Chapter 5

SYLVIA 

"Crypian?" I whispered, sounding pathetic. 

He didn't even flinch at the sound of my voice, nor did he turn to look at me. He just kept basking in Willow's beauty and Willow? 

She had her face turned to him. I could see the care for me that she had shown in the attic slowly fading away.

"Crypian, look at me!" I cried out louder, my voice cracking with desperation.

I stumbled forward, my legs still weak from three days of starvation. I reached out to touch his shoulder, to remind him that I was the one the goddess had chosen for him. Our marks were the same for crying out loud. 

“It’s me. It’s Sylvia. Your mate! You told me I was lovely. You told me you couldn't wait to see me again!"

The Prince’s head snapped toward me then, but there was no warmth in his eyes. The light green shade I had found so enchanting was now dark and filled with irritation.

"Silence, girl," he snapped, getting to his feet but his hand was still holding Willow's. 

"No! No, you can't do this!" I fell to my knees beside him, grabbing at his sleeve. "She’s my sister! She’s the one who treated me like a slave! I’m the one the Goddess gave to you! Look at my face, Crypian, look at me!"

The commotion was beginning to draw attention as the doors at the far end of the hall swung open, and the King and Queen appeared, followed by a trail of advisors and high-ranking court members.

They stopped at the top of the stairs, staring down at the scene, the Prince holding hands with a blonde girl and the Princess Consort sobbing on the floor like a common beggar.

"Crypian?" The Queen spoke, looking confused. "What is the meaning of this? Why is your mate on the floor, and who is this other child?"

Crypian stepped away from me, shrugging my hand off and pulling Willow closer to his side, shielding her with his body. 

"She is not my mate," Crypian yelled at his mother and she flinched back in surprise. 

My breath hitched. "What? Crypian–”

"That's prince to you." he spat, looking down at me with hatred. "I was blinded by the heat of the moment, by the scent of a desperate Omega. But now that the light has truly fallen upon the situation, I see the truth. The Goddess would never tie a Prince to something so... Ordinary."

"No..." I gasped, shaking my head violently. "No, you're lying! You felt it! You kissed me!"

He ignored me and turned to the room, his voice rising for all the royals to hear. "I, Crypian Thorne, Prince of the Continent, hereby reject you, Sylvia, as my mate and my consort. Our bond is severed. Our path has ended."

A sharp pain filled my chest and I fell to the ground. From the corner of my eye, I could see the queen reaching out for me but the king held her back and she turned her face away. 

The pain intensified for a moment more like something was breaking inside of me and I thought I was going to die but then it was gone. 

It was gone but I couldn't move. 

Crypian turned back to Willow, his face softening. "The true jewel was hidden from me. Why settle for dust when the sun is standing right here?" He took both of Willow’s hands in his. "Willow... you are the one truly fit for a crown. Will you take the place that was almost wasted? Will you be my Princess Consort? My Queen?"

Willow didn't even look at me. She didn't offer a glance of pity or a shred of the sisterly love she had faked in the attic. She gave him a small shy smile as her cheeks tinged pink. 

"It would be my greatest honour, my Prince," she whispered.

The hall erupted into a few scattered cheers from the advisors and some servants. 

The betrayal was too much. The three days of starvation, the hope she had fed me just to lead me here to be humiliated, the way she had used my own escape to steal my life, it broke the last thread of my sanity.

"YOU WITCH!" I screamed, springing from the floor with a strength I didn't know I had left.

I launched myself at Willow, my fingers aiming for that beautiful, lying face of hers. I wanted to tear the smirk off her lips. I wanted her to feel a fraction of the agony that I felt.

"Sylvia, no!" Willow shrieked, shrinking back into Crypian’s arms.

Two guards reached for me before I could get to her. One grabbed my waist, and the other grabbed my arms, holding them behind my back. 

"Let me go!" I thrashed, kicking wildly. "She planned this! She knew! Willow, you traitor! I’ll kill you!"

"Handle her!" Crypian roared, his face contorting in fury. "How dare you attempt to lay a hand on your future Princess?"

“My future princess? I am the future princess!” I screamed. 

The guards slammed me down to the floor and my chin hit it harshly, and I tasted blood as my teeth cut into my lip. One guard pressed a heavy boot into the small of my back, pinning me down. 

"She is a threat to the royal bloodline," Crypian said, stepping forward until his shoes were inches from my face. He looked up at his father, the King, who watched with an indifferent expression.

“Father, for the crime of attempted assassination of the Princess Consort, I demand her execution."

Death. He was sentencing me to death. The man who had kissed my hand days ago was now ordering my blood to be spilt on the same floor. I looked up, blinking through tears and blood, and saw Willow leaning her head on his shoulder, watching me with a cold, triumphant look in her eyes. She had won. She had taken everything.

"So be it," the King began, raising his hand to signal the executioner.

I began to chuckle at my fate. What did I expect? I had expected too much of my fate. I had thought things would be different for me now and I had thought wrong. 

My chuckle turned into full-blown laughter and everyone looked at me like I had gone mad but suddenly, laughter was drowned by the sound of a horn. 

Everyone turned their head to the direction of the doors as an announcer stepped forward. 

“Welcome, Alpha Vane Thorne. The Alpha of the Northern region and the slayer of those who oppose the continent. He has graced us with his presence. 

The announcer stopped talking and bowed and loud footsteps filled the entire compound. 

Crypian turned to look at me and then signalled to the guard. 

“Throw her in the dungeon for the meantime.”