SERAPHINA'S POV
Miss Lucy leaves to join the rest of the guests waiting in the hall after our little chat, which has strengthened my resolve to fight this curse more than ever.
I'm standing just outside the hall now, minutes later, staring at the large double doors separating me from everyone else, breathing nervously with sweating palms.
I take my time counting breaths so I don't forget to inhale and exhale.
Crippled by fear, trembling slightly from what I'm about to face out there, I let myself replay the words I've been offered: "Face your fears, don't run away from them."
I chant it a few more times before footsteps distract my train of thought, and I look around to meet King Silvan, dressed beautifully for the occasion.
His garb seems more exquisite and expensive than mine, with real gold lacing the white fabric.
He looks almost as radiant as the sun with a regal countenance to back it up.
Only once our eyes meet and he smiles at me, I can't help but freeze in place, reminding myself just who this beautiful man is and what he's capable of.
I throw my eyes the other way, masking my nervousness before he can see it, just before he stops just by my side.
Of course, to fulfill the role of walking me into the hall as per ancient traditions.
"Hmm, you look more presentable today," he offers as his first greeting.
I bow at his compliment, regardless of how half-assed it is.
"It's a wonderful day, isn't it? Hope you received your present well," he continues, referring to Miss Lucy's presence and the 'generous donation' he had sent to the orphanage.
Another remark with hidden ulterior motives. I force a small smile, enough to pass as polite.
"Thank you, Your Highness. I am grateful that you finally looked at our tiny poor orphanage and decided to offer your help."
He chuckles at my response, growing more amused.
"Honestly, after making the changes to my plans, I was a bit concerned about how I'd make a human presentable to the court, to make them consider you worthy enough to be one of us, but they seemed to have understood the assignment given to them."
"How does it feel to be able to stand here and receive the greatest privilege of your life, child?"
"Exciting," my answer is pre-rehearsed in my head.
"Of course. Remember why you're here, your job is to be nothing more than a mindless puppet. Do not do anything, do not think anything without my go-ahead."
I already expected this much. I'm tempted to feel negative emotions about it, but then I remind myself not to, focusing on the bright side.
The floors and leaking roofs back home will be finally fixed, and they'll have more food and medicine for the next winter.
"Of course, you can partake in today's merriment. I'm not a monster," he continues his one-sided conversation, and I'm unable to stop myself from speaking up again.
"Do you really have to be the one walking me in?" I interrupt his very lovely fill-in.
It could have been anyone since clearly he couldn't care less about doing it. I would have preferred anyone else.
"It's typically the role of the father to walk you in, but alas, you're unfortunate enough to have no father, which is a good thing. It's better to have an unknown background than one that is questionable."
"Of course, glad being an orphan can satisfy you," I say through gritted teeth, taking calming breaths.
The door finally opens, and I'm grateful for what it means; it's finally begun, and he can finally shut up.
He takes the first step, and I walk in by his side into the vast hall that's bigger than the one used yesterday for the engagement ball that was a huge flop.
All eyes immediately turn to both of us, with me in particular drawing everyone's attention. Everyone tries to gauge the new candidate chosen to be by Artemis's side.
I hear their gasps. I feel all their calculative and judging stares drilling into me from all sides, making me dizzy and nauseous, but I can't make a mistake.
I try to focus on my breathing again, counting my steps, but nothing helps the nausea and desire to puke.
The panic hits hard, realizing maybe I won't be able to hold it in and will make a fool of myself for everyone to watch. The second I do, everyone I love could be in danger.
I'm deep in panic when my eyes look up at the stage right in front of us, and I see Artemis for the first time since our fight last night.
I'm furious with him for what he did, and yet I'm breathless the second I see him.
He's dressed in clothes with a matching color scheme, red and gold, and he looks perfect.
Suddenly, the world around me fades away into nothing, all the muttering and murmuring in the background becomes quiet, and there's only me and him right now.
He stretches a hand to me, and I feel an instant magnetic pull drawing me to him, telling me that I belong nowhere else than by his side. I know it in my bones, remembering just how much I love him.
'Fight for him,' I recall Miss Lucy's words.
Of course, I will; now and always.
My hand slips away from Silvan's arm, walking forward, climbing the three steps separating us, and reaching for his hand.
"Stop." The officiating priest standing behind Artemis suddenly steps forward, an old lady in her fifties with a mean look in her eyes.
I freeze in place before my hands can touch Artemis, feeling my gut dropping just as everyone else gasps with confusion at the sudden interruption.
My mind spirals, panicking at the thought that possibly I've done something wrong, made a wrong step at some point, and perhaps she's coming forward to oppose this.
But her wicked eyes aren't focused on me but King Silvan, whose very charming smile hasn't faded.
"The ceremony cannot commence unless the prince rejects his previous pairing," she announces loudly, though it seems as though she's reading scripts from a book with her stiff intonations.
I pass one last look at Silvan again, and his eyes confirm my suspicions. He passes a look to a guard on standby who bows briefly before walking away.
The crowd murmurs with more confusion, and I remain standing here, wondering what's going on, looking to meet Artemis's eyes again.
They look at me with a certain level of sadness that unnerves me even further. In only a few seconds, the guard returns, this time dragging Kamila into the room.
"Prince Artemis, you must reject Kamila Wildheart before the audience, before you can commence your bonding with the human girl," the old woman announces, and I begin to see a glimpse of the cruelty that's about to take place in front of me.
I see through another one of Silvan's plans, hiding behind tradition-the plan to embarrass Gideon's daughter, the noble who dared act cocky with his power.
It's another way to keep them in check.
"Let me go!" she yells at the guard, pulling her hand away from him, a look of pain, horror, and confusion mixed in with everything.
Her eyes dart to everyone else, stopping at me, looking at my dress with so much hate and disdain before she looks at Artemis.
There's an immediate flash of hope there before she takes a step closer to him.
"Artemis?" She calls his name.
He can't meet her eyes, unable to do anything about the scene in front of us, as weak and helpless in all of this as I am.
"Kamila Wildheart," he begins, raising his voice loud enough, biting his lip and hating what he has to do next. "I, Artemis Sinclair, rejects you. I reject your wolf, I reject the bond between you and me, and I free myself from every soul tie holding you and me together."
"N-no, Arts-"
"Under my presence and jurisdiction of the moon goddess, the bond between Artemis Sinclair, son of Alpha King Silvan Sinclair, and Kamila Wildheart, daughter of Alpha Gideon Sinclair, is now irreversibly shattered, sundered, and destined never to be mended," the priest intones, sealing the ominous proclamation.
Tears spill from her eyes, rushing in torrents while I watch her break right in front of me. A blood-curdling scream echoes from her lips as she clutches her chest, suddenly hit with an immense rush of pain, falling to her knees, unable to stand.
I've heard just how painful rejection could be from Olivia.
The feeling of being ripped from a piece of yourself; still, words could never describe how horrifying it is to witness.
Her body bends and trembles, the sounds of her scream no longer seeming human.
I make a move forward to do something, to help her in some way, unlike everyone else who simply stands there silently, watching a bit of herself die off slowly without an ounce of sympathy.
Then I feel Silvan's deathly gaze piercing into the back of my head, and I'm unable to move. I don't dare show any emotion while it happens in front of me.
Her screaming seizes at some point until she becomes unconscious, and Silvan finally gives the command to take her away, after everything has already been witnessed by all peering eyes.
"You may resume the ceremony," he motions to the priest now with a wave of his hand.
Everyone continues like nothing has happened, and the room suddenly grows quiet once more.
Artemis stretches his hand to mine, a hand that I must take while getting onto the altar, and I do so desperately, trying to hide my own trembling.