Chapter 3

“I am done. I can’t do this anymore,” Eric grumbled as soon as Regan’s call got connected. “You can send me to fight alone with a pack of rogues, but I am never dealing with this woman again. She is a shrew who drives like a crazed maniac. God knows what kind of turns and short cuts she took. Now we are all stuck in a swamp.”

“Abandon your cars, shift and return to the palace. As for that woman….” Regan twirled the paperweight on the table and frowned. “Let her struggle for a day or two. Leave behind two guards and instruct them to save her once she collapses.”

“But, Regan….” There was a long pause. “She’s already left.”

“You mean to say that she could drive out of the swamp and only our people are stuck?”

“To overtake her, we took a few wrong turns…. And then, we got stuck…”

A shrill buzz rang in the room, and the screen flashed with a warning. ‘Security alert: Unknown presence detected.’ The screen glitched for half a second and then flashed with a blue screen. ‘Identity verified: Lily Smith.’

Regan disconnected the call and connected to the chief guard immediately. “Ronald? What’s going on? Why did the security system suddenly show an alert?”

“It’s nothing, Your majesty. The system seems to have malfunctioned for half a second. Don’t worry, I have already asked our men to step up the system.”

“Alright, escort that woman to the main hall. There seems to be some issue. So, she will probably come alone.”

“Do we still need to follow your orders? After all, she is just a young girl. What if she gets traumatised after seeing someone die in front of her?”

Regan’s expression darkened, and the paperweight cracked under his grip. “Seems like I have been a bit too lenient these days.” 

“I am sorry, your majesty,” Ronald apologised hurriedly. “Please forgive me. I will make the arrangements right away.”

Regan snorted in annoyance and disconnected the call before switching the screen to the gate of the Palace. A flicker of interest appeared in his eyes as he watched Ronald lead the woman to the tunnel. "It's just a matter of time before she breaks down. After all, she is just a woman. How difficult can it be to tame her?" 

Regan had thought that the gloomy tunnel would be enough to make Lily feel uncomfortable. He was expecting her to throw a fit at any moment. However, he was destined to be disappointed. Not only did she not seem affected by the errie tunnel, she was even in a mood to chat and joke. Furthermore, Allure's reaction at the execution ground left him completely dumbfounded. 

“Didn’t Uncle Denver say that Lily is gentle and sweet? How can she remain unaffected after entering the execution ground? She even snatched the weapon and fired a shot.” Regan rapped his fingers on the table as he looked at the footage from the execution grounds. “Just what kind of a woman did these people trap me into marrying?" His expression darkened and he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Could it be that they are planning something huge?" 

“This won’t do!” The chair screeched as Regan pushed it backward and stood up suddenly. “I have to get her under control as soon as possible.”

“I heard that Lily has brought along two people… lock them up in the water prison.” Regan instructed the guards as he walked over to the chest of drawers and took out a dagger. Tucking it in the belt behind his back, he made his way to the main hall. His expression turned cold and a fierce light gleamed in his eyes, “Lily Brown, you have only yourself to blame for this.”

“Doomsday Mural?” Regan frowned as he reached the entrance of the hall. “Whatever are you interested in the tapestry portraying the great battle?” His expression turned gloomy and his fingers clenched into tight fists. “Could it be that you guys are plotting a rebellion or something?”

At this point Allure was completely immersed in her memories and didn’t sense Regan’s presence. This infuriated him further. Narrowing his eyes, he snapped, “Don’t you think you are too presumptuous for being a hostage?”

Lily turned around, revealing her delicate features. Long brown hair, jade like skin, soft petal like lips. Regan almost flinched at her appearance. Then, his gaze met her deep grey eyes. They seemed to have a life of their own, sparkling with curiosity and confidence.

“Hostage?” Allure walked forward with long strides and came to a halt two feet away from him. Looking him dead straight in his eyes, she spoke in a challenging tone, “Since when did I become your hostage? The moment you sealed the magical pact with your blood, I became your wife. Even if you don’t host the banquet and hold the ceremonies, this fact won’t change.”

“This is merely a political marriage. It’s not like we love each other. A few years later, you will probably be lying in some insignificant corner. Once I find my true love, do you still think I will care about this stupid marriage of convenience?”

“Even if I am lying in an insignificant corner; even if you marry dozens of women; the facts won’t change.” Allure’s poked her finger against his chest. “I will still be your first wife, the noble consort who will become the Queen once you ascend to power.”

“You!” Regan’s expression turned dark. He pulled out the dagger and pointed at her chest. “Believe it or not, I can kill you with a single stab. I can launch an overnight attack and turn your entire pack to ashes. So, you had better learn your place.”

“If you could kill me so easily, you wouldn’t have bothered to use so many words.” Allure’s eyes sparked with defiance and she took a step forward. Slash! The blade dug deeper into her flesh and blood oozed out of the wound. “If you could just turn my pack into ashes, you wouldn’t have bothered marrying me.” 

“Are you crazy!” Regan gasped and pulled out the dagger quickly. “That stab could have killed you!”

“Isn’t that exactly what you wanted?” Allure’s lips quirked in a half smile. She took off her veil and clumped up the fabric before pressing it over her wound. All the while, her defiant gaze remained fixed on Regan. “Why are you getting upset now?”

“Lily Brown! You…. You are impossible!” Grunting with frustration, he commanded, “Take her highness to her bedroom and ask the pack healer to dress her wounds.”

“No need.” The maid rushed forward to help Allure but was stopped by her. “I can walk on my own. There is no need to call for Pack healer either. With our superb healing, do we still need to dress up such a small wound?” Snatching the dagger from Regan’s hand, she remarked, “You should have at least used a silver dagger. With such acting skills, you want to intimidate me?”

“Today’s incident might have been an act, but….” Regan grabbed her hair and tugged, tilting her head backward. His eyes flashed with a cold light and he spoke slowly, enunciating each word, “I can turn it into reality anytime.”