Chapter 7 Prison

I was taken to the court when I woke up in the morning, but Leon was not with me. Two maids, Gina and Lucy, were in charge of grooming me. They took me through the corridors and finally came to the back of a door. Two guards opened the doors on both sides, and Gina motioned me in with her eyes. While she and Lucy stayed where they were, I walked in with trepidation. There were many people sitting in this hall, men and women, all wearing gorgeous court dresses. When they saw me coming in, everyone focused on me. I felt like my back was covered with countless ants, and I felt uncomfortable and nervous. As if I were a prisoner preparing for trial, the people in the hall looked at me with arrogance and indifference. There were three people sitting on the throne in front of me. One was an old man with gray hair and a crown. On his right was a woman who appeared to be older than my mother, judging from the wrinkles on her face. They must be the king and queen, as Gina had said. Prince Leon sat on the old man’s left, still as charming as ever. When he saw me, Leon smiled and immediately stood up from the throne, quickly walking towards me. He gave me a deep kiss, catching me off guard. Then, he tightly grabbed my wrist and loudly declared to everyone present, “This is my mate, Emily! I finally found her!” It was like a declaration of sovereignty. The old king with the crown spoke to Prince Leon in a hoarse and dignified tone, “So, she is your destiny’s mate?” At the same time, he looked at me with disdain. “This girl looks no different from an ordinary female wolf!” “Nick, we must accept the arrangement of Luna!” The woman looked up and said to me in a solemn tone. “Girl, turn your neck around and let us see the mark on you!” Gina combed my hair into a royal high bun. Although I didn’t understand why the woman in front of me wanted to see my neck, I turned my neck as far as possible according to her request. “No, how did that happen! Damn it!” I heard men growling and other people surprised. “I clearly marked her. Why is there nothing around her neck now?” Leon ran to me from the throne, repeatedly searching for the so-called mark on my neck. “Damn it, damn it! Nothing!” Leon said gloomily, “Why, why?” Despite almost breaking my neck, he continued to search for the mark. The other nobles sitting on both sides began to whisper, and Leon’s face became so ugly that his eyes seemed to devour me. “Shut up!” The crowned old king shouted at everyone. The scene immediately quieted down, and everyone bowed their heads and stopped speaking. Leon’s mouth twitched with anger, and I stood there at a loss, unsure of what would happen next. “Your Majesty!” A middle-aged man in red stood up, his eyes cold and frightening. “It all happened so suddenly. I mean, every year the prince holds a ceremony to choose a princess, but he has never found a partner who belongs to him. And now, this girl has appeared! Since Prince Leon marked her, why is there no trace on her? This doesn’t make sense at all. Maybe it’s all a conspiracy!” “Vance, please watch your language!” The woman on the throne looked warily at the middle-aged man who had just spoken. “Any werewolf cannot admit their partner. Since Leon has found his partner, it is enough to prove that this girl is the Luna he is destined to be with. Now, the question we need to find out is why did Leon’s mark on this girl disappear!” “Dear Queen, as I said, it doesn’t make sense. How can the marks that have been made disappear? Unless, of course, she is not Prince Leon’s companion at all,” Wei Mills said, staring at me. “Maybe she is a spy sent by the witch Laila. Maybe this girl will climb onto the prince’s bed with a dagger at night! She is a poisonous snake that can bite!” The room erupted in chaos again, with some nodding in agreement and others whispering. “It’s better not to make wild guesses before things are clear!” The queen frowned at Vance. “Vance, put away your demagogic face!” The old king held the armrest of the throne with one hand, pondering for a moment. Finally, his eyes turned to Prince Leon. “So, my son, what are you going to do with this girl? We all know the rules!” The old king’s voice was stern as he addressed Prince Leon. Leon looked at me, and his purple eyes grew dim. I could see that he was struggling with his decision. Finally, he called two guards and pointed at me, saying, “Put her in jail!” “No! You can’t do this to me!” I looked at Leon, pleading for his help, but he turned away from me. I suddenly felt panicked and alone.