Chapter 3: The Feast
1680 Words
I sat patiently as Bela brushed my hair until it flowed smoothly down my back. Just like my bedroom, the bathroom was spacious and luxurious, offering a level of comfort I had never known before. As I bathed, I had been left alone with my thoughts, giving me time to reflect and plan.
I could almost picture Father, Mother, and Sabina congratulating one another on their brilliant plan. Although the people of Edoria had served Cassian for centuries before my family ever came into power, my father had loved my sister so dearly that he was willing to sacrifice me to protect her.
It was difficult to deny how much that stung, the bastard.
For now, I was nothing to Cassian but his bride. Even if I managed to conceal the truth about our marriage, I doubted he would help me. Why would he? I was merely a mortal who had been handed over to him as part of an ancient bargain.
As my thoughts threatened to consume me, Bela stepped back, surveying her handiwork with evident pride.
I gazed at my reflection and barely recognised myself. A soft blush coloured my cheeks, and my lips had been painted a deep red. The dress I wore was gold, decorated with blue flowers along the sleeves and complemented by a matching belt cinched at the waist.
"Cassian will be here soon," Bela announced.
As though summoned by the mere mention of his name, Cassian appeared in a blaze of fire.
I held my breath as I studied him. He wore a deep-blue robe that left half his chest exposed, revealing a chiselled pectoral and well-defined abs. A golden bracelet adorned his arm, its blue gemstone matching the one set into my ring.
"You have worked your magic again, Bela," he remarked, pulling me out of my trance.
"I knew you would like it," she replied with a bright smile.
I glanced between them, wondering whether something was going on between the two. Were gods celibate, spiritual beings, or were they just as promiscuous and wild as mortals?
My cheeks warmed as I imagined what it might be like to be with Cassian. When he turned his attention towards me, I immediately lowered my gaze, an instinctive attempt to hide my thoughts.
A sudden rush of air swept past me, and before I could react, Cassian was standing behind me. I watched our reflections in the mirror as he took hold of my arms, his hands moving towards my neck to sweep my hair aside.
"A gift for my bride," he murmured.
He fastened a golden necklace around my neck, his breath fanning against my skin.
"The human reacts to you. How strange," Bela observed, tilting her head to one side.
My cheeks grew hotter. I tried to move away from his warmth, but Cassian wrapped an arm around my waist, holding me firmly against his side.
"Don't run away now," he said, his eyes glowing and reminding me of precisely what he was.
Fire curled around us, engulfing us both. One moment, we were standing opposite Bela; the next, we had appeared in an enormous hall.
A dining table stretched across the room, laden with food at nearly every corner and surrounded by more than fifty seats.
My eyes nearly rolled back in my head. I was still struggling to grow accustomed to this peculiar form of transportation.
"I keep forgetting how fragile your kind are," Cassian mused, releasing me when I no longer needed to lean against him.
I wanted to argue with him, to prove that I wasn't fragile, but I forced myself to remain silent.
Hold your tongue.
"I thought this was supposed to be a wedding celebration," I remarked, glancing around the otherwise empty hall.
"In Sanctis, we feast when we celebrate. Our wedding is a feast. Come now."
I followed him to the table, only to watch as he took his seat at the head with a raised eyebrow.
"Why are you standing there?" Cassian asked.
"In Edoria, men pull out chairs for their women," I explained.
"I am a god, not a man, Serena."
His tone made me feel foolish and childish for even suggesting it.
"Forgive Cassian. He is very old and senile."
The deep voice came from behind me, startling me into turning around.
The god who had appeared out of nowhere was undeniably handsome, with short black hair and violet eyes. Unlike Cassian, who seemed to favour flowing robes, he was dressed like a mortal merchant. Had it not been for the unnatural glow in his eyes, I might have mistaken him for one.
He pulled out my chair, and I smiled gratefully as I settled into it.
"You are much older than I am, Rubis," Cassian remarked.
For the first time, I heard a hint of emotion in his voice.
Rubis laughed, taking the seat beside me before popping a grape into his mouth.
Interesting. So gods ate mortal food after all.
"Gods eat people, too, if you were wondering," he remarked casually.
I frowned.
Can he read my—?
"Yes, I can," he interrupted, a smirk spreading across his face.
It only made him more attractive, which was terribly inconvenient.
"Stop reading her mind," Cassian ordered.
He picked up a cup of wine and placed it in front of me.
"Drink."
I frowned at the command. Obey without question, he had said.
I turned my head towards Rubis, who silently mouthed the word senile.
I found it amusing, but Cassian shot me a pointed look. Apparently, he didn't appreciate being made fun of.
Ironic, considering the way he spoke to me as though I were a child.
A pink mist drifted into the room, and two goddesses materialised within it. Both were dressed in beautiful robes adorned with gold. One had blonde hair, while the other had brown.
They glided towards their seats with an effortless grace. The blonde goddess settled beside Rubis, while the other took the seat next to Cassian.
More gods appeared shortly afterwards.
I remained silent as they discussed matters I could barely understand. Every so often, Cassian would absently slide a plate towards me, and I forced myself to eat despite my discomfort.
They laughed and exchanged jokes as casually as any group of mortals might, yet my body remained tense beneath the weight of their collective power.
Their conversation was cheerful enough, but an undercurrent of tension lingered beneath it. I could have sworn some of them were glaring at me with an emotion I was becoming all too familiar with.
Disgust.
"Why did you bring your vermin to a place reserved for gods?" the woman seated beside Cassian suddenly asked.
Her question brought the entire table to a standstill.
Her name was Adora, and thanks to Rubis—the only person who had consistently acknowledged my existence—I knew she was the Goddess of Love.
"Adora," Rubis warned, his smile fading.
"What?" she replied. "I'm merely asking a question that's on everyone's mind. You can read thoughts, can't you? Surely you already know."
My fork slipped from my fingers and struck the table, the sharp clatter echoing through the hall.
In that moment, I understood exactly what I was.
Prey surrounded by predators.
And now I understood what Cassian had meant when he told me to learn my place.
"Your jealousy is showing," Emira, the Goddess of War, remarked absently. She dipped a long fingernail into a piece of cake and licked it clean.
Adora burst into laughter.
"Me? Jealous of some human?"
"I have a name!" I snapped.
The words had barely left my mouth before regret settled in.
Everything happened in a flash.
One moment, I was sitting in my chair; the next, I was standing behind Cassian, who had intervened just in time to stop Adora from striking me with a vicious blow.
Were all gods such pompous pricks?
They seemed to lose their minds whenever I dared speak against them.
"You will not lay a hand on what is mine," Cassian said calmly.
With a sharp movement, he flung Adora away from him.
She disappeared, only to reappear beside her seat.
"Eventually, she'll die just like the rest of them. This isn't over, human," she said, directing her final words at me.
Once again, she had deliberately refused to use my name.
Cassian turned and began walking back towards his seat when I reached out and grabbed his arm.
"I would like to leave, please," I pleaded.
I was deeply uncomfortable with the way goosebumps rose across my skin beneath the other gods' hostile stares.
I had hoped Cassian would be different. So far, he had been calm, if distant, and largely indifferent to the behaviour of those around him.
But now, his eyes began to glow as he looked down at my hand as though it were something filthy.
"You do not command me, Serena. Sit down, and this time, keep your mouth shut."
I had been wrong.
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