Chapter 23The rest of the week went by quickly. Megan and Rhode didn’t see much of themselves that week. Megan was busy finishing up what was left of her duties and Luna. Rhode was communicating with his clan who were on his neck about returning and marrying Mirabel Fulher.Megan still had not told Brianna or Rosetta about her plans to marry Rhode Wales and leave the East. The only people who knew she was leaving were her parents and brother who were in great support despite what people would surely think and say.Megan was sitting in her greenhouse for the last time. It had been years of her life pouring into her kingdom, her people, her husband.It was all taken from her and by the man she loved the most. She hated that she never had a choice in the matter.She would’ve done anything for Richardson. Anything. Her dream of a happily ever after now felt like a fool’s dream.She was grateful for Rhode Wales and he picked her interest a lot, however, he wasn’t the one she had spent her
Megan and Richardson got married in the summer, some five years ago. As soon as they got married they were thrusted into a world of political and kingdom duties, something they trained for, yes but their extensive classes did not compare to the weight of their new lives. The young couple felt the heat to say the least. Young Richardson speed-walked through the halls, heading for his usual stop, Megan’s office. It was a place he retreated to quite often, and by often; everyday. The young king and new alpha found solace in the arms of his wife and Luna, Megan.Though trained for his position since his birth, the sudden death of his father the king and former alpha of his pack threw him head first into a tub of responsibilities he only knew of in theory. Megan, however, handled it like a natural. She blended right into her new position and took the bull by it’s horn, shocking her subordinates and members of the court.None of the past lunas were ever involved in official duties, all the
Megan snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a knock on her door. The three women snapped their heads towards the door. "Who could it be?" Brianna asked. No one knocked on the queen's door except Richardson and he didn't wait before he entered. Could it be? Megan got up and hurried for the door yanking it open to reveal Aspen leaning on the door frame. "Hi!" Aspen said in a very fake high pitched voice. Megan heard her ladies gasping rather dramatically behind her, "what do you want, Aspen?" Megan asked her ex bestfriend, patience already thin. Aspen smiled, "Did you hear? I'm now in a room quite close to yours! Does it not bring back fond memories?" a sour taste formed in Megan's mouth but she ignored it. Megan gave her a small smile, "of course. I'm sure our play room is still standing back at my family house." Her response visibly shocked Aspen. Aspen was never good at hiding her emotions unlike Megan who had every reason to lash out, show her justified rage and anger. H
Rhode got up quickly, knocking up the table in front of him along with the documents. “What do you mean by the queen is here?” Rhode asked, slightly pissed and Brian for lying to him. “She is sitting right on the patio, your majesty.” Brian said uninterestedly. Rhode left the room hurriedly, not minding that he was wearing just a loose tunic and pants with leather boots, Brian decided not to mention his choice of clothing to go see his bride to be. Rhode left his room and walked down the hallway to the patio, he was met with Megan sitting on one of the chairs. Brian wasn’t joking. “My queen,” he said as he bowed to Megan. Her eyes lit up when she took notice of his presence. She gave him a warm smile. “Please, there is hardly any need to bow to me, considering I will be one of your subjects soon.” Megan said, getting up to stand with him. Rhode smiled, “my wife is not my subject but my equal. I bow to you because you are my queen." Megan blushed. He always said the most absurd t
Megan’s heart palpitated in her chest. She was not supposed to be here, she was still married to Richardson and even if she was not, a woman was not to see a man unchaperoned. It was sure to result in a great scandal. Megan wanted to keep a low profile until the divorce. If she was caught, she had no reason for why she was there.Why was Rhode so calm in the situation? He shrugged and said, “You can wait in my bedroom.” and got up. Brian came and said, “this way, Luna” directing her with an outstretched arm. Megan looked up at her ladies and followed Brian. Rosetta and Brianna being there would not raise suspicion because they went everywhere on the castle grounds.Megan followed Brian down the hallway passing a door left slightly ajar. It looked like an office. The queen had never been in the guest quarters before. Brian stopped in front of a big, antique door and put in the key, turning the door knob.“You can wait here.” He said and handed her the key, “lock yourself in if you wan
Rhode closed the drawer and turned to face Megan, “can I sit?” he asked her, referring to the space beside her. “Oh, of course.” She said, slightly flushed that he asked. It was his bed after all. “Thank you.” He said as he sat down beside her, “he wanted to speak about our standing as nations, our diplomatic relationship.” Rhode said. “That is strange. Our relationship is fine right?” Megan asked, confused. “You mean the relationship between the East and the West. It’s not quite ‘our’ anymore.” He said and it struck Megan. In less than 72 hours she technically will not be a citizen of the Eastern Kingdom, though once their loved and revered queen. It did not quite sting as before. She was glad. “You’re right." She adjusted, "I just do not think that there is any reason for Richardson to seek you out. What did he say in particular?” “Well, he actually apologized.” Rhode started. Megan furrowed her eyebrows, “why? What for?” Rhode looked at his future wife interestingly, women ba
“I have not the slightest idea as to whatever it is you speak of.” Brian said, finally looking at Rhode.Rhode laughed and said, “do you really not? Because I remember leaving you two together as the lady wanted to use the loo whilst the other lady waited in your room,”Brian shifted uncomfortably in his seat and Rhode laughed some more, “seriously, man, what happened? The lady looked uncomfortable. Did something happen? It could not have been that bad, you two should have been gone for max five minutes.” Brian got up from the chair and arranged the sheets of paper he was writing or doodling on. He cleared his throat and said, “nothing of importance happened, Rhode, it was just an extreme air of awkwardness.” Brian started, “and… words unsaid.”His choice of words sent Rhode laughing hysterically, “man… since when are you a poet? Jokes aside, Brian, both ladies are coming with the queen back home with us, so if anything that could jeopardize their comfortability happened, it would do
Megan and her ladies had thankfully, seamlessly left the guest quarters and were now walking back to the main building.“That was the most adrenaline rush I’ve had in years!” Rosetta said as the group of servants who walked past them were out of hearing distance.“You’ve really always been a junkie.” Brianna said, responding to Rosetta.Megan laughed, it truly made her heart happy that she did not have to leave her ladies behind.“Oh, you’re finally speaking Brianna. I thought I would have to tickle it out of you. What happened when you went to powder your nose?” Rosetta asked Brianna, ignoring her comment about her being an adrenaline junkie.“Nothing of importance.
Moving stealthily, he gestured for Aspen to follow him and she did. They were both being careful of course. A single step on the wrong branch could alert the growling villagers that she was right there.Funny how she came to end a threat, but was instead now in a situation where she was actually in danger. She shook her head to remove the little moisture from her eyes. She could not afford to fall in fear now. She could do this. She would go home with her baby intact.“Keep up!” Rudolph snapped, his eyes already yellow, showing that he was already healing. And Aspen sighed in relief. She had no need for a weak wolf, ignoring the fact that she was the one to have put him in the position in the first place.“Alright, fine.” She snapped back, her back bent as she made sure she was concealed by the thick undergrowth of the forest.Together they traveled fast, and soon the woods around Aspen were a blur, and she turned her face to sniff the air. She could smell the smoke of the city. They
Aspen is famously known for her very special ability to make the worst of things. Now she did not do that on purpose, but for some reason it always happens. She was reckless, unthoughtful, and impulsive, and all those things in the worst ways.But as she backed away from these people with the strange eyes that gleamed with feral hunger, she knew that she had made the worst decision yet. Shrinking back, she tried to ignore the stares that Insisted on following her. The ones that cried that she did not belong there with her shiny and fancy clothes. She could see children, wild-eyed and hungry, baring their teeth at her as they let out growls made vicious by the fear of starvation. The public well to her left creaked as a small looking woman with darting eyes drew it open, before flexing a sympathetic yet annoyed gaze on Aspen, and she moved back, desperately searching for her carriage.It seemed her driver had slinked off and left Aspen to her fate, and the thought sent a bitter tast
For the umpteenth time, he imagined marching over to the kingdom of that weakling and stampeding on his throat, ripping out his teeth and claws, and breaking his legs..He was sure that if it ever came to it, he would take Richardson easily. The male had been timid when Rhode entered his Kingdom for the first time. When he had been introduced and stepped up to Richardson, he had realized his aura. He did it subtly, so that everyone in the room would not know what hit them, and for that brief moment where he studied Richardson, he could see the wolf king groan and bared his neck in a show of instant submission, and Rhode could not help the disdain that ran through him.But Megan had been perfect, she had stared straight at him beside her husband, her eyes flashing in warning, and even then he could understand them perfectly. Retreat. Her gaze told him, and he could not help the smile that covered his face after that. Lunas should not have the power to resist a fraction of an alpha's p
Due to the recent announcement and the recent self-consciousness she had developed about her person, Megan did all she could to avoid Rhode, and for a while it was working.She ate with the servants in the kitchen with the excuse of bonding and they adored her for it, proclaiming her the perfect Luna. She memorized Rhode's routine and perfected the art of avoiding him. She was on a roll, really.But that all changed when she bounced out of her bedroom, cradling her heavy stomach still carefully concealed with her heavy brocaded gown, and was suddenly accosted along the forest path by her lovely future husband. And Megan could not help the flush that colored her cheeks as he held her hands and his eyes glowed in triumph.“W_what are you doing?” Megan stammered as she glared up at him. Or at least she wanted to glare but she was intimidated by the animated purple eyes that stared back at her.“Megan!” He exclaimed with a small teasing smile.*So you are still alive! I had no idea!” He l
Aspen felt her world shifting. She had thought, for some reason, that he was only visible to her eyes on the unfortunate days he decided to grace her with his magnanimous presence: note the sarcasm. But she really had not thought that other people saw him. The idea came to her that morning, and despite the doubts, she had wanted to see if she was right at all, and it turned out that she was. Ah hell.“T_the camera! You know him!” She exclaimed triumphantly as she stared at the cook with a disturbing gleam in her eyes. She wanted to go to Richardson the next moment and demanded the head of the cook for being an accomplice in an elaborate conspiracy.“I don't know what you are thinking, young missy. But I do not know that man.” The cook quickly defended, as she stared at the grin on Aspen's face with maximum distrust. But Aspen could handle a little hate. She was not there to make friends after all.If the way to make this strange reporter silent was to silence this cook, then so be it.
Aspen scoffed as she crossed the hallways to her chambers. She was becoming more and more destabilized. And well no one could exactly blame her. She is being threatened, and now her life is in mortal danger. And not to talk of Duke Elric. Aspen sighed as she thought of the Duke with his extremely dubious personality.Sometimes she thought he was on her side, then she got him staring at her with what was definitely a mocking grin on his face, and suddenly she was not sure anymore.If he was on her side, then why did he constantly see the need to laugh? Why did he only show up when he wanted to without giving her a way to summon him. And what was that amused look he had given Richardson?Ugh! She didn't want to think anymore. It was too exhausting. She somehow ended up more confused than before she started. So it was better to stop.Quickly switching her steps to the kitchens, Aspen hurried over with her head held high despite knowing that she was not very favored amongst the staff. De
Richardson knew he had screwed up Royally. He only put the blame on Aspen because there was no one else to take it, and she was stupid enough really.It was not Aspen’s fault, it was his for not having enough backbone to stop the left state counselor from executing a plan that he knew could very well be the death of him and his family.He was trapped from all sides, and even the fae people were beginning to show him disrespect, and when that happened, it was imperative to realize that things were bad. Really bad.Turning to the still gasping Aspen on the floor, he could not bring himself to apologize for his actions. He probably was not even sorry he did what he did. He knew that she was innocent, but it didn't stop him laying his hands on her. And he couldn't help but shudder against the kind of man he was turning into. He could remember putting his hands on Megan too. Megan. Felt like she was light-years away, and the distance was killing him.But it was his fault, his fault he lost
“Oh my God!” Aspen could only groan as she looked at the soldiers in armors walking around the castle with a grim face. And her heart shrank as she realized that she had caused this. The men were going to go to war, and she was going to leave her and Richardson's life endangered, not to talk of her baby! All because of one tiny rookie mistake.“When are they leaving?!” She asked as she burst into Richardson's office and he turned to give her an irritated glance, causing her to flinch. He never used to look at her like that.“Ok. I know I made a mistake. A rookie mistake. Are you really going to blame me for it?” Aspen asked, her eyes wide open as she tried to plead with Richardson to see her side of the story. But if anything, his glare only intensified.“Look. I am busy trying to prolong the departure, I don't need this from you.” He told her, and Aspen signed again. She did not wish to die. And definitely not with a baby in her belly. That would be one horribly bloated corpse. She
Richardson gritted his teeth as he sat in his courtroom again. It was really becoming monotonous, day after day he sat to receive a word lash where he was too timid to say a word in his defense.Funny thing was he had never really noticed just how outnumbered he was, but suddenly it was all he could see. And the elders had obviously smelt the new found weakness in him, and God forbid that they did not exploit it.And as usual they had started their pressure on getting him to marry Aspen, the mother of his unborn child to secure the throne, and it really caused a bitter taste to flood his mouth. Marry Aspen? Hell! He had sooner married a tree. It would be better even. A tree would at least be silent, which was more than he could say for his lady.He could feel Aspen fidgeting besides him, he had finally threatened her to attend the morning assembly, and she had, her face sullen beside him. Heavens! She was sulking next to the king! Richardson realized how bad this made him look in the