Forbidden Lovers

Powerless

Evelyn watched as the Lunas chatted with each other, laughed, completely at ease, and for the first time she wished to be like them. Happy. They were all happy, mated to their true mates and with children. One of them was even pregnant.

Evelyn had always loved children. She had always dreamed finding her mate and having children with him— twins. That's what she had always wanted, to have twins with her mate just like her father and mother had. Just like she was supposed to be with her dead brother. Only that her twins would both be born healthy and would have a beautiful life.

That was all shattered the night Queen Antoinette told her she had married her off to King Robert. She would never be with her true mate, nor she would have children with him.

"Your grace, Alpha King Robert is asking to meet you at the throne room," one of Robert's personal guards informed her. The other women smiled, one of them even dared to tease and say that their King couldn't stay away from his chosen even for some hours and Evelyn had to smile at that, although inside she felt like dying.

Robert was sitting on his big, majestic throne when Evelyn entered the throne room, his eyes not moving from the woman on the portrait hanged on the wall in front of him.

"Did you love her?" Evelyn dared to ask. She didn't even know why she was asking in the first place. Honestly, as scary and intimidating as Robert was, he was like a puzzle to her, a puzzle she wanted so much to somehow figure out. Why was this man so evil? Despite his love for power and domination, was there another reason to the way he acted? She had so many questions that she knew she wasn't getting the answers to anytime soon.

King Robert chuckled, as if what she had said was the stupidest question in the world. "Are you jealous, little elf Princess?"

Evelyn laughed too, a laugh so fake even to her own ears. "I think we both know the answer to that," she responded.

"I think we both do," much unbothered, he said. "Erica was a good woman," he finally answered to her first question. "Kind, selfless, obedient, and unlike you, she knew her place." Evelyn pressed her lips into a thin line to keep herself from saying something she would regret later. "She was my chosen mate though, not my true one. Not that it matters, but no, I did not love her."

Evelyn remained silent; she had taken her answer, he had never loved his first wife. Not that she was expecting otherwise.

"Now, as for asking to meet you here... suit yourself first." He made a move with his hand to tell her to sit down on the Queen throne. Evelyn stiffened, and didn't move from her place. She had never sat down on that throne and never would; it simply did not belong to her.

"I'd prefer to not sit at all," she answered, but for her surprise, instead of getting angry at her, Robert only chuckled a little.

"As you wish, little elf," he told her. "Now, if I know something about you, it is that you are just as smart as your father."

She narrowed her eyes deeply. "Is this supposed to be a compliment?" Her voice dripped sarcasm.

"Of course not." He laughed in an obvious fake way. Whenever her father was bought in, it was almost as if he'd start to feel bothered. "I'm only stating facts. I could bet you know the real reason I married you, besides that putting-peace-between-our-kingdoms stupidity. Don't you, little elf?"

His sudden honesty surprised her. "I do," she simply answered.

"Which is?"

She sighed, figuring it did not matter if she told him or not. "Creating The Council of Peace once again and you becoming The Leader of it."

"Excellent!" Robert clapped his hands, actually excited about all this. He didn't even try to his the wicked smile on his face. "So, I think you've already figured that when the time comes that I will finally convince the other Kings and Queens of Mysticland, you'll be there by my side. The first step of convincing them, of course is showing them that the wolves and the elves are completely at peace and are actually under perfect financial and political relations, and the most important thing being that King Evander's daughter is actually living a good life here as my wife."

Evelyn felt her magic flow unconsciously inside her body and she fought to keep it inside. There was no word to describe how much she actually hated him, but mostly, how much she hated the fact that she could do nothing about it. She could only stand and watch. She was a powerful royal-blooded light-elf, yet she was powerless when it came to him.

"And I would stand by your side because...?"

A grin appeared in his face and she wanted with all her being to wipe it away. "Because it's simply your duty to do so. You're my wife."

Her hands were fisted on the sides, her long nails so deep inside the skin of her palms, blood dripped from her hands to the floor. "Do you think I will support you in taking my father's throne as Leader of The Council?! When you murdered him exactly for this reason?!" Her eyes had turned white, however, he didn't look scared at all. Almost like he knew she could do nothing to him. There would be murderous consequences if she did.

"But you will, little elf Princess, of course you will. You know why?" When he didn't get an answer from her, he kept going, "Because you have absolutely no one to protect you. You're completely alone, you have no one out there to come and save you from me."

Tears burned down her throat. He did have a point, she was completely alone. She had no one, not even Arthmael. He might be her mate, but he was his son. "I'm not the kind of woman that needs to be saved."

For her complete and utter surprise, Robert laughed right in her face. "Maybe you're right, maybe you do not need to be saved and I have to admit, that's what makes me desire you the most," he bluntly said. "Your people, though? You know what would happen to your people if you do anything to destroy my plans, don't you?"

This time, fear bubbled up inside her skin. The way his black eyes shone with excitement at seeing the fear in her eyes, he meant exactly what he had said. And it did not matter that her people had hated her most of her life, she still felt responsible for them. They were her father's people, he would have not wanted her to abandon them on Robert's mercy. "My people are strong, they've faced you in war once, they'd do it again," she tried.

"Back then, they were still Evander's people. Now though, they're Antoinette's people. And believe me, I have that stupid elf woman wrapped around my finger."

Evelyn swallowed down hard. There was no answer to that, Robert had thought about everything. She really was powerless when it came to him.

"So what do you say, my little elf Princess? Will you be by my side and support me to become The Leader of The Council when the time comes?"

Evelyn's next two words felt like she was suddenly opening her own grave with her own hands. "I will."