He Stole My Children I Refused His Crown Chapter 02
It was what he always said when I refused to bend to his will.
I curled my fingers into fists and met his gaze.
“My father is arranging another marriage for me. I’m not joking.”
Lucian let out a cold laugh.
“You’ve never studied pack governance. You don’t understand royal diplomacy. Beyond a pretty face and a bit of dancing, what good are you?”
He paused, letting his words hang in the air for everyone to hear.
“If you make a scene tonight, not even I will have you. Who do you think would want you then?”
A ripple of laughter went through the crowd.
Brielle Arden, Celeste’s cousin, was the first to chime in.
“Everyone knows you’ve been chasing Prince Lucian for ten years. You followed him everywhere. He couldn’t shake you if he tried. How could you stand to marry anyone else?”
“You just can’t accept that you lost. Celeste is a better fit for the royal family than you are.”
Her eyes dropped to my injured ankle, her smile sharpening.
“This fiancé you mentioned—don’t tell me it’s some driver from the Ironvale convoy. That sounds about right for you.”
The laughter grew louder.
Lucian waited until she was finished, then spoke as if granting me a great favor.
“That’s enough, Willa. Take the pendant.”
“Even as my untitled, private consort, you’d be better off than married to some nobody.”
The commotion finally drew Queen Helena over.
She glided through the crowd, her eyes lingering on me for a few seconds before a cool smile touched her lips.
“Tonight’s rules were perfectly clear. The winner receives the formal betrothal. Willa won, so the badge should go to her.”
She turned to her son.
“Lucian, give the badge to Willa. Celeste may be your personal choice, but she is not qualified to be your alliance consort.”
Every eye in the room swiveled to Celeste. The color drained from her face.
Lucian’s face contorted with rage.
“Is this what this is about, Willa? You think because Ironvale controls the northern border, I don’t dare defy you?”
“Fine. If you want it so badly, take it.”
He snatched the blue crystal badge from Celeste’s hand and shoved it at me, his disgust palpable.
I took another step back.
The badge slipped from his grasp and clattered onto the marble floor.
The blue crystal shattered.
Lucian froze.
He stared at the shards on the ground, his voice trembling.
“Willa, are you insane?”
I crouched down and picked up a piece of the broken crystal. “You, of all people, should know the answer to that,” I said calmly.
A political betrothal required confirmation from both parties. A badge alone could never seal it.
Now that I had publicly refused, the royal family could no longer pretend I had accepted.