The Candidates

Serenity POV

I barely touched my dinner that night. The food looked beautiful, arranged neatly across the long table, but my stomach was too tight to accept anything. I kept thinking about Valerius's questions and the message he had sent to Blackwood. If Gideon received it, would he even tell the King the truth? That man is as funny as hell. I bet he would look for a lie to cover up. He might even deny me.

I lowered my eyes to the plate in front of me and pushed a piece of meat around with my fork.

“You are awfully quiet.” I looked up.

One of the candidates was staring at me from across the table. She had a beautiful face, perfectly styled hair, and a dress that probably cost more than everything I owned.

“I'm just tired,” I answered.

She smiled. “Tired already? You have barely arrived.”

The women around her smiled softly. It wasn't a nice welcoming smile. It felt like a bite.

I forced myself to smile and looked back at my plate. I had learned long ago that answering people who wanted to mock me only gave them more reason to continue.

A few minutes later, the doors opened.

Every woman at the table straightened immediately.

Valerius walked into the dining room.

The room became silent so quickly that I could hear the sound of his shoes against the marble floor. CLICK. CLICK. CLICK.

He didn't acknowledge anyone at first. His eyes moved across the table, stopping briefly on each candidate before finally settling on me.

My fingers tightened around the fork. He took the seat at the head of the table.

“Continue.” Nobody moved.

One of the women quickly lifted her glass. “O…Of course, Your Majesty.”

Conversation slowly resumed, but everyone was careful about what they said. I could feel the tension in the room. These women weren't simply here for dinner. They were competing, and now they saw that Valerius's beauty was carved specially by the Moon Goddess herself.

Every smile was calculated. Every word sounded rehearsed.

I didn't understand how they could make something as serious as choosing a wife feel like a competition.

Then again, I had never been given the chance to choose anything in my life.

A woman beside me leaned closer. “What did you bring from Blackwood?” she asked.

I looked at her. “Nothing much.”

She frowned. “Nothing?” I shook my head.

“No jewelry? No gowns? No servants?”

I swallowed. “No.”

She glanced at the others and smiled. “How strange. Yuk.” She shrugged her face in disgust.

Another candidate joined the conversation. “Maybe Blackwood doesn't think their daughter is worth the expense. I mean, look at her. Even the Alpha would be ashamed of her.” The women laughed.

I felt my face grow hot. I wanted to disappear beneath the table. Instead, I lifted my glass and took a small sip. The blood in my veins went ice cold.

Across the table, Valerius had heard everything. His expression didn't change. That somehow… made it worse.

The first woman turned toward him. “Your Majesty, surely you must have received portraits of all of us before we arrived?”

Valerius looked at her. “I did.”

She smiled brightly. “Then you already know my family.”

“I know what your family wanted me to know.” Her smile faded slightly.

I looked at him.

There was something about the way he spoke that made me wonder how many people had tried to deceive him before.

He turned his attention to another woman. “Your father controls the southern border?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“And your pack has three thousand warriors?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

He asked another woman about her family's wealth, another about her pack's alliances, and another about her father's political connections.

They answered eagerly, each one trying to make herself sound more valuable than the woman beside her.

Then his eyes returned to me.

“And you, the fat one?”

I nearly dropped my fork. “Me?”

“What does Blackwood offer Frost Pack through you?” The question made my chest tighten. I didn't know what to say.

I wasn't an Alpha's daughter. I barely knew pack politics. I didn't command warriors. I didn't own land. I didn't have an alliance to offer.

I had nothing. “I… don't know,” I admitted. Silence fell across the table. Someone gave a small laugh. Valerius leaned back in his chair. “You don't know?”

I shook my head. “Then why should I consider you?” My throat tightened. I looked down at my hands.

“I don't know, Your Majesty. I never asked to be here either.”

A few women laughed again. I expected Valerius to laugh with them. He didn't. Instead, his expression hardened.

“Enough.”

The laughter stopped, but his eyes remained on me.

“You seem very comfortable saying you have nothing to offer, and I never forced Blackwood to send their daughter anyway. You also look pale and smell wolfless or suppressed.”

I didn't understand what he meant. “I am only telling you the truth.” His eyes narrowed.

For some reason, that answer seemed to bother him. “Truth.” He repeated the word slowly. “That's an interesting thing to promise in this palace.”

I felt a chill move down my spine. He looked away from me and continued eating. The dinner went on, but I barely heard the conversation anymore.

I kept thinking about what he had said. He didn't trust me. Maybe he was right not to.

But I wasn't trying to deceive him for power. I was only trying to survive.

When dinner finally ended, the candidates stood as Valerius rose from his seat.

He looked at all of us. “Tomorrow, you will each be given an opportunity to speak with me privately.” Excited whispers immediately began around the table.

My stomach sank. One by one, the women began leaving the dining room. I waited until most of them had gone before standing. As I reached the doorway, I heard Valerius behind me.

“Sienna.” I stopped. I slowly turned around. He was still standing beside the table. “Yes, Your Majesty?” His gaze remained fixed on me.

“Try not to disappoint me.” I didn't know whether it was a warning or a threat. I lowered my head. “I will try, Lycan.”

Then I walked out. The moment I entered the corridor, I released the breath I had been holding.

I had survived dinner. But tomorrow would be worse.

Because tomorrow, Valerius would have the chance to question me alone.

And I was beginning to fear that one wrong answer would expose everything. Yet I am not going to be scared of the outcome. I don't want to return to Blackwood either. It's either I stay here and pretend and figure out a way to survive without people bossing me around.