Chapter 30: Undesired Daughter, Desired Princess
Dolores flopped onto her bed in her mother's quarters, her face buried into her goose feather pillow. She practically ran from the Pantheon after the High Priestess gave her what she called an early birthday present. Crystal words swirled in her mind as Dolores tried to understand what she meant by the chosen heiress and be prepared. Be prepared for what?
Flipping onto her back, Dolores closed her eyes grabbing her spare pillow, and hugged the cushion close to her chest. Her birthday, how did she forget that tomorrow was her birthday. She had been so preoccupied with trying not to think of Ellie who wouldn’t be back to the palace until tomorrow morning or Jasper that she completely forgot about her 18th birthday.
She even forgot that there was to be a grand party to celebrate her coming into adulthood. A New Moon Ceremony. Dolores tightened her hold on the feathered down pillow. She had never had a birthday party before, but now as a Princess of Kequin, she was to be dressed in a custom-made gown and be introduced to young noble males chosen by the Alpha King.
Her blood ran cold when she remembered what her mother had learned, warning Dolores that her father, the King, would expect her to choose or choose for her, her husband, to be from these noble males. Dolores covered her face with the pillow and screamed.
Dolores woke the following day forcefully to a dozen maids dashing around her room. Opening curtains and arranging a variety of fabrics for Dolores to choose from. Jumping from her bed, she ran out of the room, searching for her mother.
Diana sat at her loom next to the fire humming to herself, a moanful expression on her brow. Dolores rushed to her side. "Mother, must I have a New Moon Ceremony?"
Diana sighed as she stopped her spinning. Turning to face Dolores, Diana cupped Dolores's cheek with one hand. "Lo, my love, this is the price of being a female. Be thankful you are Princess and a lower wolf, like I was."
Her mother kissed her forehead and sent her back to the room to prepare for the ceremony. An older maid roughly pulled at her arm until Dolores was standing on a small circular platform in the center of the small room. Three other maids presented different color fabrics, and Dolores pointed to a sky blue material that seemed to shimmer when the sunlight hit the cloth.
Hours passed, and Dolores had been poked and prodded until she was sewn into her birthday, New Moon Ceremony gown. One of the maids had pulled at her hair, pinning multiple strands back from her face, and then wrapped her long, almost white hair into thick wide curlers creating long bouncing rings streaming from the crown now adored on top of her head.
Once the maids left, Dolores looked at herself in the floor length mirror. Her makeup had been done perfectly, highlighting her high cheekbones and defining her eyebrows even more. They had also somehow made her thin lips look fuller than usual. She looked like an actual Princess.
*"We don't look like ourselves. I hate this."* Silvia snarled inside her mind.
Dolores ignored her and made her way to the nightstand beside the bed. Opening the drawer, Dolores took the dagger that was given to her by the Gery Tail Pack. Pulling up the skirts of her gown, she tied the sheaths string around her thigh. Better to be safe than sorry.
At the Palace, Dolores clutched at her mother's arm as they walked towards the ballroom. When they reached the entryway, Dolores saw that a paler version of the Alpha King stood waiting for her. Dolores looked at her mother, who gave her a slight unknowing shake of the head. Dolores's eyes widened when Adam stepped out from behind the King.
Deeping their head to the King and Crown Prince, Dolores and Diana
hesitated when Adam offered his arm towards Dolores and the King to Diana. Wordless, the females took the male's arms and entered the extravagant ballroom.
The ballroom was decorated in sweeping draps of white and blue satin. Tables filled with enough food to feed an entire village were lined along one wall. Every noble Pack of Kequin was in attendance along with others Dolores could only guess where they came from.
Adam guided her through the crowd of people, dipping his head here and there. They passed a large oval table in the center of the ballroom where gifts upon gifts were stacked one by one. She caught sight of the Luna Queen seal and was shocked to see that even the Queen had given her a birthday present.
Dolores eyed Adam skeptically. Quietly laughing at her expression, he leaned in close to her ear as they made their way through the crowd of fellow werewolves.
"You should listen to your older brother more. I can make your life much easier." He whispered.
Dolores opened her mouth to snap her response, but he turned and left her with a group of young noble males. She tried to track Adam as he made his way back into the crowd but lost him when another three noble males surrounded her.
The evening seemed to move in blinks. Dolores was introduced to every eligible young male in Kerquin. Her father, the Alpha King, gave a loving speech making him seem an adoring father, and the life she had with her mother never happened.
Dolores wiped the top of her hand on her skirts for what must have been the hundredth time that night she wanted this night to end. Her feet hurt, and if she had to hear another spoiled noble Pack member tell her how her beauty was like no other, Dolores was sure everyone was lying.
Inhaling deeply, she tried once more to speak mind to mind with Jasper. If only she could hear his voice, remind her that he was here, but that was the problem. He wasn't here, and no matter how hard she tried, her inner calls drifted into nothing.
Dolores stood silently, letting her mind wander as another set of noble males attempted to seduce and flirt with her. Sipping at her champagne flute, she tried to contain her amusement over the irony. If no one found out she was the lost Princess and still a rogue in the Grey Tail Pack, would they try to win her affection?
These so called high class noble males were no different from those in the Grey Tail Pack, treating their female omegas and rogues like sex slaves, threatening them, using them for convenience, and then tossing them away. These males were interested in the fact that she was a Princess, and marrying Dolores would give them social status.
Irritation penetrated her thoughts and then the air around Dolores. Blinking from her subconscious. She saw that males around her were aggravated by a young male who smugly stood in front of Dolores. Exhaling, she offered her hand, waiting for him to kneel and kiss her hand as all the others had done before him, only he did not.
Dolores tilted her head and began to slowly lower her outstretched hand. The stranger abruptly grabbed her fingers, startling Dolores and the males surrounding them. He leaned down with a devilish smile and gave the top of Dolores's hand a lingering kiss, sucking at the skin.
Appalled, Dolores ripped her hand from his mouth and grip. She glared at the young male noticing that he was paler than almost every other male. His long blonde curly hair was tied back, and she saw that his eyes were a shade of scarlet. The corner of those mysterious eyes creased as a grin spread across his face.
A sensation of wild lust came over Dolores as she took in the disgustingly handsome male dressed in a back suit and thin red tie before her, followed by hatred. A hatred that the stranger showed such arrogance and resentment that despite everything, she found him attractive.
"So this is the infamous Princess that the Kingdom of Kreqin would love to offer me, huh?" His velvet sounding voice asked, "I must say I believe I am already in love with her. I can tell she has some...spirit."
"An honor to meet you, mister?" Dolores retorted her words in a sarcastic tone, which made the young males surrounding them smirk.
"Yes, spirited indeed." The stranger quipped above a breath. "My name is Keylon Ross," He purred, giving Dolores a sparse dip of his head. "I am the prince of the Vampire Kingdom, Xoddesy."
Dolores's eyes widened. She had only heard stories of the Kingdom's sworn enemies. Why had the Alpha King invited a vampire to her New Moon Celebration and what did he mean that she was an offering of Krequin.
Narrowing her eyes, Keylon chuckled, a sound that vibrates all the way down to Dolores toes Baring his teeth Keylon added: "And I am your future husband, Princess Dolores."