Chapter 2 — Selene
1606 Words
Selene’s POV
The entire Vaelith estate glittered that morning.
Silk banners fluttered from the balconies, fresh roses lined the corridors, and the air was heavy with the scent of roasted meat and honey wine. Servants scurried like mice through the halls, carrying trays, polishing floors, and hanging garlands of white and silver, the colors of the Blackthorn crest.
My crest now. Or so everyone kept reminding me.
I sat before the mirror in my dressing chamber as two maids adjusted the jeweled combs in my hair. “Careful,” I hissed when one pulled too hard. “If you ruin a single strand, I’ll have your hide hung in the stables.”
“Yes, my lady,” the girl whimpered.
I studied my reflection, flawless, radiant. My gown, spun with threads of moonlight silk, shimmered with every breath I took. Around my throat gleamed the Vaelith heirloom necklace, sapphire stones catching the morning light. Beautiful, breathtaking… perfect.
Exactly what a Luna should be.
The door creaked open. “You look divine, my daughter,” my father said, stepping in with that ever-calculating smile. “The envoys from the Blackthorn Pack will be here by nightfall. Your name will be written among the noble queens.”
I smiled faintly at his reflection. “Of course it will.”
He came to stand behind me, hands resting on my shoulders. “Do you realize what this means for our family? The Vaeliths will finally sit beside the throne.”
“I’ve realized it every second since you told me,” I said lightly. “Believe me, Father, I’ve thought of little else.”
His smile widened. “Then let us not waste the goddess’s blessing.”
He left, his boots echoing down the corridor.
Blessing. If only he knew how little faith I had in divine favors.
Hours later, the mansion pulsed with excitement. Nobles from allied packs had begun to arrive for the pre-engagement celebration, an event Father insisted upon to “honor the Luna-to-be.” The hall sparkled with crystal chandeliers and laughter. I drifted among them, accepting compliments, basking in their envy.
“Lady Selene, the goddess herself, must envy your beauty,” one man said, bowing deeply.
I tilted my head graciously. “Flattery never tires me, Lord Farren. Do continue.”
They chuckled, clinking glasses. All eyes followed me as I moved through the crowd, white silk gliding behind like a trail of light. For a moment, I almost believed it—almost believed I was meant for this, destined for greatness.
Then I saw her.
Aria.
Bent at the waist, balancing a tray of wine goblets that trembled in her hands as she passed among the guests. Her simple gray dress looked even duller against the glow of my own. Her hair, though neatly tied, escaped in wisps around her face. Invisible. Forgettable. And yet— she carried herself with a strange quiet grace that somehow drew attention even when she tried to vanish.
A bitter taste filled my mouth.
“She cleans well enough,” one of the noblewomen said nearby, watching her. “Still, it must be odd for you to keep her after… everything.”
I smiled thinly. “Pity makes one foolish sometimes.”
The woman smirked. “Careful, my lady. Too much kindness invites betrayal.”
I let out a soft laugh and turned away, pretending not to care.
But the sight of Aria lingered like a splinter under skin. No matter how I rose, she always hovered there, a shadow reminding me of what I wasn’t. Her mother had been my father’s sister; once, Aria had lived in these halls as family. Then her mother died, and my father saw no use in sentiment. He turned her into a servant overnight. I told myself it was justice, the world didn’t reward weakness.
Still… her silence always unnerved me.
Later, as the music swelled, I stood near the balcony, accepting yet another toast. That’s when I overheard it.
Two noblemen behind me, whispering.
“I heard the Alpha King’s face was ruined,” one said.
“Ruined?” The other snorted. “You mean monstrous. My cousin from the northern pack saw him once, and said half his face black. They say the Moon Goddess cursed him for killing his mate.”
I went rigid.
Another woman nearby joined the gossip. “Oh yes, I’ve heard the same! He hides behind a silver mask now. Imagine marrying a man like that.”
Laughter rippled through the group. My stomach turned.
Scarred. Cursed. Monstrous.
For a moment, the grand hall seemed to tilt around me. All I could see was the silver gleam of the goblet in my hand and the reflection of my own perfect face in the wine,unscarred, unmarred. Beautiful.
If the rumors were true, then what awaited me was no crown… but a nightmare.
“Lies,” I muttered to myself, forcing a smile as I turned to the nobles. “You shouldn’t believe tavern gossip.”
One of them bowed apologetically. “Of course, my lady. Surely the goddess would not curse the chosen Alpha.”
But the seed had been planted.
I needed to know.
All night, as the servants cleared the last of the guests and the candles burned low, I sat in my chamber staring into the mirror. My reflection no longer looked radiant,it looked terrified.
What if the rumors were true? What if I stood beside that man and he removed his mask, revealing a beast? How would the nobles look at me then? The Luna of a monster?
I felt my stomach twist. No. I wouldn’t let that happen. I thought it was just a rumor to prevent me from being his luna.
When dawn’s first light crept across the curtains, I marched straight into my father’s study. He was already there, poring over letters sealed with the royal crest.
“Father,” I said, my voice hard.
He looked up. “You’re awake early.”
“This marriage—” I began.
“Yes,” he interrupted with satisfaction. “The Blackthorn envoy will escort you to the palace tomorrow. We must ensure you are prepared.”
“I won’t go,” I said coldly.
His pen stopped mid-stroke. Slowly, he lifted his eyes to mine. “What did you say?”
“I refuse the match.”
The silence that followed was deafening.
“You refuse,” he repeated, rising from his chair. “Do you have any idea what that would mean? You would shame this house! The council itself decreed this union—”
“I don’t care about decrees!” I shouted. “Do you know what they say about him, Father? That he’s disfigured! That he’s cursed!”
My father’s expression darkened. “Idle gossip.”
“ That's what I thought as well but not anymore”
“I won’t marry a monster!” The words tore out before I could stop them. “Do you want me to be pitied, mocked? The Luna of a scarred beast?”
His hand slammed down on the desk. “Enough!”
I flinched.
“Do you think you have a choice?” he demanded. “You will go. You will wed him. And you will secure this family’s future.”
Tears of rage burned my eyes. “And what of me? Do I not matter?”
“You are a Vaelith,” he said coldly. “Your duty is all that matters.”
I stormed out before he could say more, fury twisting inside me. My pulse thundered in my ears as I walked blindly through the corridors, past portraits of ancestors who all looked as cold and cruel as him.
I stopped only when I saw movement at the end of the hall,Aria again, arranging flowers on the table outside the drawing room. Her head was bowed, her lips moving in silent prayer as she adjusted the vase.
Something inside me snapped.
“Still pretending innocence?” I hissed.
She turned, startled. “My lady?”
“Don’t ‘my lady’ me,” I spat, stepping closer. “You knew about the rumors, didn’t you? About his face, his curse,you all whisper about it behind my back.”
Her eyes widened in confusion. “I swear I didn’t,you told me yourself—”
“Liar!” I struck the vase from the table. It shattered on the floor between us, water and petals spilling across the marble. Aria gasped, stumbling back.
“You enjoy this, don’t you?” I accused, my voice trembling with fury. “Watching me squirm while you polish my floors!”
“I would never—” she began, but I didn’t let her finish.
“Enough! Get out of my sight before I forget you’re family.”
She turned and fled down the corridor, the scent of crushed roses lingering behind her. I stood there breathing hard, staring at the broken pieces glittering at my feet.
Her reflection flickered in the shards,pale, frightened, pitiful.
And suddenly, an idea bloomed.
A dangerous, perfect idea.
I smiled slowly as I knelt to pick up a petal, twirling it between my fingers. Maybe we don’t need to lose everything after all.
My eyes lifted toward the corridor where Aria had fled.
A bride was a bride.
No one ever said it had to be me.
I smirked, watching the shattered roses bleed into the marble like spilled wine.
“Sleep well, little cousin,” I murmured under my breath. “Tomorrow, you’ll wake a queen… and you won’t even know it.”
- Writer
