Chapter 21 The beginning of a plan
"A bond of companionship?" Solange asks, full of irony. "That doesn't belong to royalty. We have a kingdom to keep standing! There's no room for love!" She shouts at the top of her lungs.
Everyone in the room lowers their heads, frightened by the queen's anger. I just stare at her, taking a deep breath to control my wolf. Was that old woman doing this again?
"Please, bring some tea for the queen. You need to calm down," Selena says promptly, touching her delicately and carefully.
"The only thing I need is this caretaker as far away from my kingdom as possible!" She shouts furiously, looking at me with hatred.
I remained in the same position, but didn't look away from her for even a second.
"Your Majesty, the king wants to discuss something important with you," Richard enters the room.
In Richard's eyes, it was possible to see all his astonishment at the situation. But at no point did her tone cease to be respectful.
"See, Selena? Conrad has already put guards to protect his pet. I can't get within 10 steps of her without several soldiers stopping me. How dare he do this to his own mother?" she asks dramatically.
I soon realize that my last few days of peace were the result of a good security system created by Conrad.
"Let's sit down for a bit, Mom. You can't stress yourself out like this," Selena says again, her eyes full of compassion.
Solange finally sits down, taking a deep breath.
"I'm going to end up in a coffin! I'm going to rot from heartbreak!" she says, her voice choked with emotion.
I look away from the scene. Solange on one side playing the role of an actress and Selena on the other, also acting.
"Actually, Your Majesty, the matter is more serious. His Majesty King Conrad requests your immediate presence in his office. He's already on his way here," Richard explains, gaining everyone's attention.
Solange quickly stands up, reverting to acting like the queen she should always be. They both leave the room, and I stand up, staring at the door that just closed. What could be so urgent? Had more bad things happened? Being the last to know everything was starting to irritate me.
"I apologize for what Queen Solange was saying," Selena begins her act.
Queen Solange? Just seconds ago I was calling her mother. The intimacy vanished quickly, perhaps because it wouldn't benefit her at the moment. But two could play the same game.
"I'm saddened by this whole situation. I didn't have a father or a mother, so I wanted to have the opportunity to discover what it feels like to have a mother with Queen Solange. But unfortunately, it brought her many problems," I lie, playing along.
Selena approaches me and hugs me. That gesture caught me by surprise, and I try to pretend I don't feel a burning sensation on my skin. I forcefully return the hug, wishing it would end as quickly as possible.
"Everything will be alright!" she says in a sweet voice, now looking at me with a comforting smile. "I'm sure everything will happen as the moon goddess wills."
I sense a double meaning in her words, but I just force a smile. I couldn't reciprocate her harsh words. I needed Selena to continue believing I was naive and innocent, desperate to fit in. We are interrupted by shouts coming from the hallway.
"I want you arrested for treason!" Solange arrives, frantically shouting and pointing in my direction.
I stare at her, confused. Right behind her were some soldiers, including Richard. Soon Conrad enters the room, glaring at his mother.
"You deserve to rot in prison forever, you miserable woman!" Solange screams again, startling everyone around her.
Even I was surprised, because for the first time, Solange seemed to have genuinely solid reasons against me.
"That's enough, Solange! I won't tolerate you speaking to Maya like that!" Conrad says firmly to her.
"I can't believe you're going to defend her!" Solange says, horrified, putting on a real show. "What she did was serious! A betrayal, against her own father. How can you be on her side?" I ask, showing disappointment.
Conrad takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. I could see how exhausted he was, and it tightened my chest. I walk quickly towards him, taking his hand, trying somehow to comfort him.
Conrad raises his gaze and a small smile appears on his face.
"I'll find the real culprit. And when that happens, he'll wish he'd never been born," Conrad says in a promising tone.
Conrad pulls me and we leave that place together. We climb the stairs and head towards his office, a place I hadn't yet seen. Conrad lets me in first, closing the door behind him.
The space was large, with dark wood decor. Everything was in its place, except for the large stacks of folders on his desk. But the place was dark and completely filled with his scent.
"Forgive me, my love," Conrad asks with a sigh, as he hugs me.
His face rests in the curve of my neck. My hands immediately go to his smooth hair and I begin to caress it. And for the first time, I can feel his wolf. He was agitated. I can't help but smile, even though the situation we find ourselves in is problematic.
"He's always like this when he's near you," Conrad says, quickly understanding the reason for my smile.
"You haven't introduced me to your wolf yet, and I haven't introduced mine either. You've only seen each other once," I recall.
"Let's leave the introductions for after our mating," he replies firmly.
My whole body shivers just hearing the mention of mating. Conrad notices the effect it has on my body and firmly grips my waist, pressing our bodies even closer.
"Why wait?" I ask, which confuses me.
I hear a husky, sexy laugh from my mate. Conrad looks at me intently and places his hands on my face.
"My wolf has absolutely no self-control, my love. He's completely unreliable," he replies while showering kisses all over my face.
I give him a mischievous smile, very pleased to discover this.
"Why didn't you tell me before? I'd rather talk to him." I say it jokingly, but it was totally true.
"Maya!" Conrad scolds me, but ends up smiling.
"Next time you transform, I'll be right next to you!" I threaten.