Chapter 92

It’s been weeks since Katherine returned, as things seemed to be getting better in the palace, Katherine’s presence still felt like a threat to them, Delphine and Damien especially. Even with the evidence she had brought and had shown everyone, Damien still had a hunch that if he pressed further, he might be able to know if truly the son was his or not, because to him, he strongly believed the son wasn’t his.

Damien walked down the stairs as he thought of possible ways to have a recheck on the baby Katherine brought to the palace, before his parents arrived, and before other new decisions which he might not be pleased with were made. And for him to not be pleased with it, then Delphine wouldn’t be either. He was halfway down the stairs when he sighted someone entering into the sitting room. It was his sister, Daciana.

“Daciana?” Damien called as he walked down the stairs.

Daciana, who had not seen him initially, raised her head to the direction she heard her name from and she saw her brother walk down the stairs. “Damien.” After the whole drama, Daciana and Luca went out for business in the city, but she had returned alone.

On getting downstairs, he walked to meet her. “How’re you doing?” He said to her and gave her a quick hug and she hugged him back.

“I’m obviously good!” Daciana replied with a smile. “What of Delphine? I decided to pay you two a visit when I heard you guys have returned.” She said again with a smile as she walked towards the nearest chair in the sittings room and she sat on it. Immediately, Damien joined her on the chair as he also made himself convenient on one of the chairs close to the one Daciana sat.

“Ah, yes. We came back just yesterday.” He said and she nodded briefly. “And where is Luca? Thought you two would be here together.”

“Really?” Daciana said in a teasing manner as she gave him a small smirk. “See him speaking like he had been expecting us initially.”

Damien chuckled before he said, “actually, I didn’t mean it in that sense, but you know, since you are already here, I feel he should be here with you. Or can’t I ask for my beta anymore?”

“Haew, !” She said her ‘please’ in a dramatic manner, which made Damien chuckle once more. “Luca is fine though, but we did not come together. He will probably visit you another time, I guess.”

“Ah. Then, we should probably—” Damien was saying when a voice cut him in halfway, interrupting his speech.

“When am I getting breakfast in this palace? Or am I supposed to stay hungry all day after bringing the heir to the throne?” Came the voice which belonged to none other than Katherine. Damien and Daciana’s heads turned to the direction her voice came from. They watched as she walked down the stairs majestically like the house belonged to her and her alone. When she got to the sitting room, she walked directly to the front of Damien who was still seated and stood hands akimbo in front of him, ignoring Daciana’s presence like she did not see her sitting there. “Or do I not deserve any meals in this palace?”

“Katherine, if breakfast was ready, it is literally impossible to not make yours and not invite you to the table to eat, and I am quite sure you are very well aware of that, so I do not understand why you are trying to cause a scene with all this.” Damien replied to her calmly, although it was obvious he was only trying to hide and hold down his anger.

“Obviously trying to create a scene, so that she will be the middle of attraction.” Daciana added nonchalantly as she just sat on the chair and eyed Kate in a vile way.

Then, Kate shifted her gaze to where Daciana was seated, acting like she just noticed she was seated there all along. “And if I may ask, who are you? Because I know quite well that you do not belong here.”

“Oh, will you shut it! You dare not speak to my sister in that manner, Katherine!” Damien retorted immediately.

“Then tell your sister to watch the way she speaks to the mother of your child!” Katherine spat out and without waiting for any reply from either of them, she ran up the stairs, knowing that she had already caused the scene she came downstairs to cause.

Immediately she left, Daciana could not help but think about what she said. She tried putting the pieces together and seeing that she did not seem to understand what Kate was talking about, she stared at Damien and expected an explanation from him immediately. “And what blasphemy was she trying to say there? Mother of your child? What child? And what is that bitch even looking for in this palace in the first place! I thought she would be gone by now, where is Delphine?”

Damien sighed before he started. “Actually, Daciana,” he stopped to itch the back of his neck. “The thing is that I may have done some shitty things with Kate which I was not aware of before we broke up. It turned out she got pregnant and did not let me know about it…well, I actually thought she was dead. She came back yesterday with the child, and—”

“And you decided to just accept the child that way immediately? Should you not demand some evidence or something? I really do not trust that Kate is a girl.” Daciana said as her face gave a sour expression, obviously showing her detest for Katherine. “Haew, I cannot even think of it. Must better not be true, Damien. She has always been mischievous.”

“Uhm, that is kind of where the problem is, Dal. She came with her evidence and she showed it to everyone already. I’m afraid she will stay here till whenever.” Damien said and sighed. He knew how much Daciana would rant about how she had always told him to be careful about the way he did with females, because he never actually had a soulmate then.

“I was going to scold you, of course, but that cannot even do anything at the moment. I’m so bothered about something else actually.” Daciana said as she thought about something, which only made Damien curious to know what it was.

“And what could that be?” Damien asked.

“You know the traditions, right? If this accusation is actually true, you know you would have to make her your second wife right? I am sure you are very well aware of that right?” Daciana stated the obvious as she raised her eyebrows at him. Damien sighed and simply nodded, knowing that was true, even though he was not happy about it. “Then what are you going to do?! Kate cannot live here, Damien. And besides, I sense foul play somewhere. I somehow have this hunch that the child isn’t yours, still.”

Damien chuckled and looked at his sister as if she was saying a thing that did not have any sense. “You are also very well aware that I said she came with her evidence? I mean, what other thing is more truer than the fact that we saw the DNA result? We totally matched, Daciana. It was a 99% match, and even I thought it was a lie until I saw the results.”

“I know you said she came with a test result, but that still doesn’t mean I would not go on with my search for actual evidence that it is not true. I feel she did foul play there by changing the results or something.” Daciana said, a serious look on her face.

Damien chuckled as she heard his sister speak, even though he did not believe what she said could be true, though, deep down, he hoped it would be true. “Then, maybe you should find your way of proving her results of the test wrong if you really feel she lied.”

“Of course, I will! You don’t even talk me out of doing that.” Daciana said and eyed him. “Still doesn’t change the fact that I am very much disappointed in you! How in the world did you think Delphine would feel after she hears all this? I mean, she’s just trying to heal from her whole best friend’s death, and then, this? Damn.”

“I know. You don’t have to make me feel even worse.” Damien said as he rolled his eyes at her. He was about adding another word when Delphine spoke. They both had no idea when she was coming down the stairs.

“Daciana!” Delphine exclaimed when she got to the sitting room. Daciana who didn’t see her coming down the stairs to join them, stood up in shock as she walked to meet her and they hugged each other. “How are you doing?”

“I am so fine. What about you?”

“I am fine. What about Luca? Did you two come together?” Delphine asked.

“If you two miss Luca so much, then maybe you should come visit us at our place, then bother me about whether he followed me here or not.” Daciana said and Delphine chuckled. “He’s fine actually, but he didn’t follow me here.”

Damien cleared his throat intentionally to gain the attention of the two ladies. “I am here, you two know that right?”

“Yeah, whatever.” Daciana said to him while Delphine just laughed at her reply. She dragged Delphine by the hand as they walked back up the stairs, discussing, leaving Damien alone seated in the sitting room.

“Those two lack manners.” Damien muttered to himself as soon as they left.

It has been a week since the arrival of Katherine at the palace and she had been trying her best to frustrate everyone possible and to make their lives miserable, the maids not excluded. She made them know she would be becoming the alpha’s wife very soon and they should learn to deal with that. Not hiding her hatred for Delphine, she tried all possible means to make her life miserable in the house. Delphine on the other hand stood on the words of Damien that she should just calm down and lay low till the right decision is made and because of that, she had been trying to avoid any forms of unnecessary fights or disagreement with Katherine, so as to avoid any unnecessary scene.

The king and queen, who are Damien’s parents, arrived from their journey earlier that morning and they decided it should be announced that they would have lunch together with everyone in the dining room, Katherine included. When the table was set, the maids called each and every one of them to the table, including Ruby, her mate, Ryan and finally, Luca. Daciana however, was the only one absent on the table.

“And I believe everyone has been doing fine?” the king spoke as he ate.

“Yes, father,” they chorused, except Damien.

“I thought you said we were not to speak while we eat?” Damien spoke after everyone else had answered the king.

“Well, now, I want to speak with you all, and there is no better time to do so than now,” the king said and shrugged, which made some people on the table giggle.

“Kate,” the queen suddenly called Katherine, and that brought silence upon the room. Only the sounds of their cutleries and plates could be heard. “You are welcome.”

“Thank you, your highness.” Kate replied with a small smile, trying to act as composed as possible, which only brought murmurs and rolling of eyes to the table.

“Will you all let me speak and stop the murmurs?” the queen said and the murmurs died down slowly, although not immediately. “Thank you,” she added as soon as the room was silent again. “By the way, Luca, where is Daciana? I thought it was all of you we ordered to see at the table?”

“Yeah. She’s not home at the moment. She needed to get some stuff. She should get back at any point from now. And besides, she left before you came, so she had no idea a meeting was to be held.” Luca replied.

“Oh. Fine then.”

“I hear you have a child for my son,” the king started. Damien raised his eyes to stare at his father with a disapproving look on his face.

“Father, not now.” Damien said.

“If not now, then when do we want to address the situation? And besides, I am the king here, and you would not tell me what to do and what not to do,” the king retorted immediately and Damien simply bowed to show his apology. He then faced Kate again. “I hear you bore a child for my son.”

“Yes, your highness. He’s about three years old now. He is asleep in the room upstairs.” Katherine said.

“And why are you just bringing him now that he is that old? Why did you not come when you got pregnant, or when the child was born?” the king asked in a suspicious manner and there were slight murmurs that followed.

“Well, I wanted to. But I felt Damien would not want to accept him or take responsibility over him. That was why I decided he got a bit older and then, I would be able to do a test and bring the result here for the evidence.” Katherine said again.

“And did you ask me to come for the test? How did you get the part of my body that you used for the test, even?” Damien blurted out.

“Well, I have a strand or a few strands of your hair which I used.” Katherine replied between gritted teeth as she glared at him where he sat across the table.

“And where did you get strands of his hair from?” Delphine asked immediately.

“Audience, please!” the king said and everywhere turned silent again. “Kate, you would bring me the DNA test results when you’re done eating and I’ll examine it myself. But with that, you have done well by coming here with his child—”

“That bastard son is not my child. I know he isn’t!” Damien retorted.

“Will you keep quiet young man, and let me speak?!” the king shouted at him and he immediately kept his mouth shut. “Are you trying to say the DNA tests are wrong? Assuming she had come here with no evidence at all, it would have been a different case entirely, but here you are, after you have done something wrong already, you’re trying to prove a point where there is no point. Oh please, just shut it!” He scolded him and then turned to face Kate again. “So, now that you have come here with the boy, I want to believe you know our tradition and you’re aware of how it works?”

“And what tradition is that, your highness?” Katherine asked. She already knew what he was going to say, but she only wanted him to say it out once again for everyone to hear him. She felt it was an honor for him to say it in the presence of everyone, because she knew how much the people there detested her.

“You are to become the second wife of the king since you already have his child. That is our tradition here,” the king blurted out.

“I get to marry Damien?” Katherine asked, looking surprised, which made everyone else except the king and queen roll their eyes to the way she acted like she had no idea what the tradition was initially.

“Yes. Well, that is if you want to. But if you choose not to, then you will tell us what you want and how much we are to pay to you, to not let the news about it leak.”

“No, no. I’m fine with being his second wife. After all, I have his child.” Katherine said slowly and mischievously as she smiled and looked across the table once again, at Damien and then to Delphine.

“Then, so shall it be!” the king said and concluded. “The marriage of you and Damien would be announced later on—”