Chapter 4 4

Pearl Gem My father had once visited the Noble Wall, and when he returned, his words painted pictures of a heaven too perfect for people like us. I had believed him, of course, but a part of me always thought he had exaggerated. Until now. The massive iron gates of the Royal Castle groaned open for the royal car sent to collect me, and I didn't bother hiding my awe. My eyes drank in the pristine roads, the manicured gardens, the towering white walls adorned with golden crests. Every inch of the royal domain radiated untouchable power.

The car came to a halt before a domed marble structure that shimmered like a palace plucked from myth. And there, standing like a dream turned real, was Kade King. My heart swelled just at the sight of him. Before I could reach for the door, he was already there, opening it for me, one hand extended in silent invitation. I froze, stunned by the quiet gentleness of his gesture. His palm hovered patiently, and when I looked up at his face, he was smiling. "Come on," He said, voice warm. "Let me show you to your chamber." Joy surged through me so powerfully that it made my eyes sting. I took his hand and stepped out, my body trembling as I came to stand before him. His golden eyes locked on mine and I smiled, bowing respectfully. "Your Highness," I greeted softly. But he reached out, tilting my chin upward with one finger until my gaze was fixed on his again. The touch was feather-light, but powerful. "Call me Kade," He said gently, his smile never faltering. "It's fine." He took my hand again, leading me through the castle's grand entrance. I barely noticed the opulence surrounding me. I didn't care about the polished stone or the walls of crystal or the paintings of long-dead kings. All I saw was him. We walked side by side through a veranda draped in vines and gold-lit lanterns. He paused, breathing in the air, and glanced at me. "This is my favorite place in the castle," He said with a boyish smile. But I barely heard him. I was too focused on the way he looked at me, as if we were the only two people in the world. "You felt it too?" I asked, the words spilling from me before I could stop them. He blinked. "What?" "I... I feel okay when you smile," I said softly. "I feel good when I'm near you. You felt it too. That's why you asked me to be your bride... right? It's love, isn't it?" For a moment, he didn't speak. He just stared. Like he was caught between truth and duty. And then movement came From the edge of the veranda, just beyond the stone columns that caught my attention. I turned gently and I saw her. Drizzel Uriah. Royce's warning echoed in my mind like thunder. She was even more beautiful than I'd imagined, tall, elegant, dressed in a flowing gown that shimmered like ice. Her gaze struck me like a blade. Cold, piercing, full of disdain. My heart faltered and I turned back to Kade King instinctively, seeking reassurance. But he moved first. He closed the distance between us and slipped his arms gently around my waist. "I felt it too," He whispered, the words brushing my skin like wind. "Ever since I left your home... I couldn't stop thinking about you. That's why I came back. Because I knew it wasn't a passing thought. It's love at first sight." Goosebumps raced up my arms. My breath hitched. For a moment, the entire world fell away. He smiled again, softly, then reached to touch a strand of my hair. "Your hair..." He murmured. "It's so beautiful. How is it this long?" I laughed shyly, warmth flooding my cheeks but then, from the corner of my eye, I saw her. Drizzel was gone. Vanished like mist, running, fleeing the sight of us together. I turned back to Kade King. But something had changed. The softness in his eyes was suddenly gone. The warmth vanished like a candle extinguished. In its place... nothing. No tenderness. No trace of the man who just held me close. He stepped back like I had never mattered at all. "One of the court ladies will show you to your chamber," He said, voice cool, formal, unrecognizable. I blinked. "But..." "I will join you for dinner," He added shortly. "Go." Then he walked away. No look back. No explanation. Just... Gone. I had no choice but to follow the waiting court ladies down the polished hallways of the castle. Everything shimmered, gold trim, velvet curtains, chandeliers like frozen suns but it all felt like ice. I was led into a sitting room, and there, like fate itself, stood a woman draped in regal midnight blue. The Luna Queen. Lysandra. She was... breathtaking. Raven-black hair swept into a flawless crown braid. Eyes like cut obsidian. Skin like polished bronze. Every inch of her radiated strength, and every bone in my body screamed at me to bow. So I did. But it wasn't enough to stop the cold. "So," She said, voice smooth and low, "you are the little Omega. The one foolish enough to look the future Alpha King in the eyes and dream he could ever be yours?" Her words landed like slaps. I dared to lift my gaze. "He... he proposed, Your Grace." "And your pitiful common sense didn't warn you to say no?" She asked, stepping closer, her beauty as ruthless as her words. "That you are beneath him in every way? A tool. A convenience. A passing fascination to be discarded once it no longer amuses him?" The breath caught in my throat. My vision blurred. Sadness, sharp and real, wrapped itself around my heart. "Omegas are not meant for greatness," The queen hissed. "They are not destined for palaces. And I will not be the villain when you fall. You will break, and it will be your own doing." She turned away, the hem of her gown whispering over the polished floor. "Take the filth to her chamber," She mutters coldly to one court lady. "Let her wait until King remembers she exists." And so I was taken. Locked inside a luxurious prison. The bed was soft. The lights were golden. But I had never felt so alone. Kade King did not come. He did not send a message. And all I could do was sit in silence, drowning in hope and heartbreak. Wondering what tomorrow would bring. Or if I had made a mistake by saying yes to a fairytale that was never meant for someone like me.