Chapter Nine

Chloe’s POV

I paused, considering my words carefully. "The Lycan King is determined by birthright. Aiden's older brother, Prince Hudson, is the heir apparent to the throne. So, technically, he is next in line to become the Lycan King."

My eyes widened in realization. "So, Aiden is like... the prince who supports the king?"

Ashley nodded. "Exactly, Miss Chloe. Aiden holds an important position in the royal family, but he is not destined to be the Lycan King unless something happens to Prince Lucas."

I frowned, feeling a mix of confusion and intrigue. "But why did the guards say that Aiden was going to be the Lycan King soon?"

Ashley shrugged. "I'm not sure, Miss Chloe. Perhaps they were speculating or maybe there's something happening within the royal family that we don't know about."

I hesitated for a moment before deciding to voice my question. "Um, actually, I was wondering... Does Prince Aiden have a special someone? Like, a girlfriend or something?"

Ashley paused, considering her response carefully. "Well, Miss Chloe, Prince Aiden is betrothed to Lady Claire."

My eyes widened in surprise. "Lady Claire? Who is she?"

Ashley sighed, her expression turning slightly troubled. "Lady Claire is a noblewoman from a neighboring kingdom. She is betrothed to Prince Aiden as part of a political alliance between our kingdoms."

I frowned, feeling a pang of sympathy for Aiden. "That sounds... complicated."

Ashley nodded solemnly. "It is, Miss Chloe. Lady Claire's arrival has caused quite a stir in the palace, to say the least."

I leaned in, intrigued. "What do you mean?"

Ashley glanced around, as if making sure no one else was listening. "Well, to be honest, Miss Chloe, Lady Claire is not very well-liked among the staff."

My curiosity piqued even further. "Why not?"

Ashley hesitated, seeming hesitant to speak ill of someone. "Let's just say that Lady Claire lacks... proper manners and etiquette."

I frowned, trying to understand. "What do you mean?"

Ashley sighed, knowing she had to explain further. "Lady Claire is quite rude and demanding. She often speaks down to the servants and acts as if she's above everyone else."

My eyebrows furrowed in concern. "That doesn't sound good."

Ashley shook her head. "No, it doesn't. And unfortunately, her behavior has made her quite unpopular among the staff. Many of the maids resent her presence in the palace and wish she would leave."

My heart went out to Aiden, knowing he must be in a difficult position. "Poor Aiden. It must be hard for him to deal with all of this."

Ashley nodded sympathetically. "Yes, it is. But he's handling it as best as he can."

I smiled reassuringly. "Well, hopefully, things will get better soon."

Ashley returned the smile, appreciating my optimism. "I hope so too, Miss Chloe. But for now, all we can do is support Prince Aiden and hope for the best."

I nodded slowly, absorbing all the information. "Thanks, Ashley. You've been really helpful."

Ashley smiled warmly. "Anytime, Miss Chloe. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask."

I shook my head. "No, Ashley. Thank you for your help. I must have stressed you with all my questions."

Ashley smiled warmly. "Don't bother, ma'am. I'm always here to help you out, ma'am. Anything."

"Thanks," I said with a grateful smile. "You can go now."

And with that, Ashley left my room.

As I sat alone in my room after Ashley left, my mind was a rush of thoughts and feelings. The news that Prince Aiden wasn't the future Lycan King had shaken me to the core. And to add to that, I learned that Aiden was already engaged to Lady Claire, a woman with whom he had to form a political union. But the biggest surprise of all was learning about Aiden's bigger brother, Prince Lucas, who was next in line for the throne.

Feeling stressed, I knew I needed some time to myself to process everything that had happened. I chose to take a shower, thinking that the warm water would help clear my mind.

As I stripped and stepped into the shower, I let the water wash over me, easing my tight muscles. But even as I relaxed under the stream of water, my mind continued to race with thoughts of Aiden, his family, and the future of the country.

"This is all so much to take in," I grumbled to myself, running a hand through my wet hair. "I just got married to Aiden, and now... everything is different."

I couldn't believe how quickly my life had changed since I arrived in the land of the Lycans. From being a regular human girl to marrying into a royal family with secrets I never could have imagined, I felt like I was living in a dream world.

As I lathered up with soap, my thoughts turned to Aiden. I couldn't help but wonder how he was feeling about everything. Did he know about my confusion and uncertainty? And more importantly, did he still care for me despite all the difficulties surrounding our marriage?

The more I thought about it, the more my head began to ache with unsolved questions. I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that gnawed at my insides, leaving me feeling lost and alone.

What kind of confused family is this?

As I sat alone in my room after Ashley left, my mind was a rush of ideas and feelings. The news that Prince Aiden wasn't the future Lycan King had shaken me to the core. And to add to that, I learned that Aiden was already engaged to Lady Claire, a woman with whom he had to form a political union. But the biggest surprise of all was learning about Aiden's bigger brother, Prince Lucas, who was next in line for the throne.

Feeling stressed, I knew I needed some time to myself to process everything that had happened. I chose to take a shower, thinking that the warm water would help clear my mind.

As I stripped and stepped into the shower, I let the water wash over me, easing my tight muscles. But even as I relaxed under the stream of water, my mind continued to race with thoughts of Aiden, his family, and the future of the country.

"This is all so much to take in," I grumbled to myself, running a hand through my wet hair. "I just got married to Aiden, and now... everything is different."

I couldn't believe how quickly my life had changed since I arrived in the land of the Lycans. From being a regular human girl to marrying into a royal family with secrets I never could have imagined, I felt like I was living in a dream world.

As I lathered up with soap, my thoughts turned to Aiden. I couldn't help but wonder how he was feeling about everything. Did he know about my confusion and uncertainty?

And more importantly, did he still care for me despite all the difficulties surrounding our marriage?The more I thought about it, the more my head began to ache with unsolved questions. I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that gnawed at my insides, leaving me feeling lost and alone.

What kind of confused family is this?

Aiden’s POV

As I strolled down the palace hall to my room, I felt a little bit weak.

Guess being at Crimson Pack to pick a bride has really stressd me out today.

“All I need right now is enough rest”, I said t myself as I walked into my quarters.

As I neared my room, my personal bodyguard, Lucas, stood by the door, just as he has always done.

"Welcome back, Sir," Lucas greeted me with a respectful nod.

"Thanks, Lucas," I replied, my voice heavy with weariness. "It's been one heck of a day."

Lucas nodded in approval. "How was your trip to Crimson Pack, Sir?" he asked.

"Long," I admitted.  "But it was worth it. And," I added, a small smile creeping onto my lips, "I brought my supposed bride along with me."

Lucas's face lit up at the mention of a bride. "That's great to hear, Sir," he said warmly. "Finally your claim to the throne would be validated."

“Yeah. I’m so happy. We will just take things one step at a time and when all is in place, I will finally sit on that throne”. I said with a smile on my face.

“Yes, my King”, Lucas said even as he made a low bow.

"Looks like someone's learning how to bow already," I joked, giving Lucas a playful pat on the head as we laughed.

"Did anything interesting happen while I was away?" I inquired, as I headed to the mini wine rack in my room, pouring us both a glass of wine.

"Well, I almost forgot to mention, something quite troubling occurred while you were absent," Lucas responded, picking up his glass of wine and taking a sip.

"What happened?" I asked, concern evident on my face.

Lucas quickly walked to the door, glanced around to ensure no guards were nearby, then closed the door behind him and returned to me.

"It's about your twin brother. He's already making solid moves to getting the crown," Lucas said in a hushed tone.

"What?!" I exclaimed, my hand freezing midway to my mouth as I dropped the wine glass back onto the table.

"What has he been up to? Tell me everything!"