Lycan King’s Nemesis

**GWEN**

No sooner had I arrived at my room the next day when we returned to the palace, the door busted open and there stood a furious Abby, her hands to her waist glaring at me.

“Is that how it is now?” She started, the edge of her mouth quivering, showing how angry she was at me. “You don’t tell me stuff again.”

“I swear it was not planned, Abby.” I quickly dropped my shawl and took a stroll to her. “It was a spur-of-the-moment decision orchestrated by your brother.”

“Couldn’t you have mindlink_oh, I’m sorry I forgot_”

“It’s okay, Abby.” I didn’t let her finish. I knew as a supernatural creature mind linking was our simplest way of communication. Being unable to do that due to my unfortunate situation was none of her fault. “I understand.”

She lowered her hands with a sigh and covered the remaining distance to me. “I was so worried and others too.”

“I know… we should have been back a day before yesterday but the rain…”

“That too.” She crossed me and moved to the chair to sit. “Ohmg, you needed to see Mom. She was fuming. She kept mind linking Ashton and he refused to talk to her.”

“What! He didn’t say that to me.” No wonder he was so nonchalant about it. Was he trying to use our situation to rile up his mother? That dickhead! “If I had known I would have made him bring us back even if it required rolling through the storm.”

She chuckled in a lighter tone and waved elegantly at me. “That would be stupid. It’s okay as you guys didn’t come under the rain. We were merely worried of your welfare as our King and Queen.”

“Thank you.” I intoned. I went to her and turned my back so she aided me to zip down. If Kora was to be here it would be her duty. “Has there been any major activity?”

“Not much. Mom has prepared the list of invitees.”

I moved in the direction of the wardrobe. “Oh…” The gown dropped to the floor and I stepped out, packing it to dump in the Hampster. “Will she let me go through it?”

“As a matter of fact, it is your duty which she merely needed to assist you in. She had to indulge in order to be distracted from your absence but she insisted you must review it as the Queen before it would be sent out.”

“I see… that’s nice.” It was followed by stripping from my undies and standing fully naked as I grabbed my robe and threw it on. Then I faced Abby. “What do you think about having a new set of invitees for the ball? New invitees, new everything from what you guys have always done!”Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

She seemed to reflect on it, her hand tapping on her chin. “I will say that is amazing as far as the people invited are agreeable.”

“What kind of people are invited every year?”

“Just Lycan Chiefs from the other packs and their Betas. And then… the Fairies. And that is only because in the history of our family, one of my grandfathers once married a fairy. So somehow they became a part of our family.”

“That’s all?” I went to pick a bottle of water from the fridge and uncocked it, taking a large swig.

“Uhm… yeah. Why asking?”

“What if we invite the humans? The… Vampires? The were_”

“Don’t even go there, Gwen.” She was smiling as she said it. My idea sounded ridiculous, I could tell. “These people you mentioned are a no-go area for the people. They will never agree to that.”

“But why? If we want to co-exist in peace don’t you think we should begin by stretching the olive palm?”

“Gwen…”

“I know it’s hard… but I am going to try. I will tell your mother about it before I tell Ashton. If it doesn’t work, I will still keep trying.” I concluded, fixing her with my resilient look. As the Queen of this Kingdom, I needed to sleep knowing that we lived in harmony with other creatures around us. I disliked fighting with anyone and hardly slept with my eyes closed if I had a beef with anyone.

When I was in the werewolf Kingdom, if I happened to quarrel with anyone, I didn’t hesitate to beg despite who was at fault. I let things go and stay happy. At least that way, I know that I have done my part.

“Okay, Gwen. I see what you want to do and I support you. Personally, I don’t fancy quarrelling with the other creatures too, you know.” She giggled, shifting on her seat to look outside. “So, tell me everything that happened there.”

I bulked back in the bed, my body flushing from a reminder of all our ecstatic nights spent rolling under the covers. It appeared Ashton couldn’t keep his hands off me. If not I insisted we leave today, he wanted us to spend one week there away from stress and interruptions.

“Okay, from those hidden grins, there is no way you are not barring my ears with a lot.” She left her space and reached mine in no time. “Start spilling.”

“It’s nothing much, Abby.” I giggled like a schoolgirl. “Your brother… I sense what you said about him was precise.”

“Which part?”

“That he was cool.”

“I knew it!”

“Recently, a lot has changed about him. He became more attentive, sweeter, caring, everything I can’t even mention. It’s as though I am finally having my dream man.”

“Where did he take you?”

“The house by the river.”

“No, way!”

“What?” I was confused with her outburst.

“My brother literally never took anyone to that house. When I say no one. That place was a secret for him particularly since…”

“She left him,” I mumbled.

She sagged away from me, her face contorting. “She ruined my brother in a big way, Gwen.”

From all that has happened, I couldn’t agree less. “I saw her pictures.”

Her eyes were on me, big like saucers. “Those dratted images are still there?”

“Yes,” I accompanied my statement with a nod. “He didn’t tell me, but I just knew.”

“Everyone thought he had destroyed them. He promised he would.”

“Abby?”

“Yes?”

“This woman that your brother loved so much, can you tell me a little about her?”

She stood, shaking her head. “That is something I can’t do, Gwen. I’m sorry. Be patient. Someday, I believe my brother will confide in you everything you need to know about them. I know he would.”

I was suspecting she won’t anyways. So, I didn’t push, only nodded and placed my hands by my side, tilting backward. “I pray that day comes.”

“Yes, it would. If you don’t know, I can see you are penetrating his skin faster than I thought. I see the way he sneaks looks at you when you don’t even know.”

My entire body was on fire. I clicked my tongue. “In your dreams.”

“I’m serious!”

“Daah! How’s Williams? How’s Tyler?”

“Williams is fine, as for Tyler, I don’t know about him. When he came here yesterday to deliver a message to Williams, his countenance looked broken.” I was up from the bed.

“Why? Did you ask him?”

“No, besides he was in a hurry to leave.”

“Oh,” I cracked my brain. Could it be that his ladylove has broken his heart? My poor friend, Ty. “I have to see him, Abby.”

“Then, I will go with you. But before then, I think we need to see Mother, she asked for you.”

“And you didn’t tell me!” I went back to the closet to sort for something to don. I settled for an olive-coloured simple afternoon gown since the former Queen forbids me from wearing trousers and tops- and then I grabbed the shawl I dropped before, wrapping it around my neck because of the cold. “Let’s go.”

We made it down to her former private study which as custom demands is now mine but is irrelevant to me. I knocked.

“Don’t panic,” Abby whispered to my right ear.

“Ou, she should be,” the former Queen said immediately after the door swung open. I froze. I have heard of how stern she was to people when they crossed her and one thing I had vowed was never to be a recipient of her wrath. But, here we are…

“Good day, Mother.” I managed to say.

“Come in.” She entered back, and we followed.

“As the Queen, Gwendolyn, you have little to no time for joyrides, did anyone ever tell you that?” She went straight to the point. No time for pleasantries, I get.

“No, Mother.”

“Well, that is why I am here now. I realize I was so rapid to leave the palace after you married my son that I didn’t stop to think how you will cope with no one to direct your steps on how to be a perfect Queen.” As she spoke, she was seated elegantly with her chest up and her hands neatly placed on the knees of her crossed legs.

“I’m sorry, Mother.”

“I am not going to chastise you this time because we had an unfortunate situation which my son must have taken advantage of to irritate me. But next time, I won’t tolerate such indiscipline!”

“Yes, Mother,” I repeated in a calmer tone. I have never felt more nervous in my life.

“Where is the King?”

The door snapped open. “Here I am… Mother.”

…