The boy had hardened into a ruthless, feral beast. He looked exactly who he was. A barbarian.
She watched as his gaze openly roved down her person before moving back to meet her eyes. There was nothing in his cold orbs, no emotion, no judgment. They were like pits of darkness trying to suck her in. Rosalie also refused to look away. It was her way of conveying that he doesn’t affect him anymore. She was no longer the gullible lass he took on ride and abandoned.
Soon his lips tugged up into a smirk. Rosalie gripped her throne arms a little too tightly in indignation. It was apparent he was not taking her seriously.
“ Bow to the queen,” one of her advisors admonished the barbarian in a loathsome tone. Ryker raise a brow in amusement.
“She is no queen of mine,” Ryker spoke in his deep sonorous voice that could put any woman into an erotic trance while staring square into her eyes, rubbing her ego raw. He was trying to rile her up, get some reaction out of him. But Rosalie refused to get affected by his prepossessing features or humiliating words. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.
“ Don’t forget your place, Barbarian. She is the queen and you are nothing but the filthy, abominable trash,” the other advisor lashed, deeply offended by his remark but a tinge of fear could also be heard in his words. The barbarians howled, indignant by the ministers' behavior toward their chieftain. The savages shot the advisor a deadly glare.
“Enough,” Rosalie reigned before bloodshed could break out in her courtroom. The barbarians, however, didn't heed her command and continued to grace the royal hall with a slew of threats. Rosalie was seemingly put out by such unabashed dismissal of her command. A lopsided grin fell on the chieftain's lips as he took in her not-so impassive countenance. With one flick of his wrist, the silence settled over the courtroom in one instance. The savages retreated to their original spot without a word.
Rosalie was incensed.
Once the silence was restored, Rosalie was quick to right her expression.
“If the barbarians don’t want to bow to the crown, they are free to do so…I suppose this is not the best time to teach barbarians about basic human etiquettes,” she spoke the last sentence while appraising the barbarian chieftan with a disdainful sweeping glance.
Her words had hit the right note. His smirk narrowed along with his eyes. No amusement was illuminating his vicious orbs now. If anything, he looked displeased by her understanding of barbarians.
“Oh no, your majesty,” he used the title in a mocking manner.
“We barbarians bow only to two people. The second being the almightly and the first to our woman. And you are none of them,” Ryker stressed on the last part purposefully and searched her face for a hint of hurt but all he received was a polite smile. She was blistered to the soul but she would be damned to let it surface on her face. She won’t let him have the satisfaction of seeing her all broken. Not again.
“I suppose I am not nor do I intend to be,” she replied gracefully in the light of his previous remark, wiping the arrogance off his face. A frown settled atop his bushy brows. Ignoring his reaction, she let her gaze sweep over the whole group of barbarians.
“I hope you all had a pleasant journey and good rest. Avalon is happy that you could make it here on such short notice. The crown wants to negotiate with the….”
“What if I refuse?” Ryker cut her short. The entire court gasped at his imprudence whereas the queen regarded him coldly.
“I am certain we can change your opinion with our offers and also do well to not interrupt me when I am speaking,” her cold gaze cut through his when she uttered the last part. The acommand in her voice loud and clear. The corner of his lips tugged up into a lopsided grin.
“Aye, my queen,” he smirked cryptically.
She averted her gaze from him. “Now, please have some rest,” she said without looking his way.
She asked one of her guards to come forward.
“Show them around the palace. Taking care of our guests is your utmost duty,” she told the guards who nodded obediently.
“I have no interest in seeing the damned palace. Show me to the brothel,” he remarked while looking at her with a wicked smile. The other barbarians howled in approval.
Rosalie's patience was bursting at the seams. She was so close to exploding but she knew that is what he was aiming for.
“Take them wherever they want to. But first, show them to the bathe. I am afraid our guests might get kicked out from the brothel if they went like this,” she looked down her nose at his appearance but didn’t let her smile waver. Two can play this game. A scowl was quick to fall over his features.
“The court is dismissed,” she declared and rose from her throne. Without sparing a single glance at him, she climbed down the stairs and graciously walked past him as if he didn’t exist.
Ryker clenched his jaw.
Her ignorance didn’t settle well with him.
.........
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Rosalie POVOnce I found myself cocooned in the solitude of my room, I let out a sigh and lifted the crown off my head. I craved for the moments where I could be just myself. I flopped down on the bed and carefully placed the crown beside me. Looking up at the window, I entertained a slew of thoughts that crossed my mind at the moment. Did papa also feel this lonely when he was the King? He had always said a ruler possesses no ally or foe. They are supposed to keep the welfare of their subjects above anything. I had felt those words in the lines creasing his face and exhaustion in his eyes that made him look older than his actual age. The only time I saw him in peace was whenever he was with my mother. She was his serenity, his pillar of strength. Their bond was inspiring. Something I fancied secretly to have as a child. 'Mate. This one word is both boon and bane for the werewolves. Our whole world revolves around this one word. The one the Seline has chosen for us. For me, it turn
Rosalie POV I had no inclination to entertain the chieftain of barbarian over lunch not even in the slightest. I had more pressing affairs in hand to deal with than humoring him. I was still not able to fathom why did he request a private meeting. I had inferred this much from his cold steely gaze that he still disapproved of me, not that it affected me in the least. Only Goddess was privy to his true intentions. I was not able to sense, Riyaga, my wolf since the moment we learned about that female. I knew she was out somewhere recovering from this news. The news that our mate had replaced us. I decided to give her some time. I know my Riyaga will bounce back like she always did. She is a true warrior who cannot only fight the world but also her pain and sorrow. It would be a lie if I say the news didn't strike me hard. It did. But not as much as it would have all those years ago. And I believe whatever pain I felt, it was because of the mate bond. For me, it affirmed only on
Ryker turned his bored gaze away from me and glanced over my shoulder. He snapped his fingers and beckoned one of the servants to serve him. But before the maid could make his way towards us, I raised my hand and stopped the servant. He arched a brow in question. "I am afraid you will have to serve your lunch on your own," I told him in a plain tone. I had expected another fierce glare in response but all I got was an amused smirk. "At least one thing hasn't changed with time," his voice was nothing but strings of murmur as he reached for the food but I heard them. He was referring to my feisty nature. I let it slide. "I hope you had enough time to ponder over the matter," I broached the subject, watching him loading his plate with the food. With the kind of monstrous physique he owned, he clearly had a huge appetite. I wondered if the assortment of food on the table was going to sate his hunger. My nose crinkled in disapproval as instead of going for spoons, he grabbed the m
I wasn't able to think properly due to the amount of rage that had consumed me. My wolf who had gone missing was now back equally furious. She clawed at the barriers, demanding release to unleash the seething heat within. I yielded without hesitation, granting her control as she surged forth, a relentless force of primal fury.I shifted into my wolf Riyaga. With her snow-white fur, blue eyes, and a crescent on her forehead, she looked regal. She had an unhealed scar spanning her neck which she'd earned while fighting a group of rogues. My wolf standing tall and carrying her tail high made her way towards the training ground in her regal gait. The warriors who were in their wolf form paused in their act when they saw Riyaga and showed their necks in reverence. She scanned over the warriors and snarled lowly, a clear challenge to fight her. The wolves bowed to her before one of them stepped forward. The wolf and Riyaga started circling each other while growling in a low but threatenin
I relaxed against the edge of the tub and closed my eyes. My wolf was completely spent after the fight with the Devil's Shadow. His strength was frightening but it was his agility and shrewdness that made him dangerous. I was aware he had not unleashed even half of his strength while fighting me. He wasn't named Devil's Shadow for nothing. Just where did he gain the audacity of making such demands? How could he ask an heir from me when he was the one who rejected me? What a fool I was. I was ready to relinquish my title, the comfort of my palace, and all the luxuries that came along only to be with him. I was ready to become one of them. That much I had loved him. And the love I felt for him was beyond the mate bond. But now all I feel is an acrid burn of hatred whenever I hear his name. After taking the much-needed bath, I decided to take a stroll in my garden and clear up my head. I was greeted by a cool gust of wind the moment I stepped out. This garden was personally built fo
Chapter 6RosalieI wish I had someone to lean on. I was trying my best to not fail my father but how long would I be able to keep up this facade of valor? The loneliness was tearing me apart, bit by bit. I felt the sting each time it ate away at my heart but there was nothing I could do other than sit on my throne and let it finish me. Why did Seline condemn me for this life of utter loneliness? Wolves can't stay alone as a result of which Seline blesses us with a mate to share our joy, grief, fear, anything and everything with them. Life is easier and everything seems possible when your mate is beside you. I also had felt this feeling no matter how brief it was. I had felt the joy of having my mate beside me. But it was all destroyed in a matter of day. The day he called our union a misfortune. A lone tear slipped past my eyes. I had a mate and I was still so alone. Now he wants an heir from me. A pained smile drew over my lips as I thought about his demand. If only he knew. If o
"Pleased to hear. The journey must have tired you out. Let me show you to your chamber," I diverted the topic. He gave a nod in agreement. I turned and led him inside. After showing him to his chamber, I started towards my courtroom. On the way, I heard the clank of steel and halted when I saw him. He was in the garden, training. His raven hair hung loosely on his shoulder and was wet with water or perhaps sweat. His vast muscular chest was open to gawk for the bypassers. My traitorous eyes flitted to his tanned rugged biceps that flexed proudly every time he swung his sword. Not a single inch of his body was soft. I looked up to see his face. He was bathed in sweat and still looked pleasing to the eyes. He looked too handsome for a barbarian. He was in deep concentration to catch my inspection of his person. My gaze flew to his rival. It didn't take me long to figure out who was she. His fiancee. They were training together. I couldn't hold back from scrutinizing her person. S
"I beg your pardon?" the King regarded the barbarian with confusion. " Umm...King William, he is the Hadar of Barbarians, Ryker," I hastily pulled my hand from his gentle grip and turned slightly towards Ryker who still had a muscle in his jaw ticking. Surprise crossed William's features. "A barbarian?" he sized Ryker up with a look of disdain. It was clear he disapproved of his presence like every single person here. " A barbarian," Ryker stepped towards him, dwarfing him more, and repeated with a hint of danger in his tone. "We will have a discussion over it, King William," I assured the King. The king gave me a half-hearted nod and moved to take his seat. I barely contained myself from burning Ryker with my vehement glare as I returned to sit on my chair. His eyes were still on King William, studying him with a hint of disdain. It was apparent they both detested each other. The celebration started soon. "Why is he sitting with us?" King William turned to me and asked, a