It still surprised Mia that, despite the coming war breathing down their necks and staring them in the face, love lingered in the people's minds. The rate at which mates united in holy matrimony in the last few months had doubled, and it felt as if the impending end of their existence heightened their need to belong to each other even more.
The same could be said for the family of Elder Hunter Grey, who was added to the council of elders a year ago. His oldest son, Mac Grey, had found his mate and wanted to be united in holy matrimony.The king and queen received a formal invitation, and so the king promised that they would be in attendance at the feast.Mia knew what their presence would entail. It meant they would have to put up a show before the people. After Xavier summoned her into the study to deliver the news of the marriage and their invitation, it was the first thing that crossed her mind."We are no longer together," she informed him."The people didn't know that, but your absence from the throne room has made rumours fly. I accepted this invitation, hoping to end those rumours and show them that our union has only gotten better."Mia scoffed, remembering what drove her to abandon her duties two weeks ago—his mistress."Those rumours are true, though; the king and queen are no longer together." She stressed the fact to him in case he forgot."The people do not need to know that," he said."What if I don't want to go?" She crossed her arms over her chest."You have little choice in this matter; you got us to this point."She gasped; she couldn't believe his audacity in pointing fingers. "Well, forgive me for not having the grace to stay in the same throne room as your mistress, my king."He adjusted in his seat. She could tell her words had gotten to him: "She isn't my mistress.""Oh, I'm sorry, your whore, then."His teeth gritted, and he was visibly fighting to restrain himself from speaking, but after a while, he overcame the anger and spoke. "A royal union is more than just feelings and emotions; it is also the vows we made to keep the kingdom and its affairs first."She bowed in mock respect and said, "I will do as you have said, King Xavier. Shall I take my leave now?"He didn't answer before she turned her back and took her leave.Mia stood ready in her chambers, dressed in the same emerald lace the dressmaker had brought in earlier. She told her Xavier had picked it out, and Mia didn't doubt it; that man always had a sense of fashion.She looked like a shadow of who she once was, but this dress did a great job covering it up. For that, she was grateful.A knock came to the door, and she knew it was Xavier there because she immediately picked up his scent. She contemplated leaving him there longer, but she decided against it.She still wanted to be a good person, even though he had lost his way.She walked to the door and opened it, and he stood in a black, lacy-like suit that swept down to his knees. His hair was in a neat bun, and his beard appeared freshly shaven, bringing out his bold look. She took a deep breath at the sight, and her body yearned for what she knew she couldn't have anymore.She pulled herself out of her thoughts, and she found Xavier's eye on her, drinking in her dress and seeing how much work it did to her figure. Everything he saw, he desired.It belonged to him once, and he threw it out. She thought and felt a bitter taste in her mouth.She cleared her throat, and he snapped out of his thoughts to look up at her. "We should go." He extended a hand to her, and though she didn't want to accept it, she felt compelled to, and she did.They walked out to their carriage, and getting there, Xavier held the door open like he had done for as long as she could remember. She bowed her head in gratitude and climbed into the carriage.They rode over to the Alpha's house, and it was an hour-long journey. Neither said a word, and the trip was done in silence. Mia remembered how these trips had been in the past. She remembered how any time alone with Xavier was a chance for him to get his hands and mouth on her. Most times, their arrival at their destination was the only thing that would make him stop and put himself under check.She glanced at Xavier and saw a smile on his face, which meant he was also on memory lane, and the thought of them must have brought a smile to his face.Or the memory of his new whore.And just like that, she no longer wanted to be in the same space with him. Luckily for her, they arrived at the House Grey, and they made their way into the room in silence.Mia tightly wrapped her hands around Xavier's arm, which he offered her, and she met everyone who greeted her with a beam on her face. She only had to keep the act up for a couple of hours, and their reputation as the kingdom's beloved couple would be cemented.They met with Alpha Grey, who looked happy to have them in his house celebrating with his family. For those who didn't know yet, he informed them about the presence of the king and queen.His happiness served as payment for her torture.Though they didn't make it to the temple matrimony this afternoon, Alpha Grey still considered their presence here and now as important."Well, you are doing even better than I expected," Xavier said as he picked up a goblet of grape wine from the server's tray and handed it to her.She accepted it with a smile still: "I have no choice at this point but to learn from the best teacher, my husband." She answered.He pressed his lips together. "I see. You might be right about putting up a believable act, or it could be true that you do not resent my company despite our differences."She almost scoffed at his subtle way of calling what had happened between them mere 'differences', but she calmed herself."You can believe whatever you want to believe, my king; I know the truth," she answered and tried to leave, but he caught her hands and pulled her back to himself.Mia tried to pull her hand out of his grip, but he only tightened it more, so the only way she would be able to set herself free was to make a scene."Let me go," she said through gritted teeth. He didn't do as told and, instead, wrapped his other hand around her waist.He had a smug look on his face, and she was about to smack him, damning whoever was watching, when she heard their titles from behind."My king and my queen."Mia stopped struggling with the king and, glancing up at him, saw the triumph on his face, knowing he had her in a tame state.Damn him.He released his grip on her arm but didn't let go of her waist. Instead, he turned her around, so she saw Marc Grey, Alpha Hunter's son, approaching them with his newlywed bride beside him."We are so sorry to interrupt you." He said and bowed his head. "My father told me about your presence, and I just had to come and say my greetings. Thank you for gracing us with your presence and your majesties.""You are welcome, and I am
Mia woke up the following day with a smile on her face. There was a lot ahead for her today. She had agreed to go with the king to the sites of the capital 3, especially the warrior's institute, and review their progress so far.Yes, they were not where they needed to be yet, but she was optimistic. The events of last night were all good; there was only a better future ahead for them.Xavier didn't need to explain; she understood he had battles, and she would wait until he was ready to discuss those battles. He was honest with her; she saw it in his eyes; he meant every word, and her heart believed it. The Xavier she saw last night differed from the one she had lived with these past months, and she found her faith.She got ready, and just as the maid finished dressing her hair, a knock came to her door."My queen, the king is waiting for you," the voice of Sir Alex said from across the door, and she rose to her feet.She walked to the door and opened it. "I am ready; we can go now."S
Xavier released Mia's hand and stepped towards the soldier. The weariness in his eyes still lingered, but he pulled himself through it."Soldiers, you can stand at ease," he ordered, and the soldiers immediately obeyed. "I have heard of your diligence, dedication, and perseverance in the training course and how intense they are. I know you may never see me again—at least not until the war begins—but I want you to remember why we fight and who we fight for. You do not fight for only the king and queen; you fight for Wahala. Remember, you fight for your home; you fight for your mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters. You fight for your friends at home, praying for victory and the right to live as free men and maidens. Never forget, and if you ever ask yourself why you're here, tell yourself this.""Yes, your grace," they replied in unison.Immediately, a flag bearing the seal of Wahala fell through the uppermost building, and all eyes turned to the flag, and all the soldiers saluted the
Mia didn't know how long she stayed on the ground, sobbing before the medical unit arrived with a moveable bed. They carried the king onto it and took him into the medical unit of the warrior's institute.Mia turned to Commodore Ian. "I will much appreciate it if the king's state of health is kept here and not spread."He bowed his head to her, showing her the respect she didn't deserve after what she had done. "Yes, my queen, the warriors are sworn to keep the secret of the king; you have nothing to worry about.""Thank you," she said, and she followed those who had come to take the king with them.She stood at the door and watched as the head of the unit attended to Xavier, trying to stabilise his heartbeat. They stayed a while to achieve their goal, and once they attained it, they departed the room, leaving the king to get enough rest."The king shows extreme signs of fatigue; a few hours' rest is all he will need to help himself. That would be the best time to return to the capita
The door to the throne room, where King Xavier and Mia sat, opened, and Ace walked in. Behind him was a man in a black hooded robe, covering his head to his toe.Ace, in the last few months, had stayed close to the capital. Xavier explained it was to make sure he would be the first to know if anything went wrong since Edward was no longer with them. Mia didn't realise this until Xavier told her the entire truth.Ace apologised for not telling her the truth but told her he had sworn an oath to Xavier. She understood his reasons and held nothing against him. The king had put all these measures in place so nothing would take him by surprise.The next few days after Mia found out the truth were brutal, she had to readjust her life and think about the truth. She had caught herself crying helplessly and not wanting to be consoled. It didn't make things better, and she just wanted to be told it was all a dream. She didn't cry in the king's presence; she knew how much pain it brought him. He
Edward couldn’t wait to meet Kailani, and the thought that he would be with her soon made his heart race incredibly. His entire being testified to how much he had missed her. He would wrap his arms around her the minute he saw her—after he apologised for the last three years and for leaving.“I see you’re all set to meet Kailani,” Ace said, walking toward him just as he was about to open the portal that would take him to Soule using silent chants.“Yes.”“Good, then I’m coming with you.” He said that and came to stand beside him.A frown settled on Edward’s face, and it didn’t leave. “I didn’t know I needed your help to find my mate.”Ace didn’t glance at him as he spoke. “Believe me, I know how the bond of mates works, and after three years of it being broken, it would take a while for it to come alive. In the last three years, I’ve visited Soule more than I can count to see Kailani, and unless you want to search through that entire region, wasting many precious hours in search of my
“There has been a ship spotted, and with our calculations, we calculate its arrival on shore before the end of this week, maybe even a few days. However, we cannot tell if the ship is a lone traveller or was sent ahead by King Damien to see the resistance of Wahala. It has no seal or banner, and its build differs from the kingdom of Foth.” Alpha Grey informed the king, bowing to him as he stepped back.“Then how do we know if we are to attack?” Mia asked with her brows furrowed.“There lies the task ahead of us. Myself and alpha Chado, the alpha of sight, have dedicated ourselves to the finding. We will have the answer before they arrive and make the right call.”Mia turned to Xavier, who sat quietly watching them with his chin resting on his hand, supported by his elbow on the throne seat.“Do you have anything to say, my king?” Mia asked in curiosity.He broke out of his thought: “Of the nine kingdoms, King Damien has conquered four, and the ones still standing are the kingdoms of K
King Xavier stood watching the soldiers before him when he felt Mia come to stand beside him. In her presence, he took a breath of confidence. She should have been with him all along, but Kim cried for her, and she told him she needed to feed him. He wanted to stay with her while she attended to their son, but she told him to go and not keep the soldiers and elders waiting.They were marching to the shore to welcome the ship from Foth, and having calculated the numbers and the strength a single ship would come with, they chose a hundred of the king’s men to aid in the subjugation of the enemy’s ship.Their numbers made Xavier feel a little confident. If there were at most 100 soldiers on board, then Wahala didn’t need to attack with their full strength. With that, he dismissed Ace with a mission to Shelled this morning after learning of their plans to crown a king within themselves.He couldn’t do it himself because of his health and the task. Usually, this act of rebellion would be m