Chapter 6

Vivian was still on the ground, still in the same position Alpha Styx had left her in. Recently, she had been too lazy to do so many things and one of them was stressing her body. This would be her first time in the palace after all and she had no idea where she had to go. So, she just decided to wait for the Alpha here until she remembers her. Who knows, he might fall for her then after seeing how stubborn and cute she is.

"What are you doing?" asked Karl, walking into the courtroom. 

Vivian raised her head, staring into his eyes and then let out a frustrated sigh. "I was only trying to seduce him, you know. He said I was his sex toy after all and I was trying to show him how thankful I am," 

Karl gazed at her for a while as if he was trying to possess everything that was happening. For a while, he couldn't help but wonder if she was the same person that tried to kill herself a few hours ago. Now, she was just sitting down here acting all... childish?

He let out a deep sigh and said; "Alpha Styx instructed me to take you to your room"

 

"Really?!" Vivian exclaimed, she stood up and dusted her gown with a huge smile on her face.

Her behavior left Karl confused with lots of questions on his mind. Could it be that he was wrong and just like every other lady, she was planning on winning the Alpha's heart. Could it be that he was wrong in his judgement?

Minutes passed and Karl still hasn't moved. He stood still, his eyes staring deep into Vivian's eyes as if he was trying to see deep into her soul. If only she was a  werewolf then it would have been easier for him to find out what was going on in her mind but that would only happen if she did allow him to know what she was thinking.

"This way...my lady," he walked out of the courtroom with Vivian walking behind him.

Unlike earlier, the maids were walking around this part of the palace, carrying out their task. On sighting Karl, they stopped in the task and bowed their heads. 

For a while, Vivian couldn't help but wonder what was going on in their mind. Just like the maids back in her palace, would they also despise her and gossip about her? Would they think that she was a curse and someone that wasn't fit for their Alpha? 

Vivian knew too well she shouldn't care about what they think, they were just maids and their thoughts shouldn't bother her. But then ,she had lived her entire life trying to please everyone, her father, the ministers, her people and even those ordinary maids.

All her life she had lived in pain, her mother left her and her father hated her. She was locked away from the world and when she was finally given the chance to live her life, she found out about something that would ruin her. She thought she could finally be happy and do everything she never had the chance to do but then life showed its dark side once again. She kept telling herself it was just for three months. It was only for three months and even though she was trying so hard to be happy, she knew too well the next three months won't be an easy journey for her. Life has never been a bed of roses for her, instead it was filled with thorns, thorns that she has no choice but to thread on.

They reached a part of the palace, and not too far Vivian noticed a painting on the wall. Curious, she stopped following Karl and walked towards the painting. 

She stood in front of the painting, staring at it with a blank expression on her face. It was the painting of the Alpha but there was something else above the painting that piqued her interest. The woman standing beside Alpha Styx and other than that, his eyes. They were calm and also...warm.

"It seems running away is kind of your hobby, my lady," said Karl, standing behind Vivian. 

Minutes passed and Vivian hasn't moved nor spoken a word. The woman in the painting felt familiar and she felt like she had seen her before but where, exactly? 

"The woman, who is she?" She found herself asking. Even when she knew too well she wasn't supposed to be interested in the painting or anything about the palace. 

Karl stared at Vivian as if he was contemplating whether he should reply to her or just keep quiet and ignore her. He knew too well, he should give her an answer but there were some things in the palace that were meant to be kept a secret... forever. It was an order from Styx not to ever talk about the woman in the painting. The painting was meant to be hidden or destroyed but Styx refused to do so, reasons best known to him; "That...I won't be able to answer that," 

"Why?" 

"It was an order by Alpha Styx,"

She hummed in response. She returned her direction to the painting, refusing to walk away from it. The woman in the painting was a beauty, one that would leave any man filled with nothing but desires. Her long brown hair would leave any woman jealous and her blue eyes were just... captivating.

The woman...Vivian could have sworn she had seen her somewhere. But also, she knew she hadn't met this woman but there was something about her eyes that she finds difficult to explain. 

She removed her eyes from the woman and turned her eyes to the man in the painting, Alpha Styx. She kept staring at him and as if she remembered something.

"The King, no I mean Alpha Styx?" 

"What about him?" 

"He's alive, right?"

"Huh?" Karl stared blankly at Vivian.

"He's supposed to be old and bedridden?!"