“...And you have dinner with the Alphas of North Isle packs at 7 in the evening,” Sir Ansel finishes with a clearing of the throat that resounds loudly than he had expected in the otherwise quiet hall.
Queen Rosalie strokes the tiny kitten in an affectionate manner before releasing the little ball of fur from her lap. The kitten makes no delay in running off in the direction of the garden to play with her other friends.
Her aquamarine eyes filled with warmth follow her beloved cat until she disappears behind the wall. Her soft features turn firm, not much just enough to show her seriousness, as Queen Rosalie rises to her feet and turns to face her assistant.
The moment her eyes lock with his, Sir Ansel straightens his slightly crooked spine and bends his head in respect. He has always admired this woman standing in front of him. Attired in the golden and red gown, she looked like a delicate rose, beautiful and fascinating but the resemblance ends there. Her appearance has deceived many into misjudging her as weak. And those who did still regret it. Those who had the opportunity to meet her know it better than anyone. At the mere age of six and twenty, the woman has emerged as the finest example of woman empowerment. She has nerves of steel and a brain as sharp as a razor. She is headstrong, confident, and a true ruler.
“ Prepare a list of their demands. I would like to go over it before the dinner,” the command floated out of her mouth with ease as if she is doing it for years, a truth that can’t be contested.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” the man bows to her and moves aside to give her space to walk past him.
He also feels pity for the woman he admires the most for he has never seen a person this lonely and this sad. He hopes her mate will take all the pain away that she tries so hard to conceal. If only Sir Ansel knew.
The mild commotion in court dies out the moment the announcer announces the Queen’s arrival. The members instantly shoot to their feet to greet the Queen of Avalon, Rosalie, as she enters the premises. She nods at her bowing subordinates and after she perches on her throne she commands all of them to rise. She has a measured but significant smile on her face as she overlooks her subjects with regal elegance.
One of her advisors rises from his chair and makes his way to the center of the court. Queen fixes her attention on the man who must be in his mid-thirties.
“ Your majesty,” the man bows down to her. Rosalie nods at the man to proceed.
The man raised to his full height and began briefing her on the benefits that her new economic policy brought to the downtrodden section of society. Rosalie attentively listened to his report and asked a few questions as well. The meeting went on for a few hours.
The last to rise was Hendrix, the former beta and her late father’s most trusted advisor. Her interest piqued instantly and her smile widened a fraction when the oldest in the court strolled over to the center, leaning over a stick, and curtseyed in front of her.
Rosalie gestured for him to speak.
“Your majesty, I received a piece of information from one of my birds last night. According to the information, the bloodsuckers are on their way to slay our race to extinction. They have already unleashed destruction in the Gharangum Kingdom. As unfortunate as it is, the once mighty kingdom is now nothing but a pile of dust,” Hendrix apprises with a hint of frustration in his tone. Of late, those leeches have become a constant source of annoyance for everyone.
As perturbing as the news is, Rosalie takes the news with a composed demeanor. A ruler should never let trepidation surface on their face no matter how grave the situation is because the public looks up to him or her for in hope.
As soon as Hendrix finished speaking, the other members started giving their two cents on how to finish off those leeches. Rosalie listened to all of them and lastly, she turned to Hendrix.
“Would you like to say something?” Rosalie asked him. Hendrix opened his mouth to speak.
“It is plain to see that the night crawlers have become more powerful with time. Our force can halt them for some time but is not strong enough to destroy them completely. We have warriors who kill for a living but at the moment we need warriors who kill to live. The ones who know no mercy can only make an example out of this war for those leeches,” his eyes full of wisdom remained fixed on the queen’s face.
Rosalie gave him a thoughtful nod.
“What do you propose?” she urged him to speak his mind.
“ What I propose is we should ally with the most feared clan there is. They will fight for us, they will die for us, and in return, we will offer their children education, pieces of land for agriculture, and access to our rivers,” Hendrix replied mysteriously.
This was the first instance in ages when an emotion flickered in her ever-stoic eyes. It wasn’t confusion but apprehension for she had sensed her most celebrated advisors' next words.
“Which clan are you referring to, Hendrix?” she tried her best to not let bitterness coat her words and asked in a stern tone.
The old man looked square into her eyes and uttered that one word that she loathed from the bottom of her heart.
“Barbarians,” Hendrix uttered without faltering. A collective gasp rose from the room. Her soft features turned rigid in disapproval.
“I am certain there is another way than making friends with the criminals, thieves, and murderers,” she countered in a composed but unyielding manner.
“I wish there was, your majesty, but for now this is the only option I can think of. Besides the sole remedy for the venom, they are using to kill our people is only available in Barbarian’s owned territory,” Hendrix replied.
“The court is dismissed,” Rosalie announced sharply and walked off only this time she didn’t look as self-possessed as she always did.
..........
Hope you like the first chapter. There is history between our main couple which will resurface as the story progresses. Please, support and reward the book
The queen called for Hendrix and her other trusted men to deliberate on the bloodsucker’s issue. “They are gaining ground with each passing day. I am afraid we will have to find a solution as quickly as possible,” one of the advisors contributed to the discussion. “The bloodsuckers have outnumbered us both in terms of arms and manpower. We have to come to a conclusion before they wipe us off the face of the earth,” lady Alisha piped in. “How many days will it take them to invade our territory?” Rosalie murmured to herself. “With the mountain in between, barely a month,” she studied the map and concluded in concern. A deep dent between her brows as she mulled over the fact. Then her eyes swept to the other end of the map where the Moonhowler mountain was drawn. The Moonhowler was notorious for housing the barbarians. She had vowed never to look its way but fate apparently had other plans.“How long will it take for the messenger to ascend the Moonhowler?” she found herself asking
She thought they were done for. It took her years to get used to the deadly gash he had slashed through her heart when he left without a backward glance. It took her years to make peace with the truth that he had rejected her and that he was never coming back. Words cut deeper than a knife. She wished he had stabbed her with his sword than ripping her into shreds with his sharp words.He had broken her to the point she lost her will to live. She begged him to stay and pleaded with him to not dishonor their mate bond but he jerked her away and walked off as if she was no one to him. She was no one to him only it took her a hard way to realize it. She let out a sigh, walked over to her window, and looked over at the capital that she ruled.He had left her in pieces, perhaps in the hope that she would perish soon. But instead, she built herself up, far stronger. Like a Phoenix, she rose from the ashes and soared. She has a deep loathing for barbarians, more so, after what he did
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 t
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