As the Prince announced Meredith and me as winners, I felt a surge of excitement mixed with a sense of uncertainty wash over me. The grand court was dead silent as the Prince continued to speak."I have made a decision, there will be no more competitions. Instead, one of you will be married to me and the other will serve in the Packhouse. Congratulations to you both. You have truly proven to be the best of the best," the Prince said with a smile.Meredith and I looked at each other in shock, wondering how this was going to play out. We were both winners, yet only one of us could win the grand prize. As we walked back to our room, we were both deep in thought, trying to figure out what was going to happen next.Back in our room, we sat in silence, reading through some of the congratulatory messages that had been sent to us. Suddenly, we heard a knock on our door, and Meredith went to answer it. It was three of the girls who had been disqualified from the competition."Congratulation

PRINCE AMAREUX'S POV.I could feel the weight of the day on my shoulders, crushing down on me like a heavy boulder. The endless meetings with the council members had been a drain on my energy and patience, leaving me feeling exhausted and irritable. And just when I thought I could finally rest, my Beta barges in, reminding me that I was already late for the next meeting.My mind races as I scramble to get ready, trying to ignore the persistent headache pounding behind my eyes. I throw on my formal attire and try to compose myself, taking deep breaths to calm my nerves. The thought of facing my council, with all their conflicting opinions and agendas, only adds to my mounting anxiety.I rush out of my chambers and make my way to the meeting room, my heart racing with every step. I know that I cannot afford to show any signs of weakness in front of the council members, for they are always looking for any opportunity to undermine my authority.As I take my seat at the head of the table,

ARAYAH'S POV.As Meredith and I walked through the woods, she talked to me about politics. At first, I was interested, but as she went on and on, I found myself getting bored. I began to wonder how she could be so passionate about something so dry."Meredith, how did you become such an expert in politics?" I asked, hoping to steer the conversation in a different direction.She smiled at me. "Oh, I've always been interested in the way things work, even as a teenager. My parents were involved in local politics, so I guess it runs in the family."As she continued to talk, I noticed a shift in her expression. It was as if she was holding something back, and I couldn't help but ask what was wrong."Well, I overheard the council talking about you two days ago," she said, her expression serious. "They were discussing how it was impossible for a human to bring down a wolf in their shifted form."I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. "Do you think they were talking about me?"Meredith sighed

ARAYAH'S POV.I felt a chill run down my spine as I saw the scowl on the Prince's face. His eyes were narrow and his jaw was set in a firm line. He walked into the dining room with purpose, and I could sense that something was amiss.Prince Amareux was dressed in a white linen shirt with a black vest over it. The shirt sleeves were rolled up, revealing his muscular forearms, and the vest hugged his broad chest perfectly. The vest was adorned with silver buttons that sparkled in the light of the room. His black trousers were tailored to fit his long, lean legs and he wore shiny black leather boots.Despite the scowl on his face, the Prince looked incredibly handsome. His dark hair was tousled, as if he had been running his fingers through it, and his piercing blue eyes seemed to blaze with anger. The intensity of his gaze was enough to make anyone shrink back in fear, but there was also a magnetic quality to his presence that drew me in, even when he was angry. Despite my own fear, I c

I put down my book, a copy of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, and stood up to answer the persistent knock on my door. I frowned slightly, wondering who could be so insistent at this time of the day.Opening the door, I was met by one of my guards, who immediately started speaking in a hushed tone. "Your Highness, there has been reports of a rogue attack in the perimeter. We need to move quickly."I felt my heart rate increase at the words, and I quickly dressed in my formal attire. I grabbed my sword and followed the guard out of the palace, my mind racing with thoughts of what could be happening.As we made our way towards the perimeter, I could hear the sounds of battle in the distance. My grip tightened on my sword as I prepared myself for whatever was to come.As we arrived, I could see that the situation was worse than I had anticipated. A group of rogues had infiltrated our borders, attacking and pillaging as they went. The air was thick with the smell of death.I saw the dead guards