50 -- Soiled Victory

Laura couldn't breathe. She couldn't stop the flush that rose from her chest and went all the way to her hairline. Her head felt very light and she was dizzy, hot. It was probably the wine she had drank that affected her sensibilities.
"Let's go." She stared up at Prince Nicholas as she stood, smiling wide at him. He looked at her like she must be mad and she felt like so. Her cheeks ached from the force she put on the smile but she couldn't tune it down.
She placed her hand in his and stood, her eyes roving over the room as they walked around the table. The lanterns littering the walls have a very bright light that caused her head to pound the more.
She felt Prince Nicholas place a steadying hand on her waist and she sank into him, resting most of her weight on him. She didn't think she drank too much, but it was obvious that it was what caused her weakness.
"How much did you drink?" Nicholas voiced her own thoughts and her face scrunched up in thoughts. Nicholas thought that she looked so adorable then. And so much like Lily.
He tried to get the thought Lily out of his head. He'd been thinking of her a lot frequently and even as the ceremony progressed earlier today. She was all over his mind and he was furious with himself for having feelings for her.
Gaston looked at him from a hidden alcove and nodded. Nicholas nodded back, leading a tipsy Laura out of the room. The tonic they had added to her wine was working quickly and he had to get her to her room so she could sign the declaration that his people were allowed to participate in the Mating that was coming in a week's time.
His plan was coming to fruition and he was so proud of what he had wrought. He finally understood what his destiny was. Why his father had been moved to get him married to the werewolf Princess, why he had found his way to the Kayaans. Unharmed. Everything was finally making sense to him.
He was going to make sure that his people mate with the werewolves, bringing about the making of the greatest species ever. The hybrids.
And his people would have total control over them all. Over the lands and they'd get more power, more riches, be more frightening to every other person. And then finally, his father would be proud of him.
"I can't walk." Laura's words were tipsy as Nicholas pulled her beside him. They got to her room and he walked in, lifting her by the waist and carrying her to her bed. She tried to flop face down once he dropped her, but he pulled her back, making she was was awake to listen to his proposition.
"Laura." Her eyes had rolled back into their sockets so he patted her cheeks, watching as her brows pulled together. He quickly got up and walked to her vanity to retrieve the parchment that Gaston had placed in her room.
He walked back to her, letting out an annoyed sigh when he saw that she lay sprawled on her bed, deep snores coming from her.
This won't do. This would never do. The one time he needed to make use of their marriage for his use, she had to be sleeping soundly? Furious, he marched over to her and pulled her up, propping her on her headboard. He tapped her face again until she blinked her eyes open.
"Laura, we have to talk about something. Something really important and significant, now that we've ventured into this union."
Surprisingly, Laura wasn't as delirious as he thought she would be, seeing as he had woken her sleepy drunk self. She looked at him, her weird extra large smile in place, as she nodded like she understood every single thing he was saying. She didn't, the tonic he had added into her wine made sure of it.
"My people - our people," He amended, taking hold of her hand and squeezing, "We're all now part of a single unit and anything that involves my people and yours shouldn't be restricted to just them."
Laura frowned and he panicked for a bit. Was she understanding everything he was saying clearly? Her face cleared and spread into a smile and he relaxed.
"That includes ceremonies, rites and all of that. For example, my people have a yearly completion we all partake in. It's a show of strength and since we're all one people, the werewolves would join in as well. Same goes for any special occasion you guys hold."
Laura was nodding heavily, her heavy lidded eyes on him. "We have one coming up next week. Our mating ceremony." She drawled, resting her arm heavily on him as she leaned forward. She curved a finger at him, telling him to draw closer. He did.
"It's going to be a full moon next week and the mating season enables us to bear pups readily. No miscarriages, no issue with birth for both the mother and the babe." Nicholas stared at her, sure that she was a drunk who understood everything that was going on. In that moment, it felt like his plan wouldn't work.
"Yes, well, I was thinking that we'd get this signed right here, right now. Letting ourselves know that we were in this together. It's just formality."
He placed the parchment on her thighs and she looked down, squinting into the paper. She looked up at him and smiled. "What's mine is yours."
Releasing a relieved breath, Nicholas rushed up to get the quill and ink he had forgotten to take from the vanity. He gave it to Laura and held his breath and she stared at the paper. He hoped that she was too far gone to understand the words or he'd have to blame the contents on his men.
"I sign here?" She looked at him, inquiring for his help. He led her hand clutching the quill to the space left for her mark and she signed on it, placing the quill on her bed once she was done.
Nicholas quickly snatched the quill up, frowning when he saw the stain that was left on her quilt. He watched her as she settled back against the headboard and closed her eyes.
He waited for her breaths to even out, his fingers drawing circles on her skin and then when he was sure that she had dozed off, he stood, walking out of the room, the parchment in hand.
He couldn't believe it. He had finally gotten what he'd been planning for! His men were going to mate with the women next week and no one would know, Laura won't know what she had signed and he'd have a legitimate reason to be a part of the mating rites.
Laura didn't know this, but she had just signed her people's doom.
Nicholas hurried across the hallway, walking swiftly into his room. He shut the doors behind him, startling when he saw Gaston sitting in the dark.
"Were you able to do it?"
Nicholas held up the parchment and smiled into the dark. "Of course, she's so far gone in me, she'd do anything."
"You mean she's so far into her cups." Gaston coughed into his fist, smiling when he saw that his comment had riled up the prince.
"You say a lot of stupid things." He began to disrobe, placing the parchment within his clothes in the cupboard. "Get the men ready, I'll have a quick talk with them before I go to bed."
"Aren't you meant to be enjoying your nuptials." Gaston wiggled his brows and smiled at him. Nicholas laughed, the idea was too funny.
"I didn't get married to her for my needs. I have wenches for that." And with that, he threw his coat at Gaston, who dodged and walked out of the room.
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He was getting married.
Nicholas was getting married today and to that proud wench. Out of every person in this world, he had to get married to someone who infuriated her more than anything. The werewolf Princess was proud and silly and that was who Nicholas chose to spend his life with. He chose the princess over her.
Lily ground to a halt as soon as that thought crossed her mind. This had nothing to do with her really. Yes, her feelings for him was getting stronger but she could live without him. She had lived a good life without his presence and she could still do the same.
She just had to find a way to get him out of her mind. She had to occupy herself with things so she won't think too much about them.
She heard a laugh coming from outside her doors and she winced. Her head was banging so loudly. Everyone was happy and celebrating freely without her and with the newly married couple and she was here, feeling terrible about herself.
It wasn't fair that Nicholas had played her. Because that was what he did. He had gotten close to her, made her lower all her defences. He had kissed her and made her fall in love with him, all that and he finally left her.
Lily sank down on her seat in shock, she really did love him. The one person she could've gone to get her feelings attached to had to be the married vampire prince. This wasn't fair to her.
Destiny wasn't playing fairly with her. She had always taken life with great importance above all else, she always participated in sacrifices and she made sure she upheld her vows. And this was how fate chose to deal with her. With hurt?
Lily was so angry. It felt like all thoughts were fleeing from her brain. She was hurt and angry that he had toyed with her feelings while he was engaged to another, but she was more furious with herself. That she had to have fallen for him. That she couldn't just do away with the feelings and let them go as easily as they had come.
"I can't breathe." She clutched her hand to her chest as she struggled to take calming breaths. It felt like her soul wanted to tear out from her skin. Tears pricked her eyes as the emotional pain she was experiencing turned violent till she was sure she could feel the pain on her being, her very flesh.
She stood, staggering to the centre table and pouring a glass of ale for herself. Everything went down in one go, burning a hole in her chest.
She went to pour herself another glass when she saw her hand turn hairy. She screamed and watched in irritation and the hairs grew rapidly from the back of her hand to her elbow. They almost looked fur like, dark and pin straight. Something weird was happening to her. Within her.
Her knees cracked suddenly and her legs gave out, causing her to fall to the floor, hard. She gave a sharp cry when her elbows bent too, her muscles contracting.
She could feel sweat run down her back as her feet stretched longer. What was happening to her?
She tried to crawl towards her vanity, she just needed to catch a glimpse of herself and what might be happening to her.
She had just reached the vanity table when her hand reached out in front of her, wanting to grab a leg and hoist herself up on the chair, when she saw her hand. Or rather paw.
Confused but still very shocked, she wrapped the paw around a leg and drew her pain wracking body up, till she was staring at her changing reflection.
Her eyes were a sharp black and her ears were growing longer, hair covering her forehead and skin and becoming thicker.
She felt a sharp pain in her jaw and opening her mouth, saw that she had grown teeth. Fang like teeth. The kind that belonged on wolves.
She looked at herself as her face contorted into something that was definitely not her. And then she screamed.
She had jowls.