Chapter One

Chapter One

Devlin's POV

My vision goes red as I spot Mara clinging onto my fiancé, giggling at something he whispered in her ears.

 She sees me seething at the corner and smirks as he places a hand on his chest, fluttering her eyelashes as she gazed into his eyes. 

My body moved before I could stop it. I crossed the distance between us in just four long strides.

 "Mara Radcliff, get off him." I yelled as I grabbed her wrist tightly and threw her on the floor.

"Ow." She yelped as she fell to the ground dramatically.

 "Devlin." Corvin, my fiancé, gasped in shock as he bent to the floor immediately to check on Mara.

I rolled my eyes at Mara as she let her crocodile tears fall. I didn't even shove her that hard.

 "What is wrong with you?Why would you just push her to the ground for no reason."

He asked angrily as he inspected the scrapes on her palms.

"For no reason." I scoffed.

 "She was holding YOU, my fiancé, in public." His eyes darkened.

"We weren't doing anything wrong."

"Corvin, don't yell at her, she's still your fiancée." Mara said in a little voice as she grabbed onto his bicep.

"Devi has always been the jealous type. "Mara always knew how to push my buttons, how to add fuel to my already burning fury.

 "And Mara here has always been a slut, seducing everything and anything in her path."

I barely got the words out before my head whipped to the side hard from a slap. It took some seconds before my sight stopped being blurry but the ringing in my ears continued.

 I looked up and saw my mom, her hand still up. "How dare you speak of your sister in that way."

She continued. "Is that the way I brought you up?"

 "But Mom, I—""Madam Radcliff, I really don't know what's come over Devlin, she's getting out of control."

 Corvin muttered as he shook his head. "It's my fault, I and her father spoilt her too much." Mother sighed.

 Even with the tears streaming down my face, I let out a short laugh. "Me, spoiled? You're thinking of the wrong daughter, mother."

 I said, my voice shaking. Mother was about to make a rebuttal when Mara made a pained sound on the floor.

 Corvin picked her up, carrying her bridal style as mother whispered soothing words into her ear.

"Your father wants to see us all." Mother said without looking back.

 I wiped my tears and tried to pull myself together before entering the house. Dad sat at the head chair while mother and Mara sat on the other side.

 I sat beside Corvin. He refused to look at me.

 I reached to grab his arm but he turned away from me completely.

 The pang in my chest got worse. I readjusted in my seat and looked down, fiddling with my hands.

 Father cleared his throat and spoke. "I've called you all in here because it has come to my knowledge there's a problem with Devlin's engagement." 

Hope bloomed in my chest. Father was actually fighting for me?

 "Father, don't be angry. Mara has always gotten her way, that's why she couldn't keep herself from Corvin." I said, trying not to put him in an awkward space.

 "Devlin, you have the wrong idea." He said as he stared at me emotionless.

I sat back in my seat confused. "What?" I asked, my brows drawn inward.

 "Mara has also shown interest in Corvin." He continued. "I can't be partial."

 I shot up from my seat so fast everyone's eyes turned to me. "Partial?" I asked harshly. 

"My younger sister indicated interest in my fiancé, what's partial is you giving her a listening ear at all."

 "Devlin, where are your manners?" Mother scolded as she held onto Mara's arm.

 "My engagement that has been set since I was a child is being questioned and you're asking me about manners?" My voice rose with every syllable. "Devlin, sit down.

 Do not talk to your mother like that." Father's voice boomed in the chaos.

I tried to argue back but his sharp glare cut through me. I sat down, my body trembling with barely contained fury.

 "Corvin, I'm going to give you a choice." Father said, facing him now. 

"You can either choose to marry Devlin and remain just the son of a chief, or" His eyes turned to me. An emotion I couldn't decipher passed through them.

 "You marry Mara and become the next chief of Edevane." He said finally.

 My heart sank. How was that even a fair choice. My own father was willing to give his chieftaincy title as my little sister's dowry while he had argued over giving me the deed to the Aethervale territory where Corvin's father was chief as my dowry.

 "It's not fair." I muttered quietly. "It's not fair." This time my voice cut through the quiet of the room.

 "You and mother have always been partial to Mara but you told me to bear with it, she was the youngest."

 Corvin grabbed my hand to get me to settle down. The same hand he had avoided touching just moments ago.

 I pulled it out of his grasp. "You are both my daughters, I'm giving Corvin a chance to choose." He said, as if scolding an unreasonable child.

 "Is that really a choice." The unshed tears caused my sight to go blurry.

 "Who would really give up the chance to become a chief." I looked at Corvin but he avoided my gaze entirely.

 I laughed to myself. "Looks like he already made his choice." I turned to Mara, finally letting a tear slip.

"I hope you are happy. The one thing I had to call mine you finally had taken away." 

I walked out of the room not bothering to look back. I could hear my father's angry voice but I didn't care. 

I was done trying to please them. I was done playing second fiddle to Mara.