The Alpha Queen and Her Rogue Kingdom

CHAPTER FIVE

ELINA

I felt uneasy during the whole ceremony, I did not know very well what caused this whirlwind of sensations inside me, but I knew clearly that most of them were not good, on the one hand, I felt that I was finally close to obtaining the necessary resources to regain the throne that those people took from my family, but on the other hand, I felt guilty for wanting to start a real war against the people of the kingdom, who will be the ones who will suffer the direct consequences that this implies.

But there was something else, something that I could not identify, a kind of discomfort that invaded me every time I looked at the man standing on the altar next to me, and who from that moment I should consider as my husband, it felt wrong, I felt like it was all wrong, as if I was in the wrong place and time, with the wrong man, and although from that horrible day I stopped creating fantastic scenarios in my head about my life with him, I still find hard to believe that I was doing everything I ever dreamed of, but with a totally different person.

Apart from the fact that all of us who were there, and who were aware of my history with Bastian, seemed to be on high alert, almost like waiting for the moment when he would break into the ceremony and stop everything, I know he knew what was happening, I know because not only was Desmond Gray and his wife, Bastian's aunt, present at the ceremony, but after it was over and when the guests were approaching us one by one to congratulate us, that man did not miss the opportunity to spread his poison.

"Our sincerest congratulations for your union, our family is happy for this new couple, even if not everyone was able to attend today, although I am sure my nephew would have loved to see this," he said maliciously before his wife changed the subject quickly.

Zane just smiled kindly, but I have spent enough time by his side to know that his expression turned cold almost instantly, and that if it weren't for the exaggerated amount of people around us, he probably would have put him in his place, in a subtle, but definitive way; However, it seemed that not even the malicious comments of the King of the Moon Valley could ruin the good mood that he had had for days, and which I did not share at all, although that was no longer a surprise to anyone.

Zane knew that something had changed in me from the moment he saw me for the first time since I joined the red army, he was as surprised to see the new Elina, as I was to see him there in the red castle, talking to my uncle as if they were old acquaintances, and although the surprise was short-lived when I remembered his words the first time we met, and the promise he made to help me as much as possible, I still couldn't help but wonder why a man like him was in a ruined castle, talking to a man who was believed to be leading a group of Rogues, it seemed like a very inappropriate place for a prince, and my surprise was greater when I found out that he was no longer just a prince but the king of Crimson Woods.

"My father passed away a couple of weeks ago," he said simply.

"I am so sorry," I replied monotonously, for I really didn't care about his father's death at all, and I was just trying to be polite.

"Thank you very much, Elina," he told me with a half smile, and then added:

"I would have liked to come earlier, but my father suddenly fell ill and I could not leave his side ... since rumors reached me about what had happened in your old kingdom, I wanted to come to see it with my own eyes, but I didn’t had the opportunity until now, and I must say that for the first time I am glad that the rumors were true and that you have finally left that place, although I am sorry for the loss of your father, I know how much you loved him,” he told me sympathetically, and I forced a smile but I couldn't say anything to him, because I really didn't feel the need to bother talking to him, I didn't see how that could be of any use to me.

But of course, my inexperience did not let me see what was quite obvious to everyone, especially my uncle, who saw in the new King Zane, who was not able to disguise his interest in me, as a great opportunity to get a powerful ally in the war against the Varks; And although at first, I was categorically opposed to that union, as time passed and we lost ground and men at the hands of Bastian's men, I knew that I had to put aside my doubts about it and find a new ally.

We didn't even have to propose it ourselves, because Zane began to come to visit us quite often and invited us to his palace on several occasions, until finally one day he proposed to me, just like that, without false pretenses, or stupid courtship rituals, he was perfectly aware of my situation, but seemed determined, and that made my own doubts about it begin to fade.

"Elina, I know that having a chosen mate is not the same as a fated one, but I am not really interested in your past, I have always liked you, from the first moment I saw you I was absolutely dazzled by your beauty, strength, and intelligence, you are everything I could have wanted in a wife, and although I know that many of my alphas will not agree that I choose a princess without a kingdom as a wife, none of that matters to me if you agree to unite your life with mine, I will accept everything that comes with that decision, and I will support every decision you make from now on,” he told me as he took my hand in his, and although I felt the strong urge to yank it away, I remained static in my place listening to the words that I would have wanted to hear from other lips.

I accepted his proposal, I did it despite the fact that something inside me was screaming at me not to do it, I accepted even though he and the people of his kingdom referred to me as "princess", even when he knew very well that my people had already proclaimed me as queen, it did not matter what titles they decided to use to refer to me as long as I could obtain all the advantages of that union, and although I also knew that a marriage with Zane could bring me more benefits than any other, even when this also implied for me to make certain personal sacrifices, I couldn't help but be surprised when I saw him entering the room that will now be mine in his palace, and without a word, he began to undress while looking at me with an expression full of lust that I was not anticipating.

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