Chapter 35

As I walked across the room on my way to our assigned seats in I felt my stomach drop. What the hell was going on there?

“Olivia… are you okay?”

“I am, just a little nervous”

I replied as soon as we sat down.

The horror show was about to begin, and unfortunately I would have the displeasure of being a part of it.

“Welcome back my daughter... Olivia, and my future son-in-law Petros! I knew they would make a really cute couple one day!”

He said with that fake smile. The guy was good, I had to admit, his power magnetism was unmistakable. I bet everyone there wanted his head, but he used the quote "It's better to be feared than loved" well

And little by little I understood why he sacrificed Vivian, it shows that nothing and no one would stand in his way! As they sputtered nonstop I stared at my marriage far away my soul was still laying in bed with Josh, watching his eyes fall asleep so lightly. So when they talked to me I would blurt out expressions like "I guess so" or "I don't think so" which might actually answer whatever stupid question they were trying to ask me.

"And then before we get on with the festival stuff, we have my daughter and Petros Lycan's wedding to attend to."

I regained consciousness at the same moment, but what the hell was that? Damn, I didn't even have time to get there!

“Dad, I don’t mean to be disrespectful”

I was trying my best to show a non-existent change - But the festival is a more serious matter... We can leave my wedding matters for later.

Petros gave me a terrible look, he had gotten mad and would probably hear so much shit about it later! What the fuck was he thinking? Did you think I was going to get married and we'd live happily? He needed to breathe! And there was no way our marriage would have any kind of romantic support.

I had chosen, I wanted Josh, the angry and funny Lycan, the guy who took my breath away without even trying. Petros should never make me choose! Because in this arm wrestling match, he would definitely lose.

“Well, you're right Princess Olivia, we have to plan the festival. I bet you both aren't looking forward to the responsibilities of marriage

Did I get it right?”

"Said one of my father's advisors, as the answer made sense with my narrative I nodded, but that was strange... Even for a sucker balls like him!"

“Very well then, on to the subject of the festival. In fact, we're pretty much aligned on this, we're going to attack the city around Dean, and that's it. But of course, the same rules as last year still apply! We can't draw attention at all, and don't leave any survivors. Last year Harold turned a girl, and look what she got? Exhibition!"

Everyone agreed, and I was so attached to everything that I didn't even know who Harold was. When it was over I quickly left the room, avoiding anyone stopping me somewhere to talk about something I didn't give a shit about.

“Olivia… You humiliated me!”

Said Petros walking fast behind me to catch up.

"I didn't do any of that, I just asked to pass this shitty festival that is coming, did I do it wrong?"

“Remember that it was your idea to marry me, I came back here, I took a risk for you… So don't start changing your mind.”

“Petros, what do you think will happen when we get married?”

I looked him in the eye

“Tell me, do you think I'm suddenly going to give up everything and we're going to reign side by side, man and wife?”

Petros held my arm too tight

“ I expected at least a little respect, can you at least pretend you're not thinking about that unfortunate man? Can you at least pretend for my sick mind that this isn't just part of a bloody revenge plot?"

"What do you want from me? I can't make it any clearer than that!"

“What do you need to clarify Olivia?”

“That I love Josh! That at all times I will choose to be with him Mike, I really love him! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to give you any hope... Really! When this is over I'll be gone, and you can reign... Take a wife of your own. Everything will be yours!”

“You think I want the throne? Is that why I agreed to marry you?”

He looked at me with even more anger, now my glazed eye scared me.

“No, I'm not an idiot, I know how you think you feel about me… But the reality is that you don't really feel that way, it's just too early. Do you think Josh took your toy away from you, something you liked to have once in a while.”

“That's not true, who uses me most of the time is you Olivia! And you know, I'm going to get the hell out of here, because if I keep talking to you... I'm going to lose my mind!”

He walked too fast, and I didn't make a point of following him anywhere either.

All I could think about was Josh, I hadn't heard from him in hours, and I was already going crazy. Using my cell phone wasn't an option, largely because I was still waiting for him to emerge like a knight in armor to rescue me from all the hell I was living.

The preparations for the festival were in full swing, in fact, it consisted of a lot of people making out in the corridors, and a ritual called purification. Which meant stuffing your ass with booze all night. Yes, we are libertines. And I will never understand my father's conservatism, really.

Petros walked over to me and grabbed my fucking hand, I tried to reject him but he held on even tighter.

“It even seems like you like the party, you didn't make a face in the halls...”

"I don't like it, I was just thinking too far ahead."

“Oh, thinking about what?”

I faced him with a sad but firm look, did he really want to know? Didn't the guy get tired of torturing himself?

“I get it, you're thinking about that dog. I'm amazed he hasn't crawled out his goddamn window by now."

“I think that's a shame!”

I pulled away from him to pour myself a glass of wine, he stayed close to me.

“Why are you pulling away from me like that? We didn’t get together at parties”

“Your sense of "getting together" is different from mine, especially now. We danced together, laughed at the stupid things they said, like good friends! When you started putting feelings in the middle things got fucked up, you know? We were great together, as friends!”

“That's because the dog completely messed up your mind, and left you like this… Because there was a time you wanted to be with me. If I remember correctly!”

“Get over it! For love... I was sixteen!'

I walked away trying to appreciate the slapstick that was this event, yet another dark and pointless event where women were used as sexual outlets, and they enjoyed it, they were laughing and drinking wine and acting like this was all normal. But that's okay, indeed it was, the tradition I ignored, but not everyone was like that.

I didn't feel at home, I didn't feel like myself, and I didn't feel like anything made sense.

When that was over, I was grateful in a way, I felt like I was wasting time.

“And then my daughter, why didn’t you participate?”

My father, who had not participated, said he felt mourning for the woman he did not love.

“I don't like, you know, all this exposure of ugly asses around here, but I understand that it's important...”

“Look, it's finally changing... Finally understanding its responsibilities. I'm proud!"

When he approached me I couldn't hide my disgust for him.

"What it was? it was like this... all of a sudden”

I couldn't believe the bastard's blunt face, actually asking if he'd done anything to disgust me. As if the years and years of shitty treatment weren't enough, even more so! He wasn't even ashamed of what he was saying.

"It was nothing... I'm going to my room, do you mind?"

I said lying too much!

"All good."

His gaze turned icy again.

I walked as fast as I could to my room, wanting to sink into my mattress at once.