Fated Bonds: Lycan's Chosen Bride

"To avoid the king's gaze," Althea mumbled to herself in her soft voice, her eyes on the cover of the thin black book she had just picked during her search for romance novels.

They said they had done it, so it wouldn't be that hard for her to do it.

Right?

In the kingdom of Elodonia, in the library of a little village called Trixies, sat Althea running her hands through the lines and weavings of the book. Her hair plaited in a braid behind her head. Her gray dress seemed old and worn from too much washing. The creaking of the library gave it a creepy scene as if someone was walking down the paths.

Unfortunately, it was just her in the library.

It was that time of the year once again. The one where the King of Elodonia goes around looking for a bride to be his chosen queen. He had gone from village to village and now her village is next.

How did the process go? He comes and takes six girls, one was to be chosen to be his bride. They go through a vigorous selection process in the castle. Where they were to practice being queen and strong enough to maintain the pressures of the crown.

Though if none was chosen they were all sent back.

But the thing is, they looked like vegetables. Saggy, weak and have sudden amnesia.

They look like blank slates when they arrive back in the village as if they had been completely wiped clean of their memory. Most people say the king uses them or tortures them. No one knows but it's a bit scary.

The book was fairly covered in dust, making the letters on it a little unreadable.

She went down the ladder, then blew the dust off the book which made her cough lightly.

She mumbled the title of the book to herself and instantly shook her head.

This book would be of no help because the author ended up being chosen as a bride.

Leslie was the daughter of one of the farmers in one of the ten villages that made up the mighty Kingdom of Elodonia, which was ruled by the dreaded Lycan King.

When Leslie was 18, she had participated in the Mating ball as the rules had demanded, and had somehow, been lucky enough not to be chosen. It was amazing.

That was when she had written this book.

​But then again, her tricks didn't work for her. One could say you can only get lucky twice.

​Leslie was among the brides that had been chosen the last two years. Everyone had thought she would be the last bride, hoping that she would become the new queen since she was the only one that stayed the longest during the selection period.

But something went wrong.

Something unknown had gone awfully wrong as it always does, she was sent back among other girls and now she looked like a vegetable. Didn't talk, nor eat or behave. No one knows exactly what type of torture she must have been through to end up in the dreaded state. Now, it was the next village's turn to produce a bride. The last village in Elodonia, the one Althea lived in.

Althea couldn't help but wonder what would happen if at the end of the day, no bride was chosen from her own village. Would the king throw a tantrum and decide to kill all girls or would the process begin all over again?Althea climbed up the ladder and put the book back in its place. She got down and then continued her search for other interesting books to take home.

She looked through the shelf, reading each romance titles but nothing interesting. So her mind wandered back to the impending doom. The mating ball had been in existence for as long as she could remember. Each year, every lady between the ages of 18 and 25, who was neither married nor pregnant was presented during the ball. They would all be presented to the king, dressed in white and he would choose the one he likes the most and take them with him.

Many people fear him, as he would look at you with his dark dangerous eyes. People do say he was not even human. Some said he was the last breathing Lycan there is but when he comes to the ball he wears the body of a human.

baseless rumors as it was unheard of. Lycans have gone extinct and the only ones that remain were werewolves. But no one knows, the king knows how to keep his secrets and they always seem to be dark and dangerous.

Althea held the same belief, that this king that rules us is not human, not werewolf like the rest of them. Just a very dangerous creature.

She suddenly stopped and looked around the library. The sun was no longer brightly peeping through the window, but it was now golden, signifying the setting of the sun.

She sighed heavily, her legs already getting tired from all the searching, her eyes watering from lack of sleep. he needed to rest but she couldn't.

How could she when she had a wedding to prepare for?

Not the wedding with the Lycan king but with her fiancé.

Everyone in Trixies was scared right now except her. She was happy. Happy to have a man who would take her off the market.

Many people wish they would be in her situation or perhaps they would run away from the village with their families but they couldn't. The King's guards would hunt them down and drag them back here.

Not many people are allowed to leave Elodonia. Even if you do, you are seen as a traitor, a rouge.

Althea sat down in a chair, feeling absolutely exhausted. She brought out her baked cookies and started to munch on one.

In just two days it would happen. Her wedding would be held, same day as the mating ball.

They would be signing their name in the council and be called husband and wife.

She smiled to herself, humming the sweet tone of wedding music.

Soon she would get married to her love. Caleb.

Caleb was the perfect man in Trixies and the one everyone wanted.

He was that perfect man. Everyone wanted to be with him. To be under him. To touch him but they can't because he only belongs to her.

He was humble, handsome, and every other thing anyone could ever want in a man. He was also the first son of the Village Head and a great business man during the night market.

In fact, sometimes, she wondered why he had picked her.

Caleb was a wonderful man, she had nothing but respect and love for him. So much respect and love that she adored the ground he walked upon.

She, on the other hand, felt out of place most of the time. That kid that no one seems to understand their ideology.

Althea normally had her black hair packed into a ponyta