Chapter 9
1998 Words
(Alexia POV)
"MUMMYYYY, ITS TIME TO WAKE UP." a small body jumped on top of my bed, making me groan and turn around.
"Baby, not now." I muttered, but he was persistent as he shook the bed.
"Mummyyyyyy." he whined, making me sigh and turn around. "We need to go now or we won't be able to get a front row view."
Exactly my purpose. Why do you think an early waker like me slept until late today? Because I don't want to go. Because if I go, I want to stand as far away as possible. I don't know if my mate will be there, since he is not the Vizier, but I don't know if I want to go there and take a risk on that liar.
"I am up, sweetheart." I said, sitting straight. To my surprise, my child was all dressed up, looking handsome as ever.
"Don't you look handsome? Who dressed you up for this?"
"Aunt Glenda. She has already ironed your dress too!"
I knew that both of them were excited about seeing the king and I couldn’t let them be disappointed because of me. So I quickly bathed and dressed up in a baby blue dress with a white design that matched my son.
"Let's go!" Glenda grinned, rising a picnic basket.
The streets were packed with people all dressed up for the function. There were many exhibition stalls selling many items for a lot of discounts, so we decided to go through them first. The ceremony began in only 2 hours and I thought of a plan to divert the two from entering the front rows of the ceremony.
The solution is shopping. While Glenda loves shopping, especially on discounts, my child loves toys.
"If we don't go now, we will be late." Glenda suddenly announced, making me sigh and nod my head.
"Ok."
When we arrived at the entrance that led to the program, the three of us stopped and looked at the sea of people in front of me.
"My god. I didn't know we had this many members in the pack." Glenda commented, making a nod in agreement.
"How about we just enjoy the rest of the shopping?" I suggested it, but both of them were completely against the idea.
"Then let's make sure we don't split." I muttered in the end, as I went on my knees, turning away from my child. "Get on my shoulder."
Glenda helped him get on my shoulder and I adjusted him before walking into the huge crowd. Glenda forced herself into the crowd, dragging me along the way. With her power of pushing and cursing at everyone who yelled at her, we were able to reach the middle of the crowd.
The stage in front of us was raised high enough for us to see clearly. There were even iris image projections on both sides of the stage, high in the sky, so no one would miss out on anything.
"Mummy! There is a huge ribbon!" my child giggled as I smiled and nodded.
"Yes. The king will use his powers and cut them off." I explained, as he nodded excitedly.
The crowd was getting even more hectic as people began to push and try to get to the front row. I wasn't complaining though. The further the better.
There were a lot of guards around, making sure everything was secured. I even saw the viceroy from yesterday. My eyes kept roaming around, looking at each and every guard.
Being mated with him, I may be able to feel our bond if he was near, but it isn't always true. It's been 5 years since I saw him and I don't even know if our mate bond works.
I have heard how, unless you are a royal chosen by the moon goddess to rule, a mate bond between two people breaks if one of them mates with another. I am sure he has got that fiancé of his and even plans to marry soon.
Thinking about such a thing makes me feel like crying. I closed my eyes trying to calm down.
"Mom! It's going to start!" my child shouted, snapping me out of my thoughts. I watched as the Alpha got on the stage along with his family.
"Mommy, it's that uncle." my child recognised Caleb from yesterday as I looked at Glenda.
"Today, after all this, let's try to talk to the alpha." she said, making me nod my head. I knew as long as he was here, I would never be able to live in peace.
The Alpha looked excited as he gave a short speech.
"Finally, after a very long time of struggle and attempt, we are finally able to show our importance. But needless to say, it wouldn’t be possible if the King hadn’t given us a chance to show it off. Now, with great pleasure in a proud moment, I tell you that we will be having our own knight school where talented young people can pursue their passion and even have a chance to join the royal knight."
The crowd cheered as the king finished the speech.
"Now. Without further due, I will invite the person who made all of this possible." The whole crowd was going crazy as the alpha said those words.
Sometimes I think fate really hates me. Just when everything was going right, I got hit by a bucket of cold, harsh water.
Even though the chances are high, I pray this moment won't come.
The whole of the stage is filled with a familiar smell of rain when it hits the sand. The same soothing feeling I never knew I missed so much. The moment where my heart felt heavy and light at the same time.
There is no doubt about what I am feeling.
"Without further delay, I call forth our great King! The ruler of the Northern land of Eldara! King Zeus Aillard Drystan."
I looked up as the page made his announcement.
It's been almost 5 years since I felt like this.
My heart was beating fast and I felt it hard to breathe. The scent of rain became even stronger as a group of people entered the stage. My eyes roamed around trying to find the familiar face I never forgot.
But he was not there. I could find him. Why wasn’t he there? But this feeling… the scent… what is going on?
I started to regret being far from the stage. Maybe he is standing off stage.
"Greeting to all." the voice made my heart jump in shock. My eyes went to its owner, my face turning pale with shock.
His hair, unlike the dull brown that I remembered, was bright blond. His eyes were hazel and bright like a judging feline, looking at the people cheering for him.
"K-King Z-Zeus." I whispered, my voice stuttering.
No! My mate is Luka, but why do I have such a feeling for the king?! W-why?
My head was starting to hurt. I stared at the king, who had a frown on his face. He was looking around, going through each face in the crowd as if searching for something.
My whole body was frozen, and I couldn’t move an inch.
He told me he was from a normal family! Then why the hell is he standing on the stage posing as the King!
Everything started to make more sense. The mysterious and confusing family backgrounds. The resembles and the excuses.
"King Zeus is so handsome!" "Urgh! How can he be so hot?!" "I heard his fiancé is even hotter."
My heart dipped as my attention went to the teenage girls fangling over the king. I remembered the rumor. The king is going to be engaged in his childhood pair.
Was she the woman I saw with him 5 years ago? The fiancé who wouldn’t let go of him? If he was going to marry her, then why did he give her so much hope? He told me he loved me! That he will never leave me!
"Mummy, that man looks handsome! He has the same hair as me!"
I perked up to look at the child sitting on my shoulder, giggling while pointing towards the stage. My hold on my child's leg tightened.
If my mate is a king, then my child is the prince!
The southern rule states that a father must recognize his children even if they are illegitimate. If he finds out he has a child, he will take my baby away. He will be forced to live under the selfish self-absorbed aristocrats. He would have to call another woman his mother and that woman would make my child leave a living hell!
The images of my dark past living as the illegitimate daughter of the proud Duke Resnold filled my mind.
No! I can't allow this!
"Mummy." my baby called me as I felt a small hand fall on my face. "Mummy, you are shaking."
I snapped out of my thoughts and took my child down from my shoulder.
"Come here." I quickly pulled him to my hips, holding him tightly. I pushed my way out of the crowd wanting to do nothing but get out of there.
I could hear Glenda call out to me in worry. But I didn’t stop. I rushed my way, far away from him.
"What happened, mama." my child asked as I stopped in front of my house.
Glenda grabbed my hand, looking at me in worry.
"What happened!" she shouted at me in between breaths.
"I." I looked around the shop before grabbing her hand and dragging her inside the house.
"I need your help, please. I… I can't lose him". I fell on my knees crying.
"Alexia! Alexia, calm down." Her face was filled with worry as she tried to calm me down.
"Why is mummy crying?" My child started to cry as well.
"It's nothing, love." I wiped my tears, giving a nervous laugh. "Why don’t you go play with your toys? Mummy needs to talk with Aunt Glenda."
He didn’t look pleased with my suggestion and kept objecting, but in the end agreed and walked to his room.
When my child left, I looked at Glenda with a serious look. "Help me hide my child. Help me…"
I have never told anyone about my past life. It was always buried inside me. For the first time in my life I opened up. She was quiet although her face turned more and more shocked.
When I finished everything, she stared at me with wide eyes, "I… I don’t know what to say."
"Please, I know this is a lot, but I don’t know what to do. If he finds out I have a child, he will take him away from me."
"I got an idea." she said before running to her room. I followed her as she took out a packet of dye, extending it to me. She called out to my baby, who came running in with a worried face.
"Mummy." he cried and ran to my hands and I hugged him tightly, "Mummy hates me?"
"Why would I think that?" I asked as he looked at me with wide teary eyes.
"You're sad and you didn’t want me around."
"Don’t say that, baby. You are the only one left for me."
"Hey." Glenda called, smiling at my son. "Mummy likes you very much and she has a surprise for you."
The child looked at me and then at Glenda, wiping his tears. "Surprise?"
The child looked confused as he tilted his head.
"Yes, let's do something fun, shall we?"
"Fun?"
"Yes! Like dying your hair black!"
He jumped in excitement and I smiled at Glenda, feeling relieved by her brilliant idea.
I won't let him find out about my baby! I won't let him take my child away from me!
I will keep him safe as long as I breathe!
- Writer
