Stolen by the Beastly Lycan King-Chapter 21: It Was Him

Lorelai blinked several times and found herself standing in front of the tall mirror in her bedroom. When did she get in there?

'I zoned out again... This hasn't happened in a while.'

She finally noticed her own reflection. Luxurious pastel blue dress, carefully styled hair, vibrant blush on her cheeks... Once again, her lifeless appearance was given a fake breath of life with the trained hand of a skillful makeup artist.

The diamond bracelet gifted earlier by Duke Kalder was on her wrist too.

"Your Highness, are you ready?"

One of the queen's ladies-in-waiting peeked inside the bedroom, urging the young woman to hasten her final preparations. Lorelai gave her a small nod in reply.

The reason why everything had to be done smoothly and on time was simple––the representatives from the Beast Kingdom were arriving at the royal palace today.

They were to be greeted lavishly, and to show a proper welcome, mostly for the curious eyes of other noblemen, Duke Kalder himself expressed a desire to take care of the welcome banquet upon their arrival.

As expected, the entire Capital was in uproar.

Dozens of invitations were sent, urging the richest and most influential people to come to the welcome banquet to finally discover what the new king of the beasts looked like.

It seemed like he was treated like a king but in reality, he was perceived as nothing more than a circus freak.

As for Duke Kalder himself, it was clear that he was intimidated by this meeting. He was second in power after the royal family and was known to be a brave warrior securing Erelith's borders from the beasts' invasion, but with the actual representatives from the Beast Kingdom, the fairytales he had been feeding about himself to the nobles could be instantly crushed by the truth spoken by the beasts.

However, despite the intense political and economic situation, everyone was excited to see Rhaegar and his subjects, who were known for their outstanding appearances and strength. Ever since their arrival was announced, Lorelai heard people talking about them nonstop.

Finally, the day the foreigners would visit had arrived.

The welcome banquet was scheduled for the day after. Now, they were going to formally greet their visitors.

Thus, Althea specifically instructed Lorelai to dress up "decently" in order to show off the royal family's pride. Once again, she was the one who had to look perfect.

Even at the expense of her own comfort.

There was really nothing to be worried about. She had already curated these types of events before. Nevertheless, the moment Lorelai looked out of the window of her quarters, she felt her guts twisting in knots.

At the distance, a line of huge luxurious carriages was lazily approaching the palace, making their way through the foggy streets of the Capital.

'They have arrived.'

She took this opportunity to quickly run to the throne room where the rest of the nobles and servants were already waiting for the great entrance of the beasts. That unexpectedly intense physical activity made the princess dizzy; Althea did not allow her to eat anything today because she couldn't let her stomach bulge through the fabric of her new dress.

'Bless the Heavens that Marianna added some sugar syrup into my morning tea, otherwise, I would have fainted a long time ago...'

Still, the annoying feeling of her stomach clinging hungrily to her spine was almost unbearable. Pacing her steps, Lorelai struggled to keep the balance on the new heels she was forced to wear; the leather of the uncomfortable shoes had already started digging at her skin, leaving painful blisters.

"Your Highness!" Marianna rushed towards the princess, offering her some support by discretely placing her hand behind her back. "You should have changed the shoes! You look like a lamb learning how to walk for the first time!"

Unaware of the woman's struggles, Lady Peony Thorne, the head lady-in-waiting, stood closer to Lorelai and assessed her with her sharp brown eyes.

"Is this the new lace dress you are wearing? Goodness, Your Highness, it looks like it was taken right off Countess Audurne's mannequin! With the body you have, you look great in absolutely everything."

Marianna offered her a menacing glare, jerking her chin as a signal for her to back off and stand silently with the rest of the help. Lorelai responded to her aide's help with a grateful smile.

Now, everything was about to get started.

***

The throne room of Erelith's royal palace has been always described as the most beautifully designed place for many years.

Dark brown marble floors; tall walls displaying expensive works of art bought during closed auctions; large candle chandeliers casting a soothing glow over the space... Even if the throne room had already lost its initial shine, entering its walls still managed to give every visitor exciting goosebumps.

Although several noble families had already arrived, Lorelai's presence still managed to remain the center of attention. Not willing to struggle with her facial expression in order to please others, she carefully made her way all the way to the back of the forming crowd, releasing a deep exhale once she felt that there were no more piercing glances on her person.

Still, one person never failed to spot her wherever she went.

Kai curled his lips into a crooked grin as he watched his stepsister's miserable face. He had been way too busy with his own preparations that he failed to see Lorelai for days. His hands were itching to add to her already soaring misery.

As the rest of the people allowed to be present during the greeting ceremony had finally gathered in the throne room, the princess acknowledged the presence of her 'family' by offering Althea and Kai a short nod, averting her eyes right after that insincere gesture.

The two of them were sitting in their designated seats and she did not have the right to sit next to them. To them, she was just like everyone else. Unimportant.

Unimpressed, Althea gestured for her to come closer and stand beside them. Like a real family would. Ironically.

Shortly after, the bustling room went silent as the large entrance was opened by the ushers.

Everyone held their breath—their eyes were glued to the tall ornated doors, anticipating to see those who would go through them. No one dared to blink, for this was truly a moment of history; a day to remember.

At last, they started to appear. One by one, starting with the guards and assistants, the representatives of the Beast Kingdom walked into the throne room, their strong bodies and tanned skin contrasting drastically against the pale crowd looking at them.

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They were truly astonishing.

All of them were wearing black and golden regal attire tailored to fit perfectly for their unique build, loosely outlining their strong, muscular bodies. Almost all of them had dark hair and piercing golden eyes that responded with a clear glow every time the light reflected in them.

But despite the beautiful appearance of every one of the guests, the crowd could distinguish who their leader was just by looking at him.

The man's tanned skin glowed under the sunlight. His tall, well-built body was a clear sign of dominance and power; it was the appearance of a man feared and respected by others. He was walking slowly, yet confidently like a lion through the jungle where everybody knew him as a king.

Despite being a stranger amongst others, it was clear that he still saw himself standing above the rest.

His dark amber eyes scanned the crowd before finally pausing on Lorelai's face. She stared back at him with a dumbstruck expression.

'This cannot be true...'

Lorelai's heart raced inside her chest; her legs were about to give in at any moment.

The man stepped forward, keeping his eyes locked on the princess' confused and scared face. He stopped in front of the Erelith family, and a familiar low voice echoed throughout the space.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," he said almost solemnly while smiling at Lorelai, "My name is Rhaegar. You can call me that."

Lorelai's jaw tensed; her body started trembling. She wasn't dreaming. It was not her imagination.

It was him.