NovelEnglish
Chapter 62 What If She Said Yes?
*Theo*
“This is the ugliest lapel pin I’ve ever seen in my life,” Sophia said, picking up the trinket off of the
ground and turning it around and around in her hands. “Really, why would she put all of these random
things on it anyway? A berry? Red moon? She’s so stupid.”
“Shut up.” I ordered, watching her cheeks turn slightly pink from embarrassment. She just couldn’t help
her filthy mouth.
She was walking toward the wastebasket. While I wasn’t certain what I wanted to do with it, I knew I
wasn’t going to let her throw it away.
I held my hand out, knowing if I said anything at all, my emotion would show too much. Just because I
didn’t want Ciana hanging around the castle anymore, that didn’t give Sophia or anyone else the right
to insult her.
Sophia dropped the pin into my hand. “Haven’t you got work to do?” I asked her, pointing to her own
room. She started moving her junk into the side chamber, she might as well get that completed. It
seemed like a good excuse to get her out of my hair.
I turned my attention to the pin. I could tell even at first glance that Ciana had put a lot of effort into
making this for me. It did have a symbol of berries on it, as well as other items that only we would know
the meaning of. It made my heart feel warm.
I remembered seeing a bandage on her hand and a smear of blood. Had she injured herself going to all
of this trouble just for me? I shook my head. She really wasn’t the crafty sort, but she’d been trying to
make an impression.
She seemed to have never heard of the story Sophia told about the Luna who made a similar gift for
her Alpha, but was there a likelihood that she had and still chose to make this for me?
I gently brushed my thumb against it and the time we spent together replayed in my mind.
“There you are!” My father’s voice bellowed through the other end of the hallway.
“Your Majesty,” I acknowledged him.
Sophia, who hadn’t been too far away, also bowed in respect. “Your Majesty.”
His Beta, Xavier, whom I couldn’t stand in the least, was standing behind my father. His nose was up in
the air as he prepared to interject his thoughts into our conversation, I had no doubt.
“I have been looking for you,” my father said.
“What for?” I really wasn’t in a mood to deal with him at the moment. I shoveled my hand in my pocket
and dropped the pin in. No one needed to see the gift from Ciana.
“You tell me,” Father said with a haughty air about him as he tilted his head to the side and observed
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new heir is coming along. Have you succeeded in impregnating one of these women yet? I certainly
hope you have good news for me. I’ve gotten quite tired of waiting, after all.”
I nearly choked at the wording of his question but covered it with a cough. “No, King Sebastian,” I said,
being more formal than I had been before. “We have not successfully completed that transaction–not
as of yet, anyway.”
“Why not? I thought the Black girl was the one you had chosen. Is she not capable of bearing a child?”
He looked down his nose at me with great scrutiny.
I wasn’t sure how to answer that question. It wasn’t as if Ciana and I had even tried creating a child–at
least not in the real world. I wouldn’t let thoughts of what had happened between us in the dream realm
linger. That was a dangerous path to go down, and so far, I’d avoided it every turn.
Almost every turn.
Instead of letting him know all of the details that were honestly not his business, I said, “She isn’t
physically fit for the task, Your Majesty. I will be choosing someone else.”
“Someone else!” he shouted. “But… you’ve already wasted so much time on this girl!”
“Your Majesty, if I may,” Beta Xavier spoke up, “wouldn’t it be best if the prince chose whatever girl
makes him most happy? Shouldn’t he find a girl that makes him feel a certain kind of way, one he is
attracted to and wishes to spend time with?”
“Happy? Why in hell would I care about that?” my loving
father remarked. He shook his head, making his long mustache swoosh back and forth.
“Well, we want an heir that is strong and powerful, right? So… we need to give Prince Theo a chance
to explore all of his options and not just settle for the first girl who catches his eye,” Beta Xavier
explained, and for once, I thought perhaps he wasn’t that bad after all, even if he was encouraging my
father not to care about my wishes.
“Yes, yes, of course we need a strong heir.” The king stroked his chin with his fingers. “But we must not
wait too long.”
“With all due respect,” Xavier continued, “we do want Prince Theo to make a good choice, but let us not
forget he isn’t the only male with royal blood who is capable of producing a strong heir.”
My father sighed and dragged his hand down his face. “Are we going to have this conversation again,
Xavier? I already told you, I want Theo to be the one to produce the heir.”
He wanted me for my powers, not my intellect, battle skills or leadership abilities.
“Yes, I know, but wouldn’t it be smart to have more than one to choose from, Your Majesty?” Xavier
prodded.
I wasn’t sure whether I should be happy or irritated that he was pushing the attention onto my brother.
“Very well.” I was surprised to hear my father say those words. “Let Warren know he can also choose a
woman from the consort.”
My mouth wanted to drop open, but I fought it. From the consort? From MY consort? No, that wouldn’t
do, not at all.
After all, it seemed pretty clear to me exactly who Warren would pick. I couldn’t think of it.
“Do I have to tell him?” Xavier blurted out. Thinking better of his wording, he rephrased his statement.
“That is, don’t you think it would be better, coming from you? The king?”
My father growled at him. “Just tell him it is my order, Xavier. And as for you, Prince Theo, find a
woman. Make a powerful heir. Got it?”
“Yes, Father,” I said. He turned then and hurried out, Xavier with him. It shouldn’t surprise me in the
least that he was willing to let Warren try for an heir, too. After all, it will cost my father nothing.
Irritated, I turned in a different direction and walked away. I needed to take a walk and get my head
straight.
I’d only made it a few steps when I heard a high–pitched voice behind me. “Where are you going,
Prince Theo?”
I grumbled without turning back to look at Sophia, “Garden!”
Of course, she tagged along. It was stupid of me to keep choosing her as my personal attendant, but I
had my reasons.
As long as I sent Ciana back to her pack right away, she wouldn’t be part of the consort anymore, and
that should stop Warren from going after her.
I strolled outside, and what to my wandering eyes did I see but Ciana speaking to Warren.
He had that lovesick puppy dog look in his eyes that he always got when she was around, and it made
me want to stalk over there and pound him.
His words carried to me in the wind, “Listen Ciana, I know you might be hurt by my brother. He
sometimes could be a coldhearted jerk. I totally understand you might want to stay away from this
place, from us right now…. But, I’m not like that. I understand what a treasure you truly are. If you
would give me the chance-”
“Prince Warren!” Ciana seemed to want to stop him from saying more.
I took a deep breath in to calm the bitterness and rage that started to bubble up, and decided to
interrupt their conversation.
“Ciana, why are you still here? Didn’t you say you would stay away from me?” I could hear my voice
was full of sarcasm and didn’t need anyone to tell me how ridiculous I sounded.
She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, I turned to Warren. “Father’s puppet is looking
for you.”
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“For what?” Warren asked, knowing I meant Xavier.
“Well, apparently you get to choose a woman, too. Congratulations. You’ve just been promoted to
possibly capable of creating a suitable heir.” I couldn’t even force myself to wear an evil grin as he
began to stammer.
“Wh–what? Father wants me to pick a lady, too? From your consort?” Warren asked, flabbergasted.
“Yes, that’s what I’ve just been informed of,” I confirmed, folding my hands behind my back. I gave my
brother a hard stare. As long as he left Ciana alone, he could choose whoever the hell he wanted with
the rest of the group.
That way… Ciana could also let go of whatever feelings she might have for him too.
Maybe it was a good idea to have Warren paired up with someone, after all.
“But… I don’t want to. This is absolutely preposterous. I’m not a soulless offspring–making machine
and I have no interest in any of those girls out there!”
His eyes fell on Ciana. If he had the ability to simply choose her, he certainly would do so, because I
noticed the careful wording of his sentence–those girls out there. Not this one.
I shrugged. “Welcome to my world of misery, brother,” I remarked.
“That’s not very nice,” Ciana chimed in. “Why does Prince Warren have to pick someone he doesn’t
even like?”
“Because it’s the king’s order,” I told her. The fact that she was standing up for my brother irritated me.
“There must be something you could do, right, Prince Theo?” Ciana pleaded on behalf of Warren. I
couldn’t help the fire of rage burning inside me.
Warren thought for a moment and said, “How about-”
I immediately knew what he wanted to propose, however, he must know that Ciana was going home
and wouldn’t be an option, so I stopped him right there. “If you want to negotiate with Father, that’s up
to you. Now, Ciana, you’re dismissed from the palace.”
She fought back, “But Prince Warren shouldn’t need to do this!”
Why was she so persistent? Did she really care about Warren that much? To make it worse, the tone
she used made it sound like the whole situation was my fault!
I snapped at her without thinking, “What’s the matter, Miss Black? Are you afraid that some other lady
will run off with the prince you wanted for yourself?”
Her mouth dropped open and hung there while she fluttered her eyelashes at me, trying to figure out
how to respond. Even Sophia seemed to be concerned for some reason.
While I didn’t care about what Sophia’s problem was, I was anxious to hear Ciana’s answer.
What did I want her to reply, anyway? That she wasn’t interested in marrying Warren? Well, she wasn’t
saying that. She wasn’t saying anything at all.
For a moment, I regretted what I said and was afraid of what I might hear from her lips.
What if… she said yes?
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