Davina POV:
Kaelen's malicious voice hung in the air. Every muscle in my body went taut, like a bowstring pulled to its breaking point.
The hall was a sea of expectant faces, all focused on the drama unfolding before them.
Kaelen's gaze slid from me to a dark, forgotten corner of the hall, as if he were pointing out a piece of trash.
"Since Miss Ramsey so desperately seeks a faithful, singular bond," he said, drawing out the words with theatrical cruelty, "I propose we grant her wish. Marry her to my 'illustrious' uncle, Hartwell Monroe."
Hartwell Monroe.
The name was a boulder dropped into a silent pond. Gasps echoed through the hall. The whispers of the nobles became a tidal wave.
"Gods, the crippled war god?"
"He was ruined three years ago. They say the silver poison has left him less than a man."
"Prince Kaelen is too cruel. This is a fate worse than death."
The words were knives in my ears. My mind raced, pulling up the information I'd gathered on the royal family.
Hartwell Monroe. The King's own brother. Once the kingdom's most celebrated Alpha warrior, the "God of War." Three years ago, during a battle with Rogues, he was struck by a silver-laced weapon. Since then, he'd been paralyzed, confined to his gloomy estate, a forgotten relic of a glorious past.
He was considered a living dead man. A royal shame.
Kaelen savored the look of horror he expected to see on my face. His smile deepened. "A country Omega for a crippled Alpha. It's a perfect match, isn't it?"
His words were a calculated insult, aimed not just at me, but at his own paralyzed uncle.
I understood his game. He was retaliating for my rejection in the most vicious way possible, shoving me into a pit far more miserable than being his concubine.
I looked at his face, twisted with triumph, and the emotion that rose in me wasn't fear. It was a cold, calculating rage.
My choices were few. Submit to Kaelen, or be thrown into Hartwell's fire pit.
But my surgeon's soul knew there was always a best option in a crisis. A living dead man was far more manageable than a prince who could crush me at any moment. At the very least, a cripple couldn't force me to do anything.
I made a decision. It was insane.
As Kaelen waited for me to break down and beg, I smiled. A calm, almost unnerving smile.
I met the deep, assessing gaze of the Alpha King on the throne. He had been watching everything in silence.
I took a step forward. My voice wasn't loud, but it carried through the silent hall. "I would rather be the sole mate of a paralyzed Alpha than the secondary plaything of a healthy Crown Prince."
My declaration was a bomb. The hall fell into a stunned, deathly quiet once more.
Kaelen's smile froze solid. He never imagined I would accept his insult, let alone turn it back on him as a weapon.
My words had just branded him a philanderer while elevating the status of the "cripple" Hartwell.
Kaelen's face turned a shade of purple. He pointed at me, sputtering, "You... you insolent..."
I ignored him, keeping my eyes fixed on the Alpha King, waiting for his judgment. I had thrown the ball into his court.
The King's gaze was sharp as a hawk's. He studied me for a long moment, so long I thought my heart would beat its way out of my chest.
Finally, he spoke, his voice a low, authoritative rumble. "As you wish."
He turned his gaze to Kaelen, a flicker of displeasure in his eyes. "Kaelen, your proposal is granted."
Kaelen blinked, then a look of manic glee spread across his face. The outcome was what he wanted, even if the path was twisted. He shot me a triumphant look that screamed, You're dead.
The Alpha King's voice boomed again. "I command it. From this moment, Davina Ramsey is to be paired with Hartwell Monroe. The ceremony will be simple. The order is effective immediately."
