Married To The Prince and then Mated To The King

Chapter 8|| The First Ceremony

8|| Alina||

I couldn't sleep.

Who could sleep after what I had just experienced? At one point my father in law wanted me to be his date in an open ceremony and then his daughter was being unnecessarily mean to me...

What sort of family had I tied myself into? What have I done to myself?

Throughout the night, I couldn't sleep. I kept turning and tossing on the bed, thinking about my next move. I had to find a way to deal with my problem, the major one being myself.

I had to find a way to learn to resist him. I couldn't keep giving in to his advances, I would only make this worse.

Rejecting him already failed, it left me with only one option.

A mischievous smile formed on my lips as the plan made shape and took form in my head. He might think himself crazy and a man who never took no for an answer, but by the time I was done, he would beg me to sever whatever ties we would have left.

By the time the soft warmth of the morning sun trickled through the room, I was more than ready to face the day. I was just getting out of bed to get washed up when a knock echoed on my door before it rattled as whoever it was tried to open it immediately.

A knowing grin danced on my lips as my precautions were starting to pay off. The moment Daphne had left my room last night, I got the door locked under the key, preventing more august visitors from barging into my room.

Now, I decided who I let in, when I wanted.

Ignoring the door, I went to the bathroom and took my time to soak in the warm water. Letting its coolness wash away all of the anxiety of the previous day and prepare me for today on a fresh slate.

When I was done, I expected whoever was at the door to have given up by now, but surprisingly, they were still there.

With a sigh, I unlocked the door and found a very flushed Mary standing there.

"Princess!" She cried.

For a minute, I felt sorry for keeping her there for so long but the moment I took in the pile of clothes bags in her hands, I knew exactly who sent her and I wasn't sorry anymore.

"Morning, Mary." I left the door and walked to the dressing mirror on the opposite side of the room.

"I was almost about to get the guards to break down your door. Are you okay? Did you sleep well?" She whined following behind me.

"I slept well Mary, I just didn't want any disturbance..."

A huff echoed in the room as her feet marched to the bed side. "But I am no disturbance. I am your personal maid... I need to be with you. I am not a disturbance."

Seeing that she was obviously hurt by the word, I slowly turned to face her. "Mary, I know you mean well but I just really needed to rest. And for some reason I couldn't bring myself to open the door."

A scowl formed on her face and she turned to glare at the door. "But who even locked the door?"

"I did," I shrugged but a gasp left her lips as she suddenly turned to me like I had cursed her parents.

"Princess, it is against the rules of this manor. Please don't ever do that again."

"Why would anyone place a rule against closing doors?" I hissed, confused about the whole thing. "I needed my privacy. In fact, I will always need it. Get used to meeting my door locked."

"No, please, no." She cried, running to where I was with panic in her eyes as if I had once again committed a crime. "I thought I explained yesterday... Aside from me, no one will come into your room except you let them in."

My eyes narrowed and I took a clear look at her. "So you are saying, no one will come into my room if my door is unlocked— how does that even work?"

How could such a rule work when I had a crazy King after me?

Mary suddenly looked tired as she replied; "It works because it's a rule in this pack. No one locks their doors and no one— aside from their personal maids— can barge in."

"And if they do, what happens?" I countered.

"They'll get punished. There is a panel for that but no one ever faces this panel because everyone knows not to break the rule."

"I see..." I mumbled— Everyone perhaps knew not to break the rule, except the one who placed it!

"Princess, you have taken a bath already. Why don't we start getting you prepped up?" Her usual smile was back as she clapped her hands. "We need to be ready for your first ceremony."

"Now?" I asked, returning to stare at her through the mirror. "I thought it was a sort of ball in the evening. Why should I get ready now?"

"Oh you actually have to undergo three ceremonies. The ball is the last one."

A frown settled on my face as I met her gaze. "And what's the first?"

"You have to make a meal for the royal family and council. Their approval will determine your position in the pack..."

Her response only made the frown on my face only deepen further. "Isn't my position already clear? Am I not the prince's wife?"

Unease flickered through her eyes and her bubbly spirit dimmed. "It's true that you are the prince's wife but the royal family and council will determine if your role will be as Future Queen Luna or merely a breeder for the prince."

"What?" My hands instantly grabbed the chair I was sitting on as I abruptly turned to her. "Why the hell would they do that?"

The unease on her face grew stronger as she tried to pick on everything around her. "I don't know... It's just the Dark-Wolves pack's old tradition..."

My brows furrowed in disgust, shock and annoyance. Why didn't anyone tell me?

"And who even gets to make the final decision on this absurd matter?" I blurted out.

"The King."