Chapter 6

Elowen's POV

I was frightened. More frightened than I could remember ever being.

But the longer I stood there, the more I understood that my fear would change nothing.

Even if I protested, what could I possibly do? I had no bargaining chip, no place to run, and no one who would stand between the Earl's family and me.

The Countess glanced at Mistress Aud.

"Take her away. Get her dressed."

Mistress Aud grabbed my arm and pulled me from the hall.

Her fingers dug painfully into my skin. I stumbled, but quickly caught my balance. I didn't dare pull away. I knew that if I made things difficult, she would only hurt me more.

She dragged me into Miss Beatrice's dressing room.

The room was nothing like the servants' quarters where I slept. A soft carpet covered the floor, and the dressing table was crowded with perfume bottles, jewelry, and delicate hair ornaments. Several beautiful gowns hung in the wardrobes.

I had never owned anything so fine.

My clothes were always rough, faded, and ill-fitting. They were often stained with the filth of the beast pit, and no matter how hard I scrubbed, they never seemed clean enough. I rarely even had the chance to look at myself in a mirror.

Mistress Aud opened a wardrobe and pulled out a white wedding dress.

It had been made for Miss Beatrice.

The fabric was soft beneath my fingers. Delicate lace decorated the skirt, while tiny pearls had been sewn along the neckline and sleeves. It was the sort of dress I had only ever seen from a distance.

"Take off those rags and put it on."

I obeyed.

The dress was much too large for me.

Miss Beatrice had been raised on good food and surrounded by people who made sure she wanted for nothing. Her figure was well cared for, and the dress had been tailored to fit her perfectly.

I was painfully thin. My shoulders were narrow, my wrists little more than bones beneath my skin.

I stood before the mirror.

The bodice hung loosely around my chest, and the straps kept slipping off my shoulders. The heavy skirt seemed to swallow me whole.

I looked ridiculous. I knew that much.

Still, I couldn't stop staring at myself in the mirror.

The dress was beautiful, far more beautiful than anything I had ever imagined wearing. Its soft white fabric shimmered whenever I moved, and the tiny pearls caught the light like little drops of moonlight.

I had never worn anything so lovely before.

Pretty, Selene murmured.

I felt her stir inside me, her tail giving an eager little wag. For once, she wasn't wary or restless. She seemed just as fascinated by the white dress as I was.

Once, when I was younger, I had wondered what it would be like to get married. I had imagined a pretty dress, flowers, and someone who would hold my hand without hurting me—someone who might look at me and not wish I were different.

The thought was foolish, but for a brief moment, I let myself imagine it.

Then the door opened. Miss Beatrice entered with a servant supporting her injured arm. A white bandage was wrapped around her wrist, but the misery she had displayed in the great hall had vanished.

When she saw me, she burst out laughing.

"Oh, look at her! That dress makes her look like a curtain thrown over a clothes rack."

I lowered my eyes.

"Well, I suppose you two deserve each other. An ugly little Omega for a prince who's nothing but a crippled exile."

She took a bite of her pastry and glanced at the bandage.

Mistress Aud smiled eagerly. "You won't have to marry that exiled failure after all, Miss."

Beatrice looked delighted.

"I've known since I was little that if I cried hard enough, Mother and Father would find a way to give me what I wanted."

She lifted her wrist.

"I only cut myself a little, and they were terrified. Mother wouldn't stop crying, and Father was running around in a panic. See? Now I don't have to marry him, do I?"

She examined the bandage and wrinkled her nose.

"Ugh. It still hurts. Bring me some more pastries."

A servant hurried to obey.

Beatrice seemed perfectly satisfied with herself, and then her attention returned to me.

I noticed her gaze in the mirror.

It moved from the wedding dress to my face, stopping at my cloudy left eye and the large red mark beside it.

I was used to that look. The moment people noticed them, their expressions always changed. I had learned long ago that the easiest thing to do was to keep my head down and let them look away first.

But then a thought struck me.

I looked at Beatrice's reflection in the mirror, then at my own. We looked nothing alike—not even close.

How could I possibly pass for her?

For the first time since they had forced me into that wedding dress, I saw a flaw in their plan. Perhaps there was still a chance this marriage wouldn't happen.

My fingers tightened around the skirt.

"But… what if they notice?"

The room fell quiet.

I swallowed, gathering the little courage I had.

"I don't look anything like Miss Beatrice. Even with a veil, wouldn't the royal attendants realize I'm not her?"

Beatrice's laughter faded.

Her expression tightened.

"You're right. We can't let the royal family see your face."

She turned toward Mistress Aud.

"Get her a large hat with a veil. The bigger, the better. It needs to cover that eye and the mark on her cheek."

I kept my eyes down.

So that was the answer. I had been foolish to think they might abandon the plan just because we looked different. They had already decided my fate. Whether I looked like Beatrice or not, they would find a way to make me take her place.

I was still going to be sent away to marry the exiled prince.

Mistress Aud soon returned with a wide-brimmed hat. Layers of delicate gauze hung from its edges, falling low enough to cover most of my face.

She placed it on my head and adjusted the veil until my features were barely visible.

Beatrice studied me in the mirror.

"Much better. At least no one will recognize her at first glance."

Then she seemed to remember something.

"What if the royal family discovers the bride isn't me?"

Mistress Aud gave a cold smile.

"There's no need to worry, Miss. If anyone finds out, we'll simply say you suddenly fell ill. As for this damned Omega slave…"

She glanced at me.

"We'll say she was foolish enough to impersonate the Earl's daughter and try to marry the prince. They can drag her out and cut off her head. That will settle everything."

Beatrice laughed.

"Good. Just make sure she doesn't drag us down with her."

I heard every word.

Mistress Aud didn't lower her voice. Perhaps she didn't think there was any reason to hide her intentions from a slave.

My fingers went cold.

If the royal family discovered the truth, I would be executed for pretending to be a noblewoman. If they didn't, I would be sent away to marry an exiled prince whose fate I knew nothing about.

There was no plan for what would happen to me afterward and no promise that I would ever be allowed to return. No one had even considered whether I would survive.