We finally agreed to allow my horse to journey with us but Tristan was to be led by one of the guards while the other rode with me inside the carriage.
“You know Marilyn Aurelius, don't you?” I hated that the carriage was so quiet. The silence was making me feel uneasy.
“My lady, I am afraid I cannot answer that question or any other question that you ask. I am certain all your questions will be answered at the palace,” came his response. Although he had refused to answer my question, his time held respect. That told me enough. My mother had been a respected person here.
The palace from the outside was unlike any other I had been to. While Alpha George's palace and Alpha Dagen's palace were majestic, this place held an aura of prestige and beauty. It had not been built with the intention to impress. The surroundings were filled with tall trees and shrubs and little gardens. The entire place was like a large meadow. The air here was fresh and wet and sweet.
“Please keep my horse fed and groomed; we have had a long journey,” I said to one of them and he nodded politely.
I was led into the King's throne room and at once the man sitting on the throne strikes me as familiar. He had the same green eyes that I had and his face bore my semblance. Could it be that my mother had an affair with the king here and had made Alpha George take responsibility?
Was I the king's secret daughter?
“The resemblance is uncanny!” the man said standing up from his throne to walk towards me where I bowed to him.
“She claims to be Her Highness Ma…”
“Of course, she's my sister's daughter. There is no doubt about it,” the man had finally come close enough to touch my face and he lifted my face so that he looked into my eyes.
“What is your name, dear?” he spoke to me in such a warm voice that made my insides melt in relief. My mother had been a princess. I was the king's niece. What a strange turn of events that was. I could never have imagined that to be the case.
But if my mother's life had been so good here why had she lived a lowly life in the Bloodmoon pack? More importantly, why had she subjected me to a life of ridicule?
“Regina,” was my response.
“A beautiful name. You look like you have a rough journey, princess. Sandra, please show Regina to a room and ensure she's well taken care of,” said the king.
I bowed my head in gratitude and was led by Sandra, a middle-aged woman with a large bosom.
“Your Highness, I am Sandra, the head maid. I shall see to it that you lack nothing. You will stay in one of the guest rooms until a more befitting room has been prepared for you,” she said as she led me through a winding corridor.
“Thank you, Sandra,” came my response.
“You are kind just like Her Highness,” she said with a smile that was both happy and sad at the same time. I was glad to know that my mother had a good name here not only because she was a princess but because she had a kind heart.
“This is where you will stay for the time being, I will send a maid to you, her name is Susan, and she will be your personal maid. However, if you have any complaints about her, do let me know and I will change her at once,” in the short time I had spent with her I already knew that Sandra was talkative.
I was both sorry and relieved to see her leave. Sorry because I knew I could get a lot of information from her as she looked willing to talk but relieved as I was rather tired and would not mind a rest.
Soon enough, Susan knocked on my door and I allowed her in.
She was a tall slim girl with large pretty eyes and a freckled nose. She looked nothing like Diane, I missed her already.
“Your Highness,” she bowed respectively when she entered my room.
“You are Susan, am I correct?” I asked her.
“Yes, Your Highness,” came her response. I was not so comfortable with the whole highness thing but I believed I had to get used to it.
“Can you run my bath?” I said to her. I wanted a nice deep soak before sleeping off my long journey.
******#*****
“You see, I never imagined that my sister had a child somewhere,” the king was speaking to me the next morning in his private dining hall. It was just two of us at breakfast and it made me wonder where the rest of the family was.
“I was unsure if it was alright to impose on my mother's family so suddenly,” was my response.
“Nonsense! You do not impose, this is your rightful home,” he said with a large smile.
“I am grateful for the warm welcome. I look forward to meeting the rest of the family.”
“My daughters are away at the moment but they will be pleased to make your acquaintance,” he replied.
“And the queen?”
“You are just like your mother, too curious, for her own good.”
“I apologise if I have overstepped.”
“Not at all, dear. You see, I am not married but my daughters are the children of my mistresses. They have different mothers,” he replied and I could not say that I was not a bit surprised.
This was going to be a household full of drama. But it appeared like they were given equal treatment and that gladdened me. I had suffered much growing up because I did not share the same mother as my siblings.
“But tell me, Regina, what happened to my sister? We lost contact after she left us,” said my uncle.
“She died while giving birth to me.”