"Why do I have to go and dine in the main pce when this ce has enough food to feed a whole army?"


    "Because his highness invited you, mydy." Astryn''s lips broke out in another huge smile. She''d been doing that the entire time since she got wind of my mate''s invitation. "I would think nothing of it, but his majesty is not one to do such a thing. Except for his parents of course. Not that that goes with such a beautiful invitation. Which goes to say a lot."


    "You are not helping." My belly fluttered as my eyes flickered to the simple yet exquisite note that Rakon had delivered to my bed chambers the moment I opened my eyes. It contained nothing extravagant. Just an invitation to dinner and yet after reading it I had gotten lost in a fantasy that spelled something much more. There was just something about him seated behind a table and penning those few words to me that had me swooning.


    I should have felt something else other than what I was feeling right now afterst night, but a dream, one with my mate and the most adorable small versions of ourselves running around in front of the most beautiful cottage had changed all that. And waking up to his invitation had charted the way for my emotions for the rest of the day.


    So then, why was seeing him tonight making me uneasy?


    "They are just nerves, mydy." Somehow I had spoken my thoughts out loud, making me blush. "Do not worry. Your secret is safe with me." Astryn winked, her action deepening my blush. "Ande sunset, nothing of them will remain, I promise."


    I doubted Astryn''s words as that feeling had kept on getting worse each time thoughts of seeing my mate surfaced. And what if that was not it? What if it wasn''t just my nerves making me uneasy. What if it was the frustration that still gued me after what he beganst night that I longed for him to finish. Would I be able to endure being so close to him when I felt that way, or would I make a fool of myself?


    Or perhaps it was fear. Fear of him looking at me the way I had been longing for him to. Not just with desire, but with a more deep seated emotion that I knew went beyond the mate bond.


    What if the look he gave mest night was not for the heir I carried? What if it was meant entirely for me?


    Knots tightened in my belly at each thought and I doubted they would be gone by sunset. I would definitely make a fool of myself tonight.


    "Can I decline the invitation...respectifully?"


    Astryn stopped styling my hair, an apologetic look on her face. "I think you gave up that chance when you let lord Rakon return to his highness with nothing but your lovely smile."


    "I-I... could... send another guard."


    "Someone lower than lord Rakon?!" Astryn''s eyes widened. "Do you wish to have someone''s blood on your hands, mydy?"


    "Blood?!" I frowned at my maid whose face had suddenly gone a shade pale.


    "Being caught lying invites death, which is what that guard''s words would be if he repeated them to the king after his most trusted head of his guard had spoken otherwise."


    "For a mere invitation?" Now it was my eyes'' turn to go wide. "Surely, the king is not that merciless?" His pleas for me to get to know him, for us to start over rang in my ears and ignited a desire to do just that.


    "When ites to you, I believe he would kill for much less, mydy." Astryn smiled, but a vision of my mate''s wolf tearing his own guards apart the night I had escaped from the pce kept me from returning her smile. She was right and all thoughts to decline the invitation melted with that truth. I would endure this. Whether I would make a fool of myself or not.


    "Besides, Lady Liira is many things, and as much as she has warmed up to you, she will not take kindly to you declining the king''s invitation. When ites to matters of the throne, she tends to lose her charm."


    Oh yeah, there was Liira too who had spent the entire morning fussing about what I would wear. Even when my closets were full of fancy gowns, she''d insisted that none of those would do and had gone ahead and brought in merchants who came bearing more fine material together with more seamstresses. Chaos had ensued around me as everyone got to work, jumping and nodding at Liira''s instructions until she was satisfied. The result was something I could never even dare dream of. Perhaps the thought of the king''s reaction when he would see me in the creation had also added to my uneasiness.


    "All done, mydy." Astryn announced as she stepped away from my view of the mirror, leaving me to gaze on my reflection.


    "I love it, thank you." The hair style was as simple as I had wished for. Even though it exposed my neck and gave a view of the beautiful earings Liira had insisted I wear. The beautiful wolf shaped jewellery made the whole style look more sophisticated than I had expected. "And now to get you all put together."


    "May I have some tea before then, please? One of those prescribed by Liira, perhaps?" I called to Astryn before she reached the door. The knots in my belly made me long for the calming tea. They seemed not to be easing up even as the sun lingered on the horizon. "Of course, mydy. I will have everyone hold on until you are done."


    "Thank you, Astryn." An effortless smile spread across my face as I watched her go, thankful that she had pressed me to have her stay as my maid. A carefree soul like her was definitely what I needed to cope with all the royalty and the life that came with it. My mate was right to choose her. A warmth engulfed me at the thought and I wondered what else he''d done to ensure I was happy, or safe or had everything I needed.


    "Your tea, mydy." Astryn pulled me out of my thoughts when she walked back in, a tray in hand.


    "That was quick."


    "Oh, you havedy Liira to thank. It seems she had an inkling of your state and had already ordered for tea and all I did was pick it up."


    A familiar lump formed in my throat. It was just tea, a little thing, but it was these little things that more than anything sang of the fact that I was cared for around here. And it was bing increasingly hard to hold on to my hurt or to the idea that everything was being done because I carried the heir of Xatis.


    "I will be sure to thank her." I croaked out, emotion coating every one of my words.


    "Oh I wouldn''t do that if I were you." Astryn grinned as she poured me a cup. "Not unless you wish to be scolded for mentioning useless things.


    Useless things. I chuckled at that. "You are probably right, I shouldn''t." I had gotten scolded countless times already as Liira still insisted she was the one who was grateful to the moon goddess for bringing me under her care. Something she loved doing without question.


    With those thoughts, I sipped my tea with a happy smile on my face. And by the time I was done, knots had loosened considerably and was ready to get all dressed up.


    Those charged with getting me ready poured into my chambers working round the clock to bring Liira''s vision to fruition. Having no experience with royal fashion, I had been nothing but a spectator, marvelling at how I transformed into someone I hardly recognized. Someone whose beauty I knew I possessed, but had never really been brought forth the way it had been done tonight.


    "Am I done now?" Any more of anyone poking, pulling to ensure everything was perfect was going to drive me insane.


    "With this, you are." His smooth deep voice floated right across the room and straight to my heart, making it quicken in response.


    "Y-Your Majesty?" I turned reluctantly as every other figure exited my chambers.


    "Mydy." He gave me a subtle nod, the appreciation in his eyes making everything I had just endured well worth it. And that citrus scent with a hint of wine was so much better than Liira''s tea.


    I curtsied. albeit awkwardly, but if he noticed it, he did not bother to show it. He instead closed the distance between us in calcted strides that were slow enough for me to take him in whole. He was a delicious sight that had my wolf purring. Dressed in the scarlet colours of Xatis, his kingly crown on his head, he was as delicious as he was overwhelming. Right there I decided that I would never cease to be amazed and overwhelmed by the splendour of his majesty.


    "Forgive me, for having this deliveredte, the jeweller had gotten some details wrong and I insisted it be redone." He opened a fancy looking box and revealed a shiny ne that sent my heart skipping beats. Was it him all along?


    "D-Did you gift me these?" My hands trembled as I reached for the beautiful pair of earings I had thought came from Liira. Staring at the ne, I was sure she was nothing but a messenger as the wolf design in the ne matched those on the earings I wore. "If I may." He guided me back to the seat in front of the mirror and once I was safely seated, he reached for the ne. "I would have delivered them myself, but I was forbidden fromying my eyes on you until you were done." I caught sight of a reflection of a smile and all that uneasiness crept back in. It didn''t even matter that he was so at ease as his hands went over my head and to my neck to sp the ne in ce.


    "Perfect." My mouth went dry at his whisper and the heat in his eyes reflected in the mirror sent tingles shooting up in every part of my body.


    "Tha-Thank you." I shivered when he brushed his warm hands over the naked portions of my skin left by the design of the gown I wore. An action that I realized was more intentional than idental when his chest rumbled at my reaction to his touch. "Shall we?" Hand held out to me in a gentlemanly way, he smiled, the beautiful splitting of his lips that sent my heart fluttering and my hand slipping into his smoothly.


    "Oh! Now, there is something you don''t see everyday!" Liira eximed once we emerged from my bed chambers. "You look absolutely breathtaking my dear."


    "Why thank you, grandmother." My mate intercepted Liira''s hand that was without a doubt headed for me, earning himself a yful look of disapproval. I bit back a smile at that.


    "That was in no way meant for you, even though you are not bad either." Liira scoffed before bringing all her attention to me. "You my dear are simply a dream and forgive this olddy if she refuses to wake from it." A warm kiss on either of my cheekster, I struggled to keep the tears from flowing. All this love... It was as if fate was hell bent on making up for what I had lost and all the pain I had endured.


    "Thank you." I flung myself at her in a desperate embrace and she caught me easily.


    "No need to thank me." She patted my back soflty, spreading more of her warmth in my heart. "Just promise me that you will enjoy yourself." Even when I knew nothing of where my mate was taking me, I nodded.


    "Thank you, grandmother." My mate reimed me from the matriarch in a dramatic manner and led us outside the pce. The faraway look on his face no doubt indicating a conversation in the mind link. I smiled knowing Liira had probably had tones to say over his action.


    "Do we need a carriage to get there?" My eyes widened at the royal mode of transport,plete with well dressed guards in armor. Among them Gol and Rakon.


    "About time." Rakon grinned as he moved to open the tiny door on the side and invited us in.


    I hesitated, but delicious tingles stemming from my lower back, got me moving as my mate led us towards it. Once we were safely seated, I thanked the gods that it was already night time, leaving very few eyes to witness the intimacy I was left to share with the king of Xatis in the tiny space. Though I highly doubted that that was an issue for my mate, seeing how he freely held me.


    Of course the gods forgot to point out that the few eyes I was thankful for would not be the only ones for the rest of the night.


    "I-I thought it would just be you and me, your majesty." Not the whole of Xatis! I gulped, the action so udylike, but it was all I could do when my eyes caught sight of almost every chair on the long dining table filled. When he said nothing, I looked up, my gaze shing with his. There was no heat this time around, but concern.


    "Forgive me. We will have as many of those as you wish..." He brought his free hand and traced the sides of my face gently, sending my eyes fluttering closed as I relished the calm they inspired for my racing heart. "Tonight, there are some people I wish for you to meet."


    "Forgive me, what?!" My eyes snapped open, the calm evaporating instantly. Surely he didn''t mean I would be the centre of attention the entire night?


    He pulled me close, rendering me speechless. Did he not care for who would see him in such an indescent position? With someone else other than his queen?


    His queen! Would Myrna be there too?


    "Do not think too much of this, it''s just dinner." Just dinner? Easy for him to say. My gaze traveled back to the room we had yet to enter, my belly tightening once more over the obvious awkwardness I would have to endure...and the pain. I caught sight of Myrna,ughing and ying the role of host perfectly.


    "Why would you bring me here?" Bitterness trickled as I struggled in his embrace.


    "Because you are my mate and it''s time everyone knew that I finally found you after searching for so long."


    After searching for so long? What in the world was he talking about and what did it matter when he had a queen by his side? I couldn''t be here. "I do not know what you wish to happen here, neither do I wish to be a part of it." I fought to escape, but his hold tightened, making a menacing growl to escape my lips. A growl that apparently drew everyone''s attention to us. "Your majesty? Forgive our manners, we did not descern your presence."


    Someone apologized while I hid in my mate''s embrace as every other gaze from that room burned in my back. "Please..." I pleaded, but my mate chose the moment to tear me away from the only ce that made me feel safe at the moment.


    "I''m here, Sh." Thefort that washed over me at his words had me seeking his face. "Will youe with me?" My gaze flickered to his hand that he held out. I wished to leave here. Wished to head back to Liira''s part of the pce. To hide from the pain, but something in his voice, in the way he held my hand once I took his, gave me the courage to face whatever awaited me.