All the candidates filed out, forming two neat lines with their maids standing behind them. Ophelia and Celeste stood at the end of one row, while on the opposite side stood Alina Vale and her maid.
Alina's eyes widened the moment she spotted Ophelia. She had been certain the king had rejected her.
"Kira, what is she doing here? I thought the king rejected her," Alina whispered to her maid behind her. From everything she had heard, she suspected this must be the fairy princess.
Ophelia heard her clearly. She frowned, rolling her eyes. The news of her supposed rejection must have already spread. She could feel others sneaking glances at her.
"I'm shocked too," Kira replied with forced subtlety. "But trust me, she doesn't stand a chance. You know His Majesty has known you since you were a child, and the king's mother adores you."
Her voice wasn't quiet enough. Several candidates, including Ophelia, heard her.
Celeste felt the atmosphere shift sharply around them after Kira's words.
So this lady is the king's mother's favorite…d Maybe that's why the king rejected her, Celeste thought.
Fear tightened in Ophelia's chest at the confirmation.
"The candidates will now proceed into the banquet hall," Viktor announced loudly.
One by one, the ladies walked into the banquet hall in the order they had lined up.
Celeste's eyes wandered everywhere. The interior of the palace was elegant, rich, and shadowed with a soft darkness. She could see nobles and royals gathered inside, their attention fixed forward.
So this is what a banquet looks like… boring, Celeste thought. Nothing like the lively celebrations in our village.
"The bride selection begins now," Viktor declared.
Malum studied the lineup of ladies before him. His gaze swept the row in search of Celeste. It stopped briefly on Princess Ophelia, but he couldn't see the woman behind her, only the glimpse of golden hair in a tight bun. That had to be Celeste.
"Presenting the Princess of the Wolf Realm, Princess Eliza," Viktor announced as the princess stepped forward with her maid.
Meanwhile, among the gathered nobles, one woman stared fixedly at Celeste, her expression frozen with shock.
"Elara… She looks so much like Elara…" the woman muttered under her breath.