him.

Or at least, it smelled like him. The man from that night. The one who had haunted my thoughts ever since.

Why does this giant smell so much like the stranger from that night but looks nothing like him?

“If you give her to me,” the masked man continued, “I will marry her tonight and take her to my kingdom.”

His kingdom?

I couldn’t hold in my gasp.

What the hell was happening? One second, I was being humiliated beyond belief, and now some masked giant wanted to claim me?

This had to be some kind of joke.