Chapter 6 Queen not wanted

Mira's POV

Though I did not touch the food, the dining hall smelled of roasted pig and freshly made bread.

The sight alone made my stomach turn. Eating whatever they offered felt like surrender.

Rowan sat at the head of the table, his golden gaze fixed on me.

Lucian and Kai lounged on either side of Damien, their faces unreadable, but Rowan-seated directly across from me-watched in silence.

I shoved my plate away. "I'm not eating."

Rowan drummed his fingers on the table. "You'll eat."

Unflinching, I met his gaze. "Make me."

The air crackled like an impending storm, the tension in the room thickening.

Damien ran a hand through his hair and exhaled deeply. "Refusing to eat doesn't prove anything, Mira. You need your strength."

I let out a cold, humorless chuckle. "For what? So I can be your obedient little breeder? So I can sit here and pretend this is normal?"

I gestured to the lavish feast, the brilliant chandeliers, the massive hall.

"This is a joke. You expect me to play house after you stole me?"

Kai swirled a goblet of wine in his hand and smirked. "Not house, Mira. More like a queen."

I glared at him. "You think feeding me from your grand table and dressing me in fine clothes makes up for what you did? I don't belong here."

Rowan leaned back in his chair, his expression unmoving. "Whether you like it or not, you're ours now."

My fists clenched. "You will never own me."

Rowan's chair scraped against the floor as he stood. In an instant, he was beside me, towering over me.

"Your father sold you. He sealed your fate. There is nothing you can do about it."

I lifted my chin defiantly and pushed back my chair to stand. "Then kill me."

Silence.

Damien's expression darkened. Kai and Lucian exchanged glances, their smirks vanishing. But Rowan-he remained motionless, eyes locked on mine, not even blinking.

I took a step closer, my voice like ice. "If I'm nothing more than a tool to you, then end it now. Because I'd rather die on my own terms than be your prisoner."

Rowan inhaled sharply, his golden eyes unreadable. Then, without a word, he turned away. "Sit."

"No."

His jaw tightened as he turned back to face me. "Mira."

"No," I repeated.

Lucian chuckled softly. "She's got fire. I like that."

Kai grinned. "She'll break eventually."

I shot him a look. "Care to bet on that?"

Kai's grin deepened, but before he could respond, Rowan's patience snapped.

He grabbed my wrist-not painfully, but firm enough to make a point. "Enough."

I yanked my arm away. "Touch me again, and I'll rip your damn hand off."

A low growl rumbled from Rowan's chest. "You're playing a dangerous game."

I held his gaze, my voice steady. "So are you."

Rowan studied me for a long moment before turning away. "Go."

I didn't hesitate. My heart pounded as I strode out of the dining hall, but I refused to let them see how much they rattled me.

They wanted submission.

They would get war.

As I made my way back to my chambers, the hallways were eerily silent. Each step echoed against the stone walls, my pulse still racing. I needed a plan. I couldn't let them break me.

I turned a corner-and nearly collided with Serene.

Perfect. Just what I needed.

She stood with her arms crossed, golden hair cascading in perfect waves, a smirk playing on her lips.

"How dramatic," she drawled. "Storming out of dinner like a spoiled child. Do you actually want to starve?"

I forced a smile. "Do you actually want to be replaced?"

Her smirk faltered-just for a second. But I saw it.

"Poor, desperate Serene," I mused, tilting my head. "Watching your kings entertain another woman must be... humiliating."

Her expression hardened. "You think you're special?"

"I think you're scared."

Her fingers dug into her palms. "Listen to me, human. You are nothing. A tool. A means to an end. And when they're done with you, they'll throw you away like the others before you."

I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "Then why are you so afraid?"

Her body stiffened.

I smiled. "You see it, don't you? The way they look at me. Rowan's temper snapping. Lucian watching me like a puzzle he wants to solve. Kai testing my limits. Even Damien?"

I tilted my head. "He wants to save me. How pathetic."

Serene's eyes blazed with fury. "You think too highly of yourself."

"And you don't realize how much damage I can do."

A snarl curled her lips. "You're going to regret this."

I chuckled. "Get in line."

I didn't look back as I walked past her, but I felt the weight of her glare burning into me.

Good. Let her stew in her jealousy.

But I wasn't stupid.

Serene wouldn't let this go.

Third Person's POV

Somewhere in the castle's dark corridors, Serene stormed into the shadows, her fury barely contained.

She should have given Mira the damn tea.

That insolent human had no idea who she was dealing with.

Slipping into a hidden passage, she came face-to-face with a shadowed figure waiting in the darkness.

"She's slipping through my grasp," Serene hissed.

The figure chuckled. "Your hold is weakening."

Serene clenched her fists. "They're turning against me because of her."

A slow, sinister smile curled the figure's lips.

"Then maybe it's time we remind them who's really in charge."

Serene's pulse quickened. "What are you suggesting?"

Leaning in, the figure whispered against the cold stone walls.

"Kill her."

Serene inhaled sharply.

A pause.

Then she smiled. A sinister smirk to be precise. One could mistake her for the Devil's bride.

"I will take my leave now" She announced and turned around, disappearing from the scene instantly.