The Lycan's Miserable Queen

WORSE THAN SHE THOUGHT

STARTING OFF ON A VERY BAD NOTE- WORSE THAN SHE THOUGHT

"I know that we are running short on time and the journey ahead will be heavy, but I just have just one request to make before I leave. I wish to be allowed a few minutes with my mother, I have not seen her in years, who knows how long it will be again before I see her again if I do not talk to her now? I will not take up much of your time." She expressed almost beseechingly, hoping that she will not get shoved out of the door with that one request ignored. Unfortunately for her, Quesce was only about to make her night worse. The second princess passed by just on time to hear Adelaide's pleas and she strutted to her sister, wearing one of the many mean faces she prided herself in.

Princess Quesce's sneer first targeted Cumia,

"What did she just say?" Cumia bashfully lowered her head while Adelaide opened her mouth to speak but was immediately silenced by her acrimonious words. "If you truly cared about our mother, you would have never left her! She was never the same after you left, her heart could not handle it, you killed our mother, Adelaide and for that, I will NEVER EVER forgive you!! You suddenly want to see our mother now that she lies in bones? Not resting in peace because all she yearned for in her last days was her firstborn, was her precious Adelaide?! She waited, every single second did not break her, she thought you would walk in through that door right there, she did not lose hope, up until the very last second. Just look at you, you have no shame, to wear that head so proudly yet you have disgraced our people so! I was ready, I had been preparing myself for a life entirely new to the one I know, to the one I envisioned myself having with Burq, I had accepted my new fate, I was ready to bring back dignity to our name and make father proud- until you came along and ruined everything. My plans. My mentalities. My life is in disarray now, all because of you. I do not know why you have returned, but I hope, I pray to the Goddess that you never set foot in Veildar again. You are not welcome here. I do not see myself attending any of the ceremonies or your wedding either, so you better find someone to take my place. Your marriage will be the most miserable and undesirable, I hope the Lycan king tears you apart, I hope the Goddess is ever unkind to you. Do not ever call me your sister again!!" Quesce stormed off her protectors at her heels, though incensed and emotionally fraught, her gait was the most graceful.

Adelaide was left shell-shocked by Quesce's unsparing bombardment, but held a firm grip on denial. She turned to Cumia, hands trembling and lips fixed into a wry smile, desperation in her glassy eyes. "Cumia…." She swallowed, her eyes going to the sinewy built men before returning to hers. "Where is my mother?" The young woman lowered her gaze briefly before her head tilted and her eyes locked with hers now filled with pity.

"I really wished to tell you this earlier, your highness, but Luna Viria fell to a mysterious, fatal illness. It has been two years now." She concluded regrettably and shattered the princess' heart.

Her mother was gone….

Her mother was dead….

Cumia's words rang in her head, but a moment worthy of even seconds to grasp the reality and entrench herself in wow, she could not afford- The young wolves' patience had thinned considerably. If she took any longer, her father would be alerted and she would leave the palace stacked onto brawny shoulders, not on by her own feet.

"We should get going, right this way, my princess."The apparent senior gestured to the door, his eyes telling of what would ensue if she frustrated him any further. King Balor was not to be impressed by tardiness.

Adelaide moved along, dragging her feet as elegantly as she could, while tears stung her eyes. She could not cry in front of her soon- to - be husband's servants, not when she was soon to claim second highest seat in his council. The wolves and lycans would lose all respect for her before she even wears the crown if they assure themselves of her vulnerability and weakness. All she wanted to do was to curl up in bed and cry endlessly, this was utterly unfair.

King Balor's fascination with cars was well-known, he unsparingly collected vicious looking vehicles of outstanding luxuriousness, so it was no surprise at all to Adelaide that she was going to travel to Ferine City in regal, unaffordable style.

What was a unpleasant, unexpected surprise to her however, was the current Lycan king's absence. Even his special, well distinguished vehicle was not lined with the escort vehicles. Adelaide was glad that her father had not witnessed this. The Lycan king had decided not to show up and traditionally he should have been the one to open the door for her and share a seat with her. The time would have been useful, they would have gotten to know each other, even just to scrape the surface.

Adelaide was abashed as the senior escort took her hand and helped her climb into the vehicle. A moment far beyond disgraceful for her, she felt like she should have been preparing herself for rejection. After so many years, her betrothed did not have the courtesy to collect her from her home and take the journey to her new home with her. She could have pondered on all the possibilities and inquired about his schedule in hopes that at least a matter of high exigency would excuse him and alter the rather undesirable image of him she had painted, as well as relieve her from the guilt of thinking she had embarrassed her father again, that she was not worthy enough of his regard- but she did not have a heart to offer for such battery.

Her heart was already sore and bleeding as it beat. The pain was almost unbearable, she was left in abject misery and had to bottle up her emotions- no part of this night was fair.

She could not scream and weep tremendously and mourn her mother, she could only take with her a locket containing her picture. That was the last of her that remained with her. She would soon fade into nothing but a distant memory. She was thankful that her future husband was not with her, she would have not been able to release any of her a anguish in his company. She cried softly, glad that at least she had no one listening and looking on. Ferine City was six hours away and those hours Adelaide used to unclog the heaviness in her chest. She was dejected, unnerved and angry, especially at her father for being as insensitive as to not tell her that her mother was not well until she lost the battle with the virulent illness. She was angry at herself for not reaching out every time she thought of it, for not spending her mother's last days with her, all because of a relationship that had gone up in smoke. She was never going to forgive herself, a part of her had met its demise with the dissolution of her happiness.

Sooner than she would have liked, the vehicles came to a halt and she faced the window and beheld the indescribable grandeur of the Lycan Palace. The lit palace was not of this earth, such a phenomenon of architecture of an astounding celestial beauty to many would have not seemed conceivable beyond the imagination. The royal residence structurally appeared to be heaven on Earth, but Adelaide knew as well as many, that the palace had seen more gore and tribulations than heavenly gratification or cherishable memories. She was here, she had to put her best face on. She was grateful that her eyes did not get puffy and bloodshot and her makeup was not ruined. It was imperative that she makes a great first impression that will be memorable and that king Larkien at least finds her physically attractive, otherwise their relationship would be bound to be an abject failure before it even begins. Adelaide's heartbeat picked up a steadily accelerating rhythm, a knotting feeling harassed her gut as she took a shaky step out of the car, feeling like she was walking in such high heels for the first time. The ensemble of beastly looking, hunky men led her to the front door of the Lycan Palace and as though her confidence was not pruned enough by her future husband ignoring tradition, she became aware that her arrival had not been prepared for.

No grand entrance awaited her, no extravagant reception not even an honourable announcement. Traditionally, an assembly of servants in their best wear should have received her and the king in cheer and high praises at the entrance, then they would walk right into a splendidly organized celebration. She had barely crossed the patio, but Adelaide could only already imagine that a fabulous banquet was not going to be part of her night. Perhaps her expectations had been too high, she was severely disappointed. She had received a far better welcome from smaller kingdoms.

The quietude of the palace stunned her and was more commanding than the indescribable magnificence of its interior design. The room was dead, terribly quiet, the ambiance was that of a graveyard in such an enviably majestic, luxurious space. There was no music, no band, not even a single vocalist or pianist to lighten the unnerving atmosphere. Not that she was in a mood for a party, she did not even have the emotional capacity to entertain dozens of people, but she would have preferred a less inactive scene, the lack of activity was too taunting. She was even more daunted by the situation as she was led deeper into the palace and the only sound to constantly grace her ears was the echoes of footfalls bouncing off the walls. She was yet to meet the king and his continued absence threw her mind in disarray. He was way off script, she did not know what to do with herself and hated not knowing what to expect. She expected him to suddenly approach her with every step she took, making herself unnecessarily angsty. His face had been distorted by time, her memory of him was hazy and she doubted he looked the same way he did in a photograph that was taken so so many years ago. Tonight she will be sharing a bed with a stranger, a stranger she was expected to be totally tolerant and submissive to- the thought was tortuous to her mind. She could not breathe properly every time she built their first interaction in her mind. If only she had not heard so many unpalatable things about him, if only she was unaware of his arrogance, of his brutish nature, especially of his fuckboy ways.

He could be just as bad as she imagined or if her luck takes a worse turn, he could be worse.