Cassia's POV
I stayed outside for a while as I let my tears fall.
"My lady the king has an announcement and you are needed inside." I heard a voice and hurriedly wiped my tears away.
I turned around to see a guard, "I would be there you needn't worry." I smiled and the guard left with a bow.
I took a deep breath and then I walked into the hall again with all eyes on me.
Everyone was smiling but for me, it was an execution.
I stood near the edge of the dais, my hands clenched at my sides. The silk of my gown stitched with the crest of my kingdom felt suffocating against my skin. Every eye in the room was fixed on me.
The Supreme Alpha raised his goblet, his voice commanding attention. "For the future of our great kingdom, and in honor of the alliance between Varyon and Lysoria, we welcome a union that will bind our people together in strength and prosperity."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. I kept my chin high, refusing to look weak.
Then he spoke the words that shattered the last remnants of my dignity.
"Lord Darius Rael will take a mate, his first wife, Lady Selene of House Valerian."
Gasps filled the room. A sharp pain stabbed through my chest, but I forced myself to remain still.
Really? This was really happening.
Selene stepped forward, her sapphire gown shimmering under the light. She curtsied gracefully before the court, her expression serene like this had all been planned.
I turned my gaze to Darius, waiting, praying, for him to deny it, but he didn't. Then who was I supposed to be?
The Supreme Alpha continued. "As a symbol of further unity, Lord Darius will also take Princess Cassia of Lysoria as his second wife."
Second.
A lesser bride.
The room erupted in whispers, the court barely restraining their shock.
I felt the weight of every gaze, every judging stare. I heard werewolves only have one mate, which means I would just be like another person in the palace.
This was my introduction to the werewolf nobility. Not as a future queen, but a lesser wife. Funny.
Selene turned toward me, her blue eyes gleaming with satisfaction. She reached for Darius's hand touching him in a way that was meant to remind me where I stood.
The silence that followed was worse than the murmurs.
I wasn't supposed to be here.
I had fought my entire life to be strong, to carve my own path, and yet, here I was reduced to nothing more than a bargaining chip, a discarded pawn in a political game I had never agreed to play.
The Supreme Alpha turned to me now, waiting. Waiting for me to accept my fate. A bitter taste filled my mouth.
I could feel my pulse pounding, I should have said something, I should have fought for my right, should have screamed, but instead, I dropped into a slow, practiced curtsy, because there was nothing else I could do.
Did my father know about this?
The celebration continued, but I felt numb.
I sat beside Darius at the long banquet table, but he hadn't spoken a word to me. I didn't expect him to.
Not anymore.
The nobles feasted, drinking and laughing, oblivious to the storm raging inside me. Every now and then, I caught glimpses of Selene, of how she smiled, of how she leaned toward Darius, how she whispered things meant for his ears alone.
I shouldn't have cared.
I shouldn't have felt like a knife was twisting in my chest, but I did. Normal me.
I clenched my goblet tighter, forcing myself to swallow the bitterness clawing up my throat.
"You're awfully quiet Princess," Selene's voice sounded.
"Perhaps I prefer to listen rather than speak." I lifted my gaze to her.
."Ah. But silence can be dangerous, don't you think? People might assume you've given up." She tilted her head to the side
"Let them assume what they want. Assumptions are often proven wrong." I smiled tightly.
"I hope you remember that when reality catches up to you." Selene's smirk deepened.
I exhaled through my nose, turning back to my drink. I wouldn't let her get under my skin, but as the feast dragged on, as laughter and music filled the hall, something inside me crumbled.
I needed air.
I pushed back my chair, my hands shaking slightly as I stood.
"Where are you going again?" Darius's gaze flicked to me.
I met his eyes, searching for something, anything. I didn't know why I was still searching.
"To breathe," I muttered, before turning and walking away.
I went up to the balcony. I inhaled deeply, trying to calm myself down.
The sound of approaching footsteps made my spine stiffen.
I turned, expecting Darius, but it wasn't him.
It was Lord Kael.
"Come to gloat?" I crossed my arms.
"Hardly."
He let out a quiet chuckle.
I turned back toward the sky. "Then why are you here?"
"You should have run when you had the chance."
Kael was silent for a long moment and then he said.
I froze at his words.
"What?"
Slowly, I turned my head to face him.
"You know you don't belong here, Princess."
I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. "And yet, here I am."
"Yes. Here you are. A second wife. A forgotten bride. A human among wolves."
His jaw tightened.
"You think I don't know that? You think I don't feel it with every breath I take in this cursed place?" I lifted my chin and said stepping closer.
"Then why stay?" Kael held my stare.
"Because I have no choice." I swallowed hard.
"Make one." In a voice barely above a whisper he said.
I stared at him, my heart pounding. "What are you saying?"
Kael took another step forward, his presence started becoming electric.
"I'm saying that if you truly want to survive, you need to stop waiting for Darius to save you."
"I don't care. I am here for my people."
"The same people who gave you all like nothing important?" And for the first time since stepping foot in this kingdom…
"Would you die for people who do not care about you?"