The Substitute Bride

I have lived a life draped in shadows, unseen and unheard, like a forgotten whisper in the wind, just like my master wanted. From dawn till dusk, I toiled away, my hands bearing the weight of endless chores, my heart heavy with the burden of existence. Ariadne, my given name, but to them, I was nothing more than a mere slave, an Otsayak, they called me. A dirty forbidden name for the lowest of supernaturals.

As I scrubbed the floors and tend to the needs of the Jude Carstairs, my master, I caught bits of their intense conversations, I found myself drawn to the words they were saying. I have been cautioned many times not to snoop, or listen in on their conversation. But listening to anything else other than the sound of my miserable thoughts would grant me a short relief. Even if it was only for a few minutes.

I pressed my ear against the door that was slightly ajar. Inside, I heard the strained tones of my Master Jude Carstairs, the ex-beta, his voice tinged with frustration, his words laced with anger.

"I will not allow this doom to befall our family!" he bellowed, his voice echoing off the walls. "To marry that disgraced Prince Rowan, a paralytic, is to seal our fate with disgrace!"

Beside him, Lady Monica, his wife, sat with tears streaming down her face, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. "But what choice do we have, Jude?" she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "The Alpha King's decree is final. We must obey."

"If we disobey him, who knows what he will do to us now? He already thinks we are enemies to his throne. This is the only way we have to redeem ourselves in his eyes."

And then, like a mournful melody weaving through the air, I heard the soft sobs of Lady Isabelle, their only and beloved child. "I cannot marry him, Father," she pleaded, her voice choked with anguish. "I cannot leave my home, my family, for a wolf like that. For a wolf that can't even walk!"

"Isabelle we all have our duty. And this is your duty to us. The goddess has chosen this path for you, she has chosen that you would redeem our family through this marriage, as horrible as it may sounds."

"I will not! I won't go! You can't force me to marry that cripple!"

"Is this what you want for me? For your daughter?! For me to live a life of misery next to that cripple?!"

She shrieked.

But even as Isabelle begged for mercy, her parents remained unmoved, their tone sounded resolute as they discussed plans. For they knew that to defy the Alpha King's command was to invite ruin upon their heads, to risk the wrath of the most powerful man in the land.

"Isabelle, let us obey first... perhaps we would be allowed to appeal to the Alpha King, maybe he might reconsider..."

"If we accept they would want him to marry him right away, no father!"

Isabelle's voice sounded so hurt and angry. I could feel the pain in her voice.

As the argument raged on, I found myself so lost in their conversation that I didn't notice or even hear the sound of the footsteps approaching. But before I could move fast enough, the door swung open, and I found myself face to face with my master, his eyes ablaze with fury. Master Jude Carstairs with his angry eyes and his strong arms.

Before I could open my mouth to apologize, he raised his hands and I felt the pain of a sharp slap on my cheek. I fell to the floor, but I had no time to register the stinging pain as I stood up quickly, eager to not provoke him any further.

"You useless thing! You dare eavesdrop on our private conversation?" he thundered, his voice reverberating through the room like the tolling of a funeral bell. "Have you no shame?"

I cowered before him, my eyes downcast, my spirit crushed beneath the weight of his wrath. "Forgive me, master," I whispered, my voice barely a whisper in the vast expanse of the room. "I am very sorry. I meant no harm ."

But Master Jude's rage was unrelenting, his punishment swift and severe. "No food or water for you tonight and tomorrow," he spat, his words like daggers piercing my soul. "And as for your duties, you will work twice as hard to make amends for this stupid mistake. I want you to scrub this floors again and again until the sun goes down."

And with that, he dismissed me.

And with that, I scrubbed and scrubbed the floor till I felt my fingers bled red. When the sun finally went down, I already lost all feeling in my hands, I could barely balance properly on my two feet as I staggered to the kitchen hall to help and prepare for dinner.

In the kitchen, the cook looked at me with slight pity as I watched her ladle a bowl of hearty potato soup. My stomach grumbled loudly but I could do nothing.

No food and water for me for the night.

I moved to the sink and started washing the mountain of plates and pots that were in it. I could barely feel my fingers as I did but at least it was better than being on my hands and knees scrubbing for hours. My tired hands and fingers were wrinkled and red from being in water and when I was finally done with the dishes, I could only drag myself to my threadbare bed in the basement.

Alina was the first to come to my side. One of the maids. She worked with the Carstairs like me, but at least she wasn't an otsayak. Or a lowly slave like me.

"I managed to swipe a piece of bread from the dinner table."

She said as she passed me a piece of bread bun. I wanted to say no but my stomach grumbled in response. I snatched the bread and wolfed it all down in seconds.

"What did you do this time? You know the family's been angry ever since they heard the Alpha King's news. Why did you annoy Master Jude?"

I shifted to my side and sighed.

"I was only trying to listen to their conversation. They sounded so angry and worried."

Alina signed and shrugged.

"Well you would be angry too wouldn't you? If you were made to marry that wretched Prince."

"Is he really that bad?!"

I asked as I looked up at Alina and Alina shrugged.

"I heard he's very ugly and he can't walk. And everyone at the palace just hides and runs away from him like the plague."

"This proposal of marriage to the Carstairs isn't anything to be happy about."

"It's a death sentence for Isabelle."

"That's how bad it is Ariadne."

.......................

-Next Day-

As I meticulously folded Isabelle's gowns, my mind raced with conflicting emotions.

The Lady of the house, Madam Monica Carstairs had tasked me with packing her daughter's luggage.

She was to leave as soon as possible. Her fate was decided whether or not she liked it.

Yet, as I smoothed the fabric, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness for the young woman whose fate was being decided without her consent.

Isabelle had her many faults, but she was a young and vibrant girl, she didn't deserve this. To be honest, no one deserved such a fate, to be married to someone they wanted nothing to do with, subjected to a life of misery and pain.

The door burst open, and Isabelle stormed in, her eyes ablaze with fury, her golden blond hair framing her small angry face. Before I could react, her hand connected with my cheek in a stinging slap. I staggered back, stunned by the sudden violence.

"What do you think you're doing?" she spat, her voice trembling with anger. "How dare you pack my things without my permission?"

Her words cut through me like a knife. I wanted to explain, to tell her that I was only following orders, but the fear in her eyes stopped me. Instead, I stood there silently, my hands still clutching the delicate garments.

Isabelle turned to her mother, her expression pleading. "Mother, please! You can't make me marry him. I won't go through with this sham!"

But her mother remained resolute, her gaze cold and unyielding. "You will do as you're told, Isabelle Elena Carstairs. Prince Rowan is a good match, and this marriage will secure our family's future. You must think of more than just yourself for once in your life!"

Tears welled up in Isabelle's baby blue eyes as she looked from her mother to me, her fists clenched in frustration. "I won't do it. I won't marry him, and I won't leave this house!"

In that moment, I saw the desperation in her eyes, the raw defiance of a young woman pushed to her breaking point. And then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she made a vow that chilled me to the bone.

"If you force me to marry him, if you make me marry that cripple, I'll kill myself. I swear it to you."