Chapter 388 BIG DAY

Chapter 388 BIG DAY
ARTEMIS’ POV
(THREE YEARS LATER)
I'm completely stacked with work, towers of paperwork almost reaching the ceilings for the changes I've tried desperately to implement for the past four years since becoming the Alpha King. The newly implemented laws seem to have more backlash than initially anticipated, yet I’m committed to seeing them through to the end, all to make some time for the coming weekend. A knock echoes from my door before Jasper walks in, still rocking that god-awful goatee Olivia hasn't succeeded in getting him to chop off. "Beta reporting for duty, Your Majesty," he bows. "Any news from the delegation you sent out to the human population?"
He now turns serious once he sees all the papers. I instantly appreciate the new version of him that's capable of taking things seriously while still retaining his joyful side. I've tried to continue my father's work, improving the mission to unite all races as one to prevent things like war from ever happening again, to form a union of our leaders. The first few years were harder, especially after the calamity hit and the truth about what we did to Astria came out, but after two years of sincerity, I was able to reach them and convince them that all we wanted was an era of peace. "The president will be visiting in a few months to talk about the new union council of leaders. It looks promising," he responds. We've come a long way, haven't we? And none of it would have been possible without her.. . A brief comfortable silence passes between us as I stare at the sky through the large window, at the horizon. I imagine he and everyone else feels the same way. "Are you ready for tonight?" he asks finally. I smile brighter, brimming with excitement I can barely conceal with professionalism. "I've been waiting for this day for the past 3 years. Everything we've been working towards, and this shows that we're on the right track."
A knock on the door pulls my gaze away from Jasper, at the new person standing there. James the butler bows first. "Your Majesty, I came to remind you of your 2 o'clock schedule," he announces, and I remember where I'm supposed to be right now. Being a King means having so much work to do and losing track of it, and I'm grateful I have James to remind me of other things that also need my attention. "We'll talk later, Jasper," I say, getting up and leaving for the door, and he bows as I take my leave. "Of course, Your Majesty."
Your Majesty.. . it's been 4 years, yet it still feels like it isn't mine, though everyone says give it some time and it'll stick. Years later, and I still feel like I'm being called someone else's name. I walk down the hall, walking past a room slightly open when countless childlike laughter seeps through, unable to stop myself from peeping through it to see what's going on. Countless children run around the room, creating chaos while laughing wholeheartedly; a few maids in charge of them struggle to rally them in one spot. The sight hits me, chuckling, and I walk into the newly installed nursery room where all the children from Sera's former orphanage home spend their time during the day when they're not doing anything else. The sight is always refreshing after a hard day of work.. . a subtle reminder that I’m at least doing something right as king when I see their innocent smiles and hear their carefree laughter. Far into the left corner of the room, the much younger ones gather in a circle for story time, and not surprisingly, in Miss Lucy's place today, Olivia sits holding a book in her hands while talking animatedly to the children who gasp at every dramatic expression she makes. It's not unusual to see her here on most days. Being the royal physician can be a boring job when you only attend to the King and a few higher-ranked wolves that rarely get hurt or injured. "...the end," she choruses, shutting the book tight and adjusting the glasses on the rim of her nose. "Now.. . who has questions?"
Several hands shoot up instantly, all of them eager to ask, and she settles for the smallest boy in front of her. "Billy...?"
"Aren't witches bad?" he asks, scrunching his nose. "Yeah!" another girl adds, speaking up. "I thought witches eat your soul and steal all your cookies."
It takes everything inside me to hold back my laughter at their question, and I watch closely for how Olivia will answer them.. . if at all witches are bad. "Well, at first, everyone thought they were evil and scary too until the current king uncovered the truth that they were just people like us, alongside his mate..."
"Queen Seraphina!" they chorus together with glee and excitement, pulling on my heartstrings way too strong. "Exactly.. . they made everyone understand that being good or bad has nothing to do with your race but what's inside of you," she says, pressing her finger against Billy's chest, passing a wink at him, making the little kind extremely happy for some reason. I clear my throat now, drawing her attention to me. Her face turns surprised and then annoyed in only seconds before she looks back to the kids with a warm smile. "Okay, now go and play."
They scatter around instantly, running in all directions until none of them are left, and she faces me seriously. "What are you doing here, Your Majesty? Don't you have work to do?"
"Says the person entertaining a bunch of kids instead of working at her station," I tease her for the fun of it. She looks away, scoffing. "You don't pay me enough to die from boredom in that room," she comments, brushing off the tease as always. I laugh a bit, lighter and easier, and her eyes find me again, a small hint of satisfaction before they turn serious again. "Are you ready for tonight?"
I sigh once the question leaves her lips. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?" I say, hiding another smile while clearing my throat. "Well.. . are you? Sera's coming back..."
Her name has my heart beating faster just simply recalling the last time we had seen each other physically. "Of course, I am," I respond. "I mean, maybe a little bit nervous. Damn it... I'm a King; I shouldn't be getting nervous."
"It's a big day... but it's going to be fine," she says in a less hostile and more encouraging tone, patting my shoulder before heading back to her post. This serves as my own cue to leave, realizing I've dawdled a bit longer than intended. I walk through my hallways until I'm out in the garden, navigating through the hedges without any pit stops this time until I come upon a small arch, leading down a path that ends right in front of two gravestones: Father's and Mother's. I stand over them, plucking a flower growing nearby and placing it on both graves. "Hello, Father," I greet him first.