21
Sagan
“I’m a bit confused as to why we need to be here for that, Your Majesty,” the Alpha of Clovergarde said as he glanced around.
“I agree it should have been done—I think all of this should have been done before the candidates were announced—any of it done more quietly. I’m just confused why we should… Interfere on this? It feels very…”
“Intrusive,” someone suggested.
I nodded and focused on the Alpha. “Thank you for caring about that—truly. And yes, I wish we’d done it that way and worked as an actual team instead of too much selfishness, but we can’t change the past. What I can do is stop giving chances to people who don’t deserve them.”
“You want witnesses,” Dray muttered. “Why?”
I snorted and glanced at him. “Besides I’ve already had one try to drug me?” I snorted again when several people winced. “But yes, I want some accuracy on this because…” I looked around and found Wilder from Nevelyn among the candidates. “What exactly did you leak to the media?”
I was going to ask hypothetically and not call him out with specifics… But Myriam had other ideas, clearing her throat.
And reading it from her phone.
I really did love her.
“‘Sources tell us the date with Wilder was the most romantic of introductions. The queen was taken with him and the feeling was mutual from the laughter and looks people caught. We heard the conversation was flowing and it even ran longer than the scheduled time. It’s clear that he will probably shoot to the top of the list of the prospects given the chemistry between them.’”
“So complete bullshit,” Velle drawled.
I shot the Alpha of Nevelyn a look to watch it.
“No, I’m done playing nice. He leaked lies to the media and you are annoyed we’re outing them in a closed meeting like this.
” I walked over to him when he opened his mouth and shoved my finger in his chest. “I’m tired of these overinflated egos and rising above.
It just makes you all bolder and stupider. ”
“And why should Rigel be the only one called out when he’s not the only problem?
” Myriam added. “All of them should be called out in this setting given they run their mouths to the others about you. They tell lies about you and you only tell the truth.” She said more under her breath, but I wasn’t close enough to hear.
Whatever it was amused Belinda, Velle, and Treena though who looked like they were about to laugh.
“What really happened?” Dray asked, shaking his head when several people chuffed.
“No, I agree on this. Enough lying. There was no good way for the queen to mate and this wasn’t a bad idea, but I’m with Vex now that this was the stupidest fucking idea ever because no one has done it in good faith.
Yes, I want Ayao to be her mate, but I know he is an asset.
“Yes, it will benefit Jade Creek, and that’s good because we had a rocky relationship with Rhys and even his father.
” He stared the other Alphas down. “But Ayao is talented. Fine, he blew his lid but yeah, okay, none of us have done that ever.” He snorted and wasn’t the only one.
“I would swear to the gods that I could see him being a good mate to the queen.”
“That might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said about me, Uncle,” Ayao muttered.
Dray sighed and scrubbed his hand over his head.
“Because I’m an asshole and overloaded too often.
You’ve always been a good kid and—I love you even if I’m a pain in the ass.
” He gestured to me. “She’s going to have so much fucking crazy and you’re very grounded.
You’re organized and smart and you know how to play the game here in Thovudin. You could work.”
He wasn’t wrong, but Ayao just didn’t see mating the way I did and it would ruin us both.
I decided to move past that and answer him. “I barely said two words the whole meal.” I nodded when he blinked at me. “Wilder basically forgave my upbringing and not being normal, how I’d have to practically be trained to be a proper mate, and then laid out how things would be when we mated.
“How I could learn a lot from him and he would help me become my mother. It was so ridiculous there were a few times I had to swallow down bile and it was honestly a good test of how to control my dragon and I used it as that. But I walked out of there and said…” I nodded at Myriam.
She snorted. “He barely passed on a basic bachelor’s degree in the easiest program at the easiest college in his area that his father probably had to bribe to get him into and talked to me like I was the village idiot while having no idea he’s the dullest knife in the drawer.
He’s never even been out of Thovudin and he was lecturing me on global politics and how mine were wrong.
“While clearly having no idea what my politics were and also getting most of the countries wrong—locations and what species lived there. Oh, and on which continents, so we need to make sure he’s never interviewed about like—anything.
Make sure he is not interviewed alone or without his hand held or it will be beyond mortifying for Nevelyn, not just all the candidates.
“And please add to the list of royal training they’re supposed to go through that they get some sort of geography tutoring.
The fact he didn’t know that the mermaids and sirens share a continent—moron.
Oh yeah, he should absolutely be in charge and I’m embarrassing.
I have two dozen degrees—bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorates and he’s going to educate me?
“More like lower my IQ if I have to spend more time with him. Please look deeper into him. There’s got to be something shady in his past, right?
Like… It’s embarrassing people will think he’s actually a viable candidate to become my mate.
It got so bad I almost asked him if he could spell Thovudin as he was lecturing me how to run the country he’s so clueless about. ”
I could have been pushed over with a feather. “Wow, you really are amazing. That’s almost verbatim.” I winced, realizing I just admitted how harsh I’d been.
“Fucking stuck-up bitch,” Wilder seethed, chuffing as he stared at me like he was ready to pound me. “You do need someone to control you and take over who—”
Chaos erupted and I let myself be dragged off out of the way and guarded. I sighed and grumbled about people paying for the damage if they hurt my castle.
Finally, I let out the power of my dragons to basically smack people and stun them so they took a moment.
It sucked I had to do it to everyone, and I winced when I saw how it hurt the wolves more than I had realized it would.
I shared a look with Davian and gestured for him to get Treena and the others out.
People didn’t need to know I could hurt wolves like that. It wasn’t my intention. He nodded and they were gone in a flash.
When everyone shook off what I did, I was focused on the Alpha of Nevelyn who had blood all over his face. “Talk to Lydia. She was on the door for our introduction. Hear from my guard exactly how bad it was. Fine, I was petty, but I was talking to my friends and—I wasn’t unfair.”
He swallowed loudly and nodded.
“He’s out,” Darren declared, shaking his head when people started objecting. “No! No more! He doesn’t even respect her! I won’t have—he’s fucking out. He just said he would take her over and—I know it wasn’t a coup threat, but she’s queen ruler! Enough of this insanity!”
“Agreed,” several people said firmly, and I couldn’t hide my shock when it was a few of the other Alphas.
Dray chuffed when a few challenged him. “She’s queen ruler.
Stop with the fucking bullshit. Yes, I’m sexist. Yes, she’s too fucking young, but she’s still queen fucking ruler.
It’s not a hard concept and we all look like morons the more—he’s out.
She will not become Amelia. I’m not saying the male candidates will either but—fucking mess. ”
I snorted. I couldn’t agree more.
I let out a slow breath and focused on Wilder’s uncle.
“I’ll never mate him. Not after he just did this.
” I snorted. “I never was going to after the introduction. Others were bad, but maybe they were nervous or can get it together.” I gestured to Wilder.
“He talked to me like a child and—you just heard him. It’s never going to happen. ”
He swallowed loudly and couldn’t hide his disappointment as he looked at his nephew.
“No, and I understand that. I… We should have done this better and I’m sorry, Your Majesty.
” He let out a slow breath before meeting my gaze again.
“We’ve done this to ourselves with our greed.
I beg you give me the chance to handle this without embarrassing Nevelyn. ”
“Why? Why should she be so understanding when none of you are with her?” Darren demanded. “Why does she keep having to give concessions and none of you do? You just push and push. People will judge her for this. You know they will!”
“No, I swear it,” he argued. “I will—there is a way to handle—please, give me the chance.”
“Maybe,” I said after a moment, giving a half shrug when people seemed surprised. “I need to know the plan first. If your idea is to say he wasn’t attracted to me—kiss my…”
“Build off what Ayao said,” Dray suggested as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Wilder felt the same and blame the temples. We sign the thing, but Wilder is withdrawing because of the pressure and realized he’s not built for the constant spotlight no matter how wonderful the queen is. Push back on this—use it.”
“It’s a smart play if actually done as promised and not another fake recorded rant later,” Maple grumbled.
“Agree to it or I will let the queen go on the record and humiliate you—rightfully humiliate you and ruin your chances with any other woman,” the Alpha threatened him. “You have a chance to grow from this and—”
“I can’t believe you’re picking her side and—” he started to argue.