Chapter 109: Chapter 109
Ivy’s Point of View
The outer courtyard of the Silvermoon palace was completely swarming with noble guests, the air with the festive scent of sulfur from the loud firecrackers. But as I stood near the marble pillars, the murmurs of the gathering crowd caught my attention.
"Look there, isn’t that Luna Camila?" a high noble lady whispered behind her fan.
"Her daughter is locked inside her chambers while the new bride enters the gates. How humiliating for the Crescent Moon Pack."
Seraphina’s mother was seen outside, and the people murmuring made her stiffen. She heard them clearly, her eyes flashing with a sudden, defensive sharpness. She looked back at them, murmuring softly that she had only reluctantly left her daughter’s room to preserve their family’s dignity.
After leaving the courtyard path, she paused, taking a deep breath to compose herself, and forced a bright, practiced smile onto her face. After all, no matter the humiliation, Bastian was still her son-in-law, and their political relationship still needed to be maintained for the sake of the alliance.
The war drums rolled, and inside the grand banquet hall, the doors flew open. Bastian stood tall in his scarlet wedding robes, greeting Sarina as she stepped out of her gold-leaf bridal sedan chair. To my fascination, Bastian walked very slowly, carefully matching the bride’s slow footsteps as they marched down the red carpet.
The guests gathered in massive numbers, the crowd even more dense and lively than the last time he married his legal wife, Seraphina.
Because the groom was already officially recognized as the active heir of the pack, the bride’s identity as Alpha Pius’s daughter was also exceptionally noble. The wedding ceremony was incredibly luxurious, the stone arches draped in rare silks and heavy gold tokens. Even the emcee’s identity was exceptionally noble, a high royal representative sent directly from the capital throne to bless the union.
"The ceremony is officially concluded!" the emcee’s voice boomed, cutting through the roaring applause of the lords.
After the grand ceremony, the two newlyweds were immediately separated according to the pack’s customs. Bastian remained in the grand hall to receive the high guests and drink wine with the Alphas, while Sarina was escorted back to her new bridal chambers in the southern wing.
As the wife of the eldest son of the pack, court protocol required my presence. I stayed in the new house to accompany Sarina, watching her sit rigidly on the marriage bed while her maids fluttered around her.
"The ceremonies are always exhausting, Sarina," I said, offering a warm smile as I adjusted my shawl. "I highly suggest that you take off your bridal makeup and change into your lighter clothes right now to be more relaxed."
Sarina reached up, pulling off her gold veil to reveal a beautifully expression. She turned her bright, searching eyes directly onto me.
"Your twins must be growing heavy, Lady Ivy," Sarina murmured, her voice smooth but laced with a sudden, dark vigilance.
"They are growing well, thank you," I replied smoothly, keeping my tone perfectly blank. "The palace physicians say everything is completely on track."
"And what about Seraphina’s condition?" she pushed immediately. "The servants say her fetal gas is highly volatile today."
"The eastern wing is always prone to dramatic whispers," I answered with a light, airy shrug. "I wouldn’t read too much into servant gossip on your wedding day."
"Is it true that Dominic’s leg injury is still keeping him completely trapped in his bed?"
"Dominic is resting exactly as his recovery requires. He values his peace." I smiled faintly, taking a slow sip of my tea.
The questions were much. She paused, before continuing with a sharper glint in her eyes.
"Has the whereabouts of the mysterious Divine Doctor finally been tracked?" she asked.
"The Divine Doctor is a wandering soul," I replied easily, setting my cup back onto the tray. "He comes and goes as the wind pleases. No one can track a ghost."
"And tell me... what are the true nature of the rare treasures locked inside the palace’s sacred iron box?"
"Ancient family tokens, mostly," I murmured, giving her a completely bland, polite smile. "Standard heritage items to remind the pack of our ancestors. Nothing for a new bride to worry about."
Phew.
I sipped my tea, keeping my face entirely blank. I responded lightly to every single question, giving vague, polite answers without revealing a single scrap of the pack secrets. As I watched her fingers trace the sheets, a realization clicked into my mind.
Sarina was much more shrewd, observant, and calculating than the arrogant Seraphina. She was secretly guarding herself against my influence from the exact second she stepped over the threshold.
"Tell me, Ivy," Sarina said, turning her head as her tone dropped to a low tone, her eyes locking onto mine with an intensity. "How do the internal factions of this pack truly align? Who holds the real influence among the elders, and whose loyalty can be bought?"
Woah, she is revealing her eagerness to control the inside story of the palace. I’m speechless as it is.
Sarina’s personal maid ran into the bridal suit breathlessly.
"My Lady, a crisis!" Veda panted, as she delivered her report. "Master Bastian had just arrived right at the door of the pavilion, his hand on the handle to lift your veil, but he was immediately called away by Seraphina’s maid, Delia, who claimed that Lady Seraphina was suddenly taken completely unwell and was bleeding in her bed."
Hearing this, I became completely confident in my heart that Seraphina would not sit and wait for death while a new rival marched directly into her territory. She was striking a brutal counter-blow before the wedding night could even begin.
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Seraphina’s Point of View
In my bedroom. Bastian’s mother, Vivienne, and Mrs. Margot were standing tightly beside my mattress, their faces lined with a panic as they continuously advised me to calm my spirit, prioritize the child, and protect my standing.
The palace physician stepped back from the bed, his expression exceptionally grave as he wiped his hands on a clean cloth. The doctor diagnosed the pulse with a sigh.
"Your excessive worry and emotional outburst have caused dangerous fetal movement," the doctor said, his expression exceptionally grave. "I am ordering you to strictly stay in bed for ten days without moving a single muscle, or the child will not survive."
"Are you mad? Ten days?" I yelled in anger. If I stay trapped here, that snake will steal my husband’s favor.
Bastian stood by my headboard, as he looked down at my tear-stained face. Remorse flashed in his eyes.
"Sera, look at me," Bastian said, gripping my hands tightly as he squeezed them with a desperate warmth. "I swear to you, the Luna’s position will always be yours, and no side concubine could ever alter your status in this palace."
"Do not leave me tonight, Bastian," I wept, my fingers clawing desperately at his sleeves as Delia adjusted my blankets. "If you return to her room, the entire pack will know I have been discarded."
"Shh, close your eyes, Sera," Bastian murmured, leaning down to press a warm kiss onto my forehead as his breath fanned across my cheek. "I promise you, I will only return to Sarina’s room after you fall asleep tonight. I am right here."
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