Priscilla stood frozen near a far column, tightly clutching the silver tray in her hand. Across the room, the Alpha's amber eyes held steady, not on the noble fairy woman draped in shiny silk auditioning for Luna, but on Priscilla. The silence stretched for a beat too long then Alex rose to his feet, slowly. The room leaned towards him, awaiting his next words. "I have not," he said calmly. A ripple moved throughout the hall. The fairy nobles and noble fairy women hid their shock behind polite expressions. The advisor blinked in confusion. "You are not… decided?"
Alex clasped his hands behind his back. "I do not choose blindly." Murmurs spread throughout the hall like wildfire. Raphael remained still at his Alpha's side. Charles scanned the room without moving his head. The warriors subtly shifted their weight as if they were preparing for rebellion. Alex's commanding gaze swept over the lineup of noble fairy women. "They are beautiful," he acknowledged. "Well presented and properly trained."
The noble women straightened slightly.
"But a Luna is not for decoration," Alex finished.
The words landed heavier than a ton of bricks.
"A Luna must carry strength," he continued. "Resilience. The ability to withstand more than just ballroom politics. She must also be kind and…sweet."
Several of the noble men and women's expressions tightened. One fairy's smile faltered. Alex's voice continued smoothly, "I will not make a decision on performance alone." The advisor forced a thin smile. "What more do you require, Alpha?" Alex grinned, mischievously and said, "A full assessment." The hall went absolutely still. Alex continued, "I would like to observe all eligible female fairies within this palace…not only nobility." The temperature in the room shifted and everyone felt it. Whispered chatters began to erupt. A noble scoffed quietly. "Servants are not worthy candidates for Luna."
Alex turned his head slightly in that direction. The scoff died instantly.
Raphael stepped forward smoothly. "Our Alpha prefers thorough evaluation. Surely the Fairy Kingdom has nothing to hide?" The advisor nor the nobles could argue with that. The advisor's smile strained at the edges. "Of course not. The Northern Alpha may meet with… the female staff tomorrow afternoon." Priscilla's stomach dropped upon hearing this change of events.
Tomorrow.
Alex tilted his head slightly. "Good." He did not look at her again. The servant woman who had smelled like cupcakes and threatened to disrupt his world. His decision to meet with all the eligible fairy women in the palace was not impulsive, but deliberate and intentional. If everything went according to plan, he could find an attractive fairy to bed and possibly get to see the woman who smelled of cupcakes one more time. He was killing two birds with one stone.
The banquet resumed, but the air had remained changed. Whispers followed Alex as he returned to his seat. "A servant?", someone questioned, appalled in the crowd. "He cannot be serious." "This is insulting…" Meanwhile, across the hall, one of the women who worked in the kitchen grabbed Priscilla's wrist and pulled her to the side once the nobles had moved further away. "Did you hear that?", the worker hissed. "We're being evaluated and have the chance to become Alpha Alexander's Luna!" Priscilla swallowed roughly. "That doesn't mean anything much…"
It meant everything.
She thought to herself how this could be her one shot in escaping this hellhole. This nightmare. This prison. When Alex had spoken of resilience and his potential future Luna being sweet, his eyes had not been on the nobles. His eyes were on her.
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Later that night, in Alex's private chamber within the palace…
Raphael closed the door behind them. "That was bold", his beta chuckled. Alex sighed, happy to finally be out of social mode and in the comfort of his private room. "I briefly met a woman tonight. I think she may be my mate," Alex said bluntly. "Stupid boy, she IS our mate," Alex's wolf spat at him. Alex didn't like when his wolf would treat him like a child. Raphael looked at Alex, too stunned to speak. "You think…? Are you not sure? The mate bond is pretty straightforward in terms of the signs," Raphael explained. Alex shook his head in frustration. This was the worst time ever for him to meet his mate. He had no plans of settling down and doubted if that servant, Priscilla, was truly his mate. He had to confirm for himself, by seeing her again.
"She smelled sweet. That was all.", Alex muttered. He didn't want to tell his beta about his wolf going stir crazy over her or the electric sensation that pulsated throughout his body when they had brushed arms. Frankly, Alex thought it was embarrassing. He had come to secure a political Luna. Not to destabilize two realms because of a scent. "Tomorrow," Alex said quietly. "I want the servants to be presented without preparation. No fancy gowns, no rehearsals." Raphael nodded.
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In a cold chamber, high above the palace halls, Priscilla laid awake. She couldn't sleep as she anxiously thought about what awaited her tomorrow.
"Tomorrow", she thought.
She would be alone in a room with Alpha Alexander. Or would there be other people present? Would she make a fool of herself? Maybe she could escape on the way to his chambers. Her mind wrestled with many possibilities. She pressed her fingers against her temples. The sweet smell of peppermint still lingered in her memories. Why had he looked at her like that? Why had he refused all the beautiful noble fairy women? And why did it feel less like a coincidence and more like the beginning of something dangerous?