Chapter 4

SYLVIA 

"I... I can't," I whimpered.

"Swear it!" she barked, shaking my arms. "Swear you won't marry the Prince!”

For years, I had been the shadow of my sister. I was the Omega who scrubbed the floors while Willow practised her dancing with teachers that we struggled to afford. I was the daughter who received leftovers and hand-me-downs even if I was the oldest while Mother doted on her 'golden child.'

"No!" I screamed, the sound tearing from my throat with such force that Mother actually flinched. I wrenched my arms back, breaking her hold. "No, I won't swear it!"

"How dare you—"

"How dare I?" I took a step toward her, my chest heaving, more tears spilling over and rolling down my cheeks. "Where was this concern all these years? Where was it when you let Willow treat me however she wanted and all you did was turn a blind eye? You never cared if I lived or died as long as I stayed out of the way!"

Mother’s face turned pale, "Sylvia, you don't understand the danger—"

"I understand that for the first time in my life, someone looked at me and saw something worth keeping!" I yelled, my voice cracking. "The Prince chose me. The Goddess chose me. And now, all of a sudden, you want to play 'Mum'? You want to dictate my life after ignoring it for more than two decades? You don't get to do that! You lost that right a long time ago!” 

My throat hurts from how loudly I was yelling. “Is it because I look so much like my father? You can't bear to see your husband's face? You must have hated him so much from how you treat me."

My head spun to the side as my cheek stung from the slap my mother had just given me.

"You are a disrespectful, ungrateful child," she said, her voice eerily calm. She looked behind me at our carriage rider who doubled as our help around the house for tasks I couldn't do. 

“Take her to the attic room. Lock the door. She is to have no visitors, no water, and no food until she learns the value of the life I have provided for her."

"Mother, no!" I gasped, but he was already grabbing my shoulders. "You can't do this! The Prince will come for me!"

"Let him come," she spat, turning her back on me. "By then, perhaps you'll have found your tongue to give me the oath I required."

The attic room was small, cramped, and smelled of dust. I spent the first night crying until I had no more tears left and the second day? I was already numb and just crawled into a ball on the floor. 

My stomach was cramped with hunger, but it was the thirst that was the worst. I thought of Crypian. I pictured the way his green eyes glowed when he looked at me, the way he had defended me in the arena. He’s coming, I told myself. He’s my mate. He’ll find me.

But by the evening of the second day, my hope was already dying out and thoughts of giving to my mother crossed my mind. 

No. I couldn't give in to her. This was my one chance to have something for myself and I wasn't going to give it up. 

Late on the third night, a faint scraping sound came from the door.

I didn't move because I assumed it was a rat or the wind. Then the sound came again followed by the door being pushed open. 

"Sylvia?" a voice whispered and I used the last of the strength I had to look up, squinting my eyes. 

"Willow?"

My sister stepped into the room, looking over her shoulder nervously. In one hand she held a candle, and in the other, a small tray. She hurried over to me, setting the tray down. My

She had some fresh bread and a plate of vegetable soup. The smell wafted into my nose and my mouth watered. 

"Eat. Quickly," she urged, her voice trembling.

I didn't need to be told twice before I grabbed the bowl, nearly burning my tongue as I gulped down the soup. It was the most incredible thing I had ever tasted. Between mouthfuls, I looked up at her, confused. Willow had never done a kind thing for me in her life.

"Why?" I managed to say. "Why are you helping me?"

Willow sat on the floor beside me, looking sad. "Mother has gone mad, Sylvia. She’s talking about sending you away so you wouldn't ever get with the prince. I have no idea why though.” 

My heart warmed. My sister, the girl who had spent years mocking me, was actually risking Mother's wrath for me. "I thought you hated me."

"I was jealous," she admitted, looking down at her lap. "Mother is wrong to keep you here. If Crypian is your mate, no one should stand in your way."

She grabbed my hand and tried to pull me up. "We have to go. Now. Mother is asleep so we have to get you to the palace before she wakes. Once you're with the Prince, she can't touch you. He’ll protect both of us."

"You'd come with me?" I asked, hope blooming in my chest.

"I will," she promised.

I stood up, my legs shaking, but Willow caught me. Together, we sneaked down the stairs and rushed to the back door, opening it quickly and finally, we were outside. 

As such, we ran. We kept running till we arrived at the palace gates, panting and out of breath, also covered in mud and dirt. 

The guards at the gates had their weapons out when they finally noticed us but suddenly—

"The Princess Consort has returned!" one of them shouted, and the heavy iron gates swung open.

They bowed and we were led through the gates till we reached a large hall. 

The guards asked us to wait while one of them disappeared behind another door and returned with Crypian. 

"Sylvia!" His face lit up when he finally saw me and I broke into a wide grin. 

"My dearest," he murmured. "I was beginning to think you had grown cold feet. I sent messengers to your home, but your mother claimed you were... indisposed."

"She locked me away, Crypian," I sobbed, stepping toward him. "She tried to make me swear I wouldn't marry you. Willow saved me. She brought me to you."

Crypian’s eyes flickered to the side, landing on Willow. 

I waited for him to pull me into his arms. I waited for him to growl in fury at what Mother had done to me.

Instead, he stopped dead in his tracks and his eyes widened. The pupils dilated until the green was almost entirely swallowed by black.

Slowly, as if in a trance, Crypian moved. But he didn't move toward me.

He stepped past me, his shoulder brushing mine and he walked straight to Willow.

My sister let out a small, confused gasp as the Prince reached out and all of a sudden, he shoved her. Not hard enough to actually hurt her but enough to send her stumbling back.

Before she could fall, he caught her, his hands gripping her shoulders.

"My goddess," he whispered and dropped to one knee before her, right there in the middle of the hall, still holding her hand.

I watched, frozen, as he raised her fingers to his lips and kissed them more deeply than he had done with me. 

"I thought the stars were bright," Crypian murmured. "But they are dim lanterns compared to the fire in your beauty.” He kissed her hand ag

ain and continued. “I have seen many beautiful things, but I have never seen anything as perfect as you.”