To Wed A Monster

Chapter Three

The ride to the Northern territory was agonizing and dark. My face was covered with a black fabric for three days, allowing just enough air flow for me not to suffocate. I was dumped at the back of a chariot, my hands and legs bound together with a jagged rope attached to a metal bar.

The only time they opened my blindfold was whenever they decided to feed me leftover food which was either rotten or a dish which all the soldiers had rejected.

Anytime I begged for water, they would come and shut me up by putting stones into my mouth. One time I had been parched and nearly unconscious, the masculine lady who they called Sera came to me and offered me a cup.

I thanked her happily, not knowing it was salt water.

After a sip, I spat it out immediately and the spittle dropped on her boots.

My lips opened to apologize but was jammed shut by a sizzling slap across my cheek.

“What a brat!” She cursed and stormed out of the chariot.

Since then, I stopped begging or crying for food or water. If I was going to die, let me die.

It was on the fifth day we got to the Northern territory and we were welcomed by a crowd of animalistic beings.

Sera took off my blindfold and loosened my leg so that I could walk. After that, she pushed me out of the chariot and I was almost knocked over by the crowd.

They spat on me, threw stuffs my way and called me all sort of horrid things.

The soldiers blocked most of the stones and rocks, so luckily, I only sustained a few bruises.

By the time we got to the Northern castle, my feet were red and swollen from walking bare over a mile on hot sand.

They dumped me on the floor in front of the King's royal seat.

I did not understand the native language they were speaking but from the looks I received from the Castle's staff and guards, I could tell they were discussing about me and it wasn't a friendly discussion at all.

"You are all dismissed." The King finally spoke out in a familiar language.

They bowed their heads and then headed out of the throne room. The only person who stayed behind was Sera.

"Sorry little thing." She said, a sly smile smeared on her grimy face. "Look how red she is already..." She cackled, her voice echoing and vibrating the windows of the room. "You're just a pretty little puppet—all strings, no spine.”

Anexia snarled, forcing my claws out again. Taking a deep breath, I murmured, through clenched teeth. "I am no one's puppet." I looked at the King and Anexia's rage flared. “Not yours and not his either.”

Without forewarning, Sera stomped on my bruised legs. "You don't talk back at me, wolf girl!" Her strikes felt like I was being hammered with a lead wrench, smashing my bones. "You might have been a princess in the South but here you're a nobody, a useless—"

"Stop it!"

The room fell quiet and Sera froze with her legs in the air. We both lifted our gazes to King Lucien whose eyes were no longer cold but fiery like twin furnaces.

"But she spoke back at—"

"Silence, Sera." Lucien snapped, raising his hand. "You both are dismissed. Take the princess to the dungeon and keep her locked in."

Sera grumbled under her breath as she lifted me up from the floor like I was feather.

"Also—" The King added as Sera and I got to the door.

She turned around to listen to him, dumping me back to the floor.

"Not a strand of hair on her head should be touched unless I command it."

His voice was cold, direct and sharp as an arrow.

"Yes, my King."

#####

Sera did her work dutifully, hurling me into a dark cell with only one waning candle as my source of light.

I had thought the frigid cold in the South was a problem, but it was heaven compared to the hellish heat of the Northern cell.

Soaked and dripping in sweat, I balled myself at the corner of the cell, counting numbers and reciting nursery rhymes to keep my eyes open, and my heart beating.

Father believed in me. My people were relying on me.

I had no idea why my father thought that of all the people in the Crescent Pack, I, Celeste D'Arden, would be able to save us from tyrannical rule.

King Lucien was powerful and undefeated. Although my hatred for him was so intense, I could almost touch it, I would be foolish to attack him now.

Even if I had to wait until eternity, I swore on my life that I would get vengeance.

If not for me, then for my late mother.

“I'll be the end of you, King Lucien.” I said quietly in the dark. “Little rabbit? You have no idea why I'm capable of.”

The temperature rose again and I couldn't bear the heat anymore, so I ripped out my gown and girdle until all I had on was a short knickers, and a singlet that did little in holding my full breasts.

I rolled the ripped fabric around my palm to help with my bruises and I did the same with my feet.

Feeling slightly better, I fell to my side and adjusted to a fetus position, lying in the darkest corner of the room.

After praying to the goddess, I fell asleep and dreamt of all the good times I had had at home; days when I had been free and proud, days when I still had dreams of being the first female Alpha.

The sound of the gates of the dungeon creaking open woke me up from my fantasy.

It was my gate that was open, and I quickly sat up and backed up against the wall.

"Who's there?" I asked, looking at the entrance..

It was his shadow I saw first; huge and scary.

His scent alone made me quiver.

He walked to the fading candle and replaced it with another one; a fuller and brighter candlestick.. Now I could see his face better; the tanned textured skin that glinted like gold. His hair is all over the place with thick strands shadowing the blue depths of his eyes. Beneath a sculpted nose were sinful, full lips that could make a fellow man salivate.

I swallowed in; my heart palpitations getting worse by the second.

"What's your name?" He demanded, his voice calm but authoritative.

Biting down on my tongue, i dared to say. "Why do you care to know? Do you want to take that away from me as well?"

Finally, his blank stare lit up and he

snorted. "Alright then, I'll just call you rabbit."

My fingers dug into my palm as I watched him walk closer to me; each step calculated with precision like a predator.

He crouched down in front of me and now I couldn't keep hiding from his gaze.

His blue eyes looked greener under the soft lights of the candlestick.

I swallowed in, fighting Anexia who had started acting crazy again.

His eyes felt like a world on its own; serene like a sea I could dive into.

Reaching into his robe's pocket, he brought out a round bread and water stored in a small jar.

"Take this." He said, handing it to me.

I hesitated despite how loud my stomach growled at the sight of food and water.

"Thanks but I'm not hungry."

He grabbed my hand and dumped the bread into my palm. "You don't ever say no to me. Not now, not ever."

The switch in his eyes from calm sea to a burning furnace was horrifying. It was like he had two personalities in one body.

One was cold, scary and reserved while the other was cruel, angry and aggressive. Either way, he was a monster.

Releasing my hand, he rose to his feet and walked to the gates of my cell. "Eat tonight so you will have enough strength for tomorrow."

"What's happening tomorrow?"

He smirked. "You'll see."