Chapter 34

LEAH

ONE MONTH LATER

I stared at the butterfly carefully, making sure not to scare the hell out of it and just when my fingers were mere inches away from it, someone pounced on me and the butterfly went flying away from my grabs

“Why are you out here?” Dante's voice rang in my ear.

“Finding ways to kill you!” I snapped and knew a flower in his direction which he laughed at and caught so easily “... I was this close, I've been trying to get one in my hand for the last thirty minutes, and I was so close!” I walked towards him, and he walked back while muffling his laughter.

“I'm so sorry, I could pick another flower for you, it's not that hard to see…" He plucked a flower out.

“Don't ruin my damn flowers! It was a butterfly, not a flower!” I snapped more, and he paused before putting his hand over his head in surrender.

“I'm sorry I didn't know, let me make it up to you” I glared at him and I began to remove my gloves “... Seriously, I'll make it up to you”

“Can you catch another butterfly and let the colors be imprinted on my fingers and not yours?” I glared more and he sighed before walking towards me.

“No but we can go on a trip”

“That is not exactly satisfying” I moved away from him, but he grabbed me and pulled me into his chest that seemed like it was crafted with rock

“I have a meeting with Alphas that's scheduled tomorrow, but not here, rather in Sun City pack. No one must find out about the plague, and it must not go out of the pack by their visit” My heart sank as sadness spread through my body.

The plague

Even if it's been a month, it lingered in a part of the pack. Almost half the population in the pack were dead from the plague and there was nothing we could do about it.

No one can cure it, hell it's a miracle that I haven't gotten it considering my maid died two weeks ago from it. It was a constant wear of black, but it had reduced drastically, I only hope that it will soon be over.

The dread was just too much to bear anymore

“So I'll just be with you and listen to all their boring aspects of life? I might be a queen, but I'm not ready for queenly duties right now, so you will be alone on your journey, not to worry, you'll have a piece of me with you” He laughed and shook his head.

“That's not what you'll be doing” I raised my eyebrows at him, and he continued, “... They are all coming with their Lunas, while we have important conversions you all can do whatever womanly thing you guys can think of, you need friends, Le”

“Says the man who has lived for more than a century and still has none”

“I do have friends, you just haven't met them” He defended, and I glared at him “... I do have them! You don't”

“Hans is enough, unfortunately Trinity died because we were best of friends” He gave me the 'are you kidding me look?'

“Hans is your guard and Trinity was your maid, I mean real friends!” I let out a bitter laugh.

“No you mean people who are liars and gossip a lot for me to know information, everyone wants to be friends with the queen for one favor or the other because true friends are Hans and Trinity” He studied me like I was some project “... What?” I snapped and he laughed.

“Did I ever tell you that I loved you?” I smacked his rock chest with my right palm.

“I'm sick of you, now Jane has to help me pack because a certain someone wants to make ill-mannered friends!” I tried to push myself away from him, but his lips crashed into mine, and I was smiling before I even knew it.

Though the kingdom is in complete jeopardy, I love that the world didn't need to worry about us or the plague that was taking lives. I kissed him back to my heart content knowing I could never, for the life of me, get rid of this man.

“I already asked her to do that” My eyes widened

“The last time I asked Jane to pick out something for me, I nearly walked into the meeting with the elders looking like a century year old queen” He glared at me and I laughed before running out of his hold and he gladly followed me

I caught a handful of servants smiling brightly at our shenanigans, and it made my heart swell in joy, to let them know even in the pit of sadness you can find happiness.

******

I was right

Jane did pack the wrong clothes. I felt bad that she had to take on the responsibility of Trinity, but she seemed to like it, having to be around me, she was never too quiet or too loud, though she does find it difficult to speak to me freely, but she tries to.

“I'm so sorry your majesty, I…"

“Jane!” I snapped, and her teary eyes looked at me, making me let out a sigh “... Come” She hesitated but walked towards me carefully, and I tapped a part of the bed for her to sit on, which she did.

Without thinking, I gently began to braid strands of her hair.

“You know when Trinity became my maid, she made tons of mistakes, not dressing up like a queen from a century ago” We both laughed “... Hers was a lot worse, but you know what? We patched things up, tried to understand each other, which eventually worked for us, so tell me what troubles do you face in the palace” Her body stiffens which made a chill go down my spine “... You're safe here, Jane, and I'm not telling anyone”

She swallowed carefully as I continued to braid her hair while I paid attention to anything she had to say

“When I came here everyone hated me” I furrowed my eyebrows confused “... Some male servants said the females were just jealous, but honestly, it's not just them. My foster parents hated me as well because they wanted what I had, my hair, my eyes, suitors came from different places just for me and not for their real daughter, so they kicked me out”

She paused, and I rubbed her shoulders gently to encourage her

“It was difficult staying in the woods and Sir Hans found me, he brought me in, and I have been a kitchen maid ever since then and one night I woke up with my hair at shoulder-length" I gasped

“Who did that to you?”

“I still don't know, I loved my hair for that's all I had of my real mother left, but it was cut short, and they kept looking at me with irritation. I volunteered to be your maid after Trinity's death to be away from them” She finished, and I am now hugging her.

“I'm glad you volunteered because now my husband wants me to find more friends that aren't Hans” She laughed comfortable before we resumed packing clothes I will need and things I wanted

An hour passed by like a breeze and I was currently sitting in the bathtub alone looking at nothing to get précised. My life rolled before my eyes and I realized how many times I would have truly dead when I really couldn't afford to be dead.

A lot depended on me and I couldn't take the responsibility off. A knock on the bathroom door startled me, but I didn't respond, who the hell walked into the room.

Quietly I stood up prepared to swing the curtain rod when Dante walked in with a sheepish smile and I frowned deeply

“Do you use everything as a weapon?” He asked, completely amused by my attempt to hit him but it.

“You appear everywhere, and sneaking up on me is not a good idea. What brings you here, by the way”

“Was wondering if you were ready, but it seems you are enjoying this bath way too much" I looked at him and that's when I realized he was actually very much dressed, and I was still in a towel.

“Go downstairs, I'll be there in a moment” I smiled sheepishly, and he pulled a box out of his pocket before pulling a very beautiful necklace from it

“Before I do that, here's a gift” He walked to be and put it around my neck which made a smile

“Thank you, it's beautiful” he left after placing a kiss on my forehead and I sighed

I hurried out of the bathroom and dressed up. As soon as I was done, I gave Jane a hug before heading downstairs to be a queen.