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 sound of Megan screaming was almost deafening. Rhode shut his eyes immediately, “I apologize!” He said, taking a step, then another backwards until he was out of the room. As he shut the door, he said “I promise, I did not see anything.”Inside the room, Megan was flushed. Truth was, she wasn’t undressed or improperly dressed. She was standing in front of her new vanity and taught to decorate her hair with what was left of the flowers. She had just started to realize how ridiculous it looked and was about to take them out when the door flew open.She looked at herself in the mirror, cupping her face, “did he really not see anything?”She sighed and reached for the first flower petal sticking out and laughed at herself. She never thought to do anything this silly when she
Richardson got up quickly from the floor which had been his bed since the day of the divorce. He unlocked the door and rushed outside. He was met face to face with Lord Anthony, his chief advisor.He thought there would at least be a few people at the door but it was just Lord Anthony. The one person he really did not want to see.“Your majesty…” Lord Anthony began. He always wore such a stern and strict look on his face. Richardson could swear that he had never seen him crack a smile. Voluntarily or involuntarily.“Good… day, Lord Anthony.” He said, unsure of what time it was.“I cannot believe I had to lie that something is wrong with the mother of your child to get you to leave your chambers, my king. It has been two d
Brianna did her best to hide the surprise she was sure was evident on her face, “sir Brian.” “Hello my lady, do you have a moment?” Brian asked her. She looked into the room to see Rosetta raising two thumbs to her, giving her the go ahead. “Okay.” Brianna breathed, closing the door behind her. The two walked down the hall and took a left turn down to the palace grounds. “I wanted to see you,” Brian started, “It troubled me that it seemed like we left on a bad foot earlier today.” “Oh.” Brianna said softly. She did not think he noticed. “Yes, I meant it when I said I would like us to be friends. I hate having misunderstandings.” Friends. That was the only word that rang in Brianna’s ears. Were they friends? “I understand Sir Brian. I did feel someway seeing you flinch at me but I now realize that you probably do not like it when people touch you. I should have asked before reaching for you.” Brianna said simply. For some reason she felt really flushed despite the fact that th
Rhode never opened the letter because he had no plans on ever getting married and thought that the letter would be filled with advice he was never going to have any use for. However, after he decided on his mission to the East all those months ago, he started to think that maybe he would have use for the letter after all.His plan did involve wooing Megan Brighton but a part of him did not believe he would be able to pull it off. She was married to her mate after all.Who would have thought?He broke the seal and opened the letter, met face to face with his brother’s nostalgic handwriting.He had often gone back to reread the other letters, which were helpful tips on how to be king, not that he took most of the advice. He and Michael had different ways of doing everything. It was the thought that Michael put into writing them, despite how ill he must have been that warmed his heart.Michael knew that Rhode would find the box.I’m writing this last because knowing you, you would probab
Megan turned a very bright shade of red, “what?” She blurted out, flushed. He was flirting way more than usual lately.Rhode chuckled. He admitted to himself that he did things intentionally so he could see Megan turn a bright shade of pink. He loved watching the stoic Megan Brighton getting all flustered.“You always tease me.” She said, plopping down on her bed, pouting.“I’m not teasing, my queen. I did miss you.” Rhode said, taking a seat at her vanity, where he had sat earlier.“I know I’ve asked this before but, how are you? Do you like it here? Do you like your room?” He paused, “Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?”Megan smiled. He really was mindful of her.“You don’t have to worry so much about me, Rhode.” “I am very comfortable.” Megan paused, “Although, I can’t determine how things will be after the wedding.”“That is true. Nonetheless, I’m sure they would love you.” Rhode said, very sure.“They?” Megan asked, unsure of who he was referring to.“Your
Mirabel? Who was this woman? Was he not going to introduce Megan? She stood beside Rhode while he and this unknown woman who looked very known to Rhode engaged in a staring competition with Rhode and he with her.Was this tension she felt?“My king.” The unknown woman curtsied and walked past her and Rhode.“Let us go.” Rhode said to her. Megan was greatly confused but masked her emotions. Was he not going to tell her who the lady was? Mirable, was it? She thought she heard him call her that.He continued pointing out different places to her but if she was being honest with herself, she heard nothing that he said.In fact, she was beginning to get pretty upset. She wasn’t asking for his entire history, she just wished he would tell her about people she would eventually see.Like that girl back at the inn and now this, Mirabel.She didn’t look like a nobody. She was dressed like a lady and had ladies with her.Did she live in the palace? She must since she was in the west quarters.M
“Never, my lady…”“We would never think of such a thing.” Mary said to Mirabel, eyes filled with worry.Where was this suddenly coming from?Mirabel smiled, “I see. Let us go.”Mary and Lily both looked at themselves before following behind Mirabel. She was acting strangely but they knew to not ask questions. It was not their place to.In her room, Megan was actually surprised at the fact that she shed no tears despite the fact that she felt her heart physically shatter.Perhaps she cried out all her tears in the East.‘I did cry a lot.’ She thought to herself.
Megan froze as he walked towards her, pulling her towards him. His hand rested gently above her waist and his other hand, supporting her neck. She was frozen in shock, at a loss for words. “I’m sorry.” Megan could not ignore the pounding of her heart. It felt like anyone within hearing distance could hear, she was sure Rhode heard it. She stuttered, and she never stuttered, “I don’t understand…, my king.” That did it. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Megan. Don’t do that with me, not you. I’m not my king to you.” Rhode paused. “I’m Rhode. Just Rhode.” Rhode held her eyes, his deep purple eyes boring a hole into her eyes. She had never been in a stare down before but she was clearly losing. Megan kept quiet, unsure of what to say in response. She was not upset at him for anything he did or did not do but she did have a resolve until just now. And Megan never broke her resolve but a deep purple pair of eyes staring into her soul was making her reconsider her decisions. “Is it somethin
Mirabel had only said what she did as a joke, but seeing the stiffening figures before she could not help but wonder if she was right after all, and if so, what exactly was she right about?Megan was a very intelligent woman, she was formidable as well, with the dangerous ability to sniff out enemies from wherever they were hiding.Now while Mirabel herself might not have had anything to do with Megan's incident, thus absolving her of guilt, but she could not say the same for her ambitious father, and that made her want to creep into Megan's mind, to see if she had come to the same conclusion, and to snuff her out if she had to. It was her duty to protect the Fuhlers name, and she could not let anyone that might proof to be a danger to said name, walk around freely.But she was finally evenly matched, she could see the intelligence in Megan's eyes, and the cunning of her smile, she could not be caught off guard before such a woman, she needed her wits about her.So she had said what s
Megan was definitely harassed at this point, she was definitely not ready for guests, and she knew that Rhode knew this, but for some reason he was insistent on barging into her safe haven with Mirabel Fuhler! The Mirabel! Her betrothed supposed fiancee! She couldn't do this, nobody would make her. This was shitty.“I will have nobody question your sanity!” He insisted, and while that warmed her heart, she could not help but balk at it. She was not looking her best, she decided, staring at her reflection in the mirror.Why, she was looking positively pale this morning, she could not meet her so-called competition like this! She looked positively horrid.“Please don't do this Rhode, I'm not ready!” She yelled at Rhode through their mindlinked. The mindlink was becoming really useful at this point, she could talk to him about things without anyone being none the wiser.“We are coming in Megan,” He told her resolutely. “Prepare yourself.” Sighing, Megan brushed down her already slick ha
Mirabel fuhler walked through the hallway in deep thoughts as the long black skirt she still insisted on wearing to mourn her late husband Michael Wales, trailed behind her. The husband she never knew she needed. It pained that she spent years pining for another when the real love of her life was seated beside her and praying for her to look at him.And now she was being forced to marry the younger brother of that perfect man? It didn't make sense to Mirabel, not even one bit. She loved Michael, and the resemblance Rhode shared with him was also a punch to the gut every time she crossed his path.“My lady, are you sure you want to do this?” Her maid Anne asked as she led the way to the room of Rhode's bride to be from the west.“Exactly my lady, it does not really make sense. You were supposed to remarry Alpha Rhode, but he chose some wench from the west over you, why should you go to visit her?” Lily, are other maid questioned and for the first time in a long time, Mirabel was tickle
Richardson could not stop the growl that ripped from his throat at the scene before him. How stupid was Aspen exactly? To do this to the daughter of one of the great houses was not tolerable. The fact that she was pregnant with his kid aside, Aspen was not of a high birth, and she was already courting trouble.He was enraged. The inner court were already giving him problems, he could no longer control them, and he could his grasp slipping meeting by meeting. He missed Megan, she would have handled l those sniveling worms for him, with her he would not have to worry, he knew it. With her he had been safe, but like an idiot he had traded it for the spark of a fleeting passion with Aspen, it was simply sickening, he was sickening.Then he had the news come to him that Aspen was staring up trouble with the ladies of her inner court, mostly ranked above her, it was a source of shame, and one council member even had the guts to ask him that if he could no longer control his family, then how
Aspen tensed as she walked around the courtyard to investigate and discovered that her worst fears were being made a reality. The servants had already noticed the disappearance of one of them, and they were already starting to talk.“What's going on?” She asked with a feigned innocent at the maid walking silently two steps behind her, and she hurried to catch up with a bow.“Lucille is missing.” She informed Aspen, and stepped back again, causing Aspen to grit her teeth.“And? Why is Lucille missing?! What are they saying?!” She yelled, causing the maid to flinch backwards, and the eyes of several of the ladies around the courtyard to look at her judgementally.“S_she is rumored to be dead.” The maid whimpered, causing Aspen to stop on her tracks abruptly and distabilizing everyone walking behind her.Curling her trembling fingers together and hiding them under the folds of her extravagant dress, Aspen turned to look at the maid again, cold sweat doting her head.“Dead?” She asked, fo
“Alright, that's enough.” Megan laughed as she noticed the confusion in Brianna's eyes as she grew positively redder. Brian's gaze were still strong on Brianna as she stuttered in confusion, so Megan had no choice but to elbow Rhode that was halfway lying on her in laughter, and he sobered up quickly.“Alright, it's time we leave the ladies to their discussion, Brian.” Rhode interjected and started dragging the reluctant Brian with him, while turning back to shoot a wink at the amused Megan as she waved him goodbye.“Oh my God.” Brianna gasped as she swayed over to the bed and collapsed on it with sweat on her brows.“Yep, that was intense.” Rosetta agreed with a chuckle. “But at least we got to see one thing.” She added, causing the two other ladies to look at her curiously.“What?” The still amused Megan asked where she laid cradling her belly, and crunching down apples.*We learnt that he is definitely interested.” Rosetta giggled, sending Megan into fits of laughter immediately as
Megan's shrewd eyes followed the two men as they exited the room, and she could tell by the tension in their shoulders that they had found something, and it was not good.More than anything, she wanted to be there. After all, she was sure they were going to discuss her, and she wanted to figure out what. But before she could make her move, they were gone.“What's wrong my lady?” Brianna asked with apprehension as she no doubt noticed the heavy sighs Megan let out continuously, and she turned to reassure her worried friends.“It's nothing Brie, I'm fine, seriously.” Megan smiled as she patted Brianna's hand gently, but her expression remained distant as her thoughts returned to that night.Something was missing in her memory, but for the life of her she could not remember what, and she had no desire to worry them further.“Oh I know what's happening.” Rosetta interjected with a dejected smile, causing Megan and Brianna to exchange glances.“And what's that Ro?” Brianna asked as she til
Nodding, Rhode quietly knelt behind the still kneeling Megan and gave her a kiss on the cheek, and with a nod at Brianna and Rosetta, a silent command to watch over the lady, he moved towards the door with Brian on his heels.“Alpha, don't you think the lady should be a part of this conversation?” Brian asked as followed right on Rhode's heels, and halted when he did.“No, no keep it from her. If she knows about this, it would only hurt her, and I fear she is not well yet.” Rhode shrugged, causing Brian to nod understandingly behind him as they stepped into his study.Closing the door and shutting the windows tightly was not enough, Brian and Rhode were still paranoid. Any wolf could listen in the conversation if they really wanted to actually.“Okay, speak softly and quickly.” Rhode immediately commanded, and Brian nodded.“So I was looking into the attack that night, and one of our border guards said one of the dead wolves had this seal on them.” Reaching into his pocket, he thruste
“Brianna!” Rosetta cried as she hurried over excitedly, but Brianna was definitely not in the mood for any form of excitement whatsoever. She was still tired, and frankly she felt ashamed of herself. She could not believe that she had missed the signs of Megan's pregnancy.How could she have thought, she literally did everything for her, she prepared her bath, prepared her bed, prepared her clothes, she did all those, but how could she have missed the fact that her lady's body was changing.She had always prided herself on being observant, she had always thought that nothing relevant escaped her discerning eyes, she had always thought of herself as capable, but it was obvious now that her thoughts were nothing but a fluke. She was a fake.“Brianna! Why are you ignoring me?” Rosetta scolded as she got close enough to hit Brianna on the arm, causing her to flinch away.“Not now Rose, please.” Brianna pleaded as she shifted away, sorrow shining through her doe brown eyes.“Well I came be