Olivia looked at the garden that was drably decorated. There were no seating arrangements either. It was as if her father was in a hurry to send her off or send off the guests that he had called. Aroma of rich food wafted in the air but she wondered if the guests would even wait to eat the food. The garden was pretty huge, but she noticed that there were no more than fifty guests out there. 

Members of the Whiteclaw pack were all huddled up together. They consisted of councilmen mostly and they stood close to her father. And then there were members of the Silver Vales—standing at a distance, their shoulders drawn back and expressions fierce. They looked at the Whiteclaw men like predators. Tension was palpable in the air and Olivia wondered if it hadn't been for her wedding, the two packs would have already been at each other's throats. Her mouth was paper dry. 

"M'lady," Giles said again. She fluffed Olivia's gown from the back before she opened the door of the main hall. "Don't be nervous," she said. "It will be over before you'd imagine," her light gray eyes shining in the morning light. She fluffed the gown from behind. 

Olivia started moving, clutching her gown all the more tightly. Her breath became shallow as soon as she stepped out in the sunlight of the wintry cool garden. She didn't know why her father arranged for her wedding in this coldness instead of in the main hall where fire hearths were burning, warming the air. He really wanted her to leave as soon as possible. 

A familiar smell wafted in the air, of fire and so masculine that it took her breath away. She was shocked and her body trembled. Was he here? "Stop fidgeting," Giles chided her, pulling her back to the present. She stared at the young guard who was watching them from the sides. Olivia pretended that she wasn't affected by his stare or the stares of the men who stood in the garden or the stare of her father who was standing with her mother. "You look beautiful, Olivia." But that was not the assurance she needed. "Don't look like you are attending your funeral."

Olivia wondered if that was the appropriate explanation of her situation. Giles nudged her towards the center of the garden as soon as she opened the door. 

All the men and women turned to look at her. Olivia's heart thudded against her ribcage when she felt their judging gazes on her. Under those fine clothes, each one was trying to reach a judgment about her. Her pace slowed as if her ankles were tied with lead, but Giles pushed her forward.

Towards the dais where the second in command to the king of Silver Vales waited for her. 

Her knees buckled and, in an effort, to keep herself walking, she clasped her hands. Her eyes went to the dais, the ceiling of which was covered with a sky-blue silk with white ribbons mixed with flowers hanging on the sides. She saw the priest who was supposed to officiate the wedding. And right beside the priest was the man, tall with broad shoulders and the most beautiful mop of auburn hair she had ever seen. He was magnificent in a tunic of gray and silver, a circlet of gold gleaming on his head. Olivia was breathless. Disbelief blasted through her blood. She stopped in her tracks and stared at him as he stared at her, his shoulders back and head held high. She didn't know what to do. A thousand questions bounced across her mind, as her body became numb. This couldn't be. The fate couldn't be so cruel. She wanted to turn around and flee. Surely her father and others would understand. Should she reject this marriage? 

He was the same person who she had met in the hollow of the tree. The man who had presented her with the dagger that was now tied to a strap to her thigh. He looked so handsome that it stole her breath away.

He was the second in command to the king? Why did he want her to kill him? Did he also want to escape this wedding? Gods above! Olivia turned her head to look at her mother with wide eyes in a last ditch effort to stop this wedding, but Kaia's stern eyes and Giles nudging her, made her walk further. She looked at him again. His brows were drawn so tightly and she could see his neck muscles corded. 

Olivia walked slowly towards the dais as the man stared at her. He looked feral, dangerous and lethal. A sword was sheathed in his belt, the hilt of which he had gripped the minute he saw her. Her eyes locked with him, she walked to the dais to meet her fate. 

As soon as she reached there, the priest extended his hand for her, but before him, the man had extended his hand. Olivia didn't know whose hand she clutched but they were large and calloused and warm and they curled all around hers. She was pulled to the dais. Giles moved to the side immediately for the guests to witness the wedding. 

The priest was flabbergasted when Olivia held Kaizan's hand. Since Vaarin had asked him to finish the ceremony as soon as possible, the priest made them stand in front of the goddess at the back of the stage. He started chanting in ancient language. 

Olivia's hand was still in his hand and her heart was in her mouth. She was so stunned that she didn't know what to say. She couldn't even greet the man who was supposed to be her groom. She was sure that he was just as surprised as she was. She didn't know when, but her body started trembling. She was marrying her enemy and she knew that either she would be dead in a few days. And her mother had asked her to hurry and give them a babe? Olivia wanted revenge.. A babe? Her hand trembled in his large one and he tightened his hold on it. 

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