Rejected by the Lycan king

“There’s no way on earth I’d watch you get our daughter married to that brute!” My stepmother’s voice resounded from the main house like a dying banshee. “Come on, Lucretia. You’re way too loud. We’re not supposed to let the children know about this yet.” My father tried in vain to pacify her. “I am not loud!” She retorted. Ironically, her voice seemed to have gone several notes higher. I didn’t need to strain to overhear their quarrel from the garden where I stood tending to the flowers. For even a disabled wolf like me, they were pretty loud. And for context, I knew there was no way Lucretia would refer to me as “our daughter”, so this had to be about my sister, Dahlia. She sat in the summerhouse, staring blankly out the window and holding on to an uneaten grape. We both shared a glance, and she let out a tired sigh while I tried to plaster on a reassuring smile. “I’ll be back.” Dahlia mouthed with a frown on her face and slithered off. I decided it was best if I stayed away for now. “You have no right to decide for Dahlia. Not after what you did to me. To us!” My stepmother’s voice continued with a vengeance. “You made me regret getting married to you, and now you want to sign my daughter to the same fate!” “What are you—” “You cheat. Have you forgotten so easily even when the evidence of your unfaithfulness stares me every day in the face?” “Lucretia!” My father’s bellow effectively seemed to work in keeping her quiet. I flinched and stopped my trimming halfway. Now, that was me, the evidence of my father’s unfaithfulness. His voice was laced with a mix of anger and desperation. “Lucretia, stop this. I’ve told you, I’ll spend the rest of my life making things right by Dahlia, by you, by all of us. But I need this connection with the Lycan king. I had already even received the King’s gifts! This is the only way to secure our family’s future.” It was silent for a while, and I thought the argument was over. But then Lucretia’s angry voice cut through the tension. “By selling off my precious girl. Why don’t you sell off Ophelia instead? She’s your daughter as well.” The garden seemed to grow quieter, as if even the flowers and trees were holding their breath. When my father spoke next, I couldn’t hear him. He was whispering. I went closer, desperately wanting to hear his response. “Lucretia, don’t say that. I’m not selling off any of our daughters—” But Lucretia continued, “She’s evidence of your infidelity, a reminder of your mistake. Get her married to the Lycan king, and I will forgive you.” I felt a stinging sensation in my eyes as tears began to form. I had always known that Lucretia didn’t want me around, but to hear her suggest that I be “sold off” like a piece of property was a harsh reminder of my place in this family. The silence that followed was oppressive. My father’s voice broke the silence. I knew his words before he said them. “We’ll get her prepared. Ophelia will marry the Lycan king in Dahlia’s place.” I felt like I’d been punched in the gut. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. They were discussing my fate like I was an object. I stepped out from behind the door, my eyes fixed on my father and stepmother. They turned to me, their faces frozen in a mixture of guilt and shame. “Ophelia,” my father began, but I cut him off. “You can’t be serious,” I said, my voice shaking with anger and hurt. “You’re just going to marry me off to some stranger like I’m a piece of property?” Lucretia’s expression turned cold, her eyes flashing with malice. “You’re not exactly in a position to be choosy, Ophelia,” she sneered. “You’re a disabled wolf, after all. You’re lucky anyone would want to marry you.” My father’s face turned red with anger, but he didn’t defend me. Instead, he just stood there, staring at me with eyes filled with guilt and resignation. My voice shook with anger. “You’re my family, my parents. You’re supposed to protect me.” My father and Lucretia stayed quiet, looking away from me. They couldn’t even meet my eyes. As I looked around the room, I noticed Dahlia sitting in a corner, tears streaming down her face. She looked like she’d been crying for a while, and I felt a pang of guilt. Her eyes met mine, and she shook her head, her face contorted in a mixture of sadness and guilt. She quickly got up and ran out of the room. I watched her go, feeling a pang of guilt and responsibility. I knew that if I refused to marry the king, Dahlia would be the one to take my place. And I couldn’t let that happen. I took a deep breath, blinking back my tears. I looked at my father and Lucretia. “I’ll do it,” I said, the words feeling like they were tearing my throat apart. “I’ll marry the king.” Their faces lit up with relief, and my stepmother inched closer and patted me on the shoulder. “Good girl, Ophelia,” she said softly. “You’re making the right decision.” My father’s face broke into a wide, relieved smile, and he let out a hearty laugh. “Excellent! I’ll make the arrangements immediately. You’ll be married in two weeks, Ophelia.” I felt like I’d been punched in the gut again. Two weeks? That was no time at all. My father continued, oblivious to my distress. “We’ll need to get you prepared. Exclusive treatments, pampering... you’ll need to look your best for the King.” I stared at him, feeling a quiet sense of betrayal. He was already treating me like a commodity. Just then, one of the vassals knocked on the door urgently. “My lord, my lady…the Lycan king’s entourage is on its way.” My father’s smile faltered for a moment, before he regained his composure and started speaking with urgency. “Very well. Let’s get everything ready. Ophelia, go with your stepmother and get prepared to receive our guests.” I nodded numbly, feeling like I was trapped in a nightmare. How were the Lycan King’s people here minutes after learning of my fate? As I turned to follow Lucretia, I caught a glimpse of myself in a nearby mirror. With the way my eyes were red-rimmed, and my face pale and tear-stained, I looked like a prisoner on my way to execution. Lucretia’s voice cut through my thoughts, her tone dripping with excitement. “Come along, Ophelia. We have a lot of work to do to get you ready.”