Arora“How long has it been like this?” Bernard looked furious and I shrugged.“Like this?” I pointed at the roof, pretending to think. “This probably happened some time this morning. It wasn’t that bad before.” I shrugged again, trying my best not to make a big deal out of it. I knew that the longer they hung around, the less chance there was of me getting up there today. I didn’t want them there, but I knew I had to grit and bear it. For now. For my mother’s sake.“Wait a minute! Is this what you wanted to fix? Were you supposed to be up there when all of this caved in?” Bernard frowned, but I could see concern and anger burning in his eyes. The man was smarter than I thought. I had hoped I had been vague enough.“Yes, she was, your highness. Ever since her father…” My mom spoke up when I didn’t say a word, but her voice trailed off for a moment before she regained her composure. “Arora has been trying her best to fix whatever she could with the limited resources we have.” All eyes
BernardI was so angry that I really wanted to tell my family where to get off, but I held it all back. I can’t ruin this for Arora and her mother now. One wrong word, not that I thought Noah was like that, but one wrong word could mess this all up.I just couldn’t believe that none of us so much as checked on them once. None of us, me included, ever asked if they were okay. They were just the Dutchess and her daughter that nobody talked about until the day I figured out Arora was my mate.I rolled my eyes when I heard someone saying that they just slipped through the cracks. Nothing in our kingdom just slipped through the cracks! Ever! Except for Arora and her mother. They really did slip through the cracks. My family worked so hard to hide the secret that everyone forgot about the innocent victims.We had to change! I would make sure we changed.AroraI looked at myself in the mirror and noted how old my dress looked as I caught sight of the omega’s uniform. My dress was completely
HelenaThe poor girl was probably suffering from a major case of whiplash, and it was all my fault. Okay, maybe not all of it, but it was mostly my fault. If I hadn’t brought it up, my family would probably only have realized it later on and not made such a huge fuss.We would have moved Arora and her mother into the castle the same way we did with all the royals and that would have been the end of it. Instead, I made a fuss and now the entire family was making a fuss, and it had become clear that Arora didn’t like it.She tried her best to hide her feelings, but she was failing miserably. She was a strong female. Like all the women in my family. She was the perfect mate for my son and I couldn’t have done a better job even if I had picked his mate myself.I just wished I could go back and do things differently, but what was done was done, and now I have to try and do better. Back when Arora’s father was sentenced, all we could think about was the threat to our kingdom and our people.
AroraThe ladies found me nose deep in the plans for the house that Bernard was showing me. He found the original plans in the castle library and even the original paint colour for each room was listed. I felt excited for the first time in a long time as I showed my mother the plans.It made staying at the castle worthwhile. The prospect that the house would be restored to its original beauty was enough for me. I didn’t like that they were paying for it, but I kept telling myself that if they didn’t do what they did, the house would not have been in such a state to begin with.I agreed to join the ladies for the last leg of the shopping and I even had a bit of fun which I would never admit out loud. By the time we returned to the castle, both my mother and I had new wardrobes. As I walked into my room after the long day, I found the omega busy replacing my old clothes with the new ones and nearly had a heart attack.“You don’t throw a pot out just because the handle is broken.” I frow
BernardIt broke my heart. I could feel the pain she was trying to hide through our mate bond and I wondered if that pain would ever heal. It felt deep, which meant someone, probably her father, had let her down. It was the only thing that made sense.The problem was that she would have been too small at the time her father was captured. There was no way he could have made her any promises she would have remembered. It made me wonder who else could have broken her heart so badly that she literally didn’t trust anybody.I didn’t want to push further. My body was screaming to touch her, but my heart told me if I wanted to make sure we ended up together, I had to take it slow. I had to take it very slow, or she would run and would never be able to catch her.Arora“So, what does a prince do to keep him out of trouble?” I changed the subject and could see the relief in his eyes as he smiled.“That all depends on what your number is.” He laughed, and I noted that his laughter filled his ey
AroraI woke up feeling hopeful, which was very strange. Everything I had been going through since that moment Bernard declared me his mate had been very strange. I felt as if I was walking a tightrope, and one slip would cost me my life while still seeing this wondrous world around me that just wanted me to get off.The thought did occur that if I chose to stay with Bernard, I would never live in my old home again, which was probably what was holding me back. I didn’t want to leave my home. It was my home. I knew my mother wouldn’t be bothered either way, but I didn’t want to leave.I had spent my entire life trying to keep that building from falling apart. Almost as if I tried to keep my father’s reputation from falling apart. At that moment, I realized that was exactly what I was trying to do. By keeping the house safe, I wasn’t just taking care of my mother. I was holding onto a memory of my father that never existed!“Prince Bernard said you should wear something comfortable.” Th
BernardI didn’t just want her. I needed her. Physically, my body ached to become one with hers. If I didn’t get relief soon, I was going to burst. I tried helping myself and nothing happened. I have heard stories of males not being able to do it with other females after they found their mates, but not even being able to help yourself was just too much!“You don’t look good, bro.” Noah slapped me on the back and I sighed deeply.“I don’t feel good. How did you do it?” I frowned when I saw the confused look on Noah’s face. “How did you hold out until your mating ceremony?” My cheeks turned bright red when Noah laughed.“Well, for one, I didn’t have to wait long. She was my best friend. Not an enemy of the state, so to speak.” Noah shook his head while he laughed, and I sighed again as we joined our family for lunch. It struck me as we all sat around the table and I caught sight of Arora. I could soon be missing out on all of this.If she accepted my proposal that we move to her childho
HelenaSeeing Bernard in such distress was really painful, and it reminded me of the past and how much pain I was in. There had to be a way to make things easier for both of them, but if nobody had found a way yet, I couldn’t imagine us finding one now.I looked at Arora, then at her mother and I knew her mother would agree, but I wasn’t so sure about Arora. I also wasn’t sure if my son would be able to hold back. If he went too far, it could ruin Arora’s reputation. No, we couldn’t let him stay.“I’m sorry, son, but Arora hasn’t accepted you. We can’t let you stay.”BernardThe warriors threw me into my room with such force that I nearly lost my balance. So much for being a prince, but then again, I did find a way into the room without them knowing and Noah was probably going to make them pay for that.I needed to speak to Noah to make sure they didn’t get punished for something I did. I walked over to the window and noted four guards just waiting for me to try and jump again. I wasn