Chapter 56: Force me to marry her!

Alarick was flipping through the papers in his office when he heard a quiet knock at the door.

"Come in," he called out without looking up.

reached for the handle and pushed the door open slightly. "Your Highness, the Luna Queen wishes to see you immediately."

Alarick lifted his head and set the documents down on his desk. "Why? Is everything alright?"

"Yes, Your Highness. Though the reason was not disclosed to me," the attendant replied deferentially.

Alarick rose from his seat and followed the attendant toward his mother’s quarters. Stepping into the chamber, he offered a respectful greeting to his mother, his gaze briefly shifting to Jessica before he took a seat across from the Luna Queen.

"Alarick, you are well aware of the promise I made to my best friend. Andrew forced me to break it when he abandoned Jessica," Seraphina began.

"Mom, you knew Andrew would never agree to an arranged setup. Miss Jones, you need to move on from him," Alarick advised softly, glancing at Jessica.

"She is moving on. However, my promise still stands," Seraphina countered calmly.

"How? You can’t force Andrew to divorce Caroline. He’ll never go along with it, and you know him better than that, Mom," Alarick chuckled lightly.

"I won’t have to. Even if he were free, Jessica has already refused to marry him," Seraphina stated. "You will marry Jessica instead. You haven’t found your fated mate, nor are you courting anyone. As my eldest son, it is past time you took a wife."

Alarick’s expression froze, the humor vanishing entirely. "What did you just say, Mom?"

"Marry Jessica and fulfill my promise, son," Seraphina repeated.

"I’m not marrying her. She isn’t my type, Mom," Alarick replied firmly. "I’ve made it clear to both you and Dad: only my fated mate will stand beside me as my Luna. No one else. And Miss Jones, how could you even agree to this? I thought your heart was set on Andrew. Your interests seem to shift remarkably fast, but I refuse to be his replacement."

"Alarick, you have never disobeyed me before. Do not start now," Seraphina warned, her voice tightening with authority. "Why are you acting like Andrew? And what fated mate? You haven’t found one in all these years. You aren’t going to find one now."

"That doesn’t mean I’m going to marry the woman of your choice," Alarick declared, rising to his feet and preparing to leave.

"I’ll kill myself if Prince Alarick refuses to marry me!" Jessica suddenly cried, thrusting a gleaming blade against her wrist. Neither of them had noticed where she was hiding it, but she had brought it concealed in her dress.

"The blade is forged from pure silver, and it’s laced with wolfsbane," she threatened, her hands trembling wildly. "I will die right here! Andrew ruined my life. I grew up dreaming of marrying a royal prince. Ever since high school, I was told my future was in this household!"

"Jessica, put that down! Don’t do this to yourself!" Seraphina pleaded, panic lacing her voice. She turned desperate eyes toward her eldest son. "Alarick, just say yes! She cannot die here!"

"Miss Jones, dramatic threats like this won’t work on me. You’re free to die in peace," Alarick said coldly.

Without a second glance, he turned on his heel and walked straight out of the chamber, indifferent to whatever chaos was about to unfold behind him.

However, the moment he stepped into the hallway, he heard the screams erupting from the chamber.

"Fuck! Andrew, I’m going to kill you," Alarick muttered in an angry tone. But he didn’t go inside, instead, he walked away.

~~~~~

"Your phone has been ringing for a while," Caroline pointed out, switching between channels on the TV. Andrew’s head was resting comfortably against her shoulder. "It might be something urgent."

"It isn’t important," Andrew murmured, closing his eyes.

"How do you know without even looking?" She tilted her head, shifting slightly away from him.

Defeated, he sat up straight and finally retrieved his phone from the table. The screen lit up with a long string of missed calls and urgent messages, all originating directly from the palace.

"Why was Alarick calling me?" he murmured, pulling up his contact list and dialing his brother back.

The call was answered almost instantly.

"Why the fuck didn’t you pick up my calls?" Alarick roared through the speaker.

The intensity in his voice was so loud that even Caroline flinched, her eyes widening slightly in alarm.

"Will you calm the hell down?" Andrew snapped back at his older brother.

"Jessica tried to kill herself—right here in the fucking palace! And because of your mess, Mom is trying to force me to marry her!" Alarick shouted, his frustration overflowing.

"What?" Andrew frowned, his brows drawing tight. "Then let her die. Why are you so worked up?"

"You have no idea how twisted this has gotten, Andrew! I refuse to marry her. I’ve spent years holding out for my fated mate, clinging to the hope that she’ll cross my path one day, and that’s the only reason I stayed unwed! Now this whole nightmare falls on me, all because you ran off and married Caroline while you were already engaged!"

"Look, I was never engaged to her. It’s your problem now. And honestly, it isn’t even a real problem. She’s only pretending to die. Mom probably coached her through the whole performance. Just hold your ground and refuse to marry her. Think about it: if Jessica becomes your wife, she’ll use her title as an Alpha Prince’s wife to come after me and Caroline. Don’t let your life get ruined over this. You’re the eldest Alpha Prince. You can’t let a cheap threat scare you so easily."

As Andrew counseled his older brother, Caroline couldn’t help but feel worried.

"You’re right. I can’t ruin my life over a scheme like this," Alarick conceded. "But I’ve never gone against their command. What if they issue an official royal decree? I won’t be able to refuse it then. Dad will back Mom up and force me into this marriage."

"Dad won’t move against you unless you show weakness first," Andrew countered. "Don’t fall into Mom’s trap. She’s a master at manipulating the narrative when she wants her way, and this whole scene is meant to corner you. Hold your ground."