Chapter 6 The prince should marry

“I- I did not know that it was forbidden. The prince let me through—”

“Oh, did he?” Raven scoffed, her sarcasm evident. She looked away from Evyths, whose face had fallen, and then back at her again. “You are nothing. A woman with no title or honor. I wonder why the prince, my mate, allowed you into his sacred place,” Raven blurted, her gaze darkening with hatred for Evyths.

“I- I’m really sorry. I didn’t know that—”

“Enough!” Raven silenced her, her voice thicker than blood. “You are forbidden from crossing this area. Stay in your dungeon, and do not let your eyes see the sun or a ray of light,” she warned as Evyths nodded and quickly headed away.

Raven stood in shock, her question still lingering: Why did Valerio let her in when he had never allowed anyone else? Or her?

Her eyes darted to the large door before her; there was no way she could enter since the prince used his blood as an entry code.

Frustration boiled over, and Raven angrily spun to leave. She and her guards made their way to Queen Elena’s chamber. Surrounded by maids and guards, Raven forced her way through, even after being told that Queen Elena did not want to be disturbed.

“Raven?” Elena called out, somewhat surprised to see her looking disheveled while her feet were being massaged. She quickly dismissed her chambermaids.

“Come, child, what is troubling you?” Elena asked, her voice soothing and concerned.

Raven sat beside Elena, pouting as she crossed her legs elegantly and exhaled lightly.

“I feel betrayed,” Raven said, her voice firm and her expression serious.

“Betrayed? Why?” Elena inquired, placing a hand on Raven’s shoulder.

“I saw something earlier. I wanted to speak with the prince, but something happened. The hound he brought stepped out of his sacred room. He’s never let anyone through or even me. So why should a hound with no standing be allowed to enter and exit freely?” She paused, her gaze intense as she looked into the queen’s eyes.

Queen Elena’s expression hardened, a thick scowl forming on her face as she withdrew her hand from Raven’s shoulder.

“D’Arcy would never allow a hound, let alone an enemy, to see his laboratory…” Elena retorted, rising to her feet.

Raven stood too. “Mother, he did. I consider it unethical. She’s a hound; she must respect her place in our territory. I fear something dire might happen if we do not act quickly,” she said, stepping back and turning to Elena.

“I do not blame the prince for letting her through, though I don’t understand why he did. But…” her gaze narrowed as she pressed on. “We can implement boundaries for the hound…” Raven suggested, as Queen Elena scoffed, trying to comprehend Raven’s point.

“If you look closely, the hound in question has red hair and striking green eyes, which may be appealing to men,” Elena replied with a sigh. “The prince’s attention may be shifting from me—”

Elena’s dry chuckle interrupted Raven. “Are you saying that you feel threatened by her unusual traits?” Elena asked firmly.

“Your Majesty, I will never find a hound more attractive than I am,” Raven flipped her dark, glossy hair behind, a dark smirk settling on her red lips. “My point is, you promised that Prince Valerio would marry me as soon as they returned from Davendale. Well,” she paused, her breath hitching. “They've returned. Should it not be time to wed?” Raven asked, as Elena swallowed hard, straightening herself.

“Your wedding with the prince still stands… but D’Arcy is more concerned about our territorial issues, the hunters' threats, the wolfbane antidote, the mines, and so much more. His attention is currently divided, dear child!” Elena explained, her unwavering demeanor making it clear to Raven that the wedding might not happen as planned.

Raven moved closer to the queen, unfazed. “You vowed to make the prince marry me as soon as they returned. I have yet to hear of any wedding plans being set up.” Her voice was sharp and direct. She turned her back to the queen, crossing her arms in disappointment and anger.

“I left my family in Dewwater to be with the prince. The stakes and conditions were clear. The House of Blackwin will offer the king and his household an army of sorcerers and beasts to solidify your rule and defend your territory—against werewolves and hunters—that's barely holding strong. From what I see, the reverse is now true.” She spun back to the queen like a gust of wind. “If I do not marry the prince soon, there will be trouble, my queen. You made a deal with us, keep it…” a dark wind began to swirl around Raven, frantic noises filling the air, causing Elena to hold her aching head.

“Discipline the hound and make your son yield to this marriage!” Raven’s voice was distorted with possessed echoes filling the room.

Elena fell to her knees, pleading. “I promise to do as you have said. Just… keep this between us!” Elena’s voice trembled as Raven disappeared, and the dark haze vanished too.

Elena sat on the ground as the maids rushed back in, only to find their powerful queen washed in fear.

“Where is my son?” she asked them, her voice firm with a thick growl.

“The courtroom, your majesty…” one hurriedly replied, her face turned to the ground.

“Find him. I want to see him,” she ordered, as three of the chambermaids scurried out of the chamber to pass on the message.

…

Later on, the queen waited for Prince Valerio in their upper room, a place where no one dared to enter. It was specifically made for the king, queen, and heirs. Any intrusion required the consent of the king, queen, or prince.

Prince Valerio, clad in his regal cloak that flowed with his light movements, entered the upper room, carrying his dark, intimidating demeanor.

Everyone knew that Valerio was not one to smile or get excited; if he did, it usually meant he had just ravaged a prey.

“Mother, you asked to see me?”

“D’Arcy, I did. I NEED us to talk,” she blurted out, the weight of the situation lingering between them.

“All right. What about?” He sat on a chair, resting his back and slowly drumming his fingers on the wooden armrest.

“Raven Blackwin,” she began, her attention solely on the prince.

His expression tightened; he could sense what his mother was about to discuss. A wave of irritation washed over him as she spoke enthusiastically.

“When do you prefer the wedding rites to take place?”

“Never,” he replied bluntly.

“How do you mean ‘never,’ D’Arcy? You cannot do this. It is too late…” she stated.

Prince Valerio scoffed, rubbing his jaw with his free hand. “You cannot force me to marry Raven, Mother. I understand that you are the queen, but I must remind you that I am the crowned prince. I will decide who I marry. As for Raven, I don’t see why she must be my wife…” He nearly yelled, while she remained composed. “She is not all that,” he waved dismissively.

“D’Arcy, the throne is established on duty, just like your father and I. We performed our duties to uphold our family name. Our ancestors are proud—”

“Our ancestors have nothing to do with what you're imposing, Mother,” he fired back, striking the table.

The loud thud echoed as Elena exhaled.

“I have tried to love Raven, but she isn’t the one. She cannot be my mate,” he protested.

“Well, that is not your choice to make!” she snapped, his lips twitching slightly. “Raven is educated, well-mannered, committed to our norms, powerful, beautiful—everything you could want. If you marry Raven today, you will create an unbreakable lineage. By uniting with House Blackwin, our territories will be solidified. This is not all about love, Valerio; this is about duty and your future as king…” she explained, her tone convincing, yet the words felt empty.

Deep down, he sensed something was wrong, and the pressure she was mounting felt unnecessary and unexpected.

“If I may ask,” he said calmly, arms crossed on the table, staring intensely at her. He feared he might have struck a nerve.

“Why now? Why the sudden pressure to marry a girl with no royal blood?”

“She is a noble—”

“Answer me!” he demanded, slapping the table, causing Elena to squint, her mind racing non-stop. “Can’t talk?” he pressed again.

“Like I said, it is duty to the throne and your father… regrettably… will not be here for long,” she replied, trying to steady herself as Prince Valerio rose, sensing the tension in her eyes.

“Are you sure, Mother? Just duty?” he repeated, a half-smile on his lips. “I love you, and I will do anything to make you happy. If a wedding will soothe you, then I will marry Raven…” He started to walk away but paused. “If I find out that something fishy lies beneath this, I won’t spare you or the Blackwin heiress,” he declared assertively, forcing her to nod.

A satisfied, relieved smile formed on her lips.

At least he finally agreed, she told herself.

…

The conversation with his mother had ended too quickly. Prince Valerio was convinced that Raven was the mastermind behind the pressure. Knowing how she had struck Evyths earlier, he became even more furious.

To him, as a man of honor, duty, and power, it was crucial to maintain his side of the bargain with the werewolves, given the territorial threats the Ravencroft kingdom faced.

On the other hand, the king was ill after barely surviving a deadly disease that had befallen him. His days were numbered, and Valerio understood part of his mother’s plea for him to marry as soon as possible.

Marriage was clearly not on his agenda; all he wanted was to fulfill his father’s duties and maintain his balance of power and influence.

The situation weighed heavily on him like thorny shackles, leaving him restless, frustrated, and confused.

Marching to Evyths’ cell, he ordered his guard to wait by the main door while he proceeded further.

Meanwhile, Evyths had been trying to escape, vigorously attempting to break the lock on the dungeon door.

With his footsteps light and his shadow absent, Evyths had no idea that Prince Valerio had witnessed her actions.

“Tell me, dear omega… how does it feel to owe the dark your soul?”

His words cut through the silence like steel, fear gripped her as she managed to drag her body backward.