Choosing Her Destiny

Chapter three

Jennie hears the door close behind Chaeyoung and bursts into tears. She left her! Chaeyoung just get up and left her alone sitting her own blood. She has no idea where her dress is and even if she did she wouldn't be able to wear it because it is filthy.

Did she do something wrong? Chaeyoung smelled loving, but she doesn't act loving. She had been wrong. She lay there for awhile, sobbing until her face was completely red, throat dry. She needed a drink of water. She needed to get up out of her own pool of fluids on the bed.

She goes to the bathroom and washes herself throughly, scrubbing just a little too hard in some places. She feels the soreness between her legs and bursts into tears again.

Is it going to be like this all the time from now on? Is Princess Chaeyoung no better than the drunkards from her neighborhood? Her life might be privileged going forward, but also filled with abuse and neglect.

It became clear to Jennie in this moment that she was going to have to take care of herself. She wraps herself in a towel and goes back into the bedroom. She notices a couple of doors in the bedroom and opens them. The first is a linen closet. Good, she can fix the bed situation in a moment. The second door opened up to Chaeyoung's vast personal wardrobe.

She searched through the drawers until she found some linen trouser shorts and a linen undershirt. The shirt was big and baggy on her especially in the shoulders, while the trousers were a little too snug in her hips. She goes back to the bed and pulls the blood soaked sheet from it. The stain had soaked through to the mattress. Now she has to wait for a servant to come and clean it, which means yet another stranger will see her shame. More embarrassment.

Doyoung and Jinyoung return to the palace throne room. After all the excitement in the arena this morning the throne room seems calm by comparison. But even now there is buzz and excitement in the air.

Gossip spreads quickly of Chaeyoung disappearing with the Omega, and the sound of a woman shouting her name not an hour later loud enough for everyone in Metel to hear.

Hyori spots them and all but runs up to Jinyoung, barely containing her excitement. "Is it true?! Did Chaeyoung claim an Omega?"

"Yes, my queen." Said Jinyoung.

"I heard a woman cry out her name from her bedchamber not 20 minutes ago. Do we know who she is? I've been hearing the same story over and over again from various members of the court about her behavior, and yours. Is it true you let her choose?" Asked Hyori

"Yes my wife it is true. Under the odd circumstances I thought it best; the entire Army almost destroyed itself today fighting over her" answers the king.

Chaeyoung comes marching around the corner, her face seemingly impassive to everyone. Hyori's turned her head and catches the eye of Doyoung and Jinyoung as they turn to see Chaeyoung approaching them.

She just claimed an omega. She should be ecstatic. Instead she looks like she is trying to hide that she is upset.

"Chaeyoung!" shouted Doyoung. "Is it done? Is she yours?"

"Yes." Chaeyoung replies shortly. Doyoung and Jinyoung both cheer and throw big arms and broad shoulders around Chaeyoung giving her whole body a congratulatory shake.

Chaeyoung plasters a fake smile on her face. Hyori eyes her wearily, and Chaeyoung notices. Her brother and father both start to go into a diatribe about how happy Chaeyoung will be and about all the children she will be blessed with, followed by endless questions of 'how was she' 'are her eyes as pretty as the rest of her' and so on.

"Father, Doyoung, if you don't mind I'd like to speak with mother alone for a moment. I have some questions of a feminine nature and need her insight." The two men's eyebrows perk up at this but both smile broadly and leave Chaeyoung to speak with Hyori.