01

Irene stared at the reflection of herself in the mirror, all dressed up in make-up. Her hair was tied in a bun, and due to her natural beauty, she didn’t need much makeup done.

She breathed out silently while taking a look around her as the maids shuffled through the wardrobes and laid out some clothes for her. She sighed deeply with a slight frown on her face.

She stood up, but they seemed not to have noticed as they were busy with the work assigned to them. Clapping her hands twice, she was able to draw their attention.

"Thank you, but that will be all." She said this to them with a stoic look on her face. They nodded silently in respect and slipped away. 

Her eyes moved toward the only maid in the room. "I don’t want to do this, Sabrina." She said she was breaking out of character, almost on the verge of tears.

Sabrina walked toward her with a saddened expression on her face. "Don’t—you wouldn’t want to ruin your make-up." She said this with a smile as she took out a small red fruit. "Here, chew this." She said this, handing the fruit to Irene, who took it without hesitation.

Sabrina nodded as soon as Irene had chewed and swallowed the fruit. "Walp, a special fruit mint—heard it last in your mouth for weeks, never had one though." She said it with a smile on her face. "I know you don’t like your father’s decision to force you into a marriage against your will, but Irene..." She said this and walked toward her before grabbing her hands. "Don’t you think you should give it a chance? You’ve never had a love life, take this as a start." She said,

"What do you think? Pink or yellow." Irene asked as she walked toward the laid-out clothes. Her hands slightly shook as she picked them up one after the other.

"Don’t try to change the subject, Irene." She said it with a slight frown on her face.

Even as a maid, Sabrina never addressed Irene as "young mistress, the way the other servants do. She and Irene had gotten so close that they shared a bond.

Irene was like a sister to her, and so she never liked to hear Sabrina address her as "Mistress," even though her father ordered it.

She sighed as she dropped the clothes and sat on the bed. How did her fate come to this? Why is her father punishing her? Why her? 

Different thoughts flooded her mind as she stared into space. She could picture herself getting yelled at by her husband while heavily pregnant.

Shaking her head in rejection, she stood up. "No, I must not let this happen." She said this and stared at Irene with a straight face. "I know what to do—to end everything." She told her, and Sabrina stared worriedly.

"I hope you are not trying to incur your father’s wrath." Hell might let loose if you try to sabotage your engagement and your father hears of it." Sabrina warned as she walked toward her mistress, who just turned her back to her.

"I thought you were supposed to stand by me and not question me?" Irene asked with her voice, sharp as ice shards that could pierce one’s heart with ease.

"Yes, but I will not ignorantly stand and watch you commit something you may regret later. You remember what happened during the dance of ice and fire?" Sabrina asked her with a concerned look on her face.

"That was all in the past, Sabrina. This, however, is the present." Irene informed her before turning to stare at her. "Lead the way, Irene; I think my current dress is suitable enough." She said it with a stoic look on her face.

"I sure hope you—"

The door suddenly opened, interrupting the maid from completing her sentence. Their eyes moved toward the door to see Irene’s mother standing there with a smile on her face.

"My beautiful angel." She complimented her as her eyes fell on her daughter. Irene did not respond but just gave her a straight face as she spoke. "I bet you will marvel at the king with your beauty. Not everyone is gifted with what you have." She said this as she cupped Irene’s face and pecked her on the forehead.

"Yet, I’m the only one out of them to get cursed."

"You are not cursed," Her mother interrupted her before she sighed. "Can you leave, Sabrina?" She asked while staring at her daughter’s face.

Sabrina bowed. "Yes, my lady." She said so and left without taking a second glance.

Though she was ordered by her master to keep an eye on her mistress, she would never defy the orders of her master’s wife. Defying her orders are like a shortcut to eternal damnation and instant death. No one wanted that, so none of them dared.

As soon as Sabrina left, her mother sighed again. "I also do not approve of your engagement, Irene." She said that, and Irene stared at her in shock.

"You don’t?"

"I don’t." Her mother assured her "But your father wouldn’t listen. My words were like a boat trying to swim through a storm. Your father’s obsession with power had gotten us to this, and unfortunately, you were his sacrificial lamb." She added this before she cupped her daughter’s face.

"I don’t want to get married to the king’s heir mom." Irene pleaded, and her mother smiled while patting her hair.

"You don’t have to love him, but you can’t defy your father’s orders." She told her and held her hand. "Let’s get going now; your father will be waiting.

Soon, they were both descending the stairs with ease, while Irene felt her heart thumping fast. She didn’t want to go through this. She didn’t want to not love her spouse, but she didn’t want him picked for her instead.

She could see her father standing before two of his trusted guards while giving out orders. His back was turned toward her. Her eyes gazed at his white Italian suit, which fitted him perfectly.

Soon, he turned at the sound of their walking steps, and a smile beamed on his face. It looked more like a smirk than a smile, but Irene knew it was a smile. He had a scar on the side of his face, proof of his battle. He was the Alpha of the Dark Moon Pack and a friend to the Alpha King.

"You look beautiful." He complimented her as he walked toward his daughter, grabbing her hand. He took out a corsage and tied it around her wrist. "Now, this is more like it." He said it with a smile while Irene stared at the corsage.

"Thank you, father." She said this to him while staring him straight in the eye.

"Don’t think I have no idea of your plans to sabotage my plans for you." He said this while Irene stared at Sabrina with a betrayed look on her face. "I must warn you—do not try anything funny to put a stop to this, or else I will make you wish you were never born, Irene." He threatened while glaring hard at her, as if trying to look into her soul, while Irene just swallowed nervously.