It was all a blur, right from the moment when she realized that she had failed herself and allowed herself to be chosen.
All while the seven Potential Brides were led into the long carriage that had come to take them, while they carriage journeyed into the night through the forest down to the castle, while the ladies sat side by side, their hands curled up in-between their thighs, their eyes fixed to the carriage's floor under the strict gaze of the woman who had chosen them, until they finally got to the castle and stepped out of the carriage one after the other.
Everything just felt like a huge blur.
Belladonna had expected some dark, desolate castle with distant eerie sound of a forest, in the middle of no where.
She had been wrong.
Very wrong.
The castle was the most beautiful building she had ever seen. There was a huge beautiful water fountain and a long colorful garden along the walkway. The lights illuminated the whole castle, making it look magical in combination with the moon's gentle glow.
She wouldn't know if she was right about the castle being in the middle of no where though, because while she had been in the carriage, she hadn't even as much as attempted to raise the curtain, nor listen to see if the kingdom they were approaching had people in it.
She was just as terrified as the rest of the Potential Brides or even more, she was angry at herself too because she believed she wouldn't have been in this situation if she hadn't been the one standing.
Why had she even been standing?!
The beauty she had seen while she was outside was nothing compared to what was inside.
It was beautiful, lit up with wonderful lights. Also it smelt of sweet fragrance, incense and aroma of delicious cooking as the servant bustled all over the place like they were preparing to receive special guests.
It was nothing like they had imagined.
The mumblings between the Potential Brides increase as they now felt less fear.
"By Ignas, wealth!" Someone whispered.
"Maybe all that we have heard are lies. This is against everything we have ever been told."
"Or maybe this is just an illusion?" One countered in a small shaky voice. "Don't forget what he did to Enya and her family tonight. He threw them in his dungeon as his dragon's meal. Maybe his dragon is feasting on them as we speak!" She shrieked, her eyes clouding over with tears. "What if all these is just a trick, a test?!"
"Trick, my foot. I think the rumours are the trick. He is looking for a bride that will love him despite his scars." Another replied back with a chuckle. Belladonna looked up at her, recognizing her to be Niti, one of Aniya's friends, one of those ladies back in Inaymi who despised her for being with Lytio.
Niti was quite chubby, average height and beautiful. Her defining feature happened to be her breasts, with that she was abundantly blessed but since having it all was rare, from the back Niti looked like a straight slate.
The other lady she was speaking to was Irie. She was the tallest amongst them with straight long, beautiful legs. She looked quite athletic even though all the form of exercise she had ever done was carry huge, heavy books up and down Inaymi's library.
She had a mole on her nose. Although no one bullied her for it, she still felt embarrassed by it that she often kept her face down, which really didn't do anything because she was tall.
"I wish to be the bride," Niti continued. "Imagine being the Queen of Ignas. Of course, he would spread the rumours to figure out those who would want to leach on him for his wealth and power. I understand, finally."
"I don't... I---" Irie, tried to speak again but Niti cut her off immediately.
"It's good that you've been completely stuck by fear. Less competition for me. Maybe I'm winning this test already. Say hello to your future Queen." She spun around then stepped away, admiring the golden status placed at strategic point all over the huge room. Her eyes glimmered with greed.
"Everything will be mine."
Some of the ladies were now convinced of Niti's theory and they went ahead to admire the large room too.
"What about the brides that were chosen before?" Irie said in her small voice then looked up at Belladonna. "The rumours have to be true. He is dangerous."
Belladonna shrugged.
Dangerous or not, all she wanted was to get out of here. She had already gone through enough this week, this Chosing Ritual wasn't something she wanted to experience.
But it was already late for that now... or was it? If she played her cards right, she might be part of the lucky six brides that would be sent back home.
Unlike the others, Belladonna didn't buy into Niti's theory. Just as Irie had said, what happened to all the brides that the King had been taking all these years?
Was the King even human?
That was yet to be confirmed but Niti had the brain of a fish and gold were her worms. What she lacked in intelligence though, she made up for it in confidence.
How could someone be so stupid, yet so bold?
"I heard your sister pulled a fast one on you," someone snickered behind her and she rolled her eyes.
She knew who that was.
Piper.
Piper had a huge gap between her front teeth which usually made her words sound a little airy.
If there was anyone who had been fully convinced with the castle and was ready to be chosen as the bride, that would be Piper.
Unfortunately for Niti, Piper was the definition of brain and beauty. She would be a real competition, one that was hard to take down in whatever test it would be.
Once again, that was nothing that Belladonna was worried about.
She just wanted to go back home to her bed, she felt really tired and drained. Mentally and physically.
"She told me she would." Piper stepped in front of her. Measures had been taken for her to appear beautiful but Belladonna was sure that if Piper had known that all these wealth and possibility of power was what was at stake, she would have been dressed to kill.
"I have nothing to say to you, Piper."
Piper chuckled, flickering her hair away before slowly licking red plump lips.
"If I were you, I'd be too embarrassed to show my face. She stole him from right under your nose. Did she play the innocent card? She told me she would."
If there was anything that the whole of Inaymi knew, it was that Piper couldn't be trusted.
Why?
Because she loved drama!
She would swear on her life, upon a lie, just for a minute of drama.
So, Belladonna was convinced that Piper was lying. Besides, she still hadn't been able to confront her emotions on the matter yet.
It was buried there somewhere in her heart and the longer she subconsciously refused to acknowledge it, the longer it made her numb.
"Potential Brides." The voice that had been leading them all night said from the top of the fleet of stairs while she stepped down slowly.
Belladonna scoffed in her mind.
Looks like Piper wasn't the only one in the mood for drama tonight.
"I am Lady Kestra, the right hand woman to the Dragon King." She paused allowing that to sink in. Her gaze was still the same fixed and concealed one but Belladonna could see her better now because of the light.
How did that gown even fit to her body without coming off. The work of some good seamstress or probably magic.
Belladonna chuckled in her mind.
The existence of magic was definately something that had no clear cut answer to.
Some said magic existed, others said it didn't. Belladonna said "none of my business."
At this point, she considered anything that didn't relate with her getting the hell out of this crazy place any of her business.
She just really wanted her bed.
Lady Kestra's black hair fell to her sides, moving slowly down her shoulder as she walked down the stairs.
Then Belladonna noticed something about her. At the middle of forehead was a black painted symbol, she couldn't really make out what it was. She had some red designs around her eyes and her eyeballs were unusually silver.
Could she even see?!
"I am sure you all know why you are here." By now she was at the bottom of the stairs, standing in front of them. "The test will begin soon but training starts tomorrow."
Questions were on the ladies tongues but they dared not ask. Her gaze made them petrified, sought of.
"Each one of you will have dinner with the Dragon King. I'll teach you the manner in which you will have to conduct yourself during the dinner. Should you be lucky, by the end of the test, you will be crowned the Bride." Her red lips thrusted forward when she said lucky, like as if it left a foul taste in her mouth.
"For tonight?" She clapped her hands gently and servants rushed out of the corners, two standing next to each potential bride, their heads bowed in respect. "Rest. The days ahead of you will be lengthy and filled with troubles." She paused and for the first time, they saw a slow smile play on her lips. "If you decide it to be."
If they decide it to be? What was that even supposed to mean?