Chapter 29

[ 1,141 words ]

Arabella Toussaint:

For the next few minutes, they kept staring at me like I had said something wrong. Beta Bradley was the first to recover, “Alright,” he said slowly, “What’s 9,876 multiplied by 4,321?”

I blinked because this one was easier.

“42,676, 596.”

There was silence in the room, and then he bombarded me with questions. By the end, both men were looking at me as if I had suddenly grown a second head. The great Lycan King and his Beta looked utterly stunned.

I lowered my gaze awkwardly. In my old pack, they always wanted me to solve such questions and to manage the pack’s account books.

The way Lucien kept watching me, I felt as though he could slap me in anger. I could never understand him. The way his eyes used to soften whenever he was looking at me was quite shocking.

I tried to shrug off his face from my thoughts as I tried to keep myself busy in his absence. I was still smiling while arranging the books back into the shelf, sorting them according to their subjects.

Their faces were still making me giggle. A knock on the door made me stop and turn around, “Come in,” It still felt strange to stay in the royal room and answer the knock like royalty.

The door opened, and Helena stepped inside.

“Helena.”

She gave me a polite nod, avoiding eye contact, maybe because of the last time the queen had slapped her in my presence.

“The Queen… she wishes to see you.”

See me? Didn’t the King ask me not to go out of this room? For a moment I simply stared at her, not knowing whose order to follow.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Helena whispered, still looking down, “That’s what they all do. Play with us as if we are toys.”

I swallowed hard before lowering my gaze, “His Highness…”

“I know, Arabella,” Helena started moving back, perhaps trying to get away from all this madness, “He just went out of the palace with his Beta and isn’t expected to return until tomorrow morning. Take my advice and go to the queen.”

I tried to offer her a small smile, “I understand, Helena. Don’t worry. I’ll come immediately.”

I made a mental note to talk to Bradley. He seemed more approachable and less feared than the King. I’ll ask him to write my duties in black and white and paste them somewhere on the wall of the palace.

Because every member of the royal family had gotten a different set of duties designed for me.

***

My heart was racing the entire time I reached the queen’s chambers. Why was she calling me? To force me to kneel on the gravel? To pull my hair?

Or to make me scrub floors until my hands bled? With her, it could be anything.

When I entered and found her smiling at me, I almost looked over my shoulder to make sure she wasn’t smiling at someone else.

“Arabella!” she said warmly, “Perfect timing.”

I quickly lowered my head, “Your Majesty.”

“The ladies of the palace are going for a picnic at the lakeside right outside the palace.”

A picnic? Did the king know about this?

“We need extra hands to carry things and keep an eye on the children.”

The queen had never spoken to me this kindly before. Was she feeling unwell? While thinking that, I simply stared at her.

An hour later, I regretted trusting her. Two large baskets hung from my arms while I moved behind the group on my knees. The baskets were filled with snacks, blankets, drinks, and other picnic supplies. Urgh. My arms were burning. And my knees hurt more, but I kept moving.

“Just remember one thing, bitch!” Princess Aliya’s cold voice made me look up. She was carrying her younger niece while glaring at me, “Don’t you dare touch the children.”

I lowered my head immediately, “Yes, Your Highness.”

The hatred in her eyes made my stomach twist. The King’s whole family was treating me like a nobody except the older child, who must be four years old. She seemed to have a completely different opinion.

She couldn’t stop running around. And the woman who must be Aliya’s elder sister was asking the little one to slow down. The little girl ignored her mother and her grandma and continued running ahead of everyone.

A few minutes later, she suddenly appeared beside me. A small candy was held out in her tiny hand, “For you.”

I stared at it and then at Aliya, who was walking at some distance. So, I offered the child a small smile and shook my head politely, “It’s yours,” I whispered, “But thank you.”

The baby looked disappointed for a second, but she stuffed it into her mouth and ran away. I watched her go and lowered my gaze.

After reaching there, I immediately got to work. Blankets had been spread across the grass, and a maid helped me arrange the food trays.

The Royal women settled themselves comfortably beneath the trees while I knelt at some distance, waiting for my next order.

The cool breeze coming from the lake brushed against my face. I could smell wildflowers in it. It felt nice. My gaze drifted towards the open fields beyond the lake. If things had been different, I would have loved to get to my feet and run.

What I didn’t know the Moon Goddess had heard my innocent wish and was planning to grant it in the worst possible way.

The Royals had their snacks peacefully and lay on the blanket to relax when someone screamed from a distance, “Rogue Attack!”

My heart skipped a beat. Rogue attack? Here? But how?

The next few seconds were pure chaos. Women scrambled to their feet. Growls erupted around me. One after another, the royal women shifted into their Lycan forms. Except for the queen. She stood frozen at the spot.

I didn’t know what I needed to do. Stay there or run for my life? The air filled with the screams of aggression and fear.

“Mindlink the warriors!” Aliya barked at one of the Omegas, “Tell them to get here immediately. Quick!”

Her body twisted as her beast took over. There was just one problem. The rogues outnumbered the fighters. I started moving back to hide behind a tree when I heard a frightened cry.

My head snapped towards the sound. Zara! Amy’s daughter. She had wandered too far from the group. The child was running blindly away from her family towards the forest.

My breath caught in my throat when I saw a massive rogue wolf chasing her. The distance between them was shrinking.

I made up my mind and ran after them.

No, little one, you’re not dying today. I’m not letting you.

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