The Crown's Entrapment

King Stephan gasped as he followed his fellow king's eyes. "My Eldest daughter?" His eyes widened, looking as if making sure that the Werewolf King was pointing at the right woman.

"Yes. I want Princess Xenia to be my wife to secure this potential alliance you want between our kingdoms," King Darius reiterated himself.

He then looked at Xenia intently and firmly announced, "I won't ask for any other thing except for your daughter. In return, I am willing to comply with all of your demands so long as it is reasonable enough and won't be against the principles, rules, and laws of my kingdom."

There was a pause. Everyone was stunned at the Werewolf King's words.

"Time is ticking. War is coming to your kingdom, and I am willing to fight alongside you once you give me a positive answer," Darius pressed on. "The hand of your eldest daughter, Princess Xenia, in exchange for my assistance…"

He kept himself at the ready as he waited for a response. He purposefully interrupted the discussion before the Valcrez side could accept the Princess's alibi of accidental poisoning and decided to proceed with the wedding.

If he didn't do such a thing, then it would be too late…

There was a war coming, but there was still time to spare for the wedding to continue. It was the final step to secure the alliance that Ebodia needed to survive.

Judging by the situation, Nikolai had brought enough soldiers with him that they could already aid in securing the castle at the very least. Then, reinforcement from Valcrez would follow as soon as this marriage happened.

With one word, he could lose his mate to his friend Nikolai at any moment… something that he simply couldn't allow to happen.

Just the thought of seeing Xen with another man was already making him feral, and the beast in him was already on the verge of coming out at any given moment.

Darius looked at Nikolai with a heavy sigh. He and his fellow had a deep bond to the point where he almost died to save him once.

Of course, he didn't save Nikolai's life years ago just to receive something in return. But at this rate, it was the only choice he got to secure his mate should things not go as smoothly as he hoped.

As expected, a commotion filled the hall. There were unpleasant reactions to Darius's words, and the Ebodia King was caught off guard as he didn't see such an offer coming at all.

"Heavens!" the King of Ebodia burst out.

***

Xenia looked at her father in worry. He had a conflicted expression on his face, and she had no idea what to say or even do. She was speechless.

She felt like fainting just to avoid the situation right now. If she hadn't run away… they wouldn't have been in this mess in the first place.

'This is all my fault…'

Her eyes darted back at Darius. He was still as composed as ever, looking like someone who wouldn't budge at his own words.

It was par for the course, but what baffled Xenia was the devious smile currently on the king's face. It was as if what he just said earlier was something that should be so simple to accept.

Why would Darius act like that over her? Why meddle in an affair like this and create another mess for a princess he had never even met or knew?

'It's so unlike him to… unless…'

The Princess's eyes widened as a damning realization dawned on her… Darius probably knew that she was Xen… But since when!?

"This is absurd, Your Highness! The Werewolf King is disrespecting us right before our faces!!!" one of the Elders from the Valcrez exclaimed.

"This is an insult to our kingdom! Let us ignore such drivel. The Princess is back, and we can now proceed with this marriage alliance as initially planned."

Xenia looked at King Nikolai, who also had a stoic expression on his face before shifting her gaze back to Darius. She could only wonder what was going on inside these two Kings' heads, who just seemed to stare at each other for quite some time without so much as moving an inch.

"Why?"

It was the only word that King Nikolai uttered, his eyes keenly staring at Darius as he waited for an answer.

"Xen. Is. Mine," Darius firmly declared, his strong and unbreakable voice booming as if he was proud of announcing it to everyone inside the hall.  "She is my mate."

There was no other explanation needed once the word mate slipped through Darius's lips. Everyone in the room knew about how a werewolf had their destined mates that only a werewolf could recognize. There was no point in arguing anymore.

'That possessive beast! A mate?! He seriously just said that?!' Xenia thought as she glared daggers at Darius's direction

As if feeling her sight bore into him, Darius turned to her and gave her a sly smirk. Those eyes of his sent her a silent message, one of endless torture at the fact that he now owned her!

"You do know the grave consequences of what you are imposing, Darius?" King Nikolai calmly addressed. "What you are suggesting right now is an indication that you want to be enemies with my kingdom by stealing my bride-to-be."

"I wish nothing of the sort, Nikolai. And you know that I want nothing but to be a good friend to you, ensuring a lasting peace between our kingdoms" Darius promptly assuaged.

"I am willing to compromise with your terms as long as you hand me my mate, who is Princess Xenia. If you won't allow it, then I will have no choice but to use the Beholden Law."

Xenia could only watch from the sidelines as her name was thrown about like it was nothing. She felt like nothing more than a bargaining chip between these two powerful beasts, and she didn't like it at all!

She wasn't a thing that they could bargain with like they were playing a game, and she wasn't some kind of prize and trophy either! And yet… that was the harsh reality that Xenia had to accept for the betterment of their people.

"Alright, the Beholden Law it is," King Nikolai plainly responded with a sigh. "If not for you saving my life back then… I won't be standing here right now. I will concede and let you have Princess Xenia. In return, I am beholden no more to the Werewolf King of Cordon."

A Valcrez Elder was too quick to complain. "But Your Highness! This is-"

"My decision is final!" the Vampire King announced, using a gesture of his hand to stop one of his elders from speaking up.

"No one should question it. I will accept the second princess, Princess Mineah, in this marriage alliance with the Kingdom of Ebodia. We will proceed as planned. My marriage with Princess Mineah will happen today."

"But she's the cursed Princess, Nikolai!" a woman on the Valcrez's side exclaimed. Xenia could only assume that the woman was a member of the Royal Family with how she dressed and how she addressed the Vampire King.