Page 42 of Undertow
“She’s a ward of the royal family. One of hundreds.” I gestured behind me. “I have family. She is not family.” I stared down the elders and others. “If my parents wanted her adopted,they would have done so.Shecalls herself that and it’s ridiculous that people are following suit. Ridiculous.”
“She grew up in this castle unlike you and—” an elder snapped and guards moved towards him.
“So?” I threw right back, people going still. I shrugged. “So what? She grew up in the castle. Bully for her.” I did a mocking clap. “So have hundreds of others. Raquel’s wholebloodlinegrew up at the castle. No one’s ever suggested she was an adopted daughter.” I gestured to Benson. “He grew up here. He wasbornin my mother’s room.
“Our mothers were best friends. And ifanyonewould have been considered to be adopted, it would have been him, not one ward. His father gave hislifeto save a member of the royal family.” I flinched when Maple sniffled, hating to bring that up when it still upset her that someone so trusted and loved by Father died to save her.
“He was a great man,” she rasped. “I’m sorry, Benson.”
Benson didn’t say anything at first. “He did his duty and did it willingly, Princess. He would want you to stop feeling guilt over that. Please, it’s been so long. Don’t—let him rest with the gods knowing you lived and appreciated it, not pained with it always.”
I glanced over to see Maple wiping her eyes. “I will try my best, but there is no switch to change how we feel.”
Fair enough.
I glanced back around and then to that elder. “She’s one ward. I’m not downplaying how my parents valued her. She stayed and—I would even say Mother took Elira under her wing. They had…”
“It was a bit like a mentor and protégée relationship,” Darren agreed. “She had some reservations about Elira and her maturity, but she thought she had potential.”
I swallowed down my reaction that he was busting Elira in that way. I glanced around. “She’s not my adopted sister, andno oneshould ever just get to throw being a member of theroyal family around so easily. It’s disgusting. Absolutely vile. I’ve said no. Stop making decisions for me or you will not like the outcome.”
“So this will actually be a real chance to court you and mate into the royal family,” that Alpha said awkwardly as if he was trying to get the meeting back on track.
I met his gaze head on. “Yes. I know my duty and I will take it seriously.However, we have bigger priorities and people need to seriously check themselves. I will be queen ruler. I will not put up with any—agree or—I’m done with this nonsense.”
Clearly, people understood that because every Alpha jumped to sign the agreement Darren had prepared. They gave us both their blood oaths.
Fools. Absolute fools.
They were still so greedy and “Alpha” fighting for what they saw as top spot that they didn’t realize what they’d all just agreed to.
Namely, giving me carte blanche to investigate them all. Financials… Everything. Darren had outlinedeverythinghis family had been through so my mother could mate into the royal family.
And I now had permission to do the same to the seventeen Alpha families.
Fools.
“How—what are the logistics of this, Your Highness?” The Alpha of Selka hedged.
I gave him a fairly hostile smile. “I’m not sure, Alpha. I haven’t exactly hadtimeto work the logistics out of something as insane asseventeensuitors while burying my parents and taking over as leader of our nation.”
One of the guards had a hard time trying to cover his reaction to that. Even a look from Benson couldn’t shut the guy up and he hurried to excuse himself.
“I’d put that one on your detail,” Treena muttered. “At least you know he’s on your side.”
Good point.
“Plans will have to be ironed out now that you all agreed to some sanity and honor in all of this,” Aunt Maple interjected. I didn’t take back over because something in her tone made me want to hear her out. “And since it will be such extended stays, normal guest rooms won’t be what we would want to offer your family members.”
I swallowed my amusement, seeing where she was going with this.
She was taking the final shot on the elders being fat cats.
“The suites we would want to use for something so important are currently in use,” she continued. “They will need to be cleaned out and probably some renovations completed, but once that’s done, we can start having prospective mating candidates move in.”
Meaning the elders or their family.
And the Alphas wouldabso-fucking-lutelychoose their family.
