A castle of secrets

Valtarin

“Nymeria is counting on you, Lilliana. Prove to them that you are not worthless,” my mother hissed.

She could care less about the kingdom....she wants me to prove to her that I’m not weak.

“I will not let the kingdom down,” I gritted out.

“Was the contract good enough for you? Did you study it well? Not that you have much of a choice, but you are agreeing to the terms, yes?” she shot off question after question. I could see the glimmer in her eye. It was the first time I’d noticed it. It was the first time I’d seen her beg me to challenge her. But I refuse to give her the satisfaction.

“I have studied the contract that you gave me. I am agreeing to the terms of my contract as long as Elliot is on board.”

My mother’s eyes lit up as if she had won the lottery. And was that pride I saw in her blue orbs? If only she knew what I was implying. That pride would be squashed faster than an unwanted spider on the wall.

“I trust that you will not give Sebastian trouble. I’ve asked him to keep an eye on you and report back to me if anything seems amiss. He’s been given explicit instruction to inform me if you are out of line, and I promise you Lilliana, you do not want to screw this up,” she sneered, slamming her palm on the top of my father’s desk.

I don’t plan to tell Sebastian about my swapping of contracts. I’m not sure that he would agree with me going against my mother in such a huge way and I can’t risk her finding out before we seal the deal.

That is, if Elliot is even interested. He could simply just be appeasing my mother as the Queen to be polite and tell me to go f**k myself when I arrive. I’d probably do the same if the tables were turned.

If we enter this contract, it’s going to be strictly for the benefit of our Kingdoms. If he is smart, he will agree to play house long enough to acquire his land and move on with his life.

Leaving the office without another word, I began walking to the car as Sebastian loaded up our bags. The driver was already sitting in the front seat, ready for our departure. I glanced up at the castle, taking a deep breath.

I am doing this for my people. It’s only nine months, right?

Flopping down into the back seat next to Sebastian, I went to close my door, but my mother stopped me, “Oh, and Lilliana, do not disappoint me. If you think your life is miserable, just wait until you get home without Elliot by your side.”

I slammed the door as soon as she moved out of the way, flashing her a thumbs up as the car began to move.

It was a four-hour trip to Valtarin’s main castle. Sebastian kept brushing his hand with mine or sneaking his fingers in between my thighs to get a rise out of me. The driver paid us no mind, but I didn’t want to risk him being a mole for my mother, so I ignored it.

Most of the kingdom feared my mother in a way. She was cold and calculated. I wasn’t the only one who felt her wrath.

**************

At some point, I must have fallen asleep, because Seb was nudging me to wake up. When I opened my eyes, I realized that I’d drooled down my chin. My cheeks flushed as I wiped the dampness away, looking out the windows to see the main castle in Valtarin.

Disappointment washed over me as I’d missed seeing the beauty of Valtarin. Each kingdom was unique in its own right. Valtarin was the perfect mixture of city life and nature, and somehow, I couldn’t stay awake long enough to see it.

I’ve only seen pictures of this place, but they do not do it justice. Nymeria’s main castle was beautiful, but very outdated. It looked like we were trapped in time back in the 1700’s. Valtarin has modernized everything.

The castle stood tall, with the same shape as ours, but the exterior wasn’t stucco. It was made of polished stones and had a beautiful clay-tiled roof. There was a large fountain out front with phenomenal, luscious greenery in the middle.

What really struck me was the beautiful rose bushes scattered around the property. They were white and red, creating the most beautiful contrast to the castle.

“This is amazing.”

“Yeah,” Seb scoffed, “They take their gardening very seriously.”

“I think I’m going to take my gardening seriously once I’m on the throne. You sir, can be my gardener,” I winked, “Clothes optional,” I whispered, hopping out of the car and leaving him behind with his mouth agape. The air here was crisp and smelled heavenly. The aroma of the roses was refreshing.

Sebastian quickly climbed out of the car as King Emmet and his mate Hartley walked out of the castle.

I bowed my head, “King Emmet, Queen Hartley, thank you for allowing me to visit.”

Emmet was around six foot, four inches and his mate had to stand tall, around six foot herself. I thought that I was tall at five-ten, but she towered over me.

Emmet had deep brown eyes that shimmered orange beneath the glow of the sunset. He had a strong jawline, and light, sandy-blonde colored hair that was kept clean cut. Hartley was stunning. She had bright, coppery hair that fell to her waist in soft curls. Her porcelain skin was lightly freckled, bringing out her bright hazel eyes.

“Welcome princess, Lilliana. It is nice to finally meet the future Queen of Nymeria,” Emmet gave me a soft smile, “You must be Beta Sebastian,” he nodded at Seb, who had his hands full with our things.

“Yes sir,” Sabastian responded curtly.

“I’d like to extend our condolences on the passing of King Hugo. He was a fierce leader and I’m sure will be very missed within Nymeria,” Emmet bowed.

“Your castle is beautiful. The roses are breathtaking,” I whispered, trying to change the subject before the waterworks began. The King of our enemy was kinder to me than my own mother.

Hartley smiled, “They are, aren’t they?” The way she turned her head to admire them had a warmth filling my chest.

Emmet turned towards her, blushing furiously, and it was obvious how much he loved her. You could tell from the look in his eye, “My Queen has an eye for all things beautiful. She is the reason there is so much color planted around here.”

“You did a lovely job. I think it livens the place up.”

“Thank you. I appreciate the compliment,” she smiled warmly.

I was starting to wonder why my father never squashed his quarrel with Valtarin. What happened with my great grandmother wasn’t the fault of Valtarin’s heirs. But I trusted that my father would have had good reason not to push for an alliance. Something that my mother probably knew and neglected to care about.

“I am sorry that Elliot is not here to meet with you this evening. He is off....on business. I can show you to your rooms and tomorrow morning we can sit down to discuss the contract,” Emmet gritted out. It didn’t sound like he was very pleased with Elliot at the moment, and I’m picking up that he’s definitely not on business.

“No worries, I am exhausted from the trip anyways,” I forced a smile, silently wondering where Elliot may be.

Emmet raised a brow, probably confused on how I could be exhausted from a short drive, but he said nothing, motioning us to follow him inside the castle. Lucky for me, he didn’t know that I’d spent a majority of the ride napping, either.

“I don’t mean to sound rude, but where is your Beta?”

My mother hated it when I spoke directly about mundane things. My mind was always piqued with curiosity and my mouth was faster than my brain. If she were here, I’d hear her voice in my head warning me not to open my mouth again.

Emmet smiled, “Not rude at all. My Beta is newly mated and taking the week off. I am my own Beta for the time being.”

“That’s awesome. Congratulations.”

“I will pass the word along,” Emmet added, “The dining area is on the main floor. You are welcome to come down and grab anything you need. If you prefer something hot and ready, there is a phone in every room. We have an amazing kitchen staff that is available from six am through ten pm. They can typically throw together anything that you might be hungry for.”

“Thank you.”

I’m not sure why, but my nerves were growing with every step through this castle. My entire future was riding on this meeting. If I wasn’t able to get Elliot to agree to my revised version of the contract, my mother would stick true to her word. She would absolutely make my life a living hell....more than it already was....

Not to mention, I have a lot riding on this. Once I’m on the throne, I will have access to everything that I need to find out what happened to Dallas and my father. The more I think about my father’s death, the more I think about Dallas. They both died in a similar manner, in similar areas of the forest, along the borders of Viltarin. Sure, it could be a coincidence, but I just had this strange feeling that I was about to crack open a can of worms that would shock the Kingdom.

What if it was a curse? My father’s bloodline was tainted with magic, and though they believed it to have ended with my great grandmother, maybe they cursed the Pershing name, and I was doomed to the same fate eventually.

The only difference between them and I, is that I actually do have magic flowing through my veins. It might be slightly unhinged at times, but I’ve gotten incredibly good at keeping it at bay when I need to.

“This room is yours and your Beta’s room will be next door. If you take the elevator up to the top floor, that is where I stay with Hartley to the left and to the right is where Elliot stays. If you two have any questions or need anything tonight, please feel free to bother us,” Emmet smiled.

I only nodded, still being lost in my thoughts. Walking inside, the rooms were spacious, with a living area, open concept kitchen, and half bath all visible from the door. There was a large bedroom equipped with a king-sized bed and attached bathroom. Everything was decorated black and white with pops of bright red, just like the roses outside.

I unpacked my things, hanging them neatly in the closet. I know I was only meant to be here a few days, but I couldn’t stand the idea of my clothing getting wrinkled in a bag while I was on a trip. It was the one “normal” thing about me.

After I was finished, I flopped backwards onto the large, plush bed, sinking into the mattress.

Holy hell, this was nice. This mattress put mine at home to shame. My body sunk in beautifully, and I felt as if I were wrapped in a soft, fluffy cloud.

What am I supposed to do here?

I’ve unpacked all of my things, it’s after dinner time, and it would be rude to have Seb in my room for the evening. I may not be a woman of tradition, but I pride myself in being respectful.

Pulling out my phone, I decided to call my closest friend, Tessa. She’s the only person who has stuck by me all of these years. My mother has basically chased everyone else away. Friends were a distraction. A weakness. She’d say if someone wanted to get to you, they’d start with your friends and then move onto your family.

I rolled my eyes just as Tessa answered, “Girl, where did you go?”

Tessa was a natural beauty. She had deep, chocolatey brown eyes with flecks of green in the sunlight, and long, straight blonde hair. She was the epitome of perfection with a straight nose, heart-shaped face, and plush lips.

“I didn’t have time to chat before my mother sent me away. She wants me to take Elliot f*****g Lakin as my chosen mate,” I scoffed, scrunching my nose up in disgust.

Tessa’s eyes grew wide, “The other half to the Lakin twins?! I mean, he’s a f*****g God of a man. Or at least he was. I don’t think I’ve seen a picture of him in years. But damn, the Ice Queen has really done it this time,” she paused, licking her lips before winking.

I giggled, “Attractive or not, this is disgusting. My father would hate me for this.”

She paused her goofing to frown, “I mean, he probably wouldn’t stop your mom and her ways, so at least you can have some solace in that. Whatever she said, went. Your momma wore the pants in that relationship.”

“I feel like this is where he would draw the line. The Lakin’s are a well-known enemy.”

“Are you going to do it?” Tessa questioned, muffled by her toothbrush. I noticed she’d set the phone down on her sink and was brushing her teeth.

“What choice do I have?” I groaned, rolling to my stomach and propping myself up on my elbows, “The woman said she’d make my life hell if I came home without a signed contract.”

I watched her shoulders rise and fall with a quick shrug, “Isn’t your life already hell? You may as well just pledge your allegiance to Hades himself. Probably better than Coralynn.”

“Yes, but....” she turned her face towards the camera stopping me, “No but’s, maybe you should just tell her to go f**k herself with the ice pick she’s got lodged in her ass.”

I cackled at her bluntness. It was one of the main reasons we got along so well. She was everything that I longed to be. The unsuppressed version of myself. It’s probably also the reason my mother hated her so much.

“As lovely as that sounds; I can’t. I need to take my title before I make her hatred if me worse. I have a plan.”

She raised the phone as she walked through her dark room, flopping on the bed, “No gatekeeping, spill,” Tessa ordered.

Biting my bottom lip, I contemplated the truth. If I spoke out loud, could anyone hear me? Would it ruin everything before it had a chance to begin?

“I don’t want to speak it in case there are eyes and ears around. Trust me when I tell you I think it’s the only way and as soon as everything is locked down with signatures, you will be the first person I talk to.”

“I’m holding you to that,” she raised her brows, “But since we’re in different time zones now, I gotta go. Work in the morning. I love you, lady. Don’t let your mom get to you. She’s a fake-ass-b***h. You’ll be Queen in no time, and I’ll use my own boot to kick her out of there,” Tessa winked.

“Love you too,” I smiled, ending the call.

My mind was restless, and I desperately wanted to use magic, but the risk was much too high here.

Closing my eyes, I tried to force sleep, but to no avail. Finally, I slipped on a robe over my shorts and tank top, grabbed a pair of slides and decided to walk the grounds.

Popping open my door, I made sure Seb wasn’t watching. He would want to join me as “protection”, but I didn’t want his company right now. Silence was calling my name.

I breathed in the fresh, floral aroma of roses as soon as the main door shut behind me. I didn’t notice how truly potent it was when we first arrived, but the smell was addicting. I walked over, admiring the large, beautiful bushes full of white and red roses.

My fingertips brushed the petals, feeling their silkiness roll between my fingers, though I made sure not to apply too much pressure. Damaging nature was a sin.

Leaning forward, I inhaled the scent, allowing it to assault my senses. I’d bought hundreds of perfumes trying to imitate the scent, but nothing matched the real thing.

The Earth was something that helped calm my magic. Anything natural and growing was almost like a drug for me. No matter the level of anger that coursed through my veins, it could be calmed with something as simple as running my fingers along freshly cut grass or inhaling the scent of a rose.

I continued on, hoping that there would be more, and I wasn’t disappointed.

Around the back of the packhouse, there was a garden. I’d squealed out loud when it came into view. Cobblestone pathways wound through beautiful flowers. Wild and meticulously planted. There was an area of all sorts of citrus trees, with bright oranges, yellows, and greens dangling from the branches. Apple trees of every variety. Grape and blueberry vines with plump, round blues and purples.

This was amazing. My body felt like it was wired with electricity as I admired it all.

As I made my way through all of the fruits, I sampled each one, moaning at the taste of them. Fresh fruits straight off the vine hit different than those you bought from the supermarket. It didn’t get more organic than this.

“What do you think you’re doing?” someone growled from behind me.