Chapter 3
The date for the mating ceremony came all too swiftly for Valentine, and there had still been no word from Hades that would cause the ceremony to be delayed. Libertine was resigned to accepting Belladonna as Mandrake had decreed.
The ceremony was being held at Mandrake’s home, and Valentine sat beside his father in the carriage Mandrake had sent for them. The vehicle was as ostentatious as the man himself. Covered in gold gilt, its brightness made Valentine wince as he boarded it.
The inside was every bit as extravagant as the outside, the golden veneer continued into the carriage’s interior. The carriage seats were at least thickly padded and covered in crimson velvet.
“I have a feeling this ceremony is going to be opulent and lavish.” Libertine sighed. “I wish now that I ha
