- King Marcus -I racked my head while I was seated with the emissaries, royal men from four different packs who had come to me with some matters at hand.I knew they held me with great esteem to have tabled the matter before me; therefore, I wanted to give a befitting answer but was finding it difficult to make a decision.King Franklin and his son were there as well, as my guest. Another reason these packs had come was because they had words Alpha Franklin was around."Greetings, Father," I heard Giselle's voice across the room and all heads turned to her. She was elegantly dressed. She walked in fully to the room and greeted everyone respectfully."The princess is so pretty," there were low murmurings in the hall when I introduced everyone to her, and they nodded their heads with approval."We've heard a lot about the princess," someone commented. "We did not expect any less and she meets it up.""Thank you," I said and returned to the main discussion after the brief distraction.-
Chapter 13- Franklin -"Alpha, everything has been put in place, and your ride is ready for the journey tomorrow," One of my guards told me, and I nodded.Just then, King Marcus walked in."I see you have everything set for your journey," he commented."Yes, I do," I affirmed. "I will be leaving first thing tomorrow in the morning.""I was enjoying your company, really. I hoped you could stay much longer," he said."I wish the same, but something came up which requires my presence. Since Xavier is here, he can cover up where needs be and it will enable him to bond well with the princess.""Well if you say so. I just want to make sure everything you need for your journey is intact.""Yes it is," I replied, looking around."Alright then. Have a peaceful night's rest," he bid me goodbye and headed for the door. I escorted him out and closed it behind him.I was almost tempted to ask if the Princess cared to ask about me, but I was able to hold myself. I walked to the wardrobe to change
Chapter 14- Giselle -What did I just do? I gathered the sheets to cover my bare chest. I allowed Franklin to make love to me...what was I thinking?But despite that, I tried to will myself to feel some shame; I was excited instead. What the hell is wrong with me?"Giselle..." Franklin's deep voice jolted me off my thoughts. "What are you thinking about?""We shouldn't have done this," I said, sounding as remorseful as I could. "This is wrong. What will my father think? What will everyone think?""Hey, calm down," he said, and his voice was the most soothing sound ever. "Look at me."I couldn't, I looked in every direction but his face. He moved his body closer and I felt chills."Why don't you look at me?" He spoke again and lifted his hand to my chin. He turned my face towards him."You're so beautiful," he said. In a few seconds, he was able to deviate my mind from the worry I harbour. I couldn't help the blush. "Your father doesn't have to know about this unless you want him to.
- Giselle -I sneaked back into my room to find Kira patroling like a paid detective. I addressed her with a frown."What are you doing here?" I asked and she jumped. She had not noticed me walk in."Good morning Princess," she greeted, her eyes darting around. "I am here to clean your room."I eyed her because it did not seem like it. She seemed to be looking for what was not lost. I walked fully into the room, clutching to my nightwear which was squeezed under the desperate grabs of Franklin's hands.I felt Kira's eyes steadily on me as I passed her. I tried to pretend I did not notice her but her persistent glare made me ask."Why are you looking at me that way?" I wondered."Nothing my princess," she bowed. After a few seconds of silence, she decided she could not hold her curiosity in anymore."My princess, you were not in your room this morning when I came. Did you spend the night somewhere?"I jolted my head up at her question."Where else will I have spent the night?" I threw
- Franklin -My eyes did not leave Giselle when she walked away from the dining, and I found her later in the day in the garden."My pretty witch," I called out as I strolled over to her."Are you stalking me?" She narrowed her eyes at me."No," I raised my hands in mid-air. "Why?""Because you are everywhere," she said. "You manage to find me wherever I am.""It's no fault of mine that your scent is so strong I cannot pretend not to notice when I pass by," I told her, and she suppressed a smile.I took a few paces closer and moved her hair away."What are you doing?" She whispered."Why do you hide my mark," I asked."You are very adamant," she shook her head. "You don't know how my father and the people will take this. What about your son?""When it comes to you, permit me to say I am shameless," I stated and she moved away."We can't be seen close to each other like this," she looked away. "Rumours will begin to fly around.""Well, nobody needs to know," I placed my hands behind my
- Kira -I was making progress going after Giselle, and we had made it towards the end of the building. All the while, she did not know that I was behind her."Who's there?" A voice made me come to an abrupt halt. "Hey! What are you doing there?"I turned round up to see two soldiers approaching me."Hi," I turned to them nervously and tried to look as normal as possible."What are you doing here?" They asked unsmiling."Oh that, yeah," I scratched my head and looked back. The princess was not in sight anymore. "I am going for a stroll."The guards turned up to look at each other."For a stroll?" One repeated. "By this time?""I was finding it difficult to sleep so I wanted to clear my head," I told them."This is not allowed," They told me sternly. "You cannot be moving around by this time of the night. Besides, you are a woman. Something might happen to you. Go back to your quarters now.""Sure," I smiled at them and returned while they watched me leave.Shit!If only I knew another
- Xavier -Not long after a maid served the wine I asked for, Kira came to the room and stood over me without a word."Are you okay?" I asked and tried to take her hands but she pushed me away."Xavier, tell me the truth," she demanded and I sighed. Not again."Kira, do we have to go over this?" I ran my hand through my hair. I was tired of her consistent naggings."Are you seeing the princess?" She asked, looking me straight in the eyes accusingly."What kind of question is that?" I asked, knowing it was possible she did not miss a thing."Just answer me, Xavier. And tell me the truth. Stop playing with my feelings," she was already getting teary. "First, it was the dinner, and now you are sneaking out at night with her?"I creased my brow in confusion."Sneaking out at night with her?" "Oh don't play dumb. You know what I am talking about," she maintained."No I don't," I insisted, wondering where Kira got her information from. I did wanted to see Giselle last night, but I was not
- Kira -Yes!The good thing, too, is Alpha Franklin will be the first to notice her indecent behaviour at the table. She is just about to be disgraced.I quickly walked out of the hall so that somehow, someone would not pin it on me. Before they can find someone to help the princess out of her mess and take her to her room, everyone would have to watch her.- Franklin -My eyes were steadily and discreetly on Giselle as always. I couldn't get my eyes off her and at the same time, I couldn't let someone see me staring at her less they raise questioning brows.While she talked with the royalties with elegance, I smiled to myself, loving her pose and carriage.When she began to laugh unnecessarily at things that were not meant to be jokes, I noticed that something was off.I had to check that she had not taken too much and was acting under the influence. I walked over to her side of the table to take her away."Excuse me, Princess," I called and she turned to look at me, her eyes unusua
- Jason -It took me a few seconds after I returned to my room, to notice someone was there. I turned around with a displeased frown on my face."What are you doing here, Morgan?" I asked him."It's Prince Morgan but yeah, I think I can let that slide since it's you and also seeing that you'd always stress me with having to correct you all the time," he said with a grimace."What are you doing in my room?" I sighed."I'm here to talk," he replied with a shrug. "Can't I talk to you?""What are we talking about and why in my room? Official meetings are not held in the bedroom.""That's it," he snapped his fingers. "Because this is not an official business.""I cannot tell when we began to have an unofficial relationship," I stated and he laughed."Maybe if you were paying attention more, you'd remember that I did mention it.""I don't want to be acquainted with you, Morgan," I said to his face. "I am fine the way we are.""Come on Jason, don't make this hard," he said, relaxing his back
- Cleopatra -I eyed the greedy man and scoffed."What do you mean by this is not enough? Do you want four generations' wealth before you're okay?" I scowled at him."My lady, you know what it caused us to be able to cover up for you. And I have other people to settle and keep their mouths shut. You will have to remit more."I sighed tiredly."Okay fine. I am going to give you some more but that will be it. You must not complain nor ask me for anything after that. And you must not try to contact me because we can never be seen together. Do you understand?""Clearly," he replied."Good."I was able to handle him without anyone finding out about it, and I hoped it remained that way. Anna has promised to keep her mouth shut and only say what was agreed on if Giselle finds her, but I couldn't trust her.How could I hold her to her words? I looked into her eyes and saw the fear. Such a person can be easily l
- Giselle -I was very eager for the reports, but I was disappointed."There were no prints," the experts told me. "The old lady poisoned herself to death.""You're trying to tell me she took her own life?" I asked for clarity even though I heard them. I felt like asking them why, but knew they wouldn't have an answer to that.The midwife was well, according to the reports given to me hours before I went to see her, and then she poisoned herself?This doesn't make any sense to me."There has to be a reason why this happened," I said thoughtfully as I paced around the room. "Why did she take her life? What made her do it?"I lifted my head, and Franklin was barely paying any attention to me."What do you think about this?" I asked, and he looked at me."I don't know," he said with a shrug."You don't think she'd take her life for no reason, right? What must have made her do it? Did someone threa
- Giselle -"What?" I asked, my eyes following the direction of his hand. There was something at the edge of the bed, and I walked towards it.An old woman, obviously the midwife, was lying dead on the ground in the corner."Oh gracious heavens," I muttered, placing a hand on my chest. One of the guards moved close and picked up a bottle lying beside her."Looks like a poison," he said, lifting the bottle to his face and observing it. She had foam all over her mouth, and her body looked fresh like she could have died just a few minutes before we arrived.How did we not even notice all this while? And I looked all over the room. There were no signs of death anywhere.Gosh, I was this close to getting her, I lamented."Looks like murder," Another commented, what was going through my mind."What do we do now?" They asked me after moments of staring at the cold body beneath.
- Kira -"Well?" Mother asked as soon as I got into the room. "Have you been able to find out something?""Nothing yet," I told her with a sigh. "And there are no signs to show me exactly what is happening.""I am sure that lady is up to something," Mother said thoughtfully with a finger on her lip. "I can tell it. She came to me and asked some questions, and that's typical of someone who wants to go looking for answers."I turned to look at her properly with some suspicion."You are not sure what she is up to? I think you should know since she discussed something with you. You think it's related to that," I pointed out."She said she just wanted to know a few things about her mother and asked me because I was Meredith's maid. At a point, I thought she was just asking because she wanted to know what her mother was like, but now I think something else is triggering her.""So? Is that something that should worry you? Do yo
- Kira -I pushed his hands slowly off my body."There is no man but you, Xavier," I said quietly. "And yes, maybe I have a couple of male admirers, and I look at a few men, you've been the only one in my heart and the man I want to spend my life with. If only you had made moves to make me yours legally, maybe we wouldn't be here. Maybe I wouldn't even be looking at another man and admire him because I already have you.""Kira," he called softly, calming down. "Gosh, how can I be so insensitive? I'm so sorry, honey. I'm so sorry. I did not mean to make you feel this way.""Xavier, I have been asking you what you intend in this relationship. I have been the only one pushing, and it's not fair that you make me go through this, then think I am seeing someone.""You are right," he said. "I shouldn't have said that. I was just overwhelmed because you didn't sound trusting anymore, and most women sound like this when they have a man loving them somewhere, so I was worried. Look, I love you
- Cleopatra -"What do you mean?" Anna looked at me questioningly."You know me well, my dear. I always keep to my word unless it's almost a matter of life and death, and in this case it is," I said, and she leaned back on the chair, her eyes not leaving mine."If that's the case, I don't think I have so much to worry about. I'm already on the end road of life.""This doesn't concern you alone," I said with a frown, slightly annoyed with what she just said. "I am involved in this too, and if you're too excited for the journey of the afterlife, then I am not, and this is not the way I want to go.""Too bad for you then, and why are you telling me? What can I do for you?" She threw at me, and I took a deep breath, holding in my anger."If it had nothing to do with you, I wouldn't be here," I said. "Now, will you shut your mouth for a moment so I can speak? You don't even know what I am here for.""It's almost not hard to tell, but anyway, you can go ahead.""After all these years, Frank
- Giselle -I knew I had to find that midwife. Something tells me she will have the key information I am looking for about Odessa's death.I wouldn't have gone on with any investigations but for the persistent and disturbing dreams I kept having.I told Franklin so when he wondered what I was trying to find."I feel there's something significant that did happen at her death," I told him. "I can feel it, and I see it in my dreams too. Just, I just don't see clearly to determine what that is. But if I can know where to find that midwife, she might just have the answer to everything.""I don't know where you can find her," Franklin said with a frown. "But I'm going to get you someone who might know where she is.""Oh, honey," I placed a hand on him. "I will appreciate that."While I was busy trying to get some work done on that, Kira seemed to be hanging around me to see what I was up to. She was everywhere I went, and at some point, I had to confront her when I came across her on the ba
- Cleopatra -I kept the slight surprise I felt when Giselle walked into my room. She asked if she could sit, and I pointed to a chair wordlessly while I wondered what she wanted.She sat on the chair and looked me straight in the face with no readable expression at the moment."What do you want?" I wasted no further time in asking."I just want to have a word with you about something, probably not so serious," she said. "I have some questions I want to find out about someone, and you are in the best position to know."I couldn't tell if she intentionally went quiet to get me curious or not, but whatever reason she did that for, got me asking."Who?""Odessa," she called the name as if she was expecting some reaction from me. I did my very best to look casual and normal about it, but deep within me, I was already panicking. What does she want to know about Odessa all of a sudden? And from me, too?"What do you want to know?" I had to ask."A few things that might be leading up to her