His beloved witch

Chapter 33: Let it rain

 -Blanche-

They received me at the entrance of their community with a chorus of children. Females had necklaces of flowers on their hands for us. A little girl in her mother's arms put one on me. Silently, I eyed my ladies to follow my example. And fortunately, they did, including the annoying Lydia.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Chief Pazzi.” I greeted the elder.

Celio Pazzi wore a tunic and used a cane.

“Please, just call me Celio, my Queen.”

It feels odd to be addressed as “Queen” and not complain about it. However, the title comes with Andre, and I am giving a full honest try without holding back.

Andre accepts me wholeheartedly, and I do the same with him.

A little girl with dimples offered me a bouquet of wildflowers.

“Then, I will have to ask you to call me by my name.” I could have offered my hand for a shake, but another child gave me another bouquet.

“Oh, my Queen, I would not dare. King Andre would skin me alive!” He joked.

"Andre is not so irrational,” I smiled at the elder. “He is the one who sent me here with supplies and provisions to help your community. I am sure he would not mind.”

“Oh, my Queen. Please, thank King Andre on our behalf. He is so generous.”

It was not what he said, but the way he said it. I liked him.

The rural area has several small communities living far from each other and is led by a Chief. The elder of the village.

My convoy with help is not the only one displayed today. Several are delivering supplies and provisions to different communities now. The community I am visiting was chosen randomly and notified at the last minute about me.

“Even as was a pup when he visited us with his mother, King Andre has shown we were in his heart. He is a good King.”

It warmed my heart to hear him talking about Andre that way. How was he as a child?

“The winter will be hard on us, and this help will be more than enough for our small community, my Queen.”

He looked at the guards helping the residents download several boxes from the trucks sent from the palace.

“I am glad it will be helpful, but if the community needs something. Please, let us know. Andre and I will be happy to help.”

The Chief smiled at me, and I knew there was more that we could do for them.

“Please, our females have cooked a nice meal to share with you, and our children would like to offer you a gift.”

The sky is blue despite the forecast report I received, besides I do not feel in my body any trace of a storm, so I agreed.

"Your Majesty, we should head back immediately as planned." Tom reminded me.

"We should at least spend an hour with them," I argued, following the elder towards the community center while the children surrounded me.

Tom stiffened but did not complain. I liked Tom. He probably linked the other guards because they changed their positions.

The building was in the middle of the small village where the houses were small, and apart from each other, all built with a mix of mud with thatch. The school building was the only one built with bricks and cement and was further apart over a small hill.

Regardless, the construction mingled with the natural environment, the land, trees, and wildlife.

Looking at the houses, I could not tell which house belonged to the Chief's house. None was bigger or had any distinction.

Once in the community center, Agustina, Celio’s mate, bowed and offered me a traditional beverage and food. Tom stopped everything for someone else to come and test it first. It was embarrassing, but I allowed it.

Andre could feel whatever happens to me. Everyone felt our link when I almost died last time, but they do not know for sure Andre could die if something happens to me. Even I am not sure of how things will be since we are not of the same species, and we are not mated. Our upper hand relies on what our enemies do know not.

“This is a safe place for our Queen!” the elder complained. “She is the fated mate of our King. A treasure granted by our Moon Goddess herself. Our Lycans would die for her! We are loyal!” His eyes turned red, facing Tom.

“I apologize, Celio,” I tried to placate his anger. “But I am not what others might consider the best for Andre and would want to get rid of me and potentially infiltrate here to cause trouble. As you know, my visit was not announced or covered by the media to prevent any attack. Andre worries…”

I cannot deny, Tom could have asked nicely to test the food.

“Yes, my Queen. You are right. Celio just lost his temper.” Agustina explained.

"We understand... we truly do." The elder relaxed and sat down. “Just remember, guard. The rural area is loyal to King Andre and his mate.”

Tom lowered his head and bowed respectfully to the elder.

“Please, our children would like to offer you their gift.” Augustina showed me the improvised stage.

The village had a band of four musicians, but they filled the place with their music while the children danced in their typical clothes.

The boys wore a white shirt with a back vest embellished with colorful patterns that represented the weather seasons of the year and the main labor of the community in such a season. It was like their clothes were telling a story.

The girls had long hair in two braids, wore white and pink blouses, the skirts were also black were the colorful patterns said another story. I remember Leon told me, females sew on their skirts the story of the first Moon Goddess’ warrior and his human mate. According to their legends, they were the origin of the Lycans.

When they finished their dance, I clapped vigorously. It was beautiful. The pink cheeks of the children with those toothy smiles warmed my heart. No wonder why Andre would send me here. This must be his favorite place. 

Behind the children who danced, a small girl, no older than six-year-old, raised a hand. She was not wearing typical clothes. In fact, those clothes were too big and perhaps washed too many times already.

“My Queen, I have not made a pretty necklace with wildflowers, and I am not good at dancing like my friends, but I can sing. Can I sing for you?”

“Yes, please… what is your name, child?”

“Bianca, my Queen.”

“Your name and mine have the same meaning,” I told her.

She gave me a megavolt smile, and I could see one of her teeth was missing. Lycans change teeth like humans around that same age.

And Bianca sang a song named Jose Antonio accompanied by a guitar.

Everyone was silent to hear her.

The lyrics were about Jose Antonio and how the memory of him still lingered in the village. In the song, she asked him why he left her here and how one day she would find him again. By then, it will be June and it will rain, so she would cuddle on his chest under his coat for their happy ending to begin.

That song began as a soft murmur with the cadence of a merry song, accompanied by the guitar, but soon the longing in her voice mixed with anger and pain passed thru me and watered my eyes without my will. The strings of the guitar made a sound that touched my soul.

I cleaned the tears from my face. It was a beautiful song, but maybe not appropriate for someone of her age...

Since there were also tears in the eyes of the little girl, I offered my arms to comfort her, and she ran to me. My guards disagreed, but I glared at Tom, and he recoiled.

Despite her brown hair, Bianca reminded me of Clara at that age. In my arms, she cried some more. I knew it. The sadness in her eyes belongs to someone who has lost part of her world but still tries to keep on.

Jose Antonio is an old Lycan song. Her father had the same name, and her mother has sung that song every day after he passed away, six months ago.

He left the village to work as a security guard in a factory that belongs to the Ventimiglia family in the next city. Apparently, thieves broke under weird circumstances, where only Jose Antonio died.

The company that employed Jose Antonio was supposed to pay insurance for those employed in risky jobs like his to compensate those who were left behind. But the company did not do it and do not want to pay the widow and orphans anything.

Legalities here and there... Six months later, no money. Bianca had three younger siblings and a sick mother. Lycans survive the death of their mates when not fated, but the loss weakens them… even more, when you must work despite the pain of feeding four children.

The community helps them, but four children need more than that.

Andre is trying to prevent this kind of abuse with his changes in the Kingdom.

I promised myself to help Bianca and those like Bianca.

Olena is engaged to someone whose last name is Ventimiglia, and she whispered to me she would help. But I do not know; I am worried about her and Marcela. I see concerning signs.

I thought Chief Celio wanted to help Bianca's family, but that was not all. He had heard that my kind understand nature, and he thought I could alter the weather to help their crops. Totally a misconception. Besides, no one should mess with the balance set by nature.

Strong emotions from some witches can alter the weather, but none of us is strong enough to make a definite change.

However, I listened to him, and I think there are ways to help them. Supplies and provisions are appreciated, but they want to be self-sufficient despite the time of the year.

I promised to come back with one or more projects to discuss with Chief Celio after talking with Andre. More information and resources are needed.

Outside, the day was still beautiful. Not even one cloud. Lycan’s forecasts about the weather are inaccurate.

Bianca was holding my hand as I walked with my entourage outside of the community center. She led me to a kitty hidden in a hole in a wall behind a wood board.

The kitty was black with a white ear. She had beautiful green eyes that, for some odd reason, remembered me of Andre's eyes. Her soft meows made me fall to my knees and pick her up.

“My Catty-Cat had kitties,” Bianca explained. “But we are already too many mouths to feed at home… So, I asked my neighbors, and they adopted the other kitties. It is only this one left, but no one wants Mina, not even my Catty-Cat.”

“And you want me to give your kitty a home, right?”

Bianca nodded.

“I cannot keep her… Maybe you can be a good mommy for her, my Queen. She does not eat much, and she is nice.”

I felt a tug in my heart. May the Goddess bless children and their innocence.

“What is her name?”

“Mina.” Bianca smiled.

      “I loved your song, Bianca. Help will come. And I promise to take care of your kitty,” I hope my three fur babies accept their new sister without a fuss. “And I will come back with her to visit you.”

“Thank you, my Queen!” Bianca hugged me.

I gave my farewell to the villagers and my eyes went to Bianca, who hugged the waist of a thin female holding a two-year-old in her arms with a big smile on her face.

I closed my eyes, holding the kitty against my chest. It is comforting to leave this place with Mina because whenever I see children like this... my heart longs for what I cannot have.

I wonder if Andre would ever change his mind about children. Adoption, he offered. If I truly want a child, he offered me to adopt one or more because he cared little to none about them. Would it be true in the long run? Males want heirs of their own blood, even more, those who are Kings…

Olena and Marcela did not hop on my SUV. Only Rita did and shrunk her shoulders at whatever she was told by mind link.

“Rita, do you know why Olena and Marcela used another car?”

Lydia had a frown on her face the entire time, but then her annoying smirk appeared.

“My Queen, it is because of the cat.”

I looked at the petite, defenseless animal.

“What is wrong with my kitty?”

“It is considered of back luck.”

“What? Why?”

“It has two colors! Lycans prefer one color or the other, but not two together in one. We consider it bad luck."

“How peculiar! Each kingdom has a different way of planting bad luck to someone or something. For example, humans think black cats are bad luck and offer them as a sacrifice to fake witches and warlocks. If you find a black cat in September, protect them, find them a safe home. They are hunted by idiots with a dark soul!"

"Queen Blanche, it is not baseless. Our former Queen - Moon Goddess blesses her soul and keeps her in heaven- she had a cat with two colors, and she got sick no long after."

"No animal or person can bring bad luck to others.” I am a witch; I know what I am talking about.

"I try to not be superstitious, my Queen. But I am scared."

I would have rolled my eyes at Rita, but she was nice enough to come with me despite her fears. Irrational or not, fear is fear.

" How is that she got sick?"

"She found the cat on a visit to a small town. The same as you have done now. And then boom, she got sick... Well, the King knew it was bad luck, so he threw the cat away, and the Queen offered a reward for it. And obviously, someone found the damn cat and gave it back to her."

     “How was the disease?”

“It is said she had chest pains; her stomach hurt… things like that... Our Queen had good days and bad days for a long, long time until she died.”

That information is vague.

I wonder if I can get more information and solve the mystery around the death of Andre’s mother. If Cara killed her or was involved, I want her to lose much more than her position as the former King’s mate.

Suddenly, we heard a sound like a gunshot, and our car halted. Tom got on alert but relaxed soon. It was just a flat tire.

“The bad luck struck us!” Rita opened the door and leaped out of the car, scared.

I moved slowly, being careful with my kitty. I kissed Mina’s soft head and she purred happily.

Outside, I saw that my ladies and even some guards were worried.

Tom was holding back his desire to throw the little cat away from me, I glared at him for his looks towards my kitty.

Unfortunately, there was not a spare tire, and none of the other vehicles' spare tires were of the size needed for my SUV. Unbelievable!

More eyes fell on the kitty who meowed at me as if she knew what they were silently asking. I kissed her head again, disregarding their prejudice against Mina.

I could have taken any other vehicle to go back to the palace, but safety protocols forbade it. My SUV was freaking special.

If it was that f*****g special, why does it not have a spare tire?

Tom suggested calling the palace and getting another vehicle for me, but there was no signal. Andre told me things are wrong because of the telecommunications monopoly. It has nothing to do with an innocent cat.

Then the sky decided it was time to get dark. s**t! I felt the tingle in my fingers before any storm. I noticed the smirk on Lydia’s face. And that is suspicious.

What would be the plan? Could Andre’s enemies attack us now? If they do, they have planned faster than we thought, or they have intel inside.

As if Tom read my mind, he hurried me inside of the SUV and wait for help. He did not want to send guards to get help, since that would reduce the number of guards to protect me. Tom did not want to lose even one Lycan for my defense.

However, we did not have to wait more than a minute for help; from my seat inside the car, I saw another convoy of vehicles with the royal emblem on them.

Andre worries a lot... for me. But he did not send someone; Andre came himself, and I jumped out of the car to hug him. I had missed him! Honestly, I am crazy for this male!

He received me with a smile and a passionate kiss as I hugged his neck and wrapped my legs around his waist.

Fuck my promise, I would ride him from here until we arrive at the palace!

Andre pecked my lips once more with his eyes opened and chuckled at my sudden blush. I recalled those around us.

"Naughty King," I whispered in his ear, feeling his powerful muscles. His big hands on my butt squeezed it lightly.

“Oh, no! Mina! I have lost her!” I yelled, scurrying away out from Andre’s hold.

“Who is Nina?”

“Mina! My kitty!”

“Your highness, it is about to rain!” Tom warned us.

“I need to find her!” I have promised! “Mina!” I called her.

“We should find shelter, my love.” Andre pulled me into his car. “It is about to rain.” Then, I spotted the kitty under my SUV.

“Mina!” I was relieved, looking at my kitty, but Andre did not want to let go of my hand.

I turn around to look at him. He was tense with his jaw clenched tightly.

“No.”

“Andre, my kitty!” I pointed in her direction.

“The rain!”

I know it is about to rain! My kitty will be scared, cats dislike water!

“Just one second!” I said and escaped from him.

"No!" Andre yelled, but it was too late. I am fast. I could get Mina safe in my hands.

The sky broke down, and heavy rain fell on us like someone opened the faucet of the shower. Quickly, I hid the kitty inside my clothes, and, raising my eyes, I found myself under an enormous umbrella that Andre was holding.

"You are fine." He marveled.

“Yes… Why would I not be?”

“The rain…”

Oh! Another misconception about my kind.

Since my cat was safely inside my clothes, I stepped out of his umbrella and pulled his hand to walk into the rain.

“Let it rain, love. Let it rain.” I said and pulled him into a kiss under the heavy rain.