In Rhode’s carriage, he was thinking about how to break the awkward atmosphere between him and Megan.
He thought that giving her the necessary information about Melody would help but Megan had not looked at him since then.
What was she thinking?
He hated to start on a bad foot with her, on their first day back to the Western Kingdom.
“Penny for your thoughts?” He asked, trying to sound casual.
Megan was in deep thought about a lot of things. It was farthest from her intentions to seem awkward or distant.
She was just unsure about how to not be so affected by the Melody situation. Although Rhode had assured her that she was nothing but an old friend, memories of h
Megan was more excited than nervous to her own surprise. The buildings moved closer as they rode faster.She sat back down to face Rhode, a light smile on her lips. “Are you good?” Rhode asked her, unable to tell what was going on in her mind.Megan nodded and said, “nervous.”He acknowledged her feelings with a tight smile and said, “ I’m returning home with the most beautiful bride. They should be nervous.” Megan laughed, “you always know when to crack a joke Rhode Wales.Rhode chuckled lightly, “you will make the best queen.”Megan gave a small smile. That was what everyone said before she became Richardson’s wife and queen of the East. It sounded like an innocent compliment then but now that she thought of it, it felt almost like a trap to be the best there has ever been. Not that she planned on being anything short of that though, it just set really high expectations for her and because she was Megan, she always managed to overcome anything that would easily drown the common p
The silence that followed Rhode’s announcement was almost deafening. For a moment, Megan felt as though the ground would be very kind to open up and swallow her.Suddenly, she heard the sound of someone clapping, and one by one the sound of clapping grew more and everyone was standing.“Welcome, our future queen.” Lord Rosebud said, approaching her with outstretched arms.The gesture took Megan by surprise but she was very glad. She hugged Lord Rosebud and for the first time since she stepped out of the carriage, she left Rhode’s hand. “Thank you.” She said to him,Rhode took her hand back in his and she smiled back at him. He leaned and whispered in her ear, “the worst part is over. We’ll be back at your temporary quarters shortly.” She nodded in response.One by one, every person that was present came to pay their respects to Rhode and Megan.“I am glad the King has finally found a good thing.” One of the old men said.“Welcome to the West.” Another said.“It’s good to finally have
Brian and Brianna walked awkwardly out of the room and Brian mentally face-palmed himself and muttered “stupid.”He had made Brianna upset with him by stepping back but the reason he did that was because he did not want her to see just how flushed he was.As they walked down the same hall they followed to Megan’s new room, they approached the intersection and Brian said, “I should take you to your room or do you rather be reunited with lady Rosetta?” He asked her. She was avoiding eye contact with him, “I do not think I have the strength right now. I would rather be in my room. Do I share a room with Rosetta?”“I would have to see with the head of palace affairs. I could take you to my room in the meantime, to rest.”Brianna was sure that she flushed red, “Oh, no! I would not want to impose and, is that allowed in the West?... I mean, we are unmarried after all.” She said the last part in a low voice.Brian chuckled, “I suppose not but who actually follows that rule set by prudes? Mor
For what felt like hours, Rhode and Brian were in some sort of stare-down. The two men watched each other, barely blinking in the minutes that had gone by.Rhode was waiting for Brian to say that his earlier statement was a joke and Brian was wishing he had not said it outloud the moment the words left his mouth.He had just thought about it the moment he said it out. What he actually wanted to tell Rhode was that he needed some advice on how to relate with Brianna. He felt that for some reason there was always something that caused a misunderstanding between the two of them and between him and Rhode, Rhode had way more experience with women, for the sole reason that even though they flocked all around him, he dismissed them with care for their feelings. Brian on the other hand, froze at any interaction or contact with women so he really was winging it with Brianna and he was failing woefully.“You want to marry lady Brianna.” Rhode finally broke the silence and stare-down. The thing
In the palace, somewhere in the guest wing was Mirabel Fulher. She was being attended to by her ladies in waiting when the door flew open and Anne, another of her ladies came rushing in.“The king has returned!” She announced, stopping right in front of where Mirabel was sitting, panting profusely.“With a bride.” She said the last part after catching her breath for a few seconds.“What?!” Mary, the lady who was fanning Mirabel exclaimed, “you should be used to Anne’s jokes by now. She is clearly joking. The king would never marry and when he does, it will be to our future queen, lady Mirabel.” Lily, the other lady said.Mirabel used her hand to dismiss both ladies from standing close to her, Anne was still panting.
“My lady,” Mary’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She was back to the very harsh reality. Although she was married to Rhode’s late brother, she always felt that as long as Rhode remained unmarried, she could bear not being with him. As long as no other woman got to have him, she was okay.She was shattered by the news of her husband succumbing to his illness, she was a widow at 28 years. She was not going to be queen anymore and that was what her father cared about most in the world.A grieving widow, she was surprised to be told to remain in the palace, afterall the throne was now empty and the next in line was Rhode. There was no way Rhode was going to marry her. He had already rejected her.“You will marry his brother, Rhode.” Her father said to her on one of the many pa
“Right away my lady.” Lily rushed into the bathroom and Mirabel took a seat, waiting for her to prepare the bath.She took a deep sigh. Her father had basically abandoned her when Rhode told him to never speak of her marrying him again.She thought her father wanted nothing to do with her. She was now unimportant and although it hurt, Mirabel had peace for the first time in her life. She was a disappointment but she did not mind.Being summoned means she has a role to play in his cruel game again. She was going to be a pawn again and honestly, she was tired.“Your bath is ready, my…my lady.” Lily stuttered.Mirabel got up and took a quick bath. Since he
Mirabel approached the mansion, heart pounding in her chest. Children who grew up in a normal, functioning family would be glad to return home after so long but all Mirabel wanted to do was run away. Run away from the West if possible but she didn’t even have the strength to do so.The doorman opened the door and she entered the mansion, heading for the balcony where her parents always sat.She didn’t miss the lack of ceramic in the hallway. He must have broken them all. He would never change.She walked towards the balcony and as she entered she saw her mother and father. She had not seen them in months despite the fact that her father was a regular at the palace.“Mirabel, dear! How are you?” Her mother gleamed at her with that fake, plastic smi
The room instantly became quiet when the door swung open to reveal Megan standing at the entrance. She tried her best to appear brave and unafraid, but it was not an easy task.The disdainful eyes of Lord Fuhler bore down on her in supreme distaste and the cunning eyes of Lord Aldrien look at her from beneath his lashes. She noticed that Geoffrey was back and from the look on Rhode's face he was clearly not happy with it, and that made Megan furious as she vowed to get to the bottom of the problems she was seeing so clearly on the surface.“You summoned me, alpha?” She asked with a curtsy and Lord Aldrien snorted at the act as he stared at her with his beady eyes.“Oh look, her royal highness understands basic courtesy after all.” He exclaimed with a snide edge to his tone, and she could Rhode gripping his chair in anger.No! Wait! She commanded him with the mindlink and he looked at her speculatively before sighing and relaxing..“I'm sorry I barged in here last time.” She apologized
“So, you are getting married?” Rosetta asked with incredulity and Megan chuckled, yeah she could not blame her ladies for not believing their ears. A few days before she had made a whole ass deal out of getting married and now she was accepting it? She could tell they were confused. But she was never going to go back on her Decision.“Yes Rosetta, I already answered this.” Megan laughed in faux exasperating and Rosetta shook her head in amusement.“Well, my word. What do you think, Bri?” She asked the silent Brianna, and Megan turned as well. She was also interested, Brianna had been strangely quiet and she was really worried. She hoped it was nothing serious at all. But to her relief, Brianna gave a faux sigh.“Oh nothing, I was just jealous is all.” She finally confessed, and Megan exchanged amused looks with Rosetta before turning to give her attention to Brianna.“Well jealous of what?” She asked, and Brianna sighed, and nodded at the ring on her finger, causing Megan's eyes to wi
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