Verveville's Curse

Willow’s Pov The bells of Verneville dinged over the white towers like clashing silver spoons against silver plates, their echo rippling through the clear blue skies above the kingdom. The scent of blossoming flowers and decay hung thick in the air, draped across the marble pillars. Every corner of the palace glittered under the sun, draped in silk and lined with enchanted crystals, buzzing with the slow, steady thrum of magic. It was a day of promise, of union, of peace. My wedding. And yet, I couldn't breathe. The gown fit me perfectly, embroidered with ancestral embroidery and mystical markings, stitched in moonlit thread by the High Sisters but it clung like armor. Too tight, too heavy. I stood before the mirror in my room, my hands trembling at my sides, my silver tiara sliding against my white curls. “Your people are waiting,” a voice behind me said, smooth as glass and sharpened by centuries. I sighed Queen Lilith, my aunt, entered without knocking, as always. Dressed in royal violet robes and black pearls, her green eyes narrowed at the sight of my stillness. Her expression was unreadable, somewhere between impatience and pride. “I know,” I said quietly, not turning around. My reflection stared back, too serene to be real. Lilith stepped closer, the smell of incense trailing behind her. She adjusted the veil at my shoulders with a practiced hand. “You look just like your mother did on her wedding day.” she smiled without her eyes. A hollow pause followed as my throat tightened. “Thank you,” I whispered, even though I had no memory of my mother. Only old paintings and stories passed down by a few who barely remembered her. Lilith's fingers lingered, brushing the soft pendant at my throat, a silver crescent moon, warm with protective magic. “I promised your mother I was going to see you through your wedding. This marriage will bind our people to peace. You carry the future, Willow, Be proud.” My aunt Lilith had always been duty bound and taught me its ways from when I was a child. She was my guardian I nodded, but inside my chest, doubt stirred like a trapped bird. I didn’t dislike my betrothed. Prince Eldric of the eastern courts was noble, kind, and magically gifted. But our conversations were polite and hollow. There was no fire, no calling, Just duty. And yet what else had my life ever been? I thought to tell my aunt my doubts but pushed against it I turned from the mirror. “Has Thorne arrived?” Lilith’s hands froze mid-way. “He sent word, he got delayed at the border.” She cleared her throat “Again?” An unease curled through my stomach. “What has been taking too much of his time lately?” I asked “Your uncle has always been unpredictable, she said coolly. “But unimportant” she gave a sarcastic smile “Focus on the vows ahead, not on unreliable being. Okay baby?” There was always a silent tension between them. I could say they hated each other and I honestly didn't know why. Probably a thing about in laws as Thorne was my dad’s brother. I said nothing. I’ve always felt something strange about Thorne, the way his eyes lingered on me too long when we met as a child. Not unkind, but heavy. Knowing, haunted. “He promised me to walk me down the aisle, as you know.. my dad’s brother” I sighed “What am I here for, darling?” She said with a cold glint in her eyes. Pronouncing the “r” in the “here” strongly “I raised you, surely you owe me that” she said pouting “I’m sorry aunt” i smiled “please walk me down the aisle” i said grinning while she smiled Down below, music rose from the courtyard, flutes and drums and a chorus of light, harmonized by witches and enchanted wind. I forced herself to breathe. It was time. The walk to the altar stretched like a dream. I moved between a sea of nobles, warriors, and spellbinders from across the realm, all rising to bow as I passed. Every step echoed louder than the last. The marble beneath my slippers seemed to make a buzzing sound, as if the stones themselves knew something was coming. Prince Eldric stood at the far end, tall and handsome, his silver staff glowing faintly in his grip. He smiled as I approached. It was a kind smile. But it wasn’t the smile from my dreams. In the days leading up to the wedding, I had been haunted by strange visions, flashes of claws, black forests, burning trees. A voice whispering my name not as a lover, but a warning. I hadn’t told anyone, not even Lilith. They were dreams, that was all. Still, as I placed my hand in Eldric’s, a shiver crawled down my spine. The priestess raised her hands. "Before magic and moon, sun and spirit, we gather to unite…" A low rumble cut her off. The earth trembled. Whispers rippled through the crowd. Eyes turned toward the sky. Then the howl came. Long, low, guttural. Not a wolf’s call from the wild. This one was sharper. Closer. Too close. The air shattered Flames erupted at the edge of the palace walls. Screams rose. Guards rushed to their stations. Chaos bloomed like wildfire. And above it all, descending like a storm from the northern hills, wolves. Dozens. No, hundreds. Clad in steel and black and brown furs. Their eyes burned with unnatural light. My body reacted before my mind caught up. I ripped my veil free, stepped in front of Eldric, and summoned fire to my palms. Lilith’s voice rang out, booming with magic. “Shield the princess! Sound the alarm now!” But my gaze was fixed on a particular werewolf among the invaders. At the front of the onslaught was a massive werewolf, different and enchanting from the rest. He was definitely the Alpha. His fur was a blend of silver and gray, with streaks of deep brown that glowed in the moonlight. He radiated power and control. This was no ordinary werewolf. This was something far more dangerous. I had never met him. But I knew, somehow, deep in my bones that he was the one who had been haunting my dreams. The wedding was over and war begun