Chapter 166

Prince Deacon and Wynn did not have to stand trial for killing Emily and no one managed to see the truth when looking at their minds.

“You know you can take one of these brides to be,” Prince Deacon teased Wynn the evening when prince Ra’s former wives and a few human princesses arrived, all lined up and ready to be matched.

“I prefer my freedom,” Wynn laughed.

“Tomorrow I want to introduce you to a very special fellow,” King Makens said from behind prince Deacon.

Prince Deacon looked around at his father, “Didn’t know you are behind me.”

“Have you decided on a bride?” King Makens asked, nodding with his head in the direction of the brides-to-be, all dressed in white.

“I will take the one that is left over, no problem,” Prince Deacon said, not caring.

“So, who is this fellow?” Prince Duncan asked, looking at king Thorvald and his wife, princess Claire, wondering when she was going to be sworn in as queen of the vampires.

“I wonder what they are arguing about?" Wynn asked.

“Why don’t you take a bride then you find out for yourself why married couples quarrel,” Queen Lana asked, joining the group.

“I don’t understand why I have to be here. Why do you have to be here?” Princess Claire asked in an undertone, lined with irritation.

“Because we have to stand witness as they stood witness for us,” King Thorvald said, trying to put her in her place.

“I am going to bed,” Princess Claire said, turning to walk away.

“You will stay right here until I take you to bed,” King Thorvald compelled her.

Princess Claire stopped, filled with anger, hating the fact that he compelled her.  ‘Why does he say he loves me, yet he treats me like I am nothing more than his property,’ Claire asked herself furiously.

“Don’t be so angry, it makes you look ugly,” King Thorvald chuckled.

“Perhaps if you actually tried to make me happy, I won’t be looking ugly," Princess Claire spat back.

“So, you are not happy?” King Thorvald asked thinking about how he makes her scream with pleasure every day when he makes love to her. ‘Love?’ King Thorvald questioned himself. Even though he told her that he loved her as he knew that was what wives wanted to hear he sometimes wondered if he does in fact really loved her.

Princess Claire’s eyes fell on prince Mano that has just entered the hall. ‘Why could I not have rather ended up with a lycan prince?’ she thought. ‘Dammit, King Thorvald will see what I just thought,’ Princess Claire reminded herself, worried.

King Thorvald noticed that princess Claire was deep in thought and wondered what she was thinking with her eyes on the lycan royals.

Unable to control himself he grabbed her by her arm and walked her out of the hall, drawing attention to them.

“Princess Claire is not feeling well,” King Thorvald muttered when he walked past Queen Amirah’s accusing eyes.

“You are hurting me,” Princess Claire protested when they were out of the chapel hall.

“I will do a whole lot more if I ever find that you have been with one of the lycans!” King Torvald said, shoving her into his room.

“Ouch,” Princess Claire said, grabbing her arm.

King Thorvald does not bother to close his bedroom door and violently grabbed princess Claire, sinking his fangs into her neck.

Princess Claire tried her best to think about only king Thorvald so that he won't see her earlier thoughts but knew she failed when he growled against her neck.

‘He is going to kill me,’ she thought, tears forming in her eyes. ‘Perhaps death will be a blessing,’ she thought, knowing he could see her thoughts.

Princess Claire felt herself slipping away from the blood loss.  King Thorvald knew he was drinking too much, but he was filled with anger for allowing himself to think that a human will ever love him.

Right before princess Claire lost consciousness, king Thorvald saw the reason behind her real unhappiness, ‘She wants a child.’

King Thorvald retracted his fangs from her neck and bit open his own wrist before putting it to her neck, knowing she was too far gone to drink, so the only other option was for his blood to go into her bloodstream.

Back at the chapel hall.

“It appears all the royal brothers have ginger color hair like their mother,” Nashwa whispered, wondering if she made the right decision.

“Besides prince Deacon,” Zahra whispered, keeping her eyes on prince Deacon, being drawn to him from the moment she laid eyes on him less than a year ago at the Duchess Ball, a few days before prince Adio Akin died.

‘I guess I have to take what I get and hopefully whoever chooses me won't mind the fact that I am already pregnant,’ Panya thought in silence, her eyes on the floor.

Sanura was secretly hoping that none of the lycan royal brothers liked her as she was hoping to get married to a vampire. ‘Petty king Thorvald already has a wife,’ she thought, weighing her options.

Chione looked at the humans that were lined up with them, ‘One prettier than the next,’ she thought, smiling sweetly at them, not caring at all that they noticed her looking.

A few weeks ago, prince Ra arrived first at his palace to divorce his wives and see them off before princess Freda and Emily’s arrival so that they won’t know of Emily’s existence.

“I guess we should get started,” King Makens said when he noticed all eyes on them. King Makens looked at his sons standing to the side, chatting, and signaling them to come over.

“Vasili, since Deacon wants leftovers, you get to choose your bride first,” King Makens said sarcastically.

“The Asian-looking woman wearing the white boho dresses are the ones you should pick from,” Prince Deacon chuckled.

“I won't mind having one of them,” Wichard acknowledged their beauty.

“You can take my wife for a spin,” Prince Deacon joked, right before his face was met by his mother’s palm.

“What the hell?” Prince Deacon exclaimed, putting his hand on his red cheek.

Vasili walked over to the lined-up brides-to-be, still laughing about the slap that prince Deacon just got from their mother.

He could see that the Asian beauties were all looking at him, and he found one of them intriguing, a beautiful woman her skin the color of cinnamon, her eyes hickory brown and sharp at the edges, her hair long and jet black. He came to a standstill in front of her, not even bothering with the other ladies, “I am Vasili.”

“Princess Chione,” she said, her voice as smooth as honey. ‘He looks so tall and broad,’ Chione thought, not really attracted to the look of him as she was more attracted to finer-looking men with appearances closer to that of a woman, but she took his extended hand and allowed him to kiss her before pulling her out of the line-up and walking her to the alter. ‘I am going to miss our group lovemaking,’ Chione thought, looking back at her former sister-wives.

Next to choose his bride was Bleidd, as tall and broad as the rest of his brothers. Bleidd walked up to the woman, but he got distracted when his eyes meet a woman that was not amongst prince Ra’s former wives, ‘MATE,’ he felt the fated mate bond rip through his soul, healing his broken heart from losing his previous fated mate.  Bleidd looked over to his family and mind linked his parents, ‘I just mated but it is not with one of prince Ra’s former wives.’

‘Then reject her as we have an agreement with prince Ra,’ Queen Lana demanded.

“Hi,” Prince Bleidd said to a shy human girl, staring at her feet. He took her by one hand and lifted her chin with his other.

“Hi,” a small, unsure voice escaped her.

“What is your name?” he asks kindly.

“Caroline, princess Caroline,” she said, her big blue eyes met his.

‘I want her,’ Prince Bleidd pleaded with his parents through a mind link.

‘It is just the fated mate bond.  Break it and you will no longer feel attracted to her,” Queen Lana mind linked him back, yelling in his head.

Prince Bleidd pulled her from the line-up and for a moment; Princess Caroline thought he was going to marry her but instead he walked her to the side.

“I, Prince Bleidd Makens,” he started, about to reject her when she stopped him.

“What? Why?” Princess Caroline protested in a small voice.

“You know what I am about to do?” he asked confused.

“Yes! My mother is a lycan and my father a human prince!” Princess Caroline stated.

“I have to choose from a selected group,” Prince Bleidd explained, even though he wanted this beautiful girl in front of him.

“Well then I am doing the rejection first,” Princess Caroline said, stubbornly.

“Why?” Prince Bleidd asked, feeling everyone’s eyes on them.

“I have been rejected before, for being half-blood and suffered heartache for weeks after.  I am not going through that ever again!” Princess Caroline said, a stubborn look on her face.

Prince Bleidd looked over at the woman in wedding dresses, all looking at them before looking over at his parents, also looking at him.

“What if we just pretend?” he whispered.

“What do you mean?” she asked, looking up at him.

“We get married to whoever and we claim each other in secrecy?” he suggested.

‘Don’t even think about it! Tomorrow I will arrange for a shaman mate spell and you, and your brothers will all claim the brides you choose tonight,’ Queen Lana mind linked him.

Princess Caroline could hear queen Lana in Bleidd's head as she was linked to prince Bleidd.