Mated To My Powerful, Royal Enemy

TALIA'S POV The crowd roars with excitement when the kick knocks the sword right out of the Queen's grasp. Their deafening cheer making my ten year old little brother, Michael, instinctively cover his ears even as he jumps up with glee alongside everyone else. I wasn't expecting less, people have been wishing for this match for as long as I can remember. A battle between their Queen and the Kingdom's best female warrior. And that warrior is none other than our sassy and beautiful mother. She is so bold, so swift with the sword yet always very calm even in a match like this. She can even afford a cordial smile while watching her opponent's movements intently. The tired Queen on the other hand is already seething with frustration and anger. Mother has always been the icon of female strength in our large Kingdom. Always in control of her emotions and flawless in her movements. Yet she remains a stunning beauty, more attractive than most of the noble women I have seen. It is the reason why people have always wondered how a match between her and their Queen would be like. The Queen probably wanted to prove that she is the most formidable female of the Kingdom, that's why she called for this match. Unfortunately she is losing badly and the embarassment is vivid on her face. She takes in a deep breath as she stands swordless and the crowd watch with anticipation to see her next move. She cannot call the match off when so many eyes are focused on her. Giving up so easily would really taint her reputation. Not to forget that her son, Evan, is watching. Just looking in his direction makes my nervous body twitch. The man looks like a renaissance painting. God must have been in a good mood when he made him, because the beloved Prince is the embodiment of physical perfection. Every feature on his face is perfectly proportioned. His piercing blue eyes are highlighted by pitch black eyelashes and equally dark, thick eyebrows. The lack of fat under his smooth skin makes his impressive jawline even more noticeable. My body instinctively tense when he licks his soft pink lips. Unlike everyone of us that are all anxious and cheering on top of our voices, the man just sits with an enchanting smile on his ridiculously beautiful face. His serene composure is annoying sometimes. How can he be so calm when it's his mother getting her ass kicked at the centre of the field. But he has never shown support for anyone in this matches. He seems only interesting in who has got the skill, doesn't matter if they are just some poor peasant or a woman with no noble title. But no one had thought he would act the same way when it's his mother in the battlefield. He is probably thinking the same thing as us, that she is getting what she asked for. Anyway he is too relaxed in the midst of all the chaos going on around him. About five young knights had the misfortune of sitting next to the man. I am guessing their job was to keep the multitude of girls surrounding them from trampling on the Prince in the fight to get his attention. It however seems like they are invisible to the pretty girls that keep attempting to push their way through them to get to the gorgeous giant at the centre. His bulging muscles have stretched the black shirt so tightly that I can imagine it busting at the seems anytime. It's hard to believe that he cannot shift into wolf form like everyone else. He didn't phase into a werewolf on his eighteenth birthday. He instead got dazzling powers and incredible strength. Not even a hundred werewolves can fight him, he is a force to behold. It's the other reason every girl wants a piece of him. Some say he was born to and gifted with that much power to protect the big Kingdom and keep every pack and alpha in check. But that's just rumors. No one knows why the measure of perfection and power was higher when he was made. "Look!" Michael screams, bringing my attention back to the battle in front of us. Mother has tossed her wooden sword aside, giving the Queen an equal fighting chance. But not so equal considering how good mother is in hand combat. The Queen lunges forward with her right hand fist clenched tightly. She throws a punch at mother, putting all the force and strength in it. Mother dodges the blow and easily tackles her down by sweeping her feet. The Queen hisses as she lands on the ground with a thud. Mother puts a foot on her back, pushing the Queen into the sand and restraining her from getting back to her feet. The woman sure got a lot of strength in that lean and curvy body. The Queen struggles for several minutes to move the foot off her back and get up but she fails. She curses loudly as she finally gives up and taps. The crowd goes wild with cheers. Me and my ten year old brother high five. Then I look up and ahead to at the Prince, curious to see his reaction. He seems totally unfazed as he applauds alongside everyone else. Does he care at all that the woman on the ground is his mother and Queen of the Kingdom? The man is actually smiling approvingly as he claps his massive hands. Mother helps the Queen get back to her feet and they shake each other's hand in a harmonious gesture. Their smiles are a sign that they remain best friends despite having exchanged blows. Mother makes her way to us and our twelve year old sister, Taylor, joins us in time for the big family hug. She is always away with her friends until moments like these. We all congratulate our incredibly strong mom. How I wish father was here to see her. To see how stronger she has become since he left us to get married to another woman. I was eight then and I didn't understand much. I heard him arguing with mom one night about him seeing another woman. He packed his stuff and left the next day never to return. Mother didn't want to talk about him anymore or about what exactly transpired. I learned that it's best not to keep asking her questions she is not comfortable answering. She was doing her best to protect and provide for us and that was more than enough. I have always wished for a chance to help her at least keep my little siblings safe since being a single mother means she has to carry all the burden. But I am yet to get eighteen and phase. She insists that she cannot train me until she is assured I can heal quickly in case of an accident. Good thing is my eighteenth birthday is only a week away. "You really kicked her ass! Shouldn't we bake a cake to celebrate?" Taylor suggests as we make our way out of the training grounds. "Sure, we can have a little celebration." Mother agrees. "But Taylor always invites all her friends and they always ruin our dinner." Michael complains. He has always been shy around girls that are older than him and hates it when Taylor's group of friends crowd our dinner table. "You always invite your chubby little friend and I never complain." Taylor points out to him. "Quit arguing guys. No inviting friends today." Mother intervenes. Michael smiles while Taylor just shrugs her shoulders. I look back at where the Prince and his Knights were seated. The massive crowd of girls still waits to meet him. But he is talking and paying attention to a little girl that so boldly found a way to get to him. It's embarassing for the adult girls that stand waiting behind, being snapped at by the knights to make way for the Prince to leave. "Miss Abrams!" A man's voice calls my mother's name and I turn my head again to see who it is. "What is it Mr Efron?" She asks the Queen's messenger that is rushing towards us. Mother knows every one of the palace servants since she and the Queen are close friends and she has been invited to the palace countless times. "Her Highness has requested that you join her family for dinner. She is preparing her son's best dish and will most likely need your help with the eggs." He says when he gets to us. It sounds ridiculous since the Queen didn't look very happy when she left the field. Why on earth would she immediately want to have the woman that just embarrassed her eat dinner with her family? Mother thinks for several seconds before answering the man. "Tell her I will be joining her in an hour." The man nods, smiles and walks back the way he had come. "She looked pissed even after you shook her hand. I find her invitation weird." I say. Mother smiles and shakes her head. "I am sure she just wants to win her son back. It must have felt embarassing to loose a match with him watching." I just shrug my shoulders because that doesn't sound a good enough reason. "Talia and I can bake the cake. You may go help the Queen now if you feel like." Taylor says without asking me. She can barely make a single cup of tea let alone bake a cake. That means I will be the one doing all the work. "You sure?" Mother questions and looks at me. "Yes, I will help. You can go." I affirm. My stomach churns for a yet to be known reason. Perhaps because I am too suspicious of the Queen that asked for a match just to prove that she is the better woman. That woman didn't seem the type that can get over the pain and embarassment of loosing instantly and start offering dinner invitations. I really hope mom is right. That she just wants to win her son's confidence back. Which is very questionable because how would making him a delicious meal make up for the shame of loosing a match that she herself asked for? Mother gives us all a peck on the forehead before turning and making her way towards the massive gates of palace. I take Michael's hand as we head home.