Bitter cold bit the tip of Yui’s nose, scolding it for her sniffles. Others scolded her with their looks – pure disdain for the foreigner in their midst. And a herbivore at that. With a decade of age on those around her. Yui rubbed her lips and kept her eyes downcast. She was not a worthy offering, and anyone with working senses could tell.

She would be home soon, that was what her mind should dwell upon. Thoughts of her daughter, and of their cosy cottage, of baking and gardening and sunlight cast through warped windows.

Sunlight broke through into the chamber the omega tributes were gathered in, but every strip was uniform, squeezing through barred windows onto the stone tiles that seeped the warmth from Yui’s toes through her shoes. Any colour was leeched from the space by the grey-ness of it all.

An elbow bumped her aside and a doe-eyed noble brushed past, searching for someone in uniform. “Excuse me,” she called. Like an omega from an oil painting, her skin was unblemished, and her hair soft, and every one of her features seemed… sensuous. A guard trotted over to her, struggling not to stare at any one part of her for too long. She was dressed in finery from top to tail – that of a fox. Yui figured this must denote her as being part of a particular house, but she knew nothing of the gentry’s family trees and entanglements. Whoever she was, Yui could only tell her (and her fellow noble tributes) apart from the commoner omegas by the state of their garments and all the jewels draped over them. The guard spoke quietly to her, but the fox was unimpressed with his answer. She loudly argued, “But we are cold and weary and wish to present our best selves to the First Princess.” The other omegas nodded and murmured agreements.

The guard badly restrained a groan. “There is nowhere to put you, Omega,” he said, mildly apologetic, but mostly irritated. “You will wait here until the ceremony. I have no further say in such matters.”

The fox scoffed haughtily. “I will remember this,” she promised, and stalked back into the group where the few who knew her pandered to her agitation.

Yui glanced around for someone to start up some light conversation with, but every omega who met her eyes quickly looked away again. Even those who weren’t noble looked down their noses at her. They too, she realised, were dressed in their best. Bold colours swished about their bodies, cinched and swathed to appear as petite and pretty as possible. Yui didn’t have best clothes… she had two outfits and she alternated between them every day. She had worn her forget-me-not blue dress to travel, now her lily-pad green dress for the ceremony. They sat the same on her: loose and long.

Doors in the distance opened suddenly and the omegas were summoned by a man with a fancy hat and a long scroll dangling between his hands. The ceremony, finally, would begin.

The fox noble strutted ahead, and the red strip of silk wound around her body jingled a little with each step. Tiny gold discs lined her hips, and gold strings looped her limbs anywhere the scarf hadn’t managed to reach. The next girl to overtake had a long, white leopard tail and a fluffy dress that Yui told herself was not real fur. The circlet upon her head was silver, and a little presumptuous. Then a bear kin with her round ears circled with bangles, a snake covered in yellow-toned crystals, a cat with a tail that looked intentionally fluffed and a braid pierced with diamonds… Yui watched them all pass in awe.

Once those with titles (and jewels) had entered into the hall ahead, the formation switched to a triangular shape and a hierarchy formed for entrance. Yui kept back. If she could get away without ever entering she would be delighted. The First Princess needn’t look at her at all. She glanced back when she was the final omega in the waiting chamber and the guards gestured for her to hurry up. There was no escape.

Yui stepped into a hall lit with braziers hanging from every wall and even the neck-twinging ceiling. She had never seen a room so tall – whatever could they need so much space for? The von Skölls were wolves, not birds! The royal family’s crest was stitched in silver thread over grey-blue banners that stretched the mile-long length of the walls, top to bottom. A wolf with its teeth bared and each tooth capped like a mountain. The conquerors of the coldest regions. It was certainly a sigil that struck fear into Yui upon seeing it, she was certain that was the intention.

The omega offerings had been sent in from the side and made their way to the centre of the room. A long grey rug ran from a double-doored main entrance to a stone platform where a pair of thrones were surrounded by as many attendants as decorations. Yui’s breath caught. That was the King and Queen sat just a few hops away from her. Although the empire was split amongst the royal family in terms of territories and control, Yui knew their majesties were the true rulers. They handed out the land and the titles, even amongst their own.

And their eldest child, First Princess Bellona von Sköll, was tearing down the steps away from them as though she were being chased by fire. Her hair was a striking blend of black, grey and even snow white. Thread-thin silver chains were strung between her braids and her tufty ears, they glittered under the flicker of the candelabras hanging from the ceiling. And her eyes, startling silver eyes, they were locked onto-

Yui jolted and staggered back a step. The First Princess was charging at her!

“B-Bellona!” the Queen called, rising from her gilded seat. The King had already leapt to his feet, brushing away those pandering to them. “The ceremony-”

“Her,” the First Princess barked. “I want her.”

A hand caught her before Yui could scoot back any further into the crowd and thrust her forward towards the First Princess. She stopped half an inch from Yui’s body, a deep breath would brush them together. Yui didn’t dare take it. She froze, clutching her skirts and squeezing her eyes shut. The omegas at her back were in uproar, complaints from every angle were being voiced. It wasn’t fair! The formalities had not been followed and they had not had their chance to show themselves as worthy suitors! The guards were shushing them unsuccessfully, running over from the doorways they were standing beside. The King and Queen and their attendants were calling out to the First Princess, demanding she return to their stage.

Oh, the First Princess.

Yui glanced up. Stood over her was a woman that could be mistaken for a statue, tall and broad and adorned head to toe in grey and black. Only, she was breathing, hard. Yui struggled to catch her own. Maybe that was for the best, the scent swallowing her up was all alpha. It was enough to give her palpitations. She whimpered and the princess’ pupils grew. Enormous hands flexed at her sides, as though she were barely keeping them from snatching Yui’s valuables – not that she had any. She was stiff when she bent forward, almost a bow, to reach the pink of Yui’s ear.

“What is your name?” she growled.

“Yui, First Princess.” A squeak.

The First Princess drew in a long inhale through her nose and released a soft groan, right into the top of Yui’s head. “Yui,” she repeated, although it sounded strained.

“Yes, First Princess?” Yui whispered.

She smirked as though Yui had said something funny. Then, she turned back to the King and Queen. “I have chosen my mate.” There was no concern for the chaos she had caused in the grand hall. She spoke with finality and formidableness.

Yui shivered in her shadow. The words had not settled for her yet, she was still full of disbelief. Too concerned for her safety so close to a carnivore alpha – one who was known throughout the empire as a warrior within her own league. Yui was, in comparison, a blade of grass. All she could do was pray she didn’t get stomped on-

The King let loose a roar that finally silenced the room. It didn’t sound to Yui that the omegas at her back were even breathing. She certainly wasn’t.

“Bellona,” the King said carefully. “You are certain of your choice?”

First Princess Bellona gave her father a look that answered for her. It was terrifying.

“Fine.” The King was displeased, but as far as Yui could tell he had no out if the First Princess was set in her declaration. Which meant… there was no out for Yui either. She swallowed and caught the twitch of the First Princess’ ear at the sound. “The First Princess’ mate has been chosen,” he announced.

A swarm of servants mobbed Yui from all sides, fussing over her and directing her away from the centre of the room. Behind her, rumbles of grumbles had returned.

“-supposed to be a parade-”

“-my father hears about this-”

“-complete lack of etiquette-”

The First Princess watched her be ushered out, unblinking. She still looked so… angry? Hungry? Perhaps that was the carnivore stereotypes slipping into Yui’s mind. But she certainly didn’t look happy. Yui’s bottom lip wobbled until she covered it with her palm and forced herself to breath through her nose. She knew her presence would be taken as an offence, and yet she had stupidly allowed herself to be persuaded into this. Now, she couldn’t fathom what the First Princess had in mind to punish her.

The maids she was handed over to after being whisked from the hall were near silent as they attended her. A bath was produced, with hot, foamy water that had been scented with fine oils. Yui was scrubbed within an inch of her life by a staff that appeared wholly unimpressed by her. Next came a new dress, one fit for nobility. It was too large, fit for a carnivorous omega, but a fat pink ribbon was cinched around her waist to offer at least some appearance that it could be a tailored piece.

A maid reached for her necklace, her wooden beads from Yuki, and Yui shook her head. “My daughter made this for me.”

The maid flinched at the word ‘daughter’ and looked to her fellow servants. They shared wide-eyed looks but made no comment.

“That necklace is not fit for royal dress,” the maid said instead.

“But-”

The maid glared at her. Intimidating for an omega. “The King and Queen will not have you wearing it publicly.”

“O-okay.” Yui slipped the string of beads into her brassier. As long as she kept it on her… that was enough.

“This is a disaster,” hissed a tall woman dressed in all black. At the sight of Yui she huffed. “Finish fixing her quickly, before the King finishes his speech. They must see her looking appropriate before they all run back to their houses to regale their parents with tales of today’s calamity.”

Yui said nothing to defend herself. She was as aghast as anyone else. There was no explaining the First Princess’ actions. The only theory on Yui’s mind was retribution. How dare she present herself? But… the ceremony was a formal, public event… and the decision made by the First Princess was final. Yui shook her head and caused the maid brushing her hair to tut. She squeaked an apology and returned to her thoughts. No, there really was no other answer for why she would have been chosen.

“Hurry, he is reaching the gratitudes,” the tall woman ordered.

Yui, freshly pink from the bath, dressed in shimmering finery, and powdered and braided to the standard of a princess, was thrust back out into the hall and trotted up to the platform by a very insistent hand on her elbow. The First Princess awaited, stood to the side of her parents’ thrones. The seats were filled again now that the uproar had been dimmed. The Queen’s disappointed gaze hit Yui right in the throat and the First Princess was glowering at her again, her nose quivering. The King ensured not to even turn and glance at her, keeping his face on the crowd of rejected omegas.

“-and with that, I should like to invite you all to toast First Princess Bellona von Sköll’s matching. May she bring the empire yet another generation of strong pups.” He stood, and the room bowed.

“Hear hear!” shouted a guard with fancier armour than the rest.

Every mouth in the room repeated the words.