64__To Gadon

Natalia stared at her bare forefinger, the imprints of her royal rings long gone. “What the heck does he want after disowning me? Why a summoning? Now of all times?”

Milana glanced back at her as she handed more clothes to the servants who were packing Natalia’s luggage. “Don’t worry about it, he can’t do much with Alpha Raiden there.” Pursing her lips, she snuck out a thick, leather one-piece that Natalia had packed, replacing it with gowns she knew her mother would be delighted to see Natalia wear.

“The audacity of him to summon us both,” Natalia muttered with a scoff. “Don’t throw my clothes out, Lana, I’ll kill you.”

Pausing, Milana sighed and put the leather item back into the luggage. “Mother will sigh if you wear this, Talia.”

Natalia turned to face her sister, smiling at the mention of their mother. “You know, I was against this trip, but the chance to see Mother again makes it worth it.”

Smiling tensely, Milana paused and faced Natalia. “I also… really want to see her.”

“I know, you will. Soon, Lana, I promise. Just not now, I can’t risk giving King Kendrick access to you.”

Her sister nodded. “You’ll give Amie a kiss for me?”

“If your father pisses me off, I’ll just bring them all so you can kiss her yourself.”

“Don’t fight with him, Talia,” Milana warned.

The door opened and Raiden stuck his head in, causing all the servants to gasp, flustered as they rose to greet him.

Natalia looked at him. “Why would you just pop in with no warning? You’re terrifying the girls.”

He pursed his lips. “Let’s go.”

**********

Natalia stood upright in the carriage before they could leave and gaped around herself at the giant vehicle. Was it a carriage or a house?

A shadow fell over the open door and she paused, looking at it as the person approached.

Seconds later, Cyrus appeared.

“Oh?” said Natalia. “Where have you been? Here to check on my murder progress?”

He raised tired eyes to her face and sighed, shaking his head. “Here.”

Natalia blinked and looked at his outstretched hand. Reaching out, she opened her palm and he placed something on it.

A folded piece of paper.

She looked at him. “What’s this?”

He didn’t meet her gaze. “When… you get back… I’ll talk to you about everything. You and maybe… maybe Raiden too. I’m just really tired of everything.”

Holding her breath, Natalia stared at him. Was this what she thought it was? He was reaching the turning point she’d been waiting for, finally ready to talk to his brother. She nodded, trying to not smile just in case it embarrassed him. “Okay.”

He looked at her. “Make sure you return though.”

Without another word, he turned and walked off, leaving Natalia to wonder why on earth they wouldn’t return. Gadon wasn’t so nice that they’d both decide to abandon Zaire and settle down there.

She hadn’t had a chance to open the piece of paper when Raiden entered the vehicle and sat down with a huff.

Putting the paper in the pocket of her gown, Natalia sat on the bench across from him. “Why’re we taking this house of a carriage?” she asked with mild amusement. “I’m about to choke on all this luxury! We could’ve ridden horses—”

“No,” he shook his head. “We’re not going to battle, we’re going to your home kingdom where, consequently, we’ll be meeting your mother.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Pfft. Look at you. Have you prepared your son-in-law speech?”

He glared mildly at her and Natalia knew she’d been right. He was nervous. “Don’t mock me. Also, why are you sitting all the way over there?”

She shrugged as the carriage started moving. “If it’s big, we should use the space.”

“Come here,” he groaned in complaint.

She gave him a cheeky smile. “No.” He glared dangerously and she laughed, taking in his outfit. Looking at her own, she smiled. “Are we matching right now?”

He rolled his silver eyes heavenward, but she saw the twitch of his lips. “Our colours are only slightly similar.” Taking a good look at her, his eyes darkened with deep pleasure. She wore a burgundy gown that swayed to the ground around the heeled black boots on her feet. It left her collarbones exposed and loosely hugged her breasts, but lifted them with the lace corset framing her waist. To anyone else, it was an innocently gorgeous look. To Raiden and his hungry gaze, it was temptation.

“Eyes up here,” she teased, accusation in her eyes.

“Do not tempt me,” he warned, lured by her smile.

Deciding to behave himself, he lounged back with a grunt and closed his eyes, leaving her to stare at him with a strange look in her eyes.

Natalia released a sigh as her smile faded away and she studied his face. All the little jokes they made with each other stored themselves neatly in her mind, to torture her later. Natalia knew that. They joked too often these days, unlike any self-respecting sworn enemies. It had all started the night of the banquet when they’d succumbed to their desire.

Instead of everything being ruined the way she’d feared, it had only made them closer to each other. Strangely, bizarrely, they were nearly like a normal couple.

That, itself, was scarier than if his finding out her lie had actually ruined everything.

She didn’t know what she and Raiden were doing lately, but she didn’t know how to stop it either. It felt like a trolley with no breaks rolling down a steep hill. It was such an exhilarating ride, but she knew that there was a great chance it would end in disaster.

His eyes opened a little and he met her gaze, stared into her eyes.

It was like both of them had surrendered themselves to the coming disaster, without even knowing what it was. Natalia felt like it would be caused by her. When she left Raiden, to be specific.

Raiden, on the other hand, had a more certain suspicion of just what would cause their disastrous end.

Both of them didn’t want to think of it. If it was inevitable, what was the point of thinking about it now? Enjoying it while it lasted was what they had to do.

He stretched out a hand. Without hesitation, she stood and went over to him, taking his hand and curling up beside him as he wrapped her in his arms.

They’d enjoy it while it lasted.

*********

The ride to Gadon hadn’t taken too long, but it had taken longer than Natalia liked. Zaire was a mountainous Kingdom since the wolves liked their rocks, cliffs and caves and so they had taken the rocky hill paths on their journey to Gadon.

She’d looked out of the windows occasionally, only to be stunned when she saw absolutely nothing but a deep gap in the earth with the carriage riding gingerly along the road, inches from dropping off into the abyss.

“The road is wide enough,” had been Raiden’s calm reply when Natalia had pointed out that they could very well die if the carriage were to swerve an inch to the side.

He hadn’t seemed to be as alarmed as she. But then again, he was far too occupied with undoing the strings of her bodice to care. Natalia should have known sitting with him wouldn’t have stopped at nothing. Soon enough, he’d had curious hands playing with her corset and that was the end of a peaceful ride.

Heaven have mercy on the poor coachman, Natalia hoped he hadn’t heard anything. Surely he couldn’t have glanced back whilst leading the coach, could he? The thought of anyone catching a glimpse through the carriage latch horrified her, seeing as her bodice had been undone for the most part.

Soon enough, the entire journey came to an end and the gates of Gadon came into view.

By now, both she and Raiden were properly dressed, sitting with backs straight as though they hadn’t gone nuts on each other only moments ago.

He glanced at her as they rode into Gadon and Natalia’s focus broke, laughter snorting out of her.

His lips twitched. “Straight face, focus!”

“Don’t look at me then!”

“We can’t go out there laughing like fools, Natalia, we’re representing Zaire.”

She wiped away her smile. “Okay, straight face.”

With the two working on keeping straight faces, the carriage rode on until it finally came to a stop before the grand castle of the King of Gadon.

The coachman announced their arrival and barely moments passed before the door of the carriage was pulled open and a guard bowed so deeply, his nose nearly touched the ground.

With a dramatic, loud shout of greeting, he welcomed them.

Rows of servants were there, all doing the typical welcome routines they showed to royal guests. Natalia hadn’t seen it because she was still seated even when Raiden had left the carriage.

He looked back in at her and she met his gaze, frozen in place. Silently, he reached out a hand for hers. She took it.

Walking out, by his side, she looked at the familiar faces of all the servants, feeling her heart grow warm at the smiles many of the female servant’s showed her, their eyes shining with fondness.

It was the opposite of the looks the male servants gave her, but Natalia didn’t care. Most of them thought like her father anyway.

She didn’t have time to dwell on it, however, because the doors at the top of the grand front steps swung open and someone came rushing into the doorway.

Natalia looked up and paused.

Halting at the top of the stairs was her mother, Monica, Queen of Gadon. Fair-skinned and delicate, she had long black hair and bright hazel eyes. Her beauty was undeniable and she’d first been famous for it and then she’d been famous for giving the same traits to all her daughters. She stood still for a moment before her trembling hands slowly rose to cover her mouth and her eyes glimmered with tears.

“Oh, Ma,” whispered Natalia. Hurrying forward, she ran up the stairs to her mother who opened her arms and caught her in a fierce hug.

It was a moment Natalia hadn’t allowed herself to think of for months, afraid that it would make her break down, make her return home. Taking the moment to just absorb seeing her mother again, she practically forgot about everything around them as her mother held her.

It had been a long day, that this was the end was more than a reward. It was excusable that Natalia had forgotten several things in her haste to get to her mother.

Raiden was one of those.

Another of those was the little piece of paper that had fallen out of her pocket and dropped to the ground at the foot of the stairs. It lay there forgotten, the words scrawled on it meaningless now that they hadn’t been read.

Unbeknownst to Natalia, she’d lost the crucial warning Cyrus had risked giving her.

And, by losing it, she’d failed to learn of just how soon Evelynn planned to kill both her and Raiden.