Once at the top of the staircase, she gazed down at all their guests, noble leaders and members of the different werewolf clans, the witches from the various covenants, and their mortal enemy, the creatures of the Vatalis Kingdom.
Each one gathered in the center of the ballroom, joining them as witnesses to this arrangement. All waited anxiously for the announcement of the arrival of the future bride.
She stepped down on the first few steps, composing her words. But she guessed there was no other way to say it, no sugar-coating it with lies. After all, the truth would set them free.
"Excuse me, everyone," Mara called for the attention of their guests as she stopped in the middle of the grand staircase. Then, the music abruptly stopped. Silence suddenly enveloped the entire room.
"My daughter is not coming." She loudly announced for all to hear, direct to the point, not making any excuses.
She could see that all eyes automatically zeroed on her. She looked into each one, reading confusion in their eyes.
"Why?" She could hear a woman ask from the crowd.
"Where is she?" Another voice overpowered the other.
"What happened?" And another one directly questioned her.
Whispers spread across the floor. Voices echoed on the walls around the large ballroom. Then, each faction converged into groups, discussing the latest news.
The last person her eyes focused on was her husband, waiting patiently for her at the foot of the stairs. His eyes displayed disappointment in their depth, or could it be something else.
"She is not coming because she did not want to marry a man she did not love." She proclaimed for everyone to hear, answering their questions, but her eyes never left him.
She badly wanted him to understand. She would gladly accept all the blame or hatred of these people. She would take the punishment they would impose on her for betraying the pack. But she needed her husband to stand by her side.
"Maybe she is just hiding somewhere." One of their guest from a distant pack exclaimed, not satisfied with her explanation, fear obvious in his voice.
"Maybe we should search the premises and the grounds." Another one further suggested creating another wave of buzz among the crowd. "Maybe we could still find her."
"No, there is no need to look for her. She is long gone by now," Mara declared with confidence as she tried to stop the search party.
She could sense that her child was now far away. She could not feel her presence anymore. Still, she did not want anyone to attempt to look for her until she could guarantee that she was safely out of their reach.
"What have you done?" One of the Covenant witches shouted. "You should never have let her leave. You and your daughter have doomed us all to eternal misery and death." She accused her in front of everyone.
"I only did what is right for my child," Mara answered bravely, not caring if she had defied their prophecy.
"What about the pack or the other species present here? Did you even consider their fate?" Another one asked, condemning her decision to allow her daughter to run away from her responsibility.
"What about my daughter? Why would I sacrifice her for you and you and your future?" Pointing to the different factions present in the celebration, not allowing them to blame her daughter for their fate.
She would fight for her daughter as long as she was alive. She would not allow anyone to force her daughter to do what was not in her heart. She had raised her daughter well. She firmly believed that.
However, Avana would have to learn to fend for herself now that she was away from her pack and family. She was not entirely safe until they had found another way to mend this feud between the different species. She believed many would try to hunt her down.
"So, I guess this means that there would be no wedding that will happen." The King finally spoke up loudly, his voice booming in the entire room. Suddenly, the crowd bowed in silence, afraid to utter another word.
He moved toward them as his path cleared with his every step. He exuded confidence and authority in his every stride. Nobody would dare challenge him or his words.
However, she sensed anger, hatred, and disappointment in his expression. Was he looking forward to this union? She could only shudder at her daughter's fate in their hands.
"I am afraid so, King Charles." Grego, her husband, finally spoke up with her tucked safely in his arms when the King stood before them. "The marriage is off." Her husband stood firmly with his word, unafraid of the consequence as he faced their mortal enemy.
She was overwhelmed with pride at what her husband said, standing up for what they believed was right. She felt his hand tighten his hold around her waist, not painfully but firmly, assuring her that he had her back.
"I am sorry, Prince Adam." Mara turned to the younger man who stood beside his father. At least, his physical attribute still made him younger-looking than them. "If my daughter had brought you shame. But we can never force her to marry someone she does not love."
She could sense something different from him. Prince Adam did not seem as cruel as his father, but looks could be deceiving. He is, after all, the King's son, his flesh and blood, and raised by him.
Although she had not witnessed his cruelty with her own eyes, she had heard of his ruthlessness in killing their kind. She still felt confident that she had done the right thing for her daughter.
"Your daughter had made her decision, and so would I. I only hope it was the right one for the sake of your kind and mine." Prince Adam responded to her with indifference. Unlike his father, he did not seem fazed by the news.
"I hope you will not blame our daughter. It is my fault for agreeing to this wedding without considering her feelings." Her husband interjected. She could sense his shame for agreeing to this arrangement, feeling the need to save their daughter from their enemies' wrath.
"Yes, all will blame you for not putting a leash on that daughter of yours. If you think you have heard the last from us, you are gravely mistaken." The King announced through the crowd in his loud voice, his face showing no sign of mercy, allowing his words to resonate in the entire room.
Finally, the King turned to his son with a nod, who signaled their men to clear their way out. The King, with his man, turned and walked away without looking back.
Some guests gathered around them had fear in their eyes after hearing that the King had declared war. She could not blame them. The Vitalis clan was a formidable enemy.
"It had been a pleasure to meet the two of you. Even if I was not fortunate enough to meet your daughter." Prince Adam turned to them, but his eyes were looking directly at her. He seemed calmer than his father.
She felt like he was studying her, memorizing her face. But she quickly dismissed it when he finally turned around and followed his father. She could not understand what she saw in his eyes.
"I am sorry if I put you both in this situation." Grego pulled her into a hug, feeling his heartbeat drumming in his chest, echoing what she was also experiencing at that moment.
"We did this to our daughter. We will face this together." Assuring him that he had nothing to worry about because they were a family that would continue to love and support each other.
Then, her eyes followed the retreating back of their guests out of the ballroom, out of their sight. Her mind could not help but think of what the young man thought when she looked at her. He seemed to be an enigma that she found hard to read.
Was he just like her daughter, who would dare to defy fate?