Preliminary selection

In a lavish room furnished to suit the most prominent royals, a woman lay in the bed covered with a thick white quilt embroidered with golden threads.

She lay there as transcendent as an immortal goddess whose wings had been cut off making her unable to reclaim her rightful position among the gods.

Despite all her beauty, she looked sickly thin with her body almost being swallowed by the quilt like she was slowly sinking into quicksand.

The soft moon rays shone on her face that Roan could see her clearly. Her beautiful jet-black hair had streaks of snowy white and platinum blonde. This was the same effect as the medicine that saved his life but for his mother, the dosage was never administered fully.

The women in the queen's chambers gathered the cloths and dishes they had before walking out after silently saluting him.

His gaze was so transfixed on his mother that he didn't see anyone else. In fact, he couldn't see anyone else. He stepped forward and in a seemingly silent room, a woman stepped out from the shadows like a ghost.

Roan didn't react. He just stood at the end of the bed looking at his mother. The woman's eyes were fixed on the crown prince her emotions not as obvious as the other girls who admired him.

Her name was Ignis and she was a part of Keres but her main responsibility was Queen Nova. She would resolutely use her body as a shield to protect the queen and she was fully prepared to die for her.

She didn't dare disturb him. She just stood there like a beautiful statue of a warrior ready for war at a moment's notice. Her heart clenched as she saw those long fair fingers grab the mask revealing a face rarely seen.

Unfortunately, his face was even more fierce than when he was wearing the mask making it difficult for anyone to approach. He half knelt down and reached out with his hand to touch his mother's face but his fingers froze midway.

He turned his head slightly and in a deep tremendous voice he said, "Leave us."

Ignis bowed her head as she responded, "Yes your Highness," before walking out. She closed the door and stood right outside with an austere posture.

As the door closed Roan's adam's apple rolled as he swallowed down the emotions threatening to come out. His head lowered he said, "Moth...," but the pitch of his voice made him stop. His voice was too brittle like he was going to break down if he carried on.

He gathered his emotions and finally said, "Mother... how have you been? Is she taking good care of you?"

After saying that he paused as though expecting a response but there wasn't any. He picked up her icy cold hand and placed it on top of his head just like she used to touch him.

"I still have hope. The couple must have left something that can help me find the cure. I just... I just need you to trust in me and hold on a little longer," he said his expression showing emotions that he would never show to anyone else. His frosty face had melted away replaced by a grieving look that would move anyone's heart.

"I... I am getting married. Father has used you yet again as a way to twist my arm. If I don't marry he threatened to move you out of your own room for that witch... I would rather marry than let her have everything that is rightfully yours," he said before swallowing hard his eyes red.

He raised his head slightly and showed an ugly smile before saying, "I will pick one soon but I will never accept them as my wife. I won't fall in love either. You dared love someone and look what happened to you."

He sat down next to her bed and lay his head beside her as he continued, "When it's all over... When that witch and father are dead I will divorce her."

The person he was speaking to didn't respond. In fact, she heard nothing. Roan kept talking about everything he had been up to like he was actually having a conversation with her but it was a one-way conversation. For an entire night, Roan slept on the floor at the side of the queen's bed looking like a dejected pup lying at his mother's side. This sight would bring tears to anyone.

***

Dong dong dong...

Dong dong dong...

The sound of the huge bell echoed through the streets of the royal city marking the beginning of what some would describe as the biggest season of the bachelor.

Maidens from north, east, south, west and central of Odasal made their way to the square in their thousands, all for a chance of being picked.

In front was the head maidservant to the queen scrutinising these girls from head to toe.

She was so rude that she ripped through the girls' confidence. It was like being stripped of all clothes in public shaming them for even coming here.

For those girls who didn't have any recommendations from a prestigious family, she didn't even bother. Besides she had a finalised list already and this was just a formality. She rejected girls using words like too short, too tall, too skinny or too fat and roasted the ones that were too distant from the beauty preferences of the nobles.

The number of two thousand girls reduced drastically to a little short of half a thousand. Among them was Freya who almost didn't make it. That's because the head maidservant's to the queen felt something off about her. She was the perfect height and weight and her face was stunning but her aura seemed unsettling.

She was about to reject her when the woman standing beside her whispered something into her ear. In the end, she let Freya advance to the next stage because her colleague was right. This selection was rigged but they also needed to keep beautiful girls to make up the numbers otherwise it would look like they were deliberately swaying the prince's decision.

In other words, if they offered him less attractive girls it would make them seem like they wanted to hype up Isabella's appearance making it too obvious. There had to be an illusion of balance.