The Silver Lycan Queen

Chapter 10 - Duty before love

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Novah

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"Hey!" I greet Ana, finding her in my room as I come out of the shower. “Good morning,” she chirps, turning to look at me and holding the diamond set of earnings that was gifted to me by Kellan.

“These are beautiful,” she compliments, putting them back inside the box before closing it and placing it where it was. “Thanks. It was a gift from Kellan,” I tell her as she walks over to me to help me with my hair.

“So...” she says, her tone suddenly changing. “How was it?” she asks, and I look up at her from the mirror as she untangles my hair, using her fingers to find her eyes gleaming with curiosity. “How was what?” I ask, acting clueless even though I have an idea of what she’s asking. “Your first night with your mate? Goddess, it feels weird saying that.”

“We didn’t do anything if that’s what you’re asking. We only cuddled all night, but it was still the best night of my life.”

“Oh,” she says, looking surprised.

“What? You thought we were just going to get it on?”

“Well, yeah.”

“What? We just met, Ana.”

“So? He’s your mate.”

“Yeah, but we must still get to know each other; you know, fall for each other.”

“I don’t understand. I thought the whole mate thing meant love at first sight.”

“It does, and we love each other, but now it’s still based mainly on the bond. It’s more like a strong attraction that we have towards each other than actual love.”

“Oh,” she says, still looking confused. “Look, it’s difficult to explain, but maybe you’ll meet yours soon too and you’ll feel it for yourself. I mean, I met mine. Which means the curse has to be lifted, right?” I tell her and just then there’s a knock on the door. She goes to answer it and I start blow-drying my hair in the meantime.

Today, I’m testing out my plan at the orphanage. I sigh, wondering how it will go with my mother. I can’t decide if I want to go to the orphanage first or if I want to tell her first. Maybe I must tell her first because if all goes well, I won’t have to do all the sneaking around.

Ana comes back and tells me my father wants to see me, and I immediately get a bad feeling. I don’t know if it’s because of this Nolan situation, but every time my parents want to see me, I freak out. “What do you think it’s about?” I ask Ana, and she narrows her eyes at me. “Sorry, stupid question,” I mutter and she nods and finishes blow-drying my hair.

“So, are you still going through with telling your mom today?”

“Yeah, I am. I can’t handle another horrible date with Kellan.”

“What if they don’t understand Novah? What if your parents don’t care that he’s your mate and still want you to marry the prince?”

“They can’t force me to marry someone who’s not my mate when I’ve found my mate. It’s against our laws.”

“Yes, but that law was set when there were still mates—you know when everybody still found theirs-”

“-And I found him.”

“-I know, look, what I’m trying to say is, what if they just tell you to leave him? He’s human, after all. He won’t die if you reject him.”

“The law doesn’t have exceptions. A mate is a mate, whether human or wolf. So they can't ask me to do that.”

“Well, for both of your sakes, I hope it goes well.”

“Yeah, me too,” I mutter, getting up as she puts the dryer away after she’s done.

“Was it difficult? I mean, trying to make him understand the whole mate and wolf thing? Did he not freak out?”

“He did at first, but eventually listened, and understood,” I reply, thinking of how Nolan freaked out when I told him what he was. I feel bad every time Ana mentions Nolan is human, especially with how she’s helping me, risking her and her mother’s lives in the process, but I can’t expose what he is, not yet anyway. No one’s ready for that right now.

I get dressed and head downstairs to see my father.

•

•

"Father." I greet my father with a curtsey, and he asks me to sit. I take a seat and my mother soon joins us as well. She places a kiss on the top of my head and takes her seat by my father’s side. “I spoke to Kellan’s father this morning. Kellan wants to move up the wedding,” he says, causing my eyes to widen, shocked.

“Wha-what do you mean, father?”

“I mean, he doesn’t want to wait five more months; he wants the wedding to take place in two weeks from now. So you and your mother will head to Brakendel tomorrow for the preparations. I will join you as soon as I can.”

“No!” I exclaim, unable to hide my panic, causing my parents to look at me, confused. “No?” my father asks, his frown deepening. “Mon, Dad, I can’t go through with this. I can’t marry Kellan,” I tell them, and my father’s frown turns into a scowl.

“What are you talking about? Why not?” my mother asks, getting up from her chair and walking over to me before sitting next to me.

“Because I… I-” I try to say, but the words won’t come out of my mouth. This is not how I planned to tell them.

“Sweetheart, it’s okay. You’re going to be fine,” she says, taking my hands in hers, but I remove them and lean my elbows on the table before taking my face in my hands. “No, mom. It's not going to be okay. I don’t want to go through with this anymore.”

“Enough,” my father says, causing us to look at him. “What is this nonsense, Novah? You knew this day was coming. What’s the difference if you marry him now or in five months?”

“I can’t marry him, father, not now, not in five months, never.”

“Why the hell not?”

“I don’t love him, Father, and he doesn’t love me.”

“So what? You will learn to love each other. Why is that suddenly a problem? You know duty comes before love and you have a duty to your people, just like I did when I married your mother, like she did when she married me. Love comes later, you know this. Now, please, stop this madness.”

“I can’t.”

“You know what?” my father says, shaking his head. “You’re obviously coming down with something because you’re clearly not yourself. Take her to her room,” he tells my mother, and she gets up to leave and I realize it’s now or never.

I didn’t want it to come out like this, but I have no choice; I’m not going to Brakendel tomorrow. “I found my mate!” I exclaim, causing my mother to halt her movements. “What?” my father asks, turning to look at me with an incredulous look in his eyes.

“I found him, father. I found my mate and I cannot marry another man.”

“Take her to her room,” he simply says to my mother and he walks out of the room, leaving me calling out to him. “Come, you’ll feel better after you rest,” my mother says, helping me to my feet.

“I’m not tired, mother. I found my mate. I’m not lying. I swear,” I tell her, tears now flooding down from my eyes. “Please, believe me, I would never lie about something like this.”

“Sweetheart, mates haven’t existed for decades; you know that.”

“I know but I found him, Mom. I can’t explain how, but it’s true. I swear on everything I hold dear. Please talk to Father. Please don’t let him force me, because I won’t do it, Mom. I will refuse Kellan in front of everyone.”

“Shh… it’s gonna be okay. Ana! Call the doctor; I need something to keep her calm.”

“I’m not sick!”

“I know, sweetheart, but you need to calm down,” she says, taking me to my room.

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Roseline Kane

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After the doctor gave Novah something to calm her down, she fell asleep, and I decided to come talk to my husband. Although her claims about finding her mate sounded crazy, I detected no signs of dishonesty in her eyes. What if it’s true? What if she found him? I mean, mates existed before. It’s not like she’s talking about something unheard of. I knock before pushing his office door open and peeking inside. “Do you have a moment?” I ask, finding him sitting with his head laid back on the chair, his eyes closed. He opens his eyes and nods, gesturing to the seat in front of him with his hand.

“How’s she?”

“She’s asleep.”

“What do you think is going on with her? Why is she suddenly acting like this? Just yesterday, she was out with him, and she looked happy. Why all this madness now?”

“She says she found her mate.”

“I heard that, but we both know it’s not true. Mates haven’t existed for a long time; she’s obviously just saying anything to get out of this marriage.”

“But why?” I ask him. “I don’t know; that’s what I’m asking,” he says, his voice laced with frustration, and I reach across the table and take his hand.

“Duncan, Novah grew up knowing she’d wed Kellan one day and knowing it’s her duty, and not once did she ever question or rebel against it. She understood the responsibility and accepted it. Now, I don’t know if you have noticed, but for the past couple of weeks, she’s been acting strange. Sleeping late, looking stressed all the time. Even avoiding us, which is unlike her. What if she’s not lying? What if she really found him?”

“Are you serious?” He asks, looking at me like I’m crazy, before removing his hands from mine.

“There were no traces of lies in her eyes, Duncan.”

“No! This is nonsense, Rose!”

“Why? Because you don't want to hear it? It’s not impossible, Duncan,” I tell him as he gets up from his chair, walking over to the window.

“Novah will do her duty; she will wed Kellan one way or another. Has she forgotten how much is riding on this? We stand to lose everything if she pulls out of this and I won’t allow it. Tomorrow, she’s going to Brakendel, even if I have to take her myself.”

“What if you take her there and she still refuses in front of him?”

“She wouldn’t dare.”

“What if she does? What if she refuses in front of everyone? That would be an even bigger disaster than her pulling out of the wedding now.”

“Is that what she said to you? That she’ll refuse in front of everyone? Do you know what would happen to us if she did that? We would be defaced. We would lose all the alliances her title as Kellan’s fiancé has secured for us. I will be a laughingstock. No one would ever take me seriously again. The people of Brakendel would hate us. I would be regarded as a weak king. I would be isolated.”

“I know what we stand to lose, which is why I’m trying to warn you against forcing her.”

“If I don’t force her, then what? What else do I do?”