Fated To The Prince Of Rebel

Heather's POV

I hastened my feet down the stairs heading towards the dining area. I knew I was very late and everyone would probably be waiting for me. Almost tripping on my gown, I took a deep breath, grabbed both edges, and continued with my walk. Anyone who saw me right now would think I was being chased by someone but all I wanted was to get to the dining area on time to avoid my step-sister and step-mother's wrath.

The only person I had always known and referred to as my mother was my stepmother. I never knew my biological mother. I heard she passed away shortly after birthing me. I had never seen any portrait of her and I knew nothing about her. It felt like inquiring about her was a sin of the highest order. No, it was forbidden. Probably because she was my father's mistress; if you could hold having a one-night stand with an unknown woman in such regard. And I was the result of that one-night stand no one expected. As soon as I got to the door, I took in a deep breath and fixed my hair before gently making my way inside.

They were all already sitting at the gigantic table. Father, on the highest chair in the middle, and my step-mother and step-sister sitting by the right two seats away from him.

"Look who finally decided to grace us with her presence," my stepmother said sarcastically.

"I'm sorry I'm late..," I started trying to take a seat next to them.

"Sit somewhere else. It's so hot in here. I need air," she cut me off without glancing at me. I slowly let go of the chair and moved to sit on the left side of the table.

"Do I need to tell you before you realize that you will be obstructing our view if you sit there? As if arriving late and starving us wasn't enough, why do you have to stress me out?" my step-sister asked irately. So much for not incurring their wrath.

"I apologize. I didn't mean to," I replied politely walking towards the right side of the table again and sitting about seven sits farther away from them. I glanced at my father but he didn't say a word.

"Good day Father," I greeted with a smile. He hummed and made a gesture with his hand in response. If it wasn't already obvious, my family wasn't exactly fond of me. My father has always been a bit cold towards me since I was a child. As the illegitimate child that I was, I knew it had to do with the fact that I was a stain on his reputation. A stain he could never get rid of.

As for my stepmother and stepsister, it wasn't their fault that we didn't get along. We had misunderstandings at times but it didn't mean that they hated me. Besides, the backlash I got today was partly my fault. I delayed them from having their meal because the time skipped my mind. The maids began to serve our meal when I settled in my seat.

"I have an announcement to make," Father said speaking for the first time that evening.

"What is it? Have the dresses I ordered arrived from the other pack already?" my stepsister asked excitedly. I grabbed a glass of water to quench my taste.

"Your marriage has been fixed, Debra. It will take place in three days," he said with a straight face staring right at my stepsister. Debra stared at him speechlessly.

"Marriage taking place so soon? To whom?" my stepmother asked coming to her rescue.

"To the son of the Alpha king, Prince Keith of Devontae," he replied calmly.

"What!" Debra screeched. I spat out the water from my mouth in utter shock. Debra glared daggers at me. I shook my head trying to explain that I didn't mean it but no coherent words could come out from my mouth.

"Prince Keith? Are you serious right now?" my stepmother asked in shock. I was just as shocked as they all were. Devontae was a prosperous and powerful kingdom led by the Alpha king who ruled over smaller packs like ours. Anyone would jump for joy if they were opportune to get married into such a family or even become acquainted with them but getting married to Prince Keith? That was a totally different thing.

Prince Keith was the last son of the Alpha and a cripple but despite being disabled, he was rumored to be cruel, useless, and disliked by the king. The Alpha king even had him outcasted to a part of the palace where no one frequented. Father was going to allow his favorite daughter r marry such a man? It was unbelievable.

"I will not marry Prince Keith, father. He's the worst out of all the Alpha King's sons," Debra said shaking her head vehemently.

"That's my final decision and you shall obey me," he declared. Debra turned towards her mother in panic.

"Mother, did you hear that? Father hates me. He's going to make me marry a disabled man," she cried out.

"Don't say that Debra. Father doesn't hate you," I muttered softly but she glared at me so hard that I thought her eyes would pop out of their sockets.

"You can't do this to our only daughter. You are ruining her life. I won't allow that s happen," stepmother retorted.

"The marriage has been arranged to take place in three days. Start getting prepared," Father ordered firmly. I was surprised to see him acting so coldly towards Debra. This had never happened before. Debra stood up angrily pushing her chair aside. It fell onto the floor with a loud crash.

"I'm never getting married to Prince Keith. Never!" she yelled and stormed out of the room.

"You have to reconsider this," my stepmum said to my father as she hurriedly followed after Debra. The room fell into total silence. I gently stood up, my chair screeching against the floor.

"I will check up on them," I said before leaving. He stared at me without responding. I quickly walked towards Debra's room. The door was open so I just stepped in.

"Don't worry my darling. I won't let him do that to you," I heard my stepmum assuring her.

"Debra," I called out softly. They both looked up at me.

"Are you okay?" I asked walking towards her.

"Don't you dare take another step forward!" she growled, her eyes flicking between green and a golden hue. Her wolf threatened to come out.

"I was only trying to check if you were alright," I said startled by her attitude.

"You pathetic liar! You came here to mock me didn't you?" she asked pointing her finger at me accusingly.

I shook my head taken aback by the accusation. "Of course not. I would never do such a thing. If this is about my reaction at the dining table then I'm sorry. It wasn't on purpose."

"I bet you are rejoicing deep down. You are happy this is happening to me!" she screamed.

"Sister, how can you say this? I truly came here to console you..."

"I'm not your sister! I forbid you to ever call me that!" she yelled.

"Calm down sister. I understand how you must be feeling right now. You are angry and upset. You don't mean what you are saying," I said calmly. She must still be in shock to speak in this manner.

"I told you I'm not your sister and I can never be! Your mother was a whore and you are nothing but an illegitimate child. We are not related," she spat viciously. Her words stung but I still tried to compose myself. Anyone who heard this kind of news would react in the same way if not worse. I tried to move towards them again but my stepmother stopped me.

"Do not come closer to my daughter. Remain where you are," she warned. I nodded and remained rooted in my spot.

"I won't take a step further if that would make you feel better. I'm sure Mother will do everything in her power to make everything alright," I replied.

"How am I your mother? Your wretch and home breaker of a mother is dead and in hell where she belongs," she deadpanned.

"How can you say such a thing to me?" I asked in disbelief. Were they really that upset that they would both take it out on me in this way?

"That's right. I will make sure you join her soon but before that, I'm going to make your life miserable. Every second you live, every breath you take will be filled with pain and misery," she swore. I stared at her speechless and in shock.

"Did you hear that? I'm going to put an end to your miserable life! Get your pathetic self out of my room!" she growled furiously. I glanced at my stepmother and she stared at me with disdain. I turned around, making my way out of her room slowly. I couldn't fathom what she meant by making my life miserable. Was something going on that I didn't know of?

Three days later

Heather's POV

The day we had all been dreading was finally here. Debra's wedding day. At first, I thought Father was eventually going to change his mind. I thought he would never do such a thing to his most precious and beloved daughter but I was wrong. The preparations were currently going on downstairs. It was official. Debra was getting married to Prince Keith and there was nothing anyone could do about it. I sighed and got up from my bed when I heard a sudden knock on the door.

I pulled open the door and was met with a maid and my stepmother behind her. She shoved me aside and walked in. The maid hurried after her with a heap of clothes. I could barely make out her face.

"What is going on?" I asked in confusion.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready?" she asked gazing at me with a distasteful look.

"I was about to. I thought the guests wouldn't be arriving till later. I will get dressed right away," I replied hurrying towards my closet.

"What's the rush? The maid is here to help you get dressed," she responded calmly. I turned around in surprise.

"I don't need help. I can get dressed on my own. Besides, they should be dressing Debra up. She will be the center of attention," I said thoughtfully.

"Don't worry about my daughter. I can take care of her myself," she declared harshly. It was surprising how her mood could switch so fast. She turned towards the maid.

"I want you to get her ready. Dress her up nicely," she ordered before turning around to leave.

"Right away Luna," the maid replied with a bow. I glanced between them both in surprise.

"What's going on? Why do I need to dress up nicely?" I asked her but she ignored me and walked out of my room.

"Have a seat, my lady. We need to start with your makeover," the maid said politely. I took a sit on the chair and she got to work.

"Did my stepmother say anything to you?" I asked.

"No, my lady. She only instructed me to make you look beautiful," she replied. I had this unsettling feeling down in the pit of my stomach. My stepmother wasn't the type to concern herself with my looks. She would never want me to outshine Debra or take her spotlight. It has been that way all my life. Something was wrong.

"You can wear your dress now my lady," she said pulling me from my reverie. I nodded and started to wear the dress she had picked out for me. Was it perhaps a misconception and stepmother was finally warming up to me? She spoke nicely to me for the first time today.

"Is there another dress for me? This corset is too tight and the diamonds are digging into my skin," I complained. I could barely breathe.

"I'm sorry my lady but that's the dress the Luna picked out for you. She won't like it if I make you wear another one," she replied. I nodded in response.

"It's fine. I won't be wearing it for too long anyway," I muttered. My hair was in a tight bun with some flowers attached to it. My makeup was exquisite and the dress was shimmering brightly. I had never been adorned in such exquisite clothes before.

"Shall we? My lady?" the maid asked picking up the edges of my gown. I took in a deep breath and I immediately regretted it wincing at the harsh impact of the diamonds against my skin. We got out of my room and walked down the hall then downstairs. The guests were already present. I spotted my Father, stepmum, and Debra. Her dress caught my attention. Why was she wearing such a simple gown on her wedding day?

"There you are. Here comes the bride everyone," Debra announced staring at me with a wide smile on her face. I stopped in front of them.

"Bride? What are you talking about?" I asked, confused.

"Move over to the front quickly. You've kept us waiting enough," my stepmum said.

"The bride should be at the front which is Debra, not me," I replied. Father walked up to me.

"Keep your voices down. You will be getting married to Prince Keith in Debra's place," he declared. My head flung towards his direction and I felt the impact.

"W..what? Why? You said Debra was the one getting married. What are you talking about all of a sudden?" I stuttered, my heartbeat racing.

"Is everything alright Alpha?" a man standing with a group of people asked curiously.

"Everything is absolutely fine. Give me a minute," he replied. From the way Father spoke, I could tell they were from Devontae. They all nodded slightly and resumed talking. People were busy enjoying themselves drinking and dancing to the music oblivious to the turmoil that the supposed bride was going through. He turned towards me with a clenched jaw.

"Do you want to ruin the reputation of this family? If the people of Devontae hear a thing about this, do I need to explain to you like a little girl what's going to happen to this pack?" he asked angrily. Debra stifled a laugh.

"I made a promise to the Alpha king and nothing will stop me from fulfilling it. You are getting married to the prince right now," he uttered firmly. My hands fell limply to my side. My heart sank. How could this be happening to me right now? As the elder sister, I thought Debra would be getting married before me. But they fixed my marriage without even informing me about it.

"Shall we start the ceremony?" my stepmother asked in a delighted tone.

"Of course but the prince wasn't able to make it. The ceremony will have to be held without him," the man from earlier replied.

"We don't have a problem with that. The prince must be a busy man," she replied with a smile. I went through the ceremony in a daze. I couldn't think about anything. I was like a statue. I was made to place my thumbprint on a piece of paper. My stepmother held my hand and made sure I did it correctly.

"It's time we leave if we want to make it to Devontae on time," the man said.

"Absolutely. This way," my stepmother said leading them outside. I glanced around but I couldn't see Fatherer anywhere. We walked outside and Debra suddenly hugged me, I stiffened.

"I told you, didn't I? That I was going to make your life miserable. Brace yourself because this is just the beginning," she whispered in my ear before letting go of me. My stepmother also hugged me. To the people present, it looked like an emotional moment but it was an entirely different thing. They were both enjoying my misery.

"You were happy my daughter would be the one to suffer but how the tables have turned. Enjoy your marriage with the useless prince," she taunted before letting go of me. A carriage suddenly stopped in front of us.

"Get in my lady," the man said to me. I grabbed my gown and got in.

"We will miss you sister," Debra said with a sniffle holding onto her mother. They both smiled sinisterly. The carriage began to move and I started to get whisked away to Devontae. Their eyes filled with resentment and loathing was the last thing I saw before the horse's loud neigh and the carriage sped off.

Heather's POV

This was definitely not how I envisioned my life to be. Being shipped off to some prince I knew nothing about was not what I wanted. It wasn't like anybody ever cared about what I wanted. It has always been me, I had learned to fend for myself from a very young age. I had plans for my life that didn't involve the prince. How could my own Father do this to me? That too, suddenly with any warning or explanation. I held my gown tightly in my clenched fists fighting the urge to cry. He was the only blood-related relative that I had, so his actions hurt me terribly.

"Are you okay? My lady?" the spokesman from Devontae asked. He was the only one riding the carriage with me. The others were on another carriage. I didn't know if this was care being shown or if he was keeping an eye on me so I wouldn't escape and leave their lovely prince waiting.

"I'm fine," I grumbled. I wasn't fine. I was feeling hurt, betrayed, and upset. I wanted nothing more than to vent out all my frustrations but I knew I couldn't do that. I had to hold back.

"Is that so? You haven't moved an inch since we left and your face is rather pale," he replied.

"It's hot in here and the corset is holding me in a death grasp. If I move, the sharp diamonds might cut my skin open and the prince will have to be greeted by a bloody bride. Should I still move?" I retorted. He muttered an 'oh', cleared his throat, and looked out of the window. If I knew this would be happening, I would have insisted that the maid change my dress. I could barely breathe. I leaned against the window worried about what was about to befall me.

There were so many scenarios in my head about how this could pan out. If the rumors were indeed true, then my life at Devontae might not be a bed of roses. It wouldn't be worse than my life in Veeryl, right?

"My lady? My lady?" I heard a muffled voice. I groaned, fluttering my eyelids open.

"We've reached Devontae palace. It's time to get out of the carriage," he informed me opening the door. I glanced around in surprise wondering when I fell asleep. I got out of the carriage and my breath almost got knocked out of me. Before me stood the most gigantic and beautiful palace I had ever seen.

"Welcome to Devontae my lady. Believe me when I say that its people are pleased to have you here," he said. I nodded in response. We walked inside together. I could see the maids staring at me curiously.

"Welcome my lady," a woman greeted politely stopping us in our steps. The maids were all dressed in the same clothing which wasn't what she was currently wearing. I stared at her wondering who she might be.

"I'm Lucinda. The head maid of the palace," she introduced herself.

"Head maid?" I inquired.

"Yes, head maid. It means I'm in charge of all the other maids," she explained. I nodded in understanding.

"If you will excuse me, I have other things to attend to. You will satisfied under the care of Lucinda," the man said to me before leaving. I had completely forgotten to ask for his name.

"So Lucinda, will you be the one to take me to the prince?" I asked turning my attention towards her. It was time I got to the real reason why I was here. I couldn't let my guard down because of the beauty of this palace or their friendliness.

"Before that, I would like to assign your personal maid to you. Ella? Over here," she called out. A young girl about my age walked towards us.

"This is Ella and she will be your personal maid. If you have any complaints about her or anything else, you can talk to me about them but I doubt that's going to happen. They all were trained professionally," she continued confidently.

The girl smiled brightly at me. "It's an honor to serve you, my lady."

"Will you take me to the prince now?" I asked after they finished speaking. They both glanced at each other in surprise.

"But before that, tell me some things about him. I need to be prepared for when we meet. What kind of person is Prince Keith?" I inquired in a serious tone. A prolonged silence ensued after my question.

"Did you not hear me? Tell me about him," I urged them. The head maid cleared her throat.

"Well, he's the prince of Devontae," she replied.

I raised a brow. " Yes, and?"

"He's the king's third son and he was born during winter," she responded. I tapped my feet impatiently on the floor.

"And?" I probed.

"He's the prince my lady. The Alpha king is his father," she responded. I frowned.

"You've told me he is the prince and the king's son. Isn't that all the same thing? And why are you telling me the season he was born? Who cares?" I asked irately. Her vague answers were getting me upset.

"Those are all facts my lady," she replied. I walked closer to them.

"I know those are all facts but I need to hear the important things. Is he good-looking?" I inquired.

"He is of royal blood..."

"Is he tall? Short? Fat? Can he read? Is he artistic? Can he fight?" I asked cutting her off.

"My lady..."

"Is he ugly? Does he perhaps have a scar on his face? I'm not one to care about the looks of a person but I need to know these things. On a scale of one to ten, how ugly is he? So I can brace myself," I declared. Lucinda wouldn't tell me anything so I turned towards Ella.

"Is he cruel? Does everybody hate him?" I asked her. She glanced at Lucinda looking taken aback.

"You both will make a great couple and have lovely babies," she replied with a wide smile. What was wrong with both of them? Why weren't they telling me anything? Was he that horrible?

"Look who we have here," a woman said walking towards us.

"Who are you?" I asked in confusion. She spoke like she knew me. I didn't have the time to meet anybody else. I only wanted to see Prince Keith. Is that too much to ask?

"I'm Nyles," she responded.

"Am I supposed to know who that is?" I asked glancing at Ella and Lucinda.

"Weren't you taught to let people finish speaking before you speak? No manners as expected from a low-class small pack," she said walking around me. I scoffed in disbelief. Who was this woman to think she could talk to me like that?

"I'm the prince's woman. No, let me rephrase that. I am Prince Keith's woman," she declared confidently.

I snickered. "Prince Keith's woman?"

She hummed. "The only woman he loves. You are only wasting your time here, you can never have him. He's mine."

"He's all yours. You can have him all to yourself," I replied. She stopped in front of me.

"What?" she asked.

"You heard me. Listen here, I've had a really long day and this stunning dress you see me wearing is about to cut off my air supply. So, I won't stand here and exchange words with a woman I don't know. I won't have you insult me because of someone like him. You can have the cruel, useless, ugly, hated, and crippled prince all to yourself! I don't want him and I certainly do not care!" I snapped at her panting hard. The gasps of everyone present echoed loudly. Ella looked very pale from shock and Nyles stepped back in surprise.

I've had enough of today. I got betrayed by the only family I had, married off for political reasons to someone I don't know and she was bothering me because of the same person that was making me frustrated. I blurted everything out without thinking.

"What's going on here?" I heard a deep authoritative voice ask. Ella looked like her eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. I turned around but there was nobody at my eye level so I looked down.

"Won't anyone answer me?" he growled. I let out a shaky breath. It was a man and he was in a wheelchair. Could he be...

"Prince Keith!" Nyles cried out running towards him. He was indeed the prince and he was truly crippled. Did he perhaps listen to all I said?

"I was taking a walk when I heard her saying so many awful things about you. I stopped her nicely to warn her about it but she grew hysterical and started to yell and insult you. Everyone present heard it," she said to him in a pitiful tone. I stared at her in disbelief.

"How dare you?" he said to me in a low growl. I glanced between the both of them not able to say a word. I was meeting with the man I was married to for the first time and he was picking another woman's side over mine without hearing a word from me. Is this really happening?