Chapter 2: Unwanted Proposal

Chapter 2: Unwanted Proposal

Selene stared at the council of elders in stunned silence. The weight of the advisor’s words pressed down on her, suffocating her in a way no battle ever had. Marriage to the prince of the Night Realm? The very thought of it made her stomach churn. The man was nothing but shadows and darkness, everything the wolves had fought against for centuries.

Her fingers tightened around the hilt of her sword, still strapped to her side, as if it could somehow give her the strength to resist what was being asked of her. The elders around her stood still, their eyes locked on her, waiting for her response.

“You can’t be serious,” she growled, her voice low and dangerous. “You expect me to marry him? After everything his people have done?”

The head advisor, an older man with a long gray beard and fur-lined robes, took a step forward. His face was lined with age, and though he was a man of peace, there was no softness in his eyes. He had seen too much war. “We don’t expect this of you lightly, Princess Selene,” he said gravely. “But the Wolf Kingdom cannot continue to bleed. We have lost too many warriors. The people are suffering. This marriage... it could end the war.”

Selene slammed her fist onto the long table in front of her, the wood splintering under the force of her blow. “End the war? By binding me to that creature of shadows? He is no ally. He is the enemy. And I will not be used as a pawn in this—”

“This is not a request, Selene,” the advisor interrupted, his voice firm but not unkind. “The king has spoken. If we do not agree to the marriage, the Night Realm will strike again, and I fear this time we will not be able to hold them off. We cannot afford more losses. We must think of the people.”

Selene’s chest heaved with rage, but deep down, she knew the advisor was right. Her people had been pushed to the brink, their resources stretched thin. As much as she wanted to tear through the Night Realm and bring Kael to his knees in battle, she knew that her kingdom wouldn’t survive another prolonged war. The wolves were strong, but even they had limits.

She turned away from the table, her hands clenched into fists at her sides as she stared out the large windows overlooking the vast forest that surrounded the Wolf Kingdom. The moon was high, casting a silver glow over the trees, and she could feel its pull deep within her, urging her to shift, to let the beast inside her take control. But even that wouldn’t change the reality of the situation.

A marriage to Prince Kael would end the bloodshed. But at what cost?

Selene closed her eyes, her heart heavy with the burden of her people’s fate. She had always been a warrior first, fighting for her kingdom with tooth and claw.

But this… this was not the kind of battle she had prepared for.

“I am a warrior,” Selene whispered, almost to herself. “Not a bride.”

“You are both,” the advisor said, stepping closer, his voice softer now. “A leader must make sacrifices, sometimes of the heart, for the greater good. We know this is not what you want, but it may be the only way to save the kingdom. Think of your people. Think of the future.”

Selene let out a long breath, her shoulders sagging slightly. The fight drained from her, though the anger still simmered under the surface. She didn’t want this. Everything in her rebelled against it. But she couldn’t deny the truth staring her in the face. The Kingdom of Wolves couldn’t survive another war. Her people were weary. If a marriage could secure peace, could she really refuse?

Turning back to face the council, her eyes hard but resigned, she spoke. “Fine. I’ll do it. I’ll marry him.”

The silence that followed was heavy with relief. The advisor gave her a solemn nod, but Selene saw the flicker of gratitude in his eyes. “Thank you, Princess. You’ve made the right choice.”

But Selene wasn’t so sure.

Days later, in the grand halls of the Night Realm, Prince Kael stood before his father, the Night King, his jaw tight, his fists clenched. The room was bathed in shadows, the dark stone walls seeming to breathe with the magic that flowed through the very foundation of the kingdom. The Night King, a tall, imposing figure with eyes as cold as the darkest void, watched his son carefully.

“I’m not marrying her,” Kael said, his voice low and filled with venom.

The Night King raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by his son’s defiance. “You don’t have a choice.”

Kael turned sharply, his long black cloak swirling behind him as he paced the length of the chamber. “I’ve fought her people for years. They’re nothing but beasts. Savages. I won’t bind myself to one of them.”

“You will,” the Night King said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “We have been at war for too long. Our people are tired. The shadows whisper of dissent, Kael. This marriage will bring peace. It will unite the realms.”

Kael’s chest tightened with frustration. He had always been a dutiful son, always followed his father’s commands. But this—this was too much. He had seen the Wolf Princess on the battlefield. She was fierce, wild, and unrelenting, everything he had been taught to hate. To marry her felt like a betrayal to everything he stood for.

“She’s a beast,” Kael spat, his dark eyes glowing with anger. “A creature of the wild. You expect me to share a bed with her?”

The Night King’s lips curled into a cold smile. “She is a warrior, just as you are. And perhaps that is exactly why this will work. You will respect each other’s strength.”

Kael scoffed, but he knew his father was right, at least in part. He had never respected weakness, and Princess Selene was far from weak. Still, the idea of marriage, of being tied to someone who represented everything he had fought against, twisted his gut.

“I don’t have to like this,” Kael muttered.

“No,” his father said, his voice softening slightly. “But you must do it. For the realm. For the people.”

Kael’s jaw clenched, the weight of duty pressing down on him as it always had. He hated the wolves. He hated everything they stood for. But he couldn’t deny the truth in his father’s words. The Night Realm had suffered losses just as the wolves had. They couldn’t afford to keep fighting. Not like this.

With a final growl of frustration, Kael turned back to his father. “Fine. I’ll marry her. But don’t expect me to be happy about it.”

The Night King’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “Good. The wedding will be arranged immediately.”

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