1 The Selection

Venus was certain that the Chief Royal Secretary and the the king's head palace master would not notice her simple clothing as she looked at the beautiful women in various colors in front of her.

While these women chose bold colors like red, purple, black, gold, and silver, she chose a simple baby pink gown with no embellishment. However, the gown was made of the most expensive silk. Except for her diamond stud earrings, she wore no jewelry.

She smiled as she noticed the women fussing over their appearance. Only her... no, there's another confident woman at the end of the row, dressed in a purple gown fit for royalty. Perhaps she was a princess; she exudes confidence. She's also quite lovely. She isn't interested; after the selection, she will be relieved to return home and resume her training in hand-to-hand combat with ancient weapons with their warriors. They didn't see the king, or maybe he was somewhere looking at them.

The Royal Secretary entered the room and took the scroll. When he mentioned the woman's name, she smiled. The gorgeous woman in black was the first to announce, followed by three other stunning women.

She nearly passed out when the royal secretary announced her name as the last woman chosen for the king. When she and the four chosen women came to a halt in front of them, the women looked at her with interest. She sighed as she saw the dismay on the faces of the women who had failed the selection process. Perhaps they were wondering why a plain-looking woman like her was chosen. Plain is not the appropriate word that describes her, she knew it for a fact. She's an altered creature, designed and created for perfection.

Her father was waiting for her when she returned to her room. She could see how pleased her father was with the outcome. "Did you have any say in the matter, Father?" she inquired.

"Perhaps, my dear, I am the most powerful Chieftain of the North," her father said tenderly. I have thousands of warriors at my disposal to defend the new king, and marrying you would benefit both him and the kingdom. But, my dear, you are also the most beautiful creature there. Even you tried your hardest to dress simply. Men are still staring at you," he chuckled.

"Did you see us?" she asked surprised.

"Of course, dear, the new king and royal family were present, as well as ministers and chieftains. When one of the chieftains and several princes expressed interest in you, the new king became enraged."

"Perhaps because of my hair," she groaned. I neglected to color my hair."

"You are stunning my dear, even if you wear rags, people will still notice your beauty," her father said thoughtfully as he looked at her. "Now rest, the headmistress will come to see you and instruct you on the ceremony," he said as he kissed her temple..

A middle-aged woman entered her room. The way she moved and looked at her, she reminded her of her high school principal. "You will wear purple, gold, or red this time as a sign that you now belong to the royal family, Your Highness" she bowed. "If the king wanted to bed you, he would summon you. Your maid will accompany you; you may select fifteen maids from your household, or I may assign someone from the palace to look after your needs. Do you have something to ask Your Highness?" she inquired.

What, fifteen maids? That was too much, she thought. She didn't want someone following her around all the time. She just nodded, trying to make sense of her situation. She slumped into her soft bed and closed her eyes as the headmistress left the room.

Damn! She had planned nothing like this for when she returned home throughout the journey and selection. In frustration, she groaned and kicked her feet in the air. Marriage in this world was very different from marriage in her homeland. She never imagined sharing her husband with other women, and worse, her husband can take as many women as he wants because he is the king.

"You should prepare yourself for the wedding ceremony, mistress," Lilet, her maid, said as she tapped her on the shoulder. Venus groaned once more, having forgotten to inquire whether the king would marry them all in a single ceremony, as is customary in her world.

What should I do now? she asked herself. She will lose her virginity to a man who has slept with many virgins.

She decided to go with the flow and come up with another plan to escape the palace later. Lilet insisted on bringing the royal colored gowns, but she refused. The letter stated that the chosen women will bring royal-colored gowns. She was certain she'd return home, but that didn't happen..

Lilet displayed the red gown she had packed for her. She was able to attend the wedding without causing embarrassment to her family because of her efficiency. The gown complemented her golden hair and fair skin perfectly. Lilet always said that her blue eyes were her best feature. She stated that she had heard that men were mesmerized when they looked at her eyes. People in this world have brown or dark hair and dark, brown, or gray eyes. They have olive and brown skin as well. But for her, her best asset was her flawless skin and body.

She appeared fragile with her silken skin, but she was tough. Her wolf spirit was with her, and her skills and strength could bring down hundreds of warriors. She groaned again when she saw how much skin showed from her bare neck and shoulders to her cleavage through the mirror. Her red gown also hugged her body and featured slits on the sides that revealed her stunning long legs..

She groaned once more, hoping that the king was not possessive or worse, a maniac who would ravish her during her wedding ceremony. She saw the former king, who was old but authoritative. She imagined the king was a little younger than the previous king and was sick of sleeping with women.

Lilet pulled out a veil for her, and she was relieved it covered her face. She wished the veil had covered her entire body. When the headmistress arrived, she bowed and said nothing. She stopped worrying when she saw the other three women in their purple and gold gowns wearing almost nothing. She was the only one dressed in a red gown.

She was also relieved that they didn't all marry at the same time, but they were all summoned to the ceremonial hall one at a time. It only took ten minutes for each of the girls to marry the king, and she was the last. She was astounded by the palace staff's efficiency. The four women wedded the king in exactly ten minutes, no more, no less.

She sighed, relieved that her wedding would be over in ten minutes and she could return to her room. She hopes the king will bed them in order of rank. She assumed she was the lowest rank wife of the king because she was always summoned last.

"It's time," said the headmistress as she led her to a door, which opened. Many people were inside the ceremonial hall, which surprised her. Men were staring at her until one of the uniformed men yelled. They all bowed their heads, including her father, who was standing in the first row.

She came to a halt in front of the person officiating the ceremony; she had forgotten his job title and position. When she looked up, someone had taken her hand. Her mouth dropped open. She saw the most handsome man she'd ever seen in her life, and she's marrying him.