(I deeply want to apologize for the mix-up yesterday. The chapter which I was supposed to upload on my second book was uploaded on this one. I have asked my editor to help me bring down the chapter to not confuse readers. Thank you very much for your love and support I really do appreciate you guys 🙏)
3rd Person POV
There was nothing slow about the kiss. The second their lips touched it was as though a spirit took over them as their bodies rocked passionately on each other. The guards at the door heard the ruckus and although they had been trained to keep a pucker face, it was incredibly difficult for them to stop their cheeks from burning red.
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“Your aunt wants your immediate return home,” Regina said the next morning at breakfast to her daughter. Emily had told her that there was no way Charlotte would return home since she only listened to Regina.
“My immediate return? You say it like I'm some criminal,” Charlotte whined as she picked at her meal.
“You might as well be, what is this I hear about your refusal to attend court? Eh?” quipped Regina. She envied her daughter for the privilege of her birth.
“Mother, were you engaged in a fight? You have bruises on your neck?” asked Reginald out of pure concern. The reaction he had not expected from that question was his father choking on his food and his mother coughing hard.
“Mum? Are you okay? Let's know who dared touch you, we'll take off their heads this very instant,” said Charlotte. The twins were by their mother's side examining the bruises on her neck.
“I'm fine, I was able to get my vengeance,” she told her children with a tight smile. Dagen shuddered as he remembered the form the vengeance had taken. He was still very sore, it was a wonder that he had been able to walk this morning.
“Your vengeance? Huh? I hope it ended in their deaths,” said Reginald, angry that anyone had been able to lay their hands on his mother.
“Charlie, it doesn't change the fact that you're following me to the Dark Moon pack tomorrow,” said Regina.
“But mum!” Charlotte wanted to protest.
“No buts,” she said firmly lest Charlotte try to change her mind.
“You're leaving tomorrow?” quipped Dagen, his voice sounded heartbroken.
“I'm leaving tomorrow,” came Regina's response, refusing to look in Dagen's direction.
“Oooh,” Dagen's voice was filled with disappointment that Harlin who was on the table had not missed.
Harlin had noticed the bruises too and he knew they were hickies. He wondered if it was because it was their mother that the twins had not thought in that direction. Perhaps, they could not imagine that their mother was getting laid.
“But mum, you hate dad, how come you're here? And eating breakfast here?” asked Charlotte, it occurred to her for the first time that the presence of her mother there was suspicious.
“I'm here because of you. I don't want you escaping me,” said Regina to her daughter.
“Are you sure there's no other reason? We've never had breakfast as a family before.”
“Yes, is something going on between you two?” asked Charlotte, looking from one parent to the other.
“Between? Don't be ridiculous!” said Regina, stabbing her meat with her fork.
“What's ridiculous about it? You two must have made love at least once for you to give birth to us, what's so strange…” but Charlotte was not allowed to complete her sentence before she was scolded.
“Stop saying nonsense and eat your food!” shouted Regina.
“Aunt Harriet!” squealed Charlotte as a couple entered the dining room. Harriet did not respond to the greeting as she stood in shock because she saw her cousin seated at the same table with Dagen, a man she had vowed she could not stand being in the same room with.
“We must be in an alternate universe, Tyler,” Harriet said to her husband.
“Indeed! This is impossible,” said Tyler, rubbing his eyes.
“She's here to make sure I return home as if I'm not already home,” said Charlotte in a whiny tone.
“You're not getting out of this young lady and you two had better start eating. The food is getting cold,” said Regina, ignoring their shocked expressions.
“Daddy, tell mum I'm home. Can't I just be your little princess, huh?” Reginald looked at his sister and shook his head in disbelief. She acted like a spoilt brat and it was sometimes hard to reconcile her cute acts to the battle champion.
“You are home, you are my…” but Dagen happened to look sideways then and saw the deadly side eye Regina was giving him. He kept quiet afterwards and mouthed sorry to his daughter.
“This is not fair! Mum, why don't you be queen? Huh? The throne belongs to you. I just want to be Daddy's little princess,” whined Charlotte. She was hoping that now that Uncle Tyler was here she had a chance to convince her mother.
“Aunt Em is telling you to come home to perform your duties as princess and not Queen,” Regina could not understand why her daughter was being difficult.
“I can be a princess here, why does Reginald get to…”
“Enough, Charlie! Daddy's little princess? Who are you fooling? You've shed more blood than the water in the ocean. Daddy's little princess?” scoffed Regina, calling off her daughter's bluff.
“But…” Charlotte was on the verge of tears. She missed the wars. She wanted to go back to fighting. She hated settling disputes and playing politics with those old men at court.
“No, buts. If you're not pleased with how the court is, then when you're queen you can change the system.”
“I can change the system, huh?” Regina regretted that she had said so as she saw the glint of mischievousness in her daughter's eye.
“Ah! Charlie! You just stop by our home before leaving. I have something for you,” said Harriet, trying to change the topic.
“Really? Is it that necklace we spoke about?” asked Charlotte, her eyes gleaming with excitement. Reginald was interested too. Perhaps, he would ask Charlotte to help him pick a gift for Xanthippe. He knew that just like in battle, he could trust his sister's judgement in jewellery.