Her Choice (gxg)

Confrontation in the Shadows

With reluctance, Freen followed him out to one of the balconies overlooking the ballroom, separating them from the rest of the guests. The soft glow of the moon and the distant music drifting from the ballroom did little to alleviate the heavy tension between them.

Once they were alone in the dimly lit corner of the balcony, Prince Renard's façade dissolved, revealing the true extent of his malice. "You've become quite bold, haven't you, Princess Freen? Accusing me of sabotage in front of everyone."

Freen's heart raced, and she could feel the weight of danger pressing down on her. She struggled to maintain her composure, knowing that her situation was growing increasingly wrong. "Like I said before, I did no such thing! I haven't said a word about any of you trying to sabotage me during the tournament."

Prince Renard's anger simmered beneath the surface, his grip on Freen's arm tightening for a moment before he released her. He paced back and forth on the balcony.

"You dare to accuse me, an Alpha, of foul play," Prince Renard hissed, his voice dripping with disdain. "You think your little charade can go unpunished?"

Freen's heart pounded louder with each passing moment. She scanned the ballroom below, desperately searching for any sign of Rebecca's, but the sea of guests made it nearly impossible to spot her.

"I haven't accused anyone," Freen replied, her voice trembling but defiant. "I don't know what you're talking about. The investigation hasn't even begun. I didn't even know that you were one of the heirs that tampered with the tournament."

Prince Renard stopped pacing and fixed his cold, calculating gaze on Freen. "Don't play games with me, Princess. You may be a champion in archery, but you're still an Omega. You have no place here, and you will learn to stay in your lane."

Freen's breath caught in her throat as she realized the depth of Prince Renard's prejudice and his will to silence her. She needed to get back to the safety of the ballroom and find Rebecca. Panic began to well up within her. As Freen's fear grew, she couldn't control the release of her pheromones, a clear sign of her distress. She knew that, in this moment, she was vulnerable, and she needed to find a way to escape Prince Renard's menacing presence.

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Meanwhile, Rebecca had finally retrieved the glasses of water and was carefully weaving her way back through the packed ballroom. Rebecca expected to find Freen waiting right where she had left her but to her dismay, Freen was nowhere to be seen. Confused, Rebecca scanned the sea of elaborately dressed guests, thinking perhaps Freen had simply wandered off. But there was no sign of Freen anywhere.

Unease pricked at Rebecca's mind. It wasn't like Freen to just disappear without saying anything. She had seemed exhausted only minutes before, not inclined to stray far. Something wasn't right. Still clutching the full water glasses, Rebecca began pushing through the crowds more urgently, calling Freen's name over the music and chatter. Her heartbeat quickened when she got no response.

Frantically, Rebecca began to discreetly ask some of the guests if they had seen Freen. Most of them were too engrossed in the festivities to have notice anything unusual. As Rebecca continued her frantic search for Freen, her heart sank further with each passing moment. Freen's absence was deeply unsettling, and she couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible might have happened.

Just then, Rebecca suddenly spotted Lord Harrington. He was the very person who would lead the investigation of the archery tournament. Not hesitating for a second, Rebecca approached Lord Harrington, her voice trembling with urgency.

"Lord Harrington, please, I need your help. Something's happened to Princess Freen. I can't find her anywhere, and I fear she might be in danger."

Lord Harrington's brow furrowed in concern. "Princess, please, take a deep breath," he replied, setting his drink down. "Princess Freen probably got caught with another engagement. What makes you worry so?"