Chapter 103 Peer Pressure - Amelia’s POV
A scowl pulled at my features as I pushed back from the desk, standing to pace the length of the office. “As soon as this is done, that law is going,” I declared, each word precise and clear. “I don’t care how ancient or sacred it’s supposed to be.”
“A lot of the elders will be against that change,” Aleksandr said carefully. “It‘s tradition.”
I snorted, spinning to face them both. “Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people.” I rubbed my eyes, suddenly exhausted despite the early hour. “Why do I feel like there’s more bad news?”
Nora and Aleksandr exchanged a look that made my stomach sink further.
“The Fertility Rite...” Nora began, her voice dropping even lower. “It has to be in wolf form.”
For a moment, I simply stared at her, waiting for the punchline that never came. “Seriously?” I finally managed.
“Yes, my Queen.”
My mind raced through scenarios, each more mortifying than the last. Kaela and I had only just found our harmony, had only just experienced the joy of shifting freely. The thought of turning that sacred, private bond into public spectacle made me physically ill.
“As soon as the crown is on my head and I can, that law is going,” I repeated, my voice hardening with resolve.
Aleksandr rose from his chair, crossing to where I stood by the window. His hands, massive and warm, settled on my shoulders with gentle pressure. “We’ll change it,” he promised, the rumble of his voice vibrating through me.
I leaned back against him, drawing strength from his solid presence. “I knew being Queen would involve sacrifice,” I said softly, “but I didn’t think it would include my dignity.”
“You can always make a speech at the banquet after, my Queen,” Nora suggested, gathering her scrolls with careful hands. “You can announce the laws you want to immediately change then.”
Aleksandr nodded, his chin brushing the top of my head. “The first acts of a new monarch carry weight,” he explained. “It’s when you’ll have the most leverage to make changes.”
I turned in his arms, searching his face. “You’d support me? Even against traditions the elders hold dear?”
His dark eyes held mine, serious and sincere. “I’d support you against anything,” he said simply. “Or anyone.”
The weight of his words settled around me like a protective cloak. This was why our bond mattered, why we were stronger together – not because of ancient rites or political alliances, but because of this unshakable trust, this absolute certainty in one another.
“Alright,” I said finally, squaring my shoulders. “But I still don’t like this.”
Nora‘s weathered face softened into something like approval. “No Queen worth her crown would,” she said. “The best rulers have always been those who questioned the traditions they inherited.”
That unexpected vote of confidence warmed something in me, a small spark of hope that perhaps I could do this – could be the Queen this kingdom needed, could make changes that mattered.
“Come along, Amelia,” Nora said, gathering her materials. “We need to go for your dress fitting. The seamstresses have been working day and night since the announcement.”
I nodded, summoning a smile that felt more genuine than I’d expected. “Lead the way.”
As we prepared to leave, Aleksandr caught my hand, pulling me back for a moment. His lips brushed my forehead in a gesture so tender it made my heart ache.
“You’re going to be magnificent,” he murmured against my skin. “With or without ridiculous traditions.”
‘He’s right, you know,’ Kaela added, her presence warm and fierce in my mind. ‘We’re already changing things just by existing. By being whole when everyone said we couldn’t be.’
She was right. We had already defied expectations, broken curses, survived attempts on our lives. What was one more challenge, even one as mortifying as this?
I squeezed Aleksandr’s hand once more before stepping away. “Save me a spot on your calendar,” I called over my shoulder as I followed Nora toward the door. “Apparently we have a very public date after my coronation.”
His startled laugh followed me into the corridor, and I carried the sound with me like armor as I prepared to face whatever came next. Queen or not, coronation rite or not, I was still Amelia – no longer broken, no longer alone, and absolutely determined to reshape this kingdom one outdated tradition at a time.
‘Starting with that bloody Fertility Rite,’ Kaela growled.
‘Starting with that,’ I agreed silently, already drafting the speech I would give at the coronation banquet, already imagining the faces of the council members when they realised exactly what kind of Queen they’d gotten in the Alpha King’s mate.
Let them underestimate me. Let them dismiss me as the servant girl who’d somehow captured their King’s heart. They would learn, as Marcus had, as Kane and Blackthorn had, exactly what happened to those who thought me weak.
I was Amelia Lovelace, soon to be crowned Queen, bonded to both the most powerful wolf in the kingdom and to my own fierce Kaela. And I was just getting started.