Chapter 74: Winners and losers

Rosia's POV

Two guards open the doors of the hall as Cassandra steps in and descends the stairs in beautiful black coronation robes and a joyous smile. She looks every bit like she’s been waiting for this moment. Too bad no guests were able to arrive under the short notice of the ceremony to witness her most glorious moment.

“That witch!" Aerion mutters beside me, his voice low and filled with disdain. I notice his knuckles turning white.

“You have to pretend to be in love with her, be convincing,” I urge.

The thought of them flirting with Cassandra right in front of me twists painfully in my guts, even if I know it'll all be just an act.

The two guards step aside further as Cassandra reaches the bottom of the stairs of the raised platform. Her expression is unreadable as she appraises me and then my mates,

who straighten up, masking their discomfort behind the sweet smiles.

"My dear Kings!” she says out in a flirtorous voice as she approaches.

"Thank you for the gorgeous robes. You have no idea how happy and surprised I was when I saw them."

I had adviced the kings to send the beautiful robes earlier as a gesture of love. And seeing how she appreciates them I would say my plan is working well so far.

"They are most befitting for you, my love. You already look like our beloved queen." Aeries says and cassadra's lips part in genuine surprise. She looks at him, then at his brothers.

"You... you mean that?"

Aerius steps up beside his brother, "We do. We've really reflected on what we really want and have decided that we want you as our Queen and our wife. We owe the people of Avrion a queen who matches our stature."

"We will keep our mate as a concubine just to have the love of her heart, then you'll be our wife to maintain our good repute and actually love someone worth our time." Aerius adds.

The vixen gapes at them. Then a huge smile curves on her lips.

"I am glad you have finally come to your senses," she breathes, "I always knew you would know who to choose eventually."

She then turns to look at me, a sneer on her face as steps towards me. I do my best to appear devastated by this situation.

"See, they weren't even that taken with you! If it were not for the crown they need to wear I would have you kicked you out for good," She scoffs at my face before turning back to my mates her hand outstretched towards Aerion. A sly smile returns on her lips as she gazes up at him. “Are you ready to love me forever as your wife and queen?”

My mate doesn't hesitate, he takes her hand, leans down to place a soft kiss on the back of it. “What’s not to love? You’re as beautiful as the morning sunshine, my love,” he replies.

"Then let us make it official," she says excitedly leading the way towards the table where the beautiful queen's crown sits. I must admit, though, that the crown looks rather fetching. All that gold and lovely jewels would make any woman want to marry my mates.

"We have gathered here to bear witness to the naming of princess Cassadra as the rightful heir to the queen throne of Avrion." The old priest announces. "Are you willing to take the oath, my lady?"

"I am." Cassandra eagerly answers and the priest hands her the ceremonial scroll containing the pledges she needs to make. She faces my mates with a smile before starting to read.

"I queen Cassadra solemnly swear to govern the people of Avrion, to uphold the laws and customs of the land. I also pledge to love, cherish and be committed to you, my kings, as your queen, wife and lover." she reads a huge smile plastered on her face.

The priest then holds out a silver dagger. "Please provide your blood so that the pledges will be binding, my lady."

My breath catches in my throat as she takes it. The Kings gather around her, their reassuring smiles quite believable.

Cassandra fearlessly drags the blade across her palm and I hold my breath in anticipation. "I pledge my heart, my soul, and my blood," she recite, her eyes fixed on my mates. "To love and cherish, to be bound to you until the end of my life."

She tilts her hand over the patchment, letting the blood droplets fall over the dry blood which she thinks belongs to my mates.

She then smiles at the Kings as the priest lays a bidding seal over the blood.

"I now pronounce you, Cassandra, as the Queen of Avrion... now and forever bound in a sacred Blood Pact to Sir Lucas Lothnia." the priest announces.

The silence that follows is deafening. Cassandra blinks as if she has misheard a word. "Lucas... Lothia?" she scoffs. "No. No, you have misspoke, old man. I am bound to the Kings. I am bound to my husbands."

She turns to Aerion, reaching for his hand, but he steps back. The "sweet" smile he had worn moments ago is gone, replaced by a look of pure disgust.

"Actually," Aeries says. "The blood on that parchment didn't belong to us. It belongs to our former assistant, the beast in the dungeons. You are now legally his."

"What are you talking about?" Cassandra’s head whips around to look at his brothers. " What... what have you done?" she shrieks. She looks at the scroll, then back at the Kings. "This is a mistake! I am your wife! We have a blood pact! You must love me or you'll suffer!"

"No we don't," Aerius smirks crossing his arms, "you just broke that blood pact. Your vow was to love and be committed to us until the end of your life. But by sealing a new pact with Lucas's blood, you have pledged your love and commitment to him, which is the same as committing adultery."

"Which means," Aeries adds. "our blood pact cannot stand unless we were to forgive you. But why would we do that when we can divorce you."

"We, the Kings of Avrion, hereby divorce you on the grounds of adultery and treason," Aeries announces. "You are no longer our wife. You are certainly no longer our queen."

For a moment, Cassandra just stares at them, her chest heaving like she hasn't processed what has just happened.

"NO! NO! YOU CAN'T!" she howls spinning around to the crowd of guards. "Kill them! Why are you standing there? Kill the mistress! I am your Queen! I COMMAND YOU!"

But the guards don't move. They look towards the Kings in confusion which causes Cassandra to turn towards me in anger. She looks exactly like the monster she has always been on the inside.

"YOU DID THIS! YOU FILTHY, DISGUSTING HUMAN! I WILL TEAR YOU APART." Seething with anger she grabs the dagger she used to cut herself and lunges for me.

I freeze out of fear but she doesn't get even close before she collapses to the floor and starts writhing in pain. That when I realize Aeries is using the crown to cause her pain until she is screaming like an abused child.

"Do not kill her, yet." Aerius orders his brother.

"Guards," Aerion commands, "Take the Queen to her new husband’s chambers in the dungeons. Since she loves him so much that she signed her love and loyalty away to him, it's only right they share a night together before their execution."

"I WILL KILL YOU ALL!" Cassandra screams despite the pain she must be in. The guards grab her arms, dragging her across the floor. She kicks and bites at the guards, her screams echoing through the hall until the heavy doors slam shut, cutting off the sound of her angered curses.

The Kings steps beside me, pulling me into their arms. "Don't worry we already set her execution tomorrow midday." Aeries informs.

They really must have trusted that my plan will work.

"Our assistant will also be among those dying. Or at least the thing that he became will be dying. Do you have any opposition?"

"Not at all. I had acquired my freedom and a good life when Lucas greed thrust me back to those dungeons. He did not mind if I died, why should I care if he is paying for it?" I answer.

My mates grin, the kind that hints that they like my answer."Then you will choose the manner of execution."

"Witches are burned. He should be too," I say without hesitation.

Surely they did not think that I care about him anymore. I no longer have doubts about who really put me back into those dungeons. He was wicked enough to show up pretending to care for me while I was losing my life.

Aeries fingers grip my chin before he kisses me. I eagerly kiss him back, before my other mates join.