Chapter 68 - The foe

Sarah

“Jovita dear, did you like your room?” Aunt Rachel asked for the third time.

“Yes, it's lovely aunt Rachel. Thank you for trusting me. You supported me when no one believed that I was King Charles’s daughter.” I said,

“You don't have to thank me dear. Charlotte is like that. After your father's death the whole family lost the bonding. Charlotte loved your father a lot. He was her favorite brother. When you were born, she came and stayed here for months. William had to threaten her by lying about marrying another woman. That's when she went back and you were almost 6 months old by then. Charlotte and her kids never allowed any of the maids to even touch you. Don't get her wrong. Time has changed everything including my husband Herman. I hope everything will be back to the same since you have come back.” Aunt Rachel wished.

“I'm sorry, but I don't know any one of you. No one told me that I have a family. I didn't even know my parents' name. I just have an old photograph of them holding me.” I said,

“Don't worry, I will tell you everything. I have all the old photographs of your parents, even the photos of their wedding. Your mother Janet was a real beauty. When she married your father and came to this palace, I just knew that I got a younger sister. We were really close. We used to do everything together. Not just both of us, your father and my husband were also close. Charles's words were like the final word for Herman. He just wanted to be with his brother forever. That accident took all the happiness from his palace. If it wasn't for my daughter Grace, I would have been in that car that day with you and your parents. Janet had a bad abdominal pain and I had to take her to the hospital.” Aunt Rachel said,

“Can I ask you something? I know that my father was the eldest brother, so why are all my cousins older than me? Did my parents have me after years of marriage?” I asked.

“No no my dear, Janet conceived the very next month of their marriage. It was just that your father met his mate after his younger ones got married. I already had Harry and Grace when your parents got married. Charlotte too was pregnant with her third child at that time. That's why you are younger than them.” Aunt Rachel explained.

“Then why is the throne still kept without a ruler? Everyone is older than me. Uncle Herman should have become the king after my father's death.” I said,

“Every Kingdom has its own rules. In our Kingdom, only the eldest son and his children have the right to the throne. Only if the eldest son doesn't have any children, the next brother or sister gets the throne.” She said,

“What if the king has no son and just daughters?” I asked.

“The rule doesn't say that it has to be a son. I have heard that Herman’s grandmother was the eldest daughter and she became the queen even though she had younger brothers. To protect the name of the family, there is another rule when the daughter becomes the ruler. Even after marriage she has to carry the family name and has to pass on the name to her children. She also has to stay in this palace and so her husband becomes the king. Then her eldest child takes over the throne. Herman's father was the eldest son and so became the next king. Then it was Charles and now it's your turn as you are the only daughter of our late king. We knew that you were alive but didn't have any idea where. I still can't believe that your mother asked Mr Buchanan to take you to your grandmother. She would never do that.”

Her words strengthened my speculation. I felt the same thing. But it wouldn't be apt to ask more questions right now. I should try to read their minds before trusting anyone.

“By the way, how did you meet the Raymonds?” She asked suddenly.

“That's a very long story. I will tell you everything once I am settled here.” I said,

“That would be fine. I was just anxious because Herman and my children were trying to make a relationship with them by marrying Grace to their only son. I don't understand what they are trying to do even before knowing that he is her mate.” Aunt Rachel sounded worried. She said the last sentence in her mind and yet I could hear it.

“Why are you worried? Don't you like to marry your daughter into The Raymond family?” I asked.

“I have always believed in love and still do. But your uncle has changed. He is not the same Herman anymore. It feels like I have never known this Herman. Whatever he does it's just mechanical. I was just waiting for that miracle and seeing you it feels like we are going to get our old days back.”

She hugged me and I again felt like I was hugging my mother. When she pulled away I saw the same pendant my grandma gave me in her neck.

“Who gave you that pendant?” I asked.

“It's your mother's gift. She gave me the same day that accident happened. She made me promise that I will never remove this from my neck. So I have been wearing this since the last 22 years.” She explained.

So I am not wrong. This pendent has been protecting her all these years just like the one I have. It's been protecting me for the last 3 years and now it's with Milano. I have to tell him not to remove the chain from his neck.

“Did Harry find his mate?” I asked.

“Wait, you know about our kind? I mean Mr Buchanan said that since you were brought up by your human relatives, you didn't know about our kind. Then how did you come to know?” She asked.

“Well, I have been with Raymond's for the last few months. I do have a special bonding with them. So when Mr Buchanan found me there, Milano told me everything. He didn't want me to get hurt by knowing the truth about my father from someone else.” I made up a quick story.

“I was hoping that you would be one of us as you have Alfa blood. But I think you went to your mother's side and became a human. But you don't have to worry. It's just that you will have to marry one of our kind to carry on our generation. The only thing is that you can't choose your mother's path and remain unmarked.”

“That's for the future. For now just tell me about your children.” I said,

“Well, Harry is my eldest child and no, he hasn't yet met his mate. Grace is the second one and she is actually our sorrow. She is twenty five and yet she hasn't got her wolf. We have been waiting for years for the moment she gets her wolf.”

Just like her own children, she really likes me and that's evident from her words. There was a knock at the door and we both turned to look who it was. Grace came in looking for her mother. I smiled at her but she had a strange emotion in her eyes.

“Mom, you are needed in the kitchen.” She said to aunt Rachel.

“Oh, I was so lost talking to her that I forgot there was a feast getting ready in the kitchen. I have to go, my dear girl. I'll meet you later.” She said her goodbye and left Grace behind.

Once her mother left, her attitude changed at once. She began to look me up and down and then started to walk around me.

“You are beautiful but not lucky. That's why you lived like a maid and not as a princess. What were you doing with Milano? Remember, he is mine. Don't you dare go near him again. You can have the kingdom but not Milano. You will get what you deserve really soon. Be a good girl and stay away from Milano.” She literally warned me.

I didn't utter a word and tried to read her mind. She didn't wait for my reply. She just turned around and walked towards the door. That time was enough for me to look into her and I nearly got the answer for all the bad things happening in this palace. Grace Coleman has not got her wolf because she doesn't have wolf blood. She is a witch and that too a really bad one.