I woke to a bitterly cold morning.
Though it was only September, the palace courtyard lay buried beneath a thick, untouched blanket of snow. I stepped closer to the window and watched the world wrapped in white. There was something unsettling about it — and yet strangely peaceful, as if the world itself were holding its breath.
The calm before the war, Selene murmured inside my mind.
"You always expect the worst," I replied softly.
"Because I can feel it," she insisted. "Something is coming. The silence is too deep."
"I think you're overreacting," I whispered. "Today will stir everything anyway… including your senses."
Selene fell quiet for a moment before finally relenting.
"I hope you're right," she sighed. "I've been waiting for this ceremony for so long."
"So have I," I smiled faintly. "I can't wait to see him again."
Even now, it felt unreal. After so much loss and suffering, the Moon Goddess had truly granted me a second chance — and not just any chance. From the day he formally asked for my hand, he had barely left my side.
Today was our wedding day.
All I wished for was that nothing unexpected would cast a shadow over it.
A soft knock pulled me from my thoughts. The door opened, and Amira stepped inside, a cup of steaming coffee in her hands. Behind her, the women who would help with my preparations were already gathering.
"Are you nervous, Rowena?" Amira asked gently as she handed me the cup.
"No… it's my wolf," I exhaled. "She's restless."
"That's completely natural," she smiled with understanding. "This is one of the most important moments in a wolf's life. I can bring you a calming tea if you'd like."
"That won't be necessary," I replied with a faint smile.
"Very well. Then let's go over today's events."
As I descended the stairs, four ladies-in-waiting followed, carefully adjusting the train of my gown. On the ground floor, Amira waited for me with my bridal bouquet. Red orchids and pure white roses intertwined — the colors of the Deliaghi family. Tradition demanded that the bride's relatives wear the same shades.
Perhaps today, I would finally meet them.
It was no ordinary ceremony. I had never met my family before… just as they had never known me.
Escorted by four guards, we made our way toward the parliamentary hall of the castle. That was where we would swear our eternal vows. Where we would mark one another before the eyes of thousands.
All my doubts and tension dissolved the moment I saw him standing at the altar.
When our gazes met, calm washed over me. The decorations faded. The dress, the crowd — none of it mattered anymore.
Nothing else existed.
Only him…
and me.