Their heels clicked against the white marble floor as they made their way down the hallway. Both Clarissa and Leah had dolled up for the festivities that were being held in the palace for the guests who had come for Agathon and Clarissa's wedding. Since the wedding party was postponed until Agathon's recovery, the Dominik family had to provide the guests with some entertainment to keep them from getting frustrated.
Clarissa was dressed in a golden liquid silk body-hugging floor-length dress with a design cut showing off her long and built legs along with her golden heels. The golden of the dress gave a beautiful contrast to her wheat-colored skin. Her dark brown long hair covered her bare back as she proudly walked forward. It was tradition for the women of Lizvia to dress in golden in public for one week to let people know that she was a newlywed woman. Clarissa, however, did not believe in superstitions and traditions but knew that she was a symbol and representation of Lizvia. She knew respecting and honoring her culture and traditions was necessary for one's character. But still, she did complain in her heart or with Leah about it.
Leah's thick red hair was beautifully braided with white pearls woven throughout them. Her braid fell just over her waist. She was dressed rather modestly in an emerald fancy jumper with a green top made of organza and silk embellished with green ornaments overall. She was wearing wide-legged green colored pants made out of parachute fabrics on base and had organza layering over it with a little bit of embellishment on it.
"How are we going to approach this?" Leah said as they both smiled at one of the servants who had greeted them.
"I could challenge them to a duel." Clarissa joked and Leah did not appreciate it.
"Clarissa," Leah warned her.
"I will just go and talk to them my way. I can be very civilized." Clarissa said and Leah shook her head.
"I don't believe you," Leah said as they were about to enter the hall.
"Clarissa." They both halted as they heard someone call out. Clarissa turned to see Aeneaus standing behind them. "Hi–" He said hesitantly.
"Hi," Clarissa said awkwardly.
"I just wanted- Well actually Agathon wanted-"
"Why are you guys so awkward?" Leah said and it was then she got attention from Aeneaus. He knew someone was with Clarissa but he did not pay attention to them and just for a moment a small moment, he was completely captivated by her beauty, especially her muddy green.
"Oh.. we have war history," Clarissa added snapping Aeneaus out of it.
"Yeah. She almost killed me during the war." His crimson eyes stayed on Leah while talking. "I was a dead man if Agathon had not interrupted." He smiled nervously.
"Well, then we're lucky you're Agathon interrupted." Leah smiled at him and Clarissa forcefully held herself from raising her eyebrows.
"Aeneaus, you were saying something?" Clarissa asked and he turned his attention to her.
"Uh- yeah! I can't find your father so I am letting you know that Agathon wants to leave for Alman tomorrow." Aeneas said and Clarissa's face scrunched up in confusion.
"Tomorrow?" She scoffed. "You know what? Tell him to tell me this by himself." Her words were firm as she gave him a small smile.
"Okay." Aeneaus nodded lightly.
"Why don't you join us?" Leah said as he was about to leave. "It's ballroom dancing, there's food and music. These festivities are for guests anyways and you're a guest of Lizvia." She looked at him with her muddy green eyes.
Aeneaus smiled at her as his crimson eyes beamed with a little joy. "I can't right now but-" He held his hand out for her and she seemed confused. Aeneaus chuckled. "Your hand." He said and she nervously smiled as she gave him his hand. He slightly leaned down looking right into her eyes. "I would like to promise you a dance and you can hold me accountable to it the next time we meet." Leah smiled as she softly left a kiss on the back of her hand. "You never told me your name," Aeneas said.
"Well, someone should have introduced us," Leah said eyeing Clarissa then she held her hand out to him. "I'm Clarissa's best friend; Ophelia Gallagher. Everyone calls me Leah."
Aeneaus was a little taken aback. "Gallagher? As in Gallagher one of the original werewolf packs?" He said and she nodded. "Well, I truly pray your father is over his promise of skinning me alive." Leah looked towards Clarissa and she just shrugged. "I should get going now. But I hope to see you again. By the way, I'm Aeneaus. Clarissa's-" He paused. "-brother-in-law."
"Sounds weird, doesn't it?" Clarissa said as he smiled and agreed. He looked towards Leah one last time as if capturing her image in his memory and left.
"He's my type," Leah said as she watched him leave.
"He's a vampire," Clarissa replied.
"You're the one to talk. You're married to one."
Clarissa scoffed, "Bitch, I meant he can hear us whisper at this distance."
"Oh. Good." Leah smiled as she went inside the hall. Clarissa shook her head as she followed Leah inside.
They stood by the small balcony looking over the whole hall. Leah pointed at the three women who had champagne glasses in their hands and were dressed in lavish dresses. Michelle Safeena, Ciara Safeena, and Lacey Yoon. These three women used to be friends with both Leah and Clarissa during high school. Since all of them belonged to families from the six original packs of Lizvia, they were treated as royalty at school. Clarissa was always the center of attention as she belonged to the Dominik family.
The Dominik family has always been the one ruling Lizvia since the blood of the supreme Alpha was running through the family. Supreme Alpha was sort of like a miracle. For the past six centuries, there have only been two Supremes, both from the pack of Dominik. The supreme alpha is a person who has a hold over every werewolf every werewolf becomes their beta. In Lizvian culture, every child born into the Dominik family was always treated as royalty as they might turn out to be the supreme alpha. However people treated Clarissa to her face, they still held somewhat stigma in their hearts against her and would bad mouth them behind their backs. Michelle, Ciara, and Lacey were one of the people who would talk back behind her back. That was one of the reasons why Clarissa cut them off. She never told Leah about it and although Leah was not too chummy with them now, she still talked to them.
"You have to tell me what you're going to do to them?" Leah asked and Clarissa smiled softly looking at them and waved to Michelle who had made eye contact with them.
"I'm going to uninvite them from my wedding party and my reception," Clarissa said and Leah's eyes grew wide in shock.
"You can't do that! Especially not before talking to your dad about it." Leah said and Clarissa rolled her eyes.
"He already forced this marriage on me. The least I can do to let my frustration out is to be a bridezilla." Clarissa said as he went downstairs and made her way towards the three women. Leah followed her behind closely as they both walked greeting everyone in their way.
"You look gorgeous!" Ciara said as she walked towards them and hugged Clarissa. Clarissa laughed as she hugged her back. One by one they all hugged each other and the noise coming from their group was very prominent and loud.
"How is Agathon doing now?" Michelle asked.
"He's doing well." Clarissa softly smiled.
"From the scary stories I have heard he's pretty meek than I imagined," Ciara added.
"Ciara, those aren't stories." Leah said, "Those are real situations that happened and he is not weak. He just had a bad situation with his demon."
"Demons." Ciara rolled her eyes. "Vampires are so weird."
"Excuse me?" Clarissa said.
"Well, not all. I'm sure Agathon is great." Michelle added.
"I don't think you are," Clarissa said as she looked in between them. "While we're on the topic I wanted to let you guys know that you're uninvited from my wedding party and my wedding reception."
"What?" Michelle said in complete disbelief. "Why?"
"You've been bad-mouthing my husband," Clarissa said.
"Do you believe we would do that?" Ciara asked.
"Well, if you can bad mouth me you can do the same thing to my husband too. Just in case you are forgetting Agathon is a vampire his hearing range is much larger and more focused than ours."
Ciara was silent and it was clear from the guilt on their faces that they could not deny it.
Michelle scoffed, "You're saying this? When he is the one who murdered your mate and Lacey's brother?"
Leah was about to say something but Clarissa gestured her to stay back.
Clarissa's eyes fell upon Lacey who was quietly standing there, "Lacey, your brother was my mate and I loved him. I completely understand if you hold hatred towards Agathon but I can't hold Agathon accountable for something he did in the line of duty. Yoon Jun De was not murdered, he was martyred on the field. I know you don't want to be a part of this and I'm not uninviting you because of what these two did, I'm doing this because I know you're obligated to attend the wedding because of your family. You can come if you want but if you don't, you can tell them I was a bitch and I told you to not come." Lacey nodded without saying anything. Lacey understood the concept. She knew her brother died with honor and dignity. She did not exactly say anything and kept to herself during the wedding.
Clarissa turned to Michelle and Ciara. "As for you two. Yes, I am saying this. If Agathon can attack and almost kill one of his vampires in front of everyone because that vampire disrespected me. I think the least I can do is uninvite the people who were being disrespectful towards him. My marriage with him might not be out of love but I have respect for him and his morals."
"I truly appreciate that." All of them were shocked as Clarissa and Leah turned to see Agathon standing behind them with a pleased smile.