Chapter 12: Prepared for the King
SERAPHINA
"Please don't."
I whispered slowly, my voice breaking at each word, the sound barely escaping my trembling lips.
"Did she just speak?"
And instantly they laughed so loud that my ears hurt, the sound echoing off the stone walls.
"Did a Lancaster Princess just beg?"
They mocked, but it still never derailed me from begging… I just couldn't stop myself. The words kept spilling out.
I slowly raised my head up, forcing myself to stare at Draven. His stare looked cold, expressionless, gazing down at me like he doesn't want to be in the same room as me. Like I was something disgusting he'd stepped in.
"Please, don't do this to me."
I whispered again, my throat raw, staring up at him with whatever dignity I had left. But a smirk crossed his face, cruel and satisfied.
"Your fate has been decided. Take her away, and prepare her."
Draven said, and just like that, my pleas fell to the ground like shattered glass, as they dragged me out from the room roughly. Their hands bit into my arms, bruising the skin.
Taking me to god knows where.
I closed my eyes tightly, hoping against hope that the tears don't come crashing down. But my eyes betrayed me as the tears ripped down my cheeks, hot and bitter.
Who was I kidding thinking that he would listen to me? My father never listened to a slave, and slaves don't dare beg for their life. They know better.
But I wasn't a slave, I was a princess.
Ridiculous.
My conscience hit me hard, and I shook my head slowly. What a joke I'd become.
A large door opened, which led to a single hall, with long red carpets that seemed to stretch on forever. At each side of the walls were portraits, painted images of the previous Alpha King, Alpha Millicent, and a woman who had pure white skin. It was so obvious who they belonged to.
They were Draven's parents, the former rulers of this pack before they were taken. Before they were murdered.
Then hung another image, a large one, and there stood Draven in a black doublet with silver threading, the kind of formal wear that screamed power and wealth. He stared back at me from the canvas, darkly, those same cold eyes boring into me, with hair slicked back like he had rubbed pomade all over it which made it look dangerous and sharp. His dangerously sharp chiseled face showed exactly how ruthless he was.
I gulped, and the push from the guards snapped my thoughts away from the portrait's piercing stare.
They dragged me towards another hall, my bare feet sliding against the cold stone floor. I had no idea where we were going, the chains on my hands and legs clinking against the silent halls like a death march.
"Now take your hands off her."
A voice broke through the hall, fierce and firm, cutting through the silence.
When I looked up, I saw a woman—an elderly woman in a white gown. She had silver hair which showed she had aged, but her stature showed she was still as agile as ever, still dangerous in her own way.
Her eyes shone dangerously at the three guards behind me, who stared at each other nervously, before silently letting go of me.
"Now do me a favor and take the chains off her."
She said again, her voice still as strong and commanding as ever. The kind of voice that didn't accept disobedience.
The guards stared at each other, uncertain.
"Madame Sable…"
Sable. The name struck me—I remembered Draven telling them to take me to her.
"What... What? Are you not meant to bring her to me? So why is she still in chains? Should I prepare her, bathe her in chains? Or should I report to Alpha Draven that you are lacking in your responsibilities?"
She spoke sharply, their eyes widened with fear and instantly, they hurriedly unlocked the chains that bound my hands and legs. The metal fell away, leaving angry red marks on my wrists. Quickly, they bowed down to the woman and hurried out, leaving me alone with the elderly woman.
Sable's gaze shifted towards me, her eyes scanning through my body slowly, deliberately. Her expression tightened the more her gaze shifted from my lower body to my upper body, taking in every bruise, every mark, every sign of what I'd endured.
When they reached my face, her lips had tightened with an unexplainable expression, one which I couldn't pinpoint. Disgust? Pity? I couldn't tell.
But I was happy that someone was at least sane in here. Someone who treated me like a person instead of an object.
"Follow me!"
She said coldly, and turned towards the hall without waiting for my response.
I followed behind her, my bare feet silent against the stone, taking in every piece of architecture in the hall. I wondered how they were able to build back their pack in just two years, even after being completely destroyed. The wealth, the power—it was all here, restored and stronger than before.
A large door pushed open and she walked in. Two guards stood by the doorway not moving.
The moment she walked in, I followed behind her. None of the guards stared down at me, or even blinked when they saw me. Like I was invisible
I looked around, taking in every inch of the room, trying to memorize it all at once
"This will be your new room and I will be preparing you."
I stared at her, stunned. My face loosened for a second, and for once I felt a flicker of relief that I won't be sleeping in the dungeon anymore. At least this was something.
The room was too simple for such a large door though. It had only a bed and a table and chair with a large wardrobe—nothing fancy, but more than enough for a slave like me. More than I deserved, apparently.
I nodded slowly, the cold floor biting through the soles of my feet.
Suddenly the door opened and two maids walked in, their faces blank, professional.
"They will wash you up, and help in the preparation."
I slowly turned to stare at her, my brow furrowed slightly, confusion mixing with dread.
"Preparation? Will I be taken to court today?"
I asked, forcing the bitter words out through my tight throat.
Sable stopped what she was doing, and slowly turned to look at me. The air in the room seemed to shift, growing heavier.
A smile coiled across her face, but it wasn't kind. It was knowing.
"The king gets to fuck you today, Seraphina."
She said it not coldly, but warmly.
But I was too shocked by her words to even speak. The room spun around me, and I felt like I might collapse.
No. No, no, no.
"Strip."
She said, dropping the clothes she'd been folding onto the bed. The sound seemed unnaturally loud in the suddenly suffocating room.
I stared at her, then at the maids who stared at me like I had grown two heads. Like they were enjoying the show, waiting to see what I would do.
"You are going to learn how to strip faster, Seraphina, because when the Alpha King tells you to strip, you need to strip very fast or you get to be broken by him. The Alpha hates being disobeyed. Now strip."
Her voice had gone deadly quiet, and I knew—I knew—there was no fighting this. Not here. Not now.
My hands shook as I reached for the torn fabric of my royal wedding -dress.