Selene's POV
The palace had not felt like home for a very long time, but tonight it felt like a prison made of marble and whispers. Every corridor hummed with rumors, the cursed princess, the corrupted heir, the king who dared to love a vampire and each murmur pressed against my ears like invisible hands, tightening, squeezing.
Damien's voice echoed through the halls earlier, issuing commands about the wedding. The wedding that was now only two days away. A union meant to "stabilize the kingdom." A union meant to silence the Council. A union meant to cleanse my name.
A union that felt like a noose.
And Alaric… sweet, honorable Alaric… he stood beside Damien as the decision was made, calm as always, gentle even in the storm. He had not once pressured me. He had not asked me to pretend. But his resolve was set, the wedding would bring peace. The kingdom needed peace.
Everyone needed something from me.
Except Kael.
