Vermillion & Silver

Chapter Eleven || Aftermath

The earth trembled as Selene took a step towards the man that held her future in his blood stained hands. It had to have been the ground moving and not her weakened legs that refused to walk her closer to the centre of the field where the dirt was painted red and the victor waited to claim his prize. You are not afraid, she whispered under the veil even though her hands were shaking and she could barely contain the urge to turn around and run away.

"Your royal highness, are you alright?" General Ferro said in a quiet tone as he took her arm to guide her towards her intended.

"The air is chilly and I am cold," she said trying her hardest to stop her body from trembling, but she knew that Ferro would not buy her lie. He had proven that he could read her better than anyone else at court.

"I would offer you my cloak but I do not wish to insult Alpha Fenrirsen, not after that fight," he said but squeezed her arm in a reassuring gesture.

The general's words prompted Selene to look at Fenrirsen. He had gone back to the rigid stance and proud head tilt that he had been sporting that morning before the duels, but his eyes still held the wildness of a beast and there was a restlessness in the way he kept clenching and unclenching his fists, it was like he couldn't get the animal inside him to settle down.

"Alpha Fenrirsen, you have defeated all your opponents and have proved your worth to the people of Arcadia," Ferro announced making the crowds cheer, but Selene couldn't help noticing how most of the nobles remained silent. "You are now free to ask our Princess Selene for the right to claim her."

Fenrirsen turned his powerful gaze towards her, his eyes filled with a piercing intensity that made Selene feel bare and defenseless. "Your royal highness," he said and bowed his head with no hesitation. "I stand before you as a loyal ally and I offer you all that I am in hopes that you will grant me the privilege of claiming you as mine."

He spoke in a soft manner that tinted his words with heartfelt emotion, but Selene didn't believe there was sincerity there. She'd been played, she could see it now, this was Ferro's way of making sure she wouldn't get in his way. She'd been a fool for believing anyone cared about her or her future.

Selene knew what she had to respond but she couldn't get herself to answer right away. She could feel the nervous expectation that grew in the audience as the silence stretched on. A big part of her wanted to deny him, but she knew that path only led to more mayhem and death, she had to accept her fate in hopes of protecting the people of her kingdom from what would happen if she didn't let Ferro get his way.

"You have fought bravely, my lord. I am yours to claim," she spoke miraculously managing to keep her voice steady and confident.

The crowd cheered but Selene could feel that something wasn't right and a close look at the soldiers that barricaded the fields from the mass of people confirmed her suspicions. Their stances had changed, they'd tensed up as if they were ready to execute an order, but they were left waiting. Selene tried to find answers in Hadrianen, the man that commanded those men, but he remained impassive, sitting on the spectator's box next to Miss Fenrirsen.

"I think we should continue this in private," Alpha Fenrirsen informed Ferro in a quiet tone but Selene heard them and while she would've liked to be away from all those prying eyes, she thought it best to just get it over with.

"My people have come to witness this important moment," Selene argued.

"Alpha Fenrirsen is right, your royal highness. I am concerned for your safety," Ferro responded.

So am I, Selene thought. Out in the open she at least she had the protection of protocol, none of them would risk doing something that might enrage the other nobles or the people in the crowd, but behind closed doors, she would be entirely at their mercy with no shield to soften the already terrible blow she'd suffered that day.