CHAPTER 314: THREE BRIDES

"The next time this happens, you will be spending more than a month in the cells..." Claire spoke authoritatively, and I watched, arms crossed over my chest, as the man nodded like a lamb before giving a bow and walking out of the circle, his head still bowed in shame, shoulders drooping.

Surely, he wouldn’t forget the grip of my magic around his balls, or the frightening knowledge that came with the almost disappearance of his shrunken useless penis.

Useless, because he wouldn’t be productive in using that again; his scrotum was already cursed.

My lips twitched faintly. I wasn’t as merciful as this Claire I was seeing, who was just as blonde as I remembered her—just as beautiful too.

The crowd, however, which should have dispersed with the exit of the man, was yet as tight; they wanted to see what judgment I would collect.

The fools. They would soon pay with their lives, their blood, their lands.

Isla nudged me furtively as the three ladies approached us, curiosity and gentleness shining in their eyes. But I wasn’t a fool like these people. I had the memories of time past to fall upon in the face of such disarming sincerity they projected.

Lilian’s smile as she got to me made my fingers twitch—I almost slapped the smile off her face, just as she had done when I talked back at her those years ago.

"Hello..." the three chimed at the same time as if they had rehearsed this moment, their fingers going up to send their maids away. The maids bowed low before scurrying off, heads remaining bowed as they moved like looking up was a crime.

Everything screamed ancient, and I wondered why, when there were obvious innovations in the pack. Did the merging cause this, or were the triplets just dense?

"Hello..." Isla spoke, reminding me that I should have said something when greeted by the lunas-to-be.

I could already hear the people murmuring again.

"Who does she think she is, not greeting our lunas?"

"Do you see her nose in the air? She is just a local warrior, nothing more!"

"A weak one at that! How can she hope to get past the first round with that lanky stature?"

"Or does she think she can bribe her way with her body?"

"You never can tell with all these foreign women who think the sun rises out of their buttocks."

"The lunas should send them both to prison, especially the one that thinks she is too beautiful to speak to anyone."

"Do you think she is here to get the attention of our kings?"

I heard a scoff follow that question.

"She should dream on. They have no interest in magic or witches. Wasn’t it only two years ago that they started allowing magic wielders to participate in the contest?"

"That is true. Then her coming here is useless. Watching her lose will be a pleasure. We should check out the notice board later for her fight dates... I wouldn’t want to miss it."

I wouldn’t want to miss the shock on their faces too. I mused, a soft smile touching my lips, surprising the women in front of me.

"What’s funny?" Lilian asked, and my smile widened when I picked the edge in her voice. She was still the same, no more, no less. Well, Daniel had picked a good luna for himself.

"Nothing that would interest you," I answered, the smile remaining on my face. I felt over the moon when it made them uncomfortable, even as Isla nudged me again. It wouldn’t do us good to get into prisons on our second day here for offending the lunas.

But I wasn’t one to be boxed in, even for a mission. Not really. I did things my way, and so long as the mission was fulfilled, the queen had no qualms. Probably why we rolled well.

"So, who are you three?"

Gasps of shock flooded my ears, but my composure didn’t crack, neither did my smile.

"You lot look more put together than the crowd, civilized... are you royalty?" I continued, biting back a laugh when Claire’s eyes flashed with approval.

It didn’t matter that I had called the people she would be leading soon—that’s if my plan didn’t succeed... though of course it would—uncivilized. She was just okay with being put in the spotlight. She was still the same.

"Yes, we are," she replied. "We are the brides of the kings," she added.

"If you haven’t made that deduction already... I have a feeling you are just teasing us," Naomi spoke then, causing the two females with her to frown.

Oh Naomi, still as sharp as ever. Would she be spared?

"I think we should throw them in the dungeons," she added, breaking whatever good thought I had for her.

A sarcastic laugh escaped my lips before I could help it. Bad company corrupts good manners, or how was that legendary proverb said again?

Her lips were twisted in a playful pout, but the coldness in her eyes was anything but, and that was what I was working with, what I would be working with. The old Naomi was gone.

"I like her though." She scanned me head to toe, her eyes lingering with too much interest. "Do you want to hang out?"

I shrugged, casual. "Why not?"

I gave Isla a furtive glance, and together we walked behind the royalties to the surprise of the people around. Some even had their mouths open in disbelief.

Idiots.

Even though I was sure the women wanted to pick our brains—to know what sort of fighters we were, what sort of ladies Isla and I were—I followed, needing to pick their own brains too. Two could play the game.

"So, which of the kings are you marrying?" Isla asked, wanting to make small talk as they led the way, amongst stares and bows, toward a location which I knew was the garden. The pack’s garden.

But with the merge, I wasn’t sure of anything again, seeing as the place got lonelier with every step we took.

"I am for Adam," Claire said.

"I am for Noah, my love," Naomi said, and I could hear the happiness in her voice. I was sure she wouldn’t tire of giving this description because this was something she had always wanted, something my disappearance had made easier.

I held back a gloat.

"I am for Daniel!" Lilian chimed excitedly.

I rolled my eyes. "Are they faithful? I heard lycan kings take mistresses sometimes..."

The silence that descended after my question even had Isla scowling at me. What are you doing!

I shrugged my shoulders in response, halting my movements when the three turned and glared at me.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Claire snapped.

"Is that why you are here?" Naomi pressed.

"You must be stupid to say that," Lilian bit out.

Seeing the insecurity they battled to hide, I took a guess the triplets weren’t faithful.

As usual. But I was wise enough to hold a laugh, to rather keep a bland face.

"Just making small talk... you don’t need to take it personal," I muttered, walking past them, a smile tugging at my lips, toward the bench I could see from my position, nestled in the garden. One I could see was now off-limits to the common people.

I shook my head in disgust. How could they be comfortable with this?

I sat on the bench, relaxing my back against the wooden frame, letting out a loud exhale like I had journeyed ten thousand miles.

"You are something else... I could use you as head of my security," Claire said, sitting down on an opposite bench with her two besties. Isla sat with me. "Are you as strong as you think?"

"Not interested."

"The pay is much."

I chuckled, Isla joining me this time. We just couldn’t help it.

"Do you think I am poor because I joined the contest?"

The three glanced at themselves, then at us. "Why else?" they asked at the same time.

Creepy show of friendship, I thought before answering. "Maybe because I’m just bored."

The three looked at each other, then burst into bouts of laughter.

"You are really something... what’s your name?" Naomi asked.

"Sage," I replied. "And this is my best friend, Isla. She isn’t fighting."

Lilian frowned. "So, why is she wearing the emblem?"

"It makes the walking-around process easier. I can’t do without her."

Isla pinched me subtly, but I dared not blink—not with the three looking at me like I was something akin to an interesting show they had paid millions to watch.

And when they started talking about their relationship, as if my declaration had made them somewhat insecure, I zoned out, thinking of what to do after my revenge, where I would go, counting down the days, the hours, the minutes, the seconds.

I heard Isla say something, though it was like she had water in her mouth while speaking; heard the three laugh and talk more, but I was just not with them.

I was in my head, in a fantasy created by me where everything went well, just as I wanted.