Chapter 8
“What will you do with me then? I am from a family of traitors. Do you want to set up a pyre and put me there too? Is that why you put me in these clothes? To see how pretty I can get before you kill me?” Ralphine asked, her tone showing just how defeated she was. She had never been a feisty one.
She had always accepted her reality, always the girl who didn’t take more than she couldn’t handle. And even though she had obeyed all the rules to the latter, she had been cast aside by fate and handed a platter to the worst of all creation
“Is that what you think?” King Miroslav asked softly. He had expected her to be feisty, or rude.
She looked like she could fight her own battles, but when she opened her mouth, and he smelled her vulnerability, Miroslav knew that there was more to this. He had never met such a fragile woman, one who had given up on anything and everything. It was almost like the only thing Ralphine lived for, was nothing at the moment, especially now that her family was gone. Why a
am I here, Your Highness? Am I a slave? Am I here to send the wolves a lesson on defiance?” Ralphine asked again, this time, her eyes were on her fingers, the pretty little fingers she was clawing away at.
She was picking her nails, a habit she had developed in the previous years. Right now, she was nervous as hell and she could do whatever it took to get away from here. But then again, she knew the Lycan king wasn’t the kind to take a defiance. She was dead either way, but why did she feel like there was more to this than the king dared to say?
“Ralphine.” King Miroslav said softly as he walked towards her. He was careful not to scare her, but even he knew his name. alone was a death sentence to many. He could already guess what was going on in his Erasthal’s head and he wished it was
different.
For the first time in forever, he wished he was just a regular king, but nothing was regular about him and his kingship. He had long accepted that, though the girl in front of him made him wish he was better, someone approachable like Heion, someone who wouldn’t want to hurt people.
“Don’t mince it, your highness. I just need to know where I stand with you.” Ralphine said and the king sighed. He wanted to comfort her but he also needed to know the truth about what had happened. He still had to figure out whether her parents were truly traitors, or if it was just something that the alpha had done to make the relationship with the Lycans stronger.
Would you have lunch with me, please?” King Miroslav said, making Ralphine lift her head. She hadn’t expected that, but maybe that was an olive branch, right?
“Why?” Ralphine asked.
“Because I don’t want you to think you are a prisoner here, Ralph… Can I call you that?” the Lycan king asked and Ralphine just stared at him, wondering what the man was playing at. However, she was smart enough to know that this was a king who was used to having everything he wanted. Defiance wouldn’t mean well, at least not for her.
“Does it matter?” Ralphine asked curiously. She had never been in such a position, and honestly, her rank in the pack never gave her the chance to let out her voice. She was the kind of girl to be ordered around, perhaps that was also why it was easier for Beta Drescher to reject her without giving her a chance.
“It does. To me. Like I said, I don’t want you to think you’re a prisoner here. I won’t ask for much from you. Besides, don’t you want to be out there smelling the fresh air?” the king asked and once again Ralphine stared at him, wondering what he was playing at
This was supposed to be the ruthless king, the devil in disguise, yet as he stood here with her, she couldn’t see him for the devil many claimed. He looked normal, like a regular man, save for the long–braided hair, a culture that many had employed, to tell of the wars they won. This king sure had a lot of them.
“Fine. You can call me Ralph,” Ralphine said, seeing as there was no point in dragging a conversation she didn’t know its direction.
“Thank you
you, Ralph,” King Miroslav said with a glint in his eyes. It was almost like he was pleased to know his erasthai was willing to eat with him. It was a simple lunch, and he hoped she would like it.
With that, King Miroslav led the way out of his chambers, as his queen followed. He hadn’t mentioned it to her yet, but she was never going to leave this place. The system was already coming to terms with the queen, and he couldn’t interrupt it. Soon enough, Ralphine would eventually have to conform to them too.
The wall through the hallways was not as long as Ralphine had imagined it. In her head, she had thought of the endless alangers in a castle of this magnitude/ she had imagined them to be dark and lifeless, a palace that only had the lonely king and his servants who were forced to be there.
So, when she saw kids running around and bowing to the king like it was the norm, Ralphine was surprised. She thought that this was meant to be an empty space, but the more she walked after Miroslav, exploring the palace indirectly, she couldn’t help. but fall in love with the innocence in a kingdom so feared.
“They look happy,” Ralphine commented when they were outside the palace. She had been following the king, taking note of everything along the way. She had noticed that the king’s chambers were located on the far west of the third floor of the royal palace, and the rooms adjacent were all locked. His chamber was the only functional one. That made Ralphine believe the king was a loner,
The east side of that same floor was filled with life, though it was mainly Asmoria officials. The second, first, and ground floors were filled with happy people, smiling like they didn’t have a devil for a king. It was unexpected and Ralphine wondered who king Miroslav was, away from the deadly reputation he had cultivated across the entire realm.
Yeah. They make us forget all our problems,” Miroslav said when he saw a kid running towards them.
“Race yourself for impact, Ralph,” the king said right before the young boy who was racing his friends reached him, and hid behind the king. He was clutching Raphine’s dress too, seeing as they were close and that was amusing for a moment,
“Don’t tell them I’m here, Mirol I have to win the hide and seek this time!” the kid said and the king just nodded, before he pulled his robe to be wide, so that the kid could hide. On seeing that, Raphine also did the same and suddenly the two mates were hiding a young boy, acting as his shield from whoever was coming to seek him.
“But Berto, the countdown is on. They will find you,” King Miroslav said as if to remind the kid that he was avoiding the inevitable.
“Not if your pretty guest stands behind you and I get to hide between the two of you,” Berto said and King Miroslav just facepalmed.
“She’s new, Berto. Don’t scare the guest,” King Miroslav said and Berto just mumbled an apology before continuing.
“Fine. Let her stand in front of you, then I’ll be in the middle. Anyone will assume you’re having adult talk and I’ll be well hidden. Please, Miro, please,” Berto said and Ralphine looked at the king who was already looking at her, wondering if the idea was realistic to her. He hadn’t wanted to introduce her like this, but then Miroslav loved kids.
He always wanted to see them happy and he was hoping that Ralphine would agree. In silence, Ralphine stepped before the king, making sure to shield the kid who had come to them. It was an unconventional position for her, given the circumstances, but she knew more than anyone how happiness mattered and she wasn’t going to be the one to deny the boy that.
“Hide, Berto,” Ralphine said, ignoring the tension that had started to accumulate.
She couldn’t deal with that at the moment, but perhaps she would focus on the kid. However, that didn’t work so well, especially when Berto grabbed her dress, pulling her so close that her face and Miro’s were a little too close for both their linking. Even then, Ralphine didn’t complain.
“Bye Miro! I won!!” Berto’s voice snapped them out of their trance ten minutes later, when the winners were announced and the seeker had failed to find only Berto.
The king and his queen had been staring at each other for so long that they had gotten lost in each other. Ralphine was mesmerized by the purple eyes that had scared her a week ago while Miroslav was wondering what fate was playing at this
Limne
They had given him a mate when he hadn’t planned for and now, she was too pretty and seemed understanding for him to let her go. He knew she was hurting and wanted to understand her, even though he had a feeling that there was more than met the eye
“Uhm… The kid is. He’s gone. Maybe we should get back to lunch?” Ralphine said to the king who was staring at her like she was some marvel he didn’t know how to work around. The concept was new to Miro, but he was hoping to do better and be what this woman would want. That was if she accepted him, especially now that he wasn’t ever going to let her go.
“Yes… Absolutely. This way, Ralph,” King Miroslav said, ignoring the curious Lycans who were staring at them as if the impossible had happened.
Cliq
Well they were right
The pack are did happen.
Ling was openly in the company of a female, who wasn’t Polina Rostova, one of his childhood best friends, and a
ter of the ellers,
As the serse was listening in, the woman in question showed up, and boy was she a pretty hot woman.
