Tonight
978 Words
•Zara•
I dressed up, painted and polished as my father had ordered. To him, my only worth was to be paraded for my beauty.
My ash blonde hair cascaded in soft curls around my shoulders, my lips were painted bright red, with my hazel eyes standing out in contrast. I wore my best dress—a black gown with a thigh-high slit that revealed my leg whenever I moved. The dress accentuated my curves and drew attention to my chest, making it appear fuller.
I looked like a doll—beautiful, but empty. A soft knock came on the open bathroom door where I stood, staring at my reflection.
In the mirror, I saw one of the maids, her gaze meeting mine briefly before she lowered her eyes.
“Your Highness, the King requests your presence. Lucien has arrived,” she said softly. I nodded, steadying myself.
I made sure to hide any hint of weakness or pain behind a well-practiced smile. If anything, I had to muster the strength to put up a fight—for my life.
The maid handed me my purse as I walked out, moving with forced elegance, willing my muscles to relax. I knew I looked composed, poised—and beautiful.
The guards pushed open the towering doors to the dining room, and I stepped inside. My eyes flickered around, landing on my father, his advisor, and a few members of parliament.
My breath caught in my throat as my gaze settled on a man seated across the room, his focus entirely on cutting into his steak. He seemed utterly uninterested in my entrance, which sparked an unusual flicker of annoyance within me. The last thing I expected was to be ignored, especially during our first meeting.
As though sensing my thoughts, he lifted his gaze.
His eyes were a startling shade of blue—a blue that outshone both sky and sea. It was an intense, almost surreal shade that I couldn’t quite place.
A shiver ran through me, and a knot tightened in my stomach as I took in the man I was destined to marry.
Dark hair framed his face, with a sharp scar slicing through his right brow, amplifying his dangerous aura.
His lips were neither pressed nor smiling—simply still. His gaze didn’t wander down my body as other men’s had. No, his eyes remained fixed on mine, even as I took my seat beside my father.
“Zara, meet Lucien,” Father said, casting a disapproving look in my direction. I quickly lowered my gaze. He had likely seen me holding Lucien’s stare, and I was certain he’d have reprimanded me if we weren’t in company.
To him, a woman meeting a man’s eyes was disrespectful—almost rude.
“Lucien, meet your bride.” A warmth crept into my father’s voice as he smiled at Lucien, though I could see the slight tremor in his fingers betraying his nerves.
Lucien didn’t bother to glance at him. I felt his gaze lingering on me, even as I stared at my plate. Had I provoked him by holding his stare?
“Princess,” he murmured, his voice both sinful and strangely familiar. It sounded unlike any man’s voice I had ever known—almost like a taste on my tongue.
He spoke just a single word, and my eyes snapped back to his.
“Zara.” My father’s voice was sharper now, and I tore my gaze away from Lucien, focusing on the lavish but wasteful spread of food before us.
“I’d mind my tone if I were you,” Lucien replied quietly, without even looking away from me. He continued eating, as though he hadn’t just issued a veiled threat to the King of Vaeloria—in his own kingdom.
Though I wasn’t looking at him, I could sense my father’s tension. He feared Lucien, this marriage was arranged as some form of punishment for reasons I didn’t understand.
Conversation resumed as my father and his advisors made strained attempts at small talk, asking Lucien about his business. I ignored them, focusing on the man seated across from me—the one I would be married to in less than twelve hours, the one who might well be my undoing.
Lucien’s reputation was as dark as his aura. It was rumored he’d killed his own father at ten, earning the name “The Beast.” He had married twice before, and in both cases, his wives had died within a year.
Why women were drawn to him remained a mystery. Perhaps some were enticed by his brooding charm, or, like me, they had been given no choice.
His first wife, Liora, a fashion designer, was found murdered in an alley, her organs harvested. The second, Nora, suffered an even more gruesome fate, her body found dismembered, with eyes and organs missing.
Rumor had it that Lucien had murdered them himself, selling their organs to amass his wealth. A shiver crept over me as I considered what my own fate might be.
As though reading my thoughts, Lucien’s eyes turned to me, bright yet icy.
“When exactly is the wedding scheduled?” he asked, his gaze not leaving me, abruptly interrupting whatever my father had been saying. I felt my heart thudding as his words sank in.
“Arrangements have been made,” my father replied, a hint of unease in his voice. “The ceremony will take place tomorrow, if—”
“Tonight,” Lucien interrupted, his eyes flashing. My father’s face darkened as I stared at Lucien, his words slowly registering, draining the color from my face.
“What are you—” I began, but he cut me off, turning to my father with a look that very well sealed my fate.
“We’re getting married. Tonight.”
- Writer
