The first dance, a promise that he'd be the first hand to reach out when you need help, the first person to catch you if you fall. The first dance, a ritual where the husband asks his wife for her first dance after marriage. She always fantasised about it, much more than the music in her wedding. But as she stands in the middle of the crowd and waits, and waits, the hushed whispers now becoming bold words, she knows it will remain a fantasy. One she will never think about again.

She almost turns to the stairs, ready to head back, ready to run away from the stares when a voice rings in her head, a threat, "Don't you dare!" And her eyes find the owner of that voice by the piano, casually leaning over it. A glass of wine in one hand, the other ghosting over the keys. Leo is occupying the stool by the piano, his slim fingers already handing out the harmony.

Ken and Ravi are standing by the window, letting the wind play with their hairs, without a care in the world.

Hongbin and Hyuk are sitting at a table by the said window. She can't see the younger's face but Hongbin is not even trying to hide his dislike for her.

It has just began. They won't let her off so easy. There will be consequences, she will pay for what she has done.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Hakyeon's voice rings out, soothing and commanding, "please enjoy yourself. Don't wait for the first dance, there will be none." His eyes are on her, a challenge, a warning and she clenches her fist as he turns around and Leo starts a new melody.

Another ritual broken.

Another dream forgotten.

"She's the one?" Someone asks from her right, a woman.

"That's the one alright," another one answers with a bite of distaste.

"She's not even pretty!"

"Why would they marry her? I heard she isn't even their mate!"

"I heard she offered herself."

"I bet she did. Can't let six Alphas slip through her hands. Her good for nothing kingdom would have gotten a  lot in return."

"Wait till they take her to bed," someone sneers, "bet she wouldn't have enough ho......" She turns around, away from the voices, away from the faceless people.

"She's an Omega, I bet even six aren't enough," but they still follow. Even as she walks away from the staircase, they are still talking, still accusing.

And then she stops because she doesn't know where to go anymore. She surrounded by strangers and she misses her home, she misses her friends. She simply misses the comfort.

Her companions left after the contract signing, there was much to do. With the changes in army positions, check posts and the instillation of the new ammunition, they needed to be home.

"What's the matter little Omega," and there's his voice again as she watches him glide through the crowd as if coming towards her but then he changes direction and heads towards Hyuk and Hongbin.

"Didn't you sell yourself?"

Didn't you sell yourself?

That rings in her head.

Yes, yes she did. In a way she did sell herself. But she's not a and he's making her sound like one.

"Why so smug my lord," she retaliates and his head jerk in her direction, "Didn't you buy me?"

He's no better than her.

"At least we did it fair and square," it's Hongbin's voice and while she has never spoken to him, she knows it belongs to him.

To that she has no answer.

"Or maybe we should have gone voodoo with her as well considering we have seven very powerful witches with us," Ken adds.

"So what else does that necklace of yours do? I mean apart from forcing people to marry you?" The voice is deep, seemingly coming from the owner's chest. Ravi.

Before she could answer there's a commotion in the room and all eyes turn to look at the people who entered just then. There's a man, tall and sturdy, with greying hair in a war attire, a general. By her side is a woman, slender, elegant, beautiful. A beta, his daughter.

"Seohyun noona," she hears Hongbin's voice in her head and watches as Hakyeon's demeanor changes, from a cold ruthless person to happy sunshine in a second.

There's something akin to guilt bubbling in her gut but it's not hers. She doesn't even know the woman. It takes sometime before she understands that the guilt is Hyuk's.

And before she could dwell any further, she's pushed out. The door to their minds slammed shut in her face.

She looks on as Hakyeon makes his way to the general and exchange greetings. He's smiling as he greets them. Then they're engaged in small talks. A while later, he mutters something and Seohyun shakes her head, throwing her a look over Hakyeon's shoulder.

That look lasts a second too long and then Hakyeon has taken her hand and is leading her to the middle of the dance floor. People make way for them, muttering greetings and bowing slightly.

It's totally different from when she entered and she realizes that it's the treatment a queen deserves.

She might be their wife but she's not their mate, she's not their love, she not their queen.

"A ruler's first responsibility is her subjects, always remember that daughter....," She remembers her father's words and turn around, away from the dance floor where people have resumed dancing to Leo's melody with Hakyeon and Seohyun in the centre.

"Jealous much?" Someone asks and she looks up to find the vampire, Shownu and the tree fae Eunkwang with their respective clan clothings, wine in hand.

"Should I be?" She asks back.

"Don't misunderstand them, they are just angry," Shownu explains and she can't help but notice the kind aura around him. Unusual for a vampire. They are usually cold, manipulative and blunt, more like Hyungwon.

"I am sure," she mutters picking up a glass herself. While she might not be a drinker, alcohol once in awhile wouldn't hurt.

"They'll come around," Eunkwang says half heartedly, his eyes on the dance floor.

"I am sure," again she mutters bringing the glass to her lips.

The rose giving ceremony, last of the three. There's a belief that the husband gives her wife a white rose. She accepts it with a drop of her blood on the petals. The intensity of the red colour which develops as the rose turns red coincides with the intensity of love they will have in their life.

The night goes on, Leo is replaced with Wonho and then Sungjae at the piano. People continue to dance and drink and chat. She finds herself sitting on a table by herself watching the rose sit in a glass vase at the top of the piano. She watches as the night progresses, she watches as it withers.

It's somewhere around 2 when people start filing out, one by one. They just thank the hosts for the party, for the music, the alcohol and the food.

Little by little everybody is gone leaving her still sitting at the table. Eunkwang tried telling her to get up and go to bed. There's this witch with him, Jin who even scolds her for still sitting there when every body already left.

For the first time since her marriage she manages a smile, because in that moment Jin sounds like Jinwoo and she's really missing him.

"Just a few more minutes," she tells them and they leave after exchanging looks.

The moon slowly makes way for the sun as she manages to drag herself towards the instrument. She doesn't know how to play but she has always loved the sound of piano. Suengyoon plays it well, even Junhyuk. Her fingers hover over the keys as she remembers her mother playing it when she was little.

She still remembers the melody. But then again she remembers everything her parents ever told her.

Shaking her head, she reaches for the rose but her hand ends up knocking the vase and it ends up in pieces on the floor, a loud crash following the fall. The water spills over the hem of her gown as she crouches down and picks up the rose.

It already wilted.

It's white and it's dead. That's the future of her marriage.

She sits down on the stool and starts plucking the petals.

Maybe Kyung would have use of these petals. They sure aren't useful to her anyways.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So the rituals are all made up. I don't even know what Liquor Mamjeur is! Or if it even exits(I doubt it does)

Please don't come after me!!!

Do warewolves even drink wine? That kind of seem to be a vampire thing but nevermind ;)