Orion Ironheart pov Nora was the only one who was coming after me. “Oryan this is madness. Don't do it.” I crossed the door and no guard tried to stop me. My father must have already sent a mind link. “The girl who used to worship the ground I walked, is now telling me that whatever I'm doing is madness!” A sardonic laugh slipped my lips, “That I'm giving absurd suggestions? Now here is another absurd offer, Nora.” I turned one last time to look at the door where guards were looking at the ground waiting for Nora to come back through open gates. “If you love me, you can follow me. I promise I’ll take care of you.” Confusion crossed her face because she wasn't expecting it. “I can't leave the palace, Orion and you know it. Your father brought me here when I was very little. I owe him my life. I might come to you when I turn eighteen but right now, I am under his care. I can't show him my back at this crucial moment.” I was somewhat expecting it but still, it gave a blow to my hea
(Flashback has ended)Alexander pov:After asking my assistant to connect me to the Green Palace, I was waiting impatiently for the call to be received, holding the receiver in one hand, and tapping the index finger of my other hand.As a king, my assistant was supposed to make the call through before handing over the receiver to me. But this call was special.This was to the boy who had everything seven years back but lost his precious and royal life because of me.“Hello,” the man who must be his assistant or secretary spoke on the phone, “who is this?”“May I speak to Orian Ironheart?”“I asked you first buddy.” The mean guy spat in anger, “Who are you and why do you want to speak to Orion?”“Can you get Orion to the phone urgently? This is your king speaking.” I could sense the rustling and commotion on the other end and was quite amused.None of them might be expecting the call and they were not wrong. Why would the king of Aradia Kingdom even bother to call a man who was the for
Nora’s pov:With each stroke of water, I let myself sink deeper, trying to steady the racing beat of my heart. Swimming always helped me clear my mind, and today was no different.Alexander had left to meet Orion, and I could not help it when I felt several knots forming in my stomach. The idea of him meeting Orion was just too much for me to handle.All those childhood memories kept flooding back, making me feel overwhelmed.I lifted my head out of the water splashing a bit as I wiped my face. Brian was seated in the recliner, deep in his thoughts.The maid who was offering him some drink now walked to the edge of the pool and placed a small tray that had a lemonade glass in it.“Anything else, ma'am?” She asked me politely and I gave a gentle shake to my head.Leaning my arms on the edge of the pool, I took a few sips of my drink letting the tangy sweetness take over my body and mind.“You know? If something is bothering you, you can share it with me.” I heard Brian's offer and wave
Orion’s POV:When Alexander took Nora's name I was hit by the surprise. I could expect anything from his mouth maybe the demand of a precious diamond or a gemstone or some treasure that must be buried under a forest tree.Seven years back he took everything from me. My family, my crown, and my love.So, the fourth thing expected was some hidden treasure in the forest that belonged to me. I was planning to torture him for it.My initial plan was to laugh at him and then do the same as he did to me. To make fun of his misery and ask him to get lost, never to show his face again.But he wanted nothing. He wanted Rayna, the girl who I found in the worst condition, from the forest. She told me that she escaped from the palace because her palace man was already engaged to a girl.I never had this idea that she was talking about Alexander.She was not lying. She told everything but kept the name of the man to herself.All the puzzle pieces seemed to fall into place, and everything was clear
Orion’s POV:“Or… Orion…” He stumbled again over his words, “Orion… C… can I … I hu… hug you?”Swallowing all his pride, the king was asking for a hug. Without feeling a pang of guilt in me, I shook my head and sneered.Disappointment was written all over his face when he did not try to fight for it and left quietly. Green Palace was not the only thing sent to me, along with it came all the luxuries and servants.My father could not make me the king of the Aradia Kingdom, but he helped me in becoming a rogue king. That day if I knew that I was meeting my father for the last time I would have let him hug me. I would have run to him like a little Orion and jumped on him not caring that he was a king and I needed to follow particular protocol to show my love to him.It was just five days since that meeting when I got the news that he had a heart attack in his sleep and passed away peacefully.I wanted to go and attend his funeral but then the thought of seeing my family and my home made
Rayna’s POV:Lying on my bed, I was thinking about Alexander. I was shocked when Orion told me that he was an Ironheart. There was no resemblance between him and Alexander. There was a stark difference between their personalities. One was ruling on the Aradia kingdom’s hearts while the other was ruling their heads, feeding on their fears. Although Orion saved me from rogue werewolves, I used to feel an evil aura around him. However, the way he hugged me when he came to know that I treated the Queen's foot and Nora's headaches… Last night, he was not himself and I realized that the man was not that bad. Maybe his men were working inside the Royal palace, that's why he must have guessed that Alexander was the one. My mind drifted back to Alexander. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine his scent. I was missing him and didn’t know what he must be doing right now. Was he too busy in his meetings? Was he enjoying his time with Nora because after all they were engaged? Was he missing
Nora’s pov:We were in the garden, having girls' time. As always Stella and Ruby were discussing cute boys, giggling while Mom was rolling her eyes now and then.Yes, she was that friendly with us.She liked hearing about our crushes and sometimes used to share how she had a huge crush on Samuel Ironheart.Liam and Grace were running around. Though a maid was keeping an eye on them, still I liked being close to them.I made it a point to tell them stories every night before going to bed. They might be missing their mom, but we were trying our best to keep them busy.Obviously, none of us could question Alexander’s orders.“They are so cute, my heart goes out to them,” Mom said with a sad smile, shaking her head.As we were enjoying our time together, an announcement suddenly broke that King Alexander was about to enter the gardens.The announcement rippled the playful atmosphere of the garden causing a sudden stir.Stella and Ruby who were at some distance, made their way back to join
Alexander’s POV:I stood inside the palace gates, waiting for Orion to come inside. There was a heavy weight on my chest for the last seven years and it needed to be released.I didn’t know why he was here. I hoped it was something positive about Rayna. Because if she was not alive then I was not ready to live a life where she was not there.Last month had been in pain and uncertainty. Her absence made me realize what she meant to me. Keeping my fingers crossed, I ordered my men to open the heavy gates and welcome the long-gone son of the royal family.“I'm sorry, my king,” I heard Mother’s voice behind me, “But I'm not going to wait for my son, sitting on my ass inside the palace. I want to be here for him.”With a frown, I turned and eyed her in confusion. Then it dawned on me that she was talking about the mind link orders directly sent to everyone.I cupped her cheek gently, “The order was never for you, Mom.” I told her softly, “You were never under me. You are his mom and have t