May Death Do Us Part

283 Chapter 283 : Duty

The next few days seemed to fly by, and Eira had already met many men, some young, some old, some a little interesting, and some incredibly boring. It reached a point where the red haired princess was merely counting down the days until all of this is over, she had hoped that maybe by some slim chance, Elric would show up and contest as one of her suitors, but it looked like that was just a distant dream.

The realization broke her heart a little, hadn’t he heard that she was to be getting married, or maybe he just did not care? If she was really his mate, why would he sit by while some random man whisked her away into a loveless union. Did his hatred for her family run deeper than he admitted?

King Gareth noticed that his daughter was becoming less and less happy as the days went by. And not one man that she had met so far had peaked her interest in the slightest. He wondered if he had made a mistake, even though he felt he was doing this for his daughter’s own good, was it really worth sacrificing Eira’s happiness?

The lively, stubborn and excitable young woman Eira was, was slowly fading away. She barely spoke now, unless spoke to of course, she hardly ate like she used to, and if he was being honest with himself, Gareth couldn’t remember the last time he had heard his daughter laugh.

Melissa too was getting a little worried, but she couldn’t fold and throw her daughter in the arms of Elric, it was all wrong. Elric was not a good person, he was selfish, manipulative and self centered. Eira would be miserable with him.

The family was at the breakfast table, the king and queen, grandparents, Eira’s uncles, her aunt Estel, and her cousin Damien.

“How is Jacob doing?” Eira asked without looking up from her plate.

Her question took everyone by surprise because the princess barely spoke when she was eating these days.

“Jacob is doing fine,” William responded. “I did not hit him that hard.”

.....

“I mean emotionally,” Eira asked again. “He seemed to be a little emotionally unstable the last we met, and I’m a little worried about him, and the people around him.”

“I’m afraid Ivan spoiled the boy,” Gareth spoke. “A man should never behave the way he did, it showed he is incredibly immature. If Ivan had been tough on him and taught him that you cannot just get whatever you want, he may have been a different man.”

“I’m sure you know a lot about making sure people don’t get what they want,” Eira mumbled under her breath. Making her father sigh.

“So Eira,” Emma spoke up upon seeing the building tension. “You haven’t told us anything about how meeting your suitors is going, has anyone caught your eye so far?”

Eira stayed quiet for a few minutes before looking up at her grandmother. “Is that why you’re all still here? In hopes that I will introduce a man to you?”

“Eira please..” Melissa scolded her daughter.

The princess stood up and curtsied. “Well I am sorry to disappoint you, but there is not a single man I have met so far who I find attractive, neither mentally nor physically. But so I can appease you, I will pick the best among the worst so the throne can have an heir.” She then pushed back he chair and turned around. “It is my duty as the princess after all is it not?..”

Eira walked towards the door and glanced at the table before leaving. “Please excuse me, I am sure the next group of suitors and Zhelimir are already waiting for me. Have a good day.”

*

When morning came, Elric lay in his bed and stared at the candelabra above him. He had had the same dream again, the dream of the man in a hooded white cloak telling him Eira was in some sort of trouble and he needed to help her. But how? When the the man never even mentioned what kind of trouble would befall her.

Did it have something to do with her arranged marriage? Is that what he had to stop? How many days did the lycan have left anyway? Before his mate married another man? Ten? Nine?

Elric sat up and looked to his window, the sun was already up, his mother would probably send someone for his bath soon. Most likely she would send a woman to try and grab Elric’s attention just like she had been doing the past week he had been here. It was apparent that she did not want him to have anything to do with Eira, that much he knew.

But he couldn’t just forget her, regardless of their situation she was his mate, and the connection was undeniable. Is this how Gareth felt when he couldn’t be with Melissa? Gods, it must have been torture, Elric made a mental note to apologize to the elf as best he could when he got the chance.

There was a knock at the door, and as soon as the smell of scented oils reached Elric’s nose, he knew it was another lycan woman sent by his mother to possibly seduce him.

“My prince..?” The woman called from the other end of the door. “May I come in?!”

When the door opened the young lycan woman jumped back a little. It would be her first time meeting the alpha’s son, so she didn’t know what to expect. she looked up at the shirtless man in front of her and immediately clamped her legs together. The mere sight of him was enough to get her wolf whirld up.

The prince was tall, well built and had long silver hair and honey brown eyes. He had the fierce and sexy physique of his father, but in a way radiated the gentleness of his mother. How was it that a man who oozed of male dominance, had not found a she wolf who would let him conquer her both mentally and physically.

“Yes?”

His voice made the young woman’s face flash and her heart flatter. Did the Luna really think she had a chance with such a fine specimen of a man?!

“I... I’m here to assist you with your bath my prince,” the woman trembled from both fear and lust. “The alpha and the council are waiting for you downstairs.”

Elric’s eyes looked at the small basket the woman held, it had a wash cloth, bath oils and rose petals. In her other hand she held a towel against her barely covered chest.

“Give me the towel and bath oils,” Elric asked the woman. “You can keep the rose petals, I will not be needing them.”

“But my prince, I have been sent here to wash you-”

“Thank you,” Elric cut the woman short. “But I’m perfectly capable of washing myself.” He took the oils, wash cloth and towel from the woman’s hands and gave a thankful bow. “Please tell my mother I appreciate her sending you here, but I’m just not interested right now. I’m very sorry for wasting your time.”

The young she wolf closed her eyes briefly when the door slammed shut in her face. Had the prince just blatantly rejected her?! Gods this was so embarrassing, of course she did not have a chance, with a face like that he could have any woman he wanted, so why would he choose her.

*

Layla watched the young lycan woman who had been sent to Elric’s chambers from the gazebo where her and her husband had been having breakfast. The look on the young woman’s face showed that the endeavor had bore no positive results.

“He did not fold?” Edron asked his wife while slowly sipping his wine.

“He did not,” Layla responded and walked back to sit down. “I told you Edron, he will not take another. It has to be her.”

“We just need to find out the kind of women he likes that’s all,” the alpha insisted. “Do we have any redheads in the pack? Or any woman with purple eyes, he may make an exception.”

Layla sighed. “I know how you feel, trust me I know you’re only trying to be a good father, but have you forgotten what happen to Tauriel when she tried to sever the bonds which the gods had forged? She lost her husband, and almost lost both her daughter and grandchild. Even her son in law-”

“I am not letting Elric end up with Gareth’s little brat,” Edron responded firmly. “I know you are fond of our son and want to preserve his feelings, but be logical Layla. Do you really want to give that family another chance to humiliate our son?”

Layla did not respond. She knew her husband well, he was hard headed and proud, and that would lead to their son’s misery and many misfortune to fall upon them.

“I thought so,” Edron responded. The man stood up, walked to his wife and kissed her cheek. “Try and find a woman who resembles the hybrid woman closely. If I am to step down and let him take over as alpha, he needs a Luna to support him.”