The rejection

The two guards push the doors open without inquiring my identity or intent. The alluring scents flood my nostrils and I allow myself to breathe deeper, welcoming their soothing abilities.

I know they are the scents of the angel kings. I however do not understand why they are so profound tonight.

The guards gesture at me to go ahead and walk in alone while the palace servants wait at the door. My stomach churns as I take steps into the spacious chamber. 

The throne room is a blend of beauty, opulence and grandeur. The furniture is made of rich, dark woods, upholstered in lush fabrics adorned with embroidery and patterns. Massive fireplaces line the walls, their roaring fires casting warmth throughout the room. 

The floor rises at the far head of the room where three beautiful figures sit on majestic thrones. Their striking faces are as alike as three peas in a pod. 

A strange, overwhelming urge to run up to them and take each into my arms suddenly grips my mind and I have to literally slap myself on the face to restore my senses. 

Margret said that during the days of the full moon is the only time humans like us can sense our mates. I must be going crazy because it's the angel kings who are seated in front of me. They cannot be my mates, can they? 

I stride forward farther, curious about the peculiar sense of attraction. 

"You may stop there." One orders in a stern tone and I halt. 

I cannot tell them apart by their faces or hair, but their taste in clothes are just as Margret described. One wears a dark coat decorated with golden threads around the shoulders and arms, so it might be Conrad.

The second one wears a yellow shirt, white pants and brown boots with a golden chain around the ankles. They are the same boots angel Fenris wore when he mocked me yesterday in the hall. So I assume it's him. 

The last is in a dark blue coat, decorated with silver chains and buttons. Definitely angel Garren, the one I had not met before now.

"Did they not tell you that you're supposed to kneel?" King Fenris snarls, making my entire body shake. 

Ooh! I had forgotten about the act of kneeling before the kings. I have in fact been staring at them disrespectfully since I walked in. 

I lower my gaze before bending my legs to kneel on the hard floor. 

"We are assuming that you can now sense the abominable bond set between us since the moon is full tonight." One says and I look up instantly. 

So it's true. I am their mate! I am the one they have been waiting for all this time. How can that be? Can I really be so lucky?

None of them looks happy, which means they had hoped for something better. A beautiful princess perhaps. Why me above all royal and refined women?

"I . . . can feel the mate bond." I affirm in a shaky, anxious voice.

"Don't bother celebrating. We do not intend to make a detestable human servant our queen." Angel Fenris states, his voice laced with disgust just like the last time we met.

His rude words hurt me more now than they did yesterday. The full moon must have heightened my emotions. 

"Surely you did not think that you're befitting in any way to sit by our side. A beautiful, virtuous princess is the least we were expecting our future queen to be. You're not fit to be her shadow let alone take her place." Angel Garren angrily expresses. The ache in my heart surge.

I was warned not to snap or raise my voice when talking to them. Yet the urge to do so is overwhelming. 

"With all due respect your Majesty, I did not ask to be your mate." I say in the calmest tone I can master. 

They all seem surprised by my remarks. Did they not expect me to speak? I am physically weak but not dumb. 

"Right. Would you be kind enough to tell us more about who you are?" Angel Conrad asks. But I know better than to take it as a gentle request.

"That isn't necessary. We only need her full names." Angel Garren argues. 

Why would they need my full names? I have not committed any crime, have I?

"Yes. State your full, true names." Angel Fenris orders.

I of course have no option but to give them what they have asked.

"I am Keira . . . Keira Daniels." I answer nervously. 

"I, King Fenris Belding, hereby reject you Keira Daniels as my fated mate." The one at the centre states in the coldest of voices. His brothers follow, stating the same words in similar, frigid tones.

A strange pain grips my heart and travels throughout my entire body like a shockwave. I gasp and clench my fists, trying suppress the excruciating pain that feels like a knife slicing my heart. I would have a catastrophic fall if I wasn't on my knees already. 

The pain fades away slowly after a long moment and I use my sleeves to wipe away some of the tears streaming down my cheeks. What was the point of being mated to people that would never want me? 

"The mate bond was a disgrace to our nobility. You must not speak of it to anyone. Otherwise there will be consequences." Angel Garren warns. 

I slowly nod my head, unable to utter words verbally. Why would I want people to know about this horror? Everyone hates me enough already.

"You may leave." Angel Conrad says.

I stumble back to my feet, feeling like my heart fell off a cliff and crashed on a stone. I keep taking deep breaths as I make my way out. If I had a place to go, I would run as fast as a deer. 

People stare at my tear stained face as I hurry down the long hallway, across the spacious hall and out of their little paradise. 

I didn't choose to be their mate, yet the pain of their rejection has wrecked me than anything I have ever experienced. 

If they end up making Princess Lyna their mate, that will be my revenge. But I wonder where I will go if they choose her.