“How do you feel? Are you feeling better?” As soon as Ariana opened her eyes, he was at her side in an instant, wanting to know how she was doing. She was exhausted. There was no doubt about that, but he wanted to know if Marcus had hurt her in any way.
“I am OK. At least I think so. What about the young woman?” Ariana wanted to know about the girl who ambushed her in the tavern and led her out of town.
“She belonged to a group of smugglers. They transport goods across borders. Especially the goods that I have forbidden to export. I assume she got an offer from one of Marcus’ people. These people will usually do anything for money. We have been trying to get rid of them for several years, but they are like rats in the sewers. We can’t find their smuggling routes. I know about that trail in the mountains, but
“You wanted to tell me something earlier, but your parents interrupted us,” Daniel reminded Ariana of her unspoken request. Ariana had to think for a moment to remember what this was all about. It didn’t take long for her thoughts to turn back to the moment she was in the infirmary with only him.“I would like to ask you for a teacher.” Ariana gave no explanation. Daniel didn’t know which teacher she meant. He couldn’t decipher what exactly she wanted.“Probably several teachers. As I said before, we are not an aristocratic family. Although I only have the usual education from school, I am not suited to be your queen with the knowledge of the world I have now. Furthermore, you can probably imagine the manner in which teaching is carried out in schools in a country that preaches strong Lycan propaganda.
“I won’t let you do that. Are you crazy?" Hearing Ariana’s request, Tanya was filled with horror. She looked at her with utter horror in her eyes. It had been several days since she had last talked to Ariana about the pregnancy, and she hadn’t had a chance to fully explain to Ariana the rules she would have to follow. As her pregnancy progresses and the baby grows, Ariana will be more and more confined to bed if she does not want to endanger her life or that of her baby. “Why? So far, my belly is still small. I can move without restriction.” Ariana insisted. She wanted to avoid another incident like the one she experienced yesterday. If she knew even basic self-defense, the young woman would never have gained such dominance over her. She could stand up to her with confidence and get out of the situation before it became dire. “Because the child you are expecting is not a wolf, but a Lycan. If you want to endanger yourself or your child, do whatever you want. Otherwise, it’s probably
“You don’t need to be sorry for everything you do. Since I arrived here, you have treated me nothing but nicely and with care and love. If anything, I should be the one apologizing for being such a nuisance and a child. But I promise I’ll change that. I’ll become worthy of standing by your side, be your support and be your queen,” Ariana whispered silently as she blushed at such boldness. She literally named herself his future queen, although they hadn’t discussed their mating yet. They were on the stage of getting to know each other, yet Ariana took the initiative and technically accepted their bond for both.“Should I take it as your agreement to become my mate?” Daniel couldn’t hide the excitement which erupted upon hearing her words. His dream finally came closer. Much closer than he ever expected it would be.
Two months had passed since Ariana started her lessons with the university teacher. It took her almost every single free time to learn things which others learn for years in just two months. Also, the governess which Ariana eventually asked for as well drilled the rules straight into Ariana’s bones. Teachers and even the governess knew the reasons behind those lessons and behind those drills. Straight from the beginning, they were told to prepare Ariana for her future role as the queen. They showed her deepest respect, knowing who she was. Precisely because of that, they had higher expectations and increased the difficulty of follow-up tests.“Are you alright? You look pale.” Maria, the head of Ariana’s ladies-in-waiting, asked her after dinner, when Ariana finally reached her room. She couldn’t help but to fall straight on her bed with her full clothes. Although M
“What do you mean you can’t get in?” Marcus smashed the plates on the table in front of him. His servants served his dinner just a moment ago while his warrior came to report on the situation in his neighboring country. One month ago, he had to leave the woods and cross the borders again to attend matters in his country. Since then, he didn’t leave the castle, solving the financial issues and disloyalty of his people. His country slowly fell apart while he spent several months away. As always, Marcus did nothing else but tried to solve it with the brute power of his loyal warriors.“Daniel Colton staged dozens of warriors in every entrance of the capital. They began issuing travel documents and business documents for approved merchants and within a month, they distributed them to everyone who does business in the capital. Without proper documents, we can’t en
“How are you today?” Daniel asked Ariana as they were dining together. For the past month, his country had changed. Especially the capital. No other spies appeared in his town, and everything seemed to calm finally, yet Daniel feared the calm weather before the storm. With Marcus, he could never know his next moves.“Tired. Those old farts don’t even consider my pregnancy as an excuse to go easy on me. Sometimes I feel they make it harder on purpose.” Ariana took a bite of grilled chicken. Her last meal was lunch several hours ago. Starvation bothered her during the afternoon lessons, forcing her to think about her stomach instead of the class. Especially from today’s lessons, she remembered absolutely nothing.“Tanya stopped by my office an hour ago and asked me to take you to her after dinner.&
“Good morning.” Tanya greeted Ariana as soon as she entered her room through the connecting door. A few weeks ago, Ariana stayed in the infirmary under medical supervision, but after two weeks, she had had enough. She was constantly connected to a machine monitoring her baby’s responses. She couldn’t go to the toilet by herself. They even strictly monitored her diet.During these two weeks, she made a deal with both Daniel and Tanya and negotiated at least a room stay. Daniel had the rooms arranged to be walk-through, leaving the door between the two rooms open in case Ariana required emergency medical attention. Tanya simply had continuous access to Ariana. The room was also equipped with a screen where Ariana could watch programs or listen to music. The maids regularly brought her books from the library and new magazines straight from the city. Anything Ariana asked for she had wi
“Something is wrong.” Ariana cried out in pain. She felt a searing pain in the right side of her stomach. It was only a few seconds since her baby was turning again. She felt a sharp pain which got stronger with every passing second since then.Tanya placed her palm on the spot where Ariana complained of sharp pain and tried to feel the baby. Something was wrong. The heartbeat that Tanya could normally feel through her abdominal wall was weak. The child’s responses were rapidly fading.“She needs to get out,” Tanya decided immediately. She already had most of the tools she needed ready in her room. Daniel converted the next room into a smaller infirmary just for these cases.“But there’s still a week left.” Ariana wanted to protest, but she knew, she