Forced Marriage

Alice's POV

"Alpha, I..." I tried pleading my case, but Ferotina cut in.

"Beloved alpha, why are you doubting this? We saw them with our own two eyes. Crownis shamelessly slept with his nephew's fiancée," Ferotina accused, her voice laced with condemnation. Her words, though empty, seemed to have stirred up something with the alpha—uncontrollable rage.

Alpha Samuel turned to Crownis, who was seated in his wheelchair, a neutral demeanor on his face, as he locked his eyes on Ferotina. "Crownis, I will ask once," Alpha Samuel questioned, his tone threatening. "Is it true, son? Did you have carnal knowledge of your nephew's fiancée?" Crownis's gaze shifted to me, his expression now turning serious.

"It is true, Father. I had carnal knowledge of Alice," he informed casually, and my heart skipped a beat. He went back on his word. He said he was going to take responsibility for it. Instead, he just confirmed it. He was supposed to confess the entire truth. My life was ruined; I was never going to get married. No one would marry a woman who slept with her fiancé's uncle.

I glanced back at my father and could see disappointment like never before. What he always prophesied—that I would amount to nothing—had finally come true. " it's not true..." I tried explaining, this time in tears, but once more I got interrupted, this time by Crownis.

"It's true I slept with her. I had drugged her and had her carried to my bedroom, where I took advantage of her..." He explained calmly, stunning me. I stood there confused and impressed at the same time. Crownis took up the title of a rapist just to protect my reputation. He was willing to receive 200 strokes of the cane, just to preserve my honor. No one had ever done something like that for me.

His gesture, though sweet to me, seemed to just have poured fuel to Dad's anger. "Abomination!" Dad screamed, his eyes burning with rage. "Alpha, I want this man hanged for rape."

"I would accept whatever punishment you want to give me. I am truly sorry. I was blinded by lust..." He said, his expression turning soft and remorseful, but unfortunately, all his pleas fell on deaf ears.

"That same lust is going to be the death of you," Dad's best friend thundered at him. At this point, the alpha Samuel had had enough. "Silence!" He commanded, his voice firm, and the room fell into a graveyard silence.

Alpha Samuel then turned to Crownis with disgust. "Crownis, you are a disappointment. I'm ashamed of you," he divulged, his eyes filled with sincerity. "As per our rules, you shall be subjected to 200 strokes plus an extra 100 for being a disgrace. The strokes are to be administered immediately in the presence of everyone."

My eyes widened upon hearing alpha Sameul's declaration. Most men couldn't even withstand 200 strokes of canes; how could he be so heartless as to subject his own son to such brutal torture? I looked down at Crownis, who should be terrified by the outrageous amount of strokes, but instead, he sat back in his wheelchair like nothing had just happened. All he said was, "As you wish, Father."

In a swift moment, Crownis was wrestled to the floor, his shirt torn off him, as three guards approached him with iron whips in hand. In a blink of an eye, they descended on him, landing strike after strike. I could hear him scream in agony as he writhed on the floor like a snake.

I watched helplessly as Crownis was beaten almost half to death, and all I could do was cry. My chest hurt terribly; I wanted to scream, to beg them to stop, but I was stopped by my own cowardice. Time passed, and guilt gripped the better part of me.

Crownis had already received about 150 strokes; he was now a bloody mess, his skin thrown open. He looked weak and sickly, trembling like he could die any second now. At this point, I realized I couldn't endure any more of this brutality. I couldn't stand back and watch Crownis being beaten to death for my sake.

Without thinking, I moved forward and said something that would change the course of our lives forever. "

" Please spare him," I yelled, consequently attracting unpleasant attention. Everyone stopped whatever they were doing and focused their undivided attention on me, their eyes questioning and threatening at the same time.

I took a sharp breath, and for the first time in my life, I expressed myself. " I plead with you to seize the beating and lend Crownis to me. I would like to administer punishment to him myself."

Alpha Samuel stared at me, his intrigue plagued. "Young lady, I do not understand. How exactly do you want to administer this punishment you speak of?" he asked, and it was obvious he wasn't the only one who thought so, as Crownis had the same confused look on his face.

I looked at Dad, and he had a "shut up or you're dead" look in his eyes, but I had gone too far to back out. So, instead of following his orders blindly as always, I did the exact opposite.

"I will like Crownis to marry me," I said, the first thing that came to mind, and I could see the nonplussed look engraved on everyone's face. "I mean, he can't defile me and not be willing to marry me as compensation," I mumbled, trying to justify the rubbish I just said.

Alpha Samuel's expression seemed to be yielding, like he actually saw reason with me. "Well said," he voiced, impressed, and I let out a deep breath before turning to Crownis, who had a smile on his face but quickly masked it as alpha Sameul's eyes fell on him—or maybe I just imagined it.

"Crownis, do you accept Alice's condition?" Alpha Samuel asked, his voice firm.

"Yes, Father, it would be my honor," Crownis informed with the utmost humility., stunning me and the rest of the court. I could hear gasps and some murmuring.

Ferotina seemed very happy,because she can now choose a daughter-in-law that she's satisfied with.

"It's settled, Alice will marry Crownis. That is my final decision. Court dismissed," Alpha Samuel declared as he made his way out of the courtroom, followed by his subordinates, but not without Dad glaring at us. And just like that, Crownis was freed.

A couple of minutes down the line, and Crownis and I were finally left to ourselves, so I could attend to his wounds.

"Does it hurt?" I questioned, gently patting his back with a wet towel.

"It's fine. It doesn't hurt when you do it," he said, his tone drawling as always.

"Thank you for sacrificing yourself for my sake; I really appreciate it," I gratified with a sincere smile. No one had ever done something like that for me before.

"It's not a problem. I told you I was going to take responsibility, so that's what I did," he reminded me casually. "Even so, you had no reason to. So, thank you," I insisted with the utmost appreciation.

"You're welcome! Now, can we move to more important things?" he changed the topic swiftly, grabbing my undivided attention.

"Like what?" I doubted; there was nothing more important. Crownis was out of harm's way, and my reputation was redeemed.

"Getting married. I would like to formally register our marriage," Crownis informed with a straight face, and I couldn't help but burst into laughter. I laughed so hard at his joke, but then I realized it wasn't a joke; the serious expression on his face said that much.

"Are you serious?" I doubted with a raised brow.

"Yes, you said you wanted to marry me, remember?" he reminded me, his expression etched with confusion.

"Come on, I only said that because I wanted to save you from being beaten to death. Don't tell me you took that seriously? I barely know you," I spat, my voice laced with disdain.

Crownis looked at me, a shadow of hurt in his eyes, and said softly, "I understand. I am, after all, just a crippled failure. If you don't want to marry me, I won't force you."

His words rang in my mind; his pain was palpable. I couldn't possibly disappoint him like that, not after all the humiliation he had endured for me.

But how was I supposed to accept his marriage offer? He was still my fiance's uncle. What was I supposed to do? Enter into a loveless marriage with a crippled prince my family would never accept, or take my chances with a prince who might never marry me?