Halsey POV
"Here we go, poor girl." Rio's laughter had me jumping on my feet; the sunlight pours through the door as she walks in.
"Still sleeping on your wedding night?" Rio throws her legs at me on the floor. I must have cried myself to sleep right on the floor.
I glimpse at Rio, rolling her eyes at me and a little bit of mockery in her smiles. She is also a princess; she is the main daughter of King Ganesh, who should probably be getting married to the unknown prince instead of me.
Why does it have to be me? She is also older than me; the only difference is that I'm more attractive.
"Get up and get ready! Father wants me to make sure that you get dressed without picking up a fight." She throws herself onto my bed.
One of the maids immediately helps me off the floor, escorting me to the bathroom. I silently follow them, too exhausted to shed a tear. I couldn't help but think about the prince I'm about to marry while taking my bath.
Knowing that my wedding will take place at night is the most unsettling thought I've ever encountered. Who gets married at night? Who is this man?
Shortly after I finish bathing, the maid brings out a white dress with golden flowers at the tip. Rio's mocking laughter fills the air as I slip into the dress.
"Rumor has it your prince is as cruel as his father. Some say worse. A monster, especially after dark." Rio lounges on the bed, her lips curling into a sly smile. "Father made the right call. Let you play wife to the beast. I'll wait for someone dashing, wealthy, and—" she twirls a strand of hair, "—less homicidal."
Chills run down my spine as she describes the prince as if she had seen him with her own eyes. What if her words were true?
Is he truly a monster at night? The fact that the wedding was taking place at night sort of validated her words. Fear knots my stomach, tightening with every breath.
I wave the scary thought aside as I look down at my dress. I can't deny its elegance.
"You look beautiful, Halsey. But does it matter when you are actually doomed? What if you end up dying pathetically in this monster's hand? Nobody can save you, and your beauty is wasted." She smiles with pleasure, as if she would gladly see me dead, especially in the hands of my future husband.
"It's time, princess." A maid announces from the entrance of my room. I take a sharp breath as I walk behind her.
I descend the stairs with trembling legs as the weird feeling in my stomach increases.
The moment I step into the hall, I spot a man with long silver hair standing in front of the entrance, arching his strong arm as he stares at me.
I straighten myself and take a moment to let my dress fall naturally. His eyes lock onto mine, unmoving and piercing, like frost-coated steel. The weight of his gaze makes my skin crawl, but I can't look away. There's something unreadable there—an intensity that leaves my breath hitching in my throat.
His icy blue eyes remain unblinking, seemingly waiting for me. Why is he staring at me?
Who is this man?
A chill runs down my spine, and my breath catches, my heartbeat thrumming like a trapped bird. There's no warmth in his gaze—just an icy intensity that freezes me in place, as if he's unraveling my very essence.
"He is waiting for you, princess. It's tradition for the groom to take the bride into the wedding hall." As the maid behind me spoke, my eyes grew wide.
No, wait!
He can't be the groom, can he?
My eyes meet his icy blue eyes. The blue is as beautiful as the stream behind my room, sparkling and bold. I have never seen eyes that blue before.
I walk towards him, and he holds out my hand without saying a word to me. As soon as we walk into the hall, we sit beside the kings, and the ceremony begins as dancers and musicians entertain the guests.
His face is a mask of indifference, but there's something in the way his fingers twitch at his side, like he's holding back some unseen storm. For a moment, his gaze softens as it flickers to mine, but the shadow of something darker quickly swallows it whole.
I don't bother staring at him, as it only heightens my fear. It's not his face that scares me, but rather his aura, his fierceness, and his complete silence.
King Ganesh declares us husband and wife, and the dancing entertainment begins again. Soon after, King Klaus rises to his feet, abruptly ending the dance and music.
"To complete this wedding, it is tradition to link Halsey to the kingdom she now belongs to," King Klaus announces as he grabs a glass and digs his fangs into his wrist.
His blood drips into the glass, then he orders me to drink from him. With trembling hands, I grasp the glass, bracing myself for the agony that awaits my disconnection from my kingdom.
The metallic tang of his blood coated my tongue, and an inferno ignited in my chest. My vision blurred, the world around me dissolving into nothing but the piercing agony that consumed me. My knees buckled as I clung to the glass, its coolness a cruel contrast to the fire searing through my veins.
As the liquid slides down my throat, my chest tightens, and a searing pain blooms like wildfire. It starts small, then grows, clawing its way through my ribs, tearing at the fabric of my being.
My vision swims, and I clutch my chest, nails digging into my skin to stifle the scream rising in my throat. It feels as if my soul itself is being unraveled, thread by agonizing thread.
"Now, the ceremony is complete," King Klaus announces as everyone cheers. King Ganesh looks the happiest as I peek at him with sad eyes.
Walking back to my seat, a sudden wave of heat pulses through me, igniting in my chest and radiating outward. It feels unnatural, like fire licking at my veins, burning brighter with every heartbeat.
My vision blurs, and I swipe at the beads of sweat gathering at my temples. Around me, everyone else looks composed, oblivious to the inferno raging within me.
A searing heat spreads through my chest, a fire so intense it feels as though molten lava is coursing through my veins. I bite down on my lip, forcing back a cry that threatens to escape, the sting of pain mingling with my growing panic.
My hands tremble as beads of sweat roll down my temples, and I feel the eyes of the room like weights pressing on my skin. I can't scream, not here—not in front of the kings.
"Cora, what is going on?" I scream in my head, calling out to my wolf.
She suddenly becomes restless, and the heat intensifies! "Our mate is here, Halsey! I can feel him; he is here." She jumps excitedly, and I'm so confused that sweat begins to trickle down my face.
As I settle back in my seat with the heat burning, Cora's voice echoes in my mind, frantic and trembling. "It's him, Halsey. It's him!" Her words are laced with a mix of excitement and fear, her energy sparking against mine. My heart pounds as the heat rises again, my wolf's certainty battling with my own growing dread.
Him? Who is he?
I'm about to ask Cora again when the prince shoots me a glance.
His fierce blue eyes were not the calm ones I had seen earlier.
"Mate?" He raises his eyebrows at me, causing my eyes to widen. No, it can't be him, I whisper to myself.
"Yes, it's him." Cora screams, and my mouth falls open, unable to utter a word.
"Yes, your highness. I think you are my mate." I finally respond, gulping roughly, but he frowns even more, and the air around us thickens.
I don't believe he is my mate, but is he truly a monster? I wanted to ask, but I didn't have the courage to even look him in the eyes.
But somehow I'm excited that I've finally found my mate, and I am now married to him.
I scream excitedly in my head, but the instant he stares at me with a cold gaze, I stiffen.
"Don't get your hopes up. Mate or wife—it makes no difference to me."He reads my thoughts, and my chest heaves at his response and the coldness in his tone.
I have been waiting for my true love for a long time, and I've finally found him, but he doesn't seem to care about me.
"It doesn't matter," he says, his voice low but sharp, like frost-coated steel. "This bond means nothing to me. If not for this marriage, I'd have rejected you already." His jaw tightens, and for a fleeting moment, something flickers in his eyes—pain? Regret? It's gone too quickly to grasp, leaving only the cold finality of his words.
"Once you've said goodbye to your family, meet me outside the castle." He gets off his seat and walks away.
Did he just say that he didn't care if we were mates, and that he would have rejected me if we weren't forcefully married?