CHAPTER 5: DECISION

 "It is a pleasure to meet you, Princess Anna," Avi said again looking smug and Anna nodded with embarrassment, not even sure how to react.

            

 In all her life as a princess, she had never been so humiliated. The man she was mated to by her father already had a mate? And a true one at that? So what was she? A pet? A second wife? A mistress? Her mind ran wild, but she was not the only one with an ugly face, Archie, as well as their entire entourage which were mainly the king’s personal guards from the palace, who all stood behind her were displeased as Avi wasn’t silent when she announced her claims over the Alpha.

Anna couldn’t help but look at Myron who had a complicated expression on her face, one that she couldn’t easily read. He said nothing, not that she expected him to, it’s not like he would rebuke his mate in front of them. She then looked at the beta and the gamma and saw their livid faces, it was not that they didn’t know, they just didn’t plan to tell her, at least not yet.

She nodded to herself internally at how miserable she was, just a week ago she had been the most favored and loved daughter of the king, living a life full of smiles and laughter, today she was reduced to nothing. If this was the scheme her sister accused her of, then she was one hell of a schemer, she thought and felt like laughing.

Archie frowned at Avi then turned to Myron as his hold on Anna’s hand tightened almost as if to console her.

 "What is the meaning of this Alpha Myron? Do you spite the king and his daughter? Or is there a message you are hoping for me to pass to the king directly? I do not mind doing just that.” He asked with a threatening tone.

The gamma and beta looked worried, who did not know Archie and the power he held as the king’s right-hand man, even despite being a mere warrior in the eyes of other wolves, his words were similar to law, as the king only believes and listens to him.

But the Alpha looked displeased at Archie’s tone. Of course, he would look displeased, even in a situation like this, these Alphas only cared about whether they were being disrespected or not. She sighed and turned to Archie.

 "It is okay Archie," Anna said as she forced a smile, she wasn’t in the mood to see an argument or fight. She was just tired and wanted to rest in whatever room she was allocated.

Now that she knew there was already a mate, she had lost all hope in the pack and this marriage as a whole, there was going to be a long troubling journey ahead of her and this woman was going to be trouble, she knew all these in her heart. So when the men looked at her with confusion almost as if wondering if she did not understand the gravity of what was happening, she sighed.

To say she wasn't ashamed was an understatement, her father had married her off to a man who already had a mate. She understood her predicament so well it was laughable. 

 "This isn't laughable, she is probably gloating." Anna heard her wolf growl and she felt a little relieved, she must have just come out of her own shock, "We should teach her a lesson."

 "No, it is a good thing he has a mate. It is a reminder that we have no place here, we would see this as an opportunity to go find our own mate." Anna told her.

 "Just the two of us?" Her wolf's ears perked up with surprise. It wasn’t that she didn’t know why Anna never took the initiative to leave the palace, mingle with other youths her age, or find her mate. She knew the reason well, and to hear her suddenly decide to do that was a little surprising.

 "Yes, just the two of us." Anna chirped with a sigh.

 "Princess, princess." She heard Archie call and then she looked up and saw everyone was still staring at her, and she smiled faintly.

 "Sorry, I was talking to my wolf." She smiled.

 Everyone nodded as it was obvious that the princess had zoned them out not hearing the threatening words of Archie to the Alpha for daring to embarrass the king's daughter when they had hoped to hear the princess say something, either refute him or support him, they looked over and saw her eyes were glazed over. But even that was understandable, in a situation like this, one needed to consult one’s wolf.

 "What did you say?" Anna asked awkwardly,

 "I think we should go back," Archie stated clearly, that was all she needed to know, and the entourage nodded in agreement. 

The faces of Myron’s men paled, who didn’t know that the moment they left, what would return to them was war? Their heart worried for the pack except for Myron who seemed madder at being disrespected by an ordinary palace guard that he didn’t think of the consequences and Avi who didn't seem bothered at all.

 Anna raised a brow, "You want us to begin a five day journey back to the palace?" She asked a little stunned and Archie looked at her like she wasn't making any sense, "I am not going back." Anna stated clearly and Archie frowned in surprise as did others.

 "Princess Anna."

 "You know what Father would do if we go back like this," Anna whispered with a pleading gaze, but everyone clearly heard and understood what she meant. The king would do only one thing, declare war.

The thought of that seemed to calm the fuming alpha down, as he began to think of the true impact of the situation on his pack, but why was the princess worried about the war against his pack, shouldn’t she be more concerned about her trampled ego? After all, she would be in the safety of her castle if the war ever happens.

 "They obviously do not care about that! They brought it upon themself. Princess, why should you be the one to care?" Archie, who was unhappy, quietly stated, he understood the princess very well, he had been one of those who watched her grow up. He understood her fear and hatred for violence and war was the very peak of it, but for once, he hoped the princess would stop thinking of these things and deal with these people.

Anna opened her mouth to refute but then looked at the men and woman staring at them before she changed her mind.

 "Why don't we talk in private Archie?" She said and pulled him away from them back to a spot not far from their packed car, a little far away but not out of hearing range, while the others stood there, not knowing what they were to do. 

The beta and gamma looked at the angry-looking palace guards who stared at them like they were their enemies and sighed in their hearts, they then glanced at Avi who only shrugged her shoulders not even sparing them a glance.

She wanted to see if this princess who dared to steal her mate was shameless enough to keep on staying here.

 But Myron was lost in thought as he was trying to sort out his confusion as to why the princess would care about the war against their pack, and he wasn't the only one.

 His eyes as well as that of the others followed the two people, who walked away from them and they were determined to listen in on the conversation.

 "Princess," Archie called as he looked at Anna who had stopped walking, she turned to him immediately.

“Does my father know?”  She mind-linked him as she knew the others could still hear their conversation from where they stood

“What?” Archie asked back, a little surprised that the princess mind-linked him. Since he taught her that at the age of ten, he had never seen or heard that she mind-linked someone. This was probably the first.

“Does my father know he has a mate?” Anna asked him again and Archie sighed.

“Yes…, but since they were not officially mated yet, he expected him to reject her,” Archie explained.

“She is his true mate! How was he to just reject his true mate so easily?!” Anna screamed at him through the link, her eyes glittering with unshed tears.

“Then he should have refused to the end instead of humiliating you like this. I know you have a good heart princess, but this is not something you should endure!” Archie argued with her, even though he didn’t speak a word out loud, the look on his face was fierce.

“He was forced to choose between his mate and his pack…!” 

Anna looked away to prevent her tears from falling, she didn’t know why the people she loved suddenly became ruthless. They weren’t this ruthless in the past or was she just too blinded to see? She wondered then turned to Archie

 “Have you ever had a mate Archie?” She asked and Archie bowed his head.

 Now she knew that was a ridiculous question, Archie’s mate had been her nanny and her mother’s best friend, they had died in a tragic war when she was young. Archie’s mate had used her body to protect the queen and had died, but even that wasn’t enough to save the queen. Such was the violence of war.

She saw the pained expression on Archie’s face, she knew that she was touching a painful spot but she couldn’t back down, she had to make him reason with her.

“Would you have rejected your mate for the king?” She asked.

“Princess…”

“Answer the question,” Anna said sternly and Archie bowed his head.

“No.”

“Then that settles it.”

“No princess, we must go back to the castle.”

 "Stop being difficult Archie. I am not going back to the castle." Anna stated out loud.

 "So you are going to stay here? The fact that his mate introduced herself to you is an indication of trouble. You have to sit here and face something like that, every day of your life.”

 "I don't have a choice." Anna shrugged as she folded her hands over her chest unhappily.

 "Yes, you do. Your father, the king, would never let you suffer such grievances." Archie persuaded.

 "The only solution my father has is declaring war. I am not going to let that happen, not to this pack, not to these people. They have no fault in this! After all, Father sent me here knowing fully well that this Alpha had a mate. This was what he chose for me." Anna gritted her teeth so her tears wouldn’t fall.

 "So what are you going to do? Share your mate with another woman?" He asked her with a frown.

 "He is not my mate, and you know it." 

 "But he is now. Your father would never let him not mate you."

 "I am not going to come between two true mates, Archie. I won't do it, I can't do it." Anna shook her head as she spoke and Archie sighed, he was not surprised at all that the princess would say this.

 In fact, if she didn't say such a thing, he would fear that she was an imposter, but this was not the time to care about other people, this was a disaster in the making.

 "Then what would you do?" He asked.

 "Do what I have always done." Anna looked at him and smiled softly as she knew he had begun to yield to her wishes. 

 "This place isn't the palace, as the Luna, you have to be by the Alpha and help him rule the pack."

 "I don't think this pack would need me for that," Anna said solemnly.

 "Are you planning on leaving, princess?" Archie suddenly asked, hitting the nail on the head, Anna looked up at him sharply. "You can’t, Princess Anna, if you as much as leave this pack, or go missing, your father would burn it to the ground." He explained.

 "Even if I find my own mate?" She asked with a furrowed brow.

 "Even if you find your own mate." He responded and Anna's face fell again, she seemed to finally understand the situation, there was no place for her to go to. She had only two choices, either stay here for the rest of her life or go to the palace and let the pack be consumed in the rage of war.

 "I think we should go back to the palace princess." Archie tried to convince her one last time but she shook her head.

 She would rather suffer than let a war happen again.

 "No. You rest from your journey and go back to the palace tomorrow." Anna said then walked past him back to the place where the people were waiting for her, Archie closely following her with a defeated expression.

 She smiled brightly at them as if she had not been on the brink of breaking down in tears earlier. “So, I am curious to see my room. Who would be taking me there?” She suddenly asked and the men were stunned, even Avi couldn’t believe she would choose to stay.