3

“We’ll do it.” Belle announced as she and her now fiancé returned to their parents. Queen Serena let out a sigh of relief, not because she was concerned about whether her daughter would come through for the sake of the kingdom, but because she had expected more of a fight from her usually fiery daughter. Belle always came through in the end and did the right thing, but she was typically more head-strong about certain matters.

King Eryek clapped his hands together in joy as he raised from his seat. “Marvelous!” He concluded. “Come sit down and we’ll work through the details.” He motioned his hand back towards the chairs the prince and princess had been sat in a short while ago.

“When does this need to happen?" Prince Layke questioned as he sat besides his father, almost certain he wasn’t going to particularly like the answer. But then again, the sooner they were married the sooner they could deal with the Gylandies and go their separate ways.

“3 days time.” Queen Serena confirmed. “I’ll take care of all the preparations in the meantime. You two need to take care of announcing your engagement to the Kingdoms and pretending to be in love. It might be wise to do tours of both Kingdoms so the people can see you together as a couple.”

Layke glanced at Belle, feeling rather conflicted. 3 days was rather soon to married to this woman, yet he couldn’t help but imagine his fiancé in a wedding dress. Or better yet, her bridal lingerie underneath it. He imagined the way the delicate lace would amplify her curves as it rest on her hips and how her corset style bralette would enhance her already fuller breasts, as her electric blue waves fell loose over her shoulders and her big, ocean blue eyes fluttered up at him.

“Layke?” His father’s voice brought him back to reality. He shifted in his seat, trying to settle the hardness forming in his pants. Belle quirked her brow at him, intrigued by his reaction. Layke cleared his throat, before smiling at his father. “Fine.” He agreed flatly.

He internally scolded himself for having such thoughts about the princess. This was strictly a business relationship, nothing more and nothing less. Whatever attraction he had to her he needed to suppress because in three months’ time, they’d never speak again. Besides, she wasn’t what he wanted for a mate. He needed someone who was soft and submissive, someone who would let him take charge. In the short space of knowing Belle, he knew she was neither of those things.

“We will be using the wedding day as your coronation days too. The sooner you’re married and crowned, the sooner Belle’s strength from Nia will flow through Avalon.” Queen Serena confirmed. “I also think it would be best for you both to split your time between the Kingdom’s equally after the marriage. It’s important both Kingdom’s feel as though they are a priority. Perhaps 4 days in one kingdom and then 4 days in the other?”

Layke slowly nodded his head absentmindedly, until a thought triggered in his mind. “Nia?” He asked, looking back and forth between the Queen and the Princess with a sceptical look on his face.

“My wolf.” Belle confirmed with an amused grin. It was at that moment she realised faeries really didn’t know much about wolves. “That’s her name.”

“So.. you name your wolves?” Layke asked, squeezing his brows together as if the people sat in front of him were crazy.

Belle laughed, shaking her head. “We don’t name them. When they come to us, they tell us their names. We share a mind, remember, meaning we can communicate with one another. Just like we can communicate with other pack members through our mind-link.” She pressed her lips together, waiting for Layke’s mind to explode as he processed the fact that she just told him they speak to their wolves.

Layke nodded his head slowly, trying to compute what Belle had told him. He had always assumed that werewolves just shifted when they wanted to and that was it, there was no communication between the human mind and the wolf. Which, now that he thought about it, didn’t actually make much sense.

“Well, Nia is more than welcome in Avalon, Princess Belle.” King Eryek smiled. “Please feel free to let her out to run as often as you see fit.” Belle appreciated the King’s words, she had presumed they would want Nia kept in whenever they were in Avalon due to the people in the kingdom not being accustom to werewolf ways.

“Anyway, I shall have one of the maids show you both to your bed chambers so you can settle in. I need a few moments with my daughter before I can begin making arrangements. Prince Layke, Belle will provide you with a tour of the castle shortly.” Queen Serena announced with a gracious smile, before excusing herself and Belle.

Belle lifted her arms to allow the seamstress to take her measurements. She hadn’t expected to be planning her wedding dress an hour after agreeing to get married, but Belle was quickly learning that the marriage couldn’t happen quick enough.

Her mother sat across from her, resting on her daughters bed as Belle followed the seamstress’s instructions. “I’m proud of you, Belle. It takes a true Queen to put the good of her people before her own wants. Honestly, I expected more of a fight from you.” Queen Serena chuckled.

Belle sighed. “Whilst I’m not happy about the situation, I’ll always put the people of Midsummer first. You know that, mother. It’s just infuriating that the one thing I didn’t want to get in the way of my responsibilities is the one thing that will help me do them.”

Her mother flashed her a sympathetic smile. “Having a partner isn’t the worst thing in the world, Belle. There are many situations that I couldn’t possibly have gotten through without being able to lean on your father for support.”

“Dad is your mate. It’s different.” Belle reminded her mother. Truthfully, Belle hadn’t always been against having a mate. She grew up seeing the way her parents were and it helped her believe in the sentiment of the mate bond. Her parents were the most loved up couple she had ever known. But ruling with a mate.. she’d never be taken seriously. She would be seen as the trophy wife who doesn’t have any business getting involved in political affairs.

“Prince Layke will be a good leader to have by your side, Belle. He’s methodical and a planner. He thinks about his moves before making them. You’ll balance each other out.” It was just like her mother to see the positive in everything. It was one of the things that made her such a brilliant Queen.

Belle smiled at her mother. She was happy to let her mother think whatever she needed to think about this marriage because at the end of the day, it didn’t matter. It would be over almost as quickly as it started.