As soon as the door shut behind Grigory and Annalisa, Father and I stood in the center of the ballroom and all eyes were on us. The audience murmured like clucking birds. The fifth suitor had chosen me, and if he was not General Hyton, the rest of the nobility made their guesses on whohe was.
The door opened again, and just as I expected to see the mysterious fifth suitor, two palace guards cautiouslywalked in.
“Miss Ravenwood,” one of the guards said in a shaky voice, “the Great Sorceress of Nordingaard requestsyour audience.”
The murmurs of the audience erupted into frightened gossip. Father squeezed my arm as we carefully followed the palace guards out of the ballroom. Father was brave enough to disobey the general of His Excellency’s army, butnot Fraleigh.
“Stay close to me, Serafina,”he whispered.
We walked through the door together and followed the guards down a long hallway. The guards turned and opened a door leading to the outside of the palace.
Father stepped into the night first, hiding me behind him as much as he could. All I could see over my father’s back and shoulders was the full moon amongst the stars. Father stepped out onto the stone patio and froze, gripping my hand with all his strength. I stepped around him. Flickering torchlight cast shadows on my father’s stiff jaw and harrowed eyes that looked up and not forward. I followed his eyes as I turnedmy head.
Where I should have seen the face of the fifth suitor, I instead saw an enormous chest dressed in a military uniform and bathed in pulsing shadows. I held my breath as my eyes moved up higher, seeing wide shoulders draped in a crimson cape that flowed down like blood, a muscular neck as thick as my thigh, and a strong, square jaw. I had to tilt my head all the way back to see his face—strong brow and nose, light hair, and blue-grey eyes that looked down on me with an intensity that sent a chill upmy spine.
The Beast was thefifth suitor.
My hands trembled but my throat stayed frozen. If I had any bravery at all, I would have forced the word out of my mouth and into the night as loudly asI could—no.
No, it was a mistake. No, Derrick was supposed to choose me. No, I could not marrya half-giant.
I screamed “no,” in my head over and over, but Father’s voice was dangerously quiet. “Thismonsterwill not havemy daughter.”
The Beast did not take his eyes off me. Grigory had said he was nine feet tall, but he was so huge he could have even been ten feet. My heart pounded like it was trying to escape, but I could not stop staring at the Beast, trying to find any clue on his stony face of why he had chosen me. I did not even notice Duke Hyton was with us until hespoke up.
“Frederick,” Duke Hyton’s tongue was thick, but his voice low and tense, “you put your daughter into Selection Night knowing you had no say in whoselects her.”
“You say as if I had a choice, as ifanyof us have a choice,” Father said, his grip on me growing tighter and his voice growing louder. “You force us to sell offour daughters.”
Duke Hyton quirked his chin up. “This is how it has always been. You certainly did not complain whenyougot topick first.”
Father ignored him and looked up at the Beast again. “You could have had any bride and you chose the smallest one, you cruelfucking bastard!”
The Beast finally took his eyes off me and glared at Father. I wanted to speak out, argue, or fight, but whatever I could say froze inmy throat.
“He selected her!” Duke Hyton roared. “Let hergo, Frederick!”
Father jerked me into his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around me. His chest shook with outrage against my back. “Never! Damn you, Anders, what else will you take away from me? You took my boys, myhome, my…”
His voice broke, but he found strength I had never seenhim show.
“…but you willnottake Serafina!”
Duke Hyton gave his guards a pointed look and they approached us to seize Father. Father let go of me and ran toward the first guard. He punched the guard in the jaw with a crack and sent him tothe ground.
I gasped and clutched my arms as my father turned his gentle hands into weapons. I should have grabbed him by the cape and pulled him back, but I was too scaredto move.
Father’s eyes blazed with animalistic fury as he turned to Duke Hyton. His knuckles were white as he held onto seven years of sorrow and outrage, but each fist was about to satisfy his vengeance for the two lives Duke Hytonhad stolen.
“No one else should suffer as I have!” Father shouted. He charged toward Duke Hyton. “Your reignmust end!”
General Hyton drew his sword, but did not step forward. More soldiers ran from the palace and they outnumbered and overpowered Father before he could take another step toward the Duke. My chest shook with a dry sob as the guards forced Father tothe ground.
“Take him away!” Duke Hyton spat. “Baron Ravenwood is charged withhigh treason!”
High treason. A suredeath sentence.
My stomach fell through my body. The torchlight and moonlight swirled around me until I fell to my knees. I squeezed my eyes shut. My face hit the rough stone pavement. My breath escaped my chest in sharp, jagged heaves. My mouth watered, and just as I thought I was about to be sick, a pair of strong hands wrapped aroundmy arms.
