The Crown in The Abyss

Chapter Five: Estella POV

I woke up alone in the bed. I was still in my morning clothes. I walked around the room to check if Aramis was around. But what I could see he was gone. I wondered if it was dream. Then the maids came. They brought recency dresses. Normally that’s what I worn in the palace. I picked out a simple salmon long sleeve dress that reached my ankles and picked out some salmon low heels. I did a half up do. The maids bowed and left. I felt was under more control of my power thanks to my fated mate. I headed down the kitchen.

“Your majesty are you looking for someone,”the chef asked.

“Yes, I’m looking for Alpha Aramis,”I told him.

“He’s with Alpha Riven, but they’re coming for breakfast please sit, you must be hungry,”I thanked him. I walked to what seemed like the dinning room. The maids served me breakfast and I ate happily. Then Riven and Aramis came down.

“R-riven,”I froze.

“Queen Alpha Estella Eirlys Lucelence, it’s a grand honor to make your acquaintance,”Riven did reverence. I couldn’t talk or move from the memory.

“The honor is mine for letting my stay,”I tried to say. Aramis came and grab my hand.

“Aramis can you leave us alone I think we need to talk,”Riven explained. He glared at him.

“It’s my mate,why would I leave you two alone,”Aramis held me close.

“I won’t hurt her, or do anything,”he said. Aramis let go of me and walked out of the dinning room. I crossed my arms and looked out of the window.

“I’m sorry for your father’s loss,”Riven said.

“I-it’s fine,”I said.

“How has been ruling over the packs been,”he asked.

“Hard,”I explained. I rarely left my dad’s office.

“Tell how did your father passed,”he asked. It was private to know about his passing. Only the royal court and Elio know apart from me.

“I will entrust you with this secret,”I rose my aura. My eyes reflected my wolf who’ve I been keeping sealed.

“O-of course your majesty,”he choked out. I cleared my throat and took a deep breath.

“My father decided to end his own life since what happened to my mother,”I looked away.

“So he hanged himself,”he asked. I sighed.

“My great great grandfather left us a heirloom of protection a handgun that can only be loaded by sliver pellets, so I was there to witness what happened in that very moment,”I explained. He froze.

“And you hadn’t,”he tried to say.

“I don’t have time to mourn, I have to be strong to lead the packs, to bring peace,”I said coldly.

“Maybe, but right now I think you have the time to cry it out and to finally put those feelings to rest”

“Riven it’s too late to cry and I have put those feelings to rest,”I didn’t want to explain even more. I didn’t want to reveal to him what I had to do to get revenge.

“If you excuse me that will be all the explanation I have,”I stood up and left him there and went back to the room.I took a deep breath. I didn’t like mentioning what happened at that night or with my mother. But I felt obligated because Riven was a friend to the family. Aramis came in.

“You look down”

“I don’t want to talk about it,”I said. I felt calm in front of his presence.

“I won’t invade your space, if you don’t tell me, it’s up to you,”he looked out the window.

“So tell me a bit more about where you grew up,”I wanted to make conversation. Also I wanted to know more about him. He looked at me with those daring seductive eyes of his and he walked to me slowly. He grabbed my wrists.

“I won’t share nothing Princess unless you share something,”he looked at my whole body. I didn’t think this was how a friendship would work. But I did like playing his game.

“Very well,what would like to know,”I asked him.

“Tell me more of the Arctic,”he said. He sat next to me.

“The Arctic, it’s cold, it’s well boring and safe,”I looked away.

“I see so tell me why had you never left the Arctic,”he asked and he held my hand.

“I really don’t know, when I was younger Elio would never let me out or let me converse with other females that were my age, males were forbidden the only exceptions were guards, whenever I went to the ambassador meetings with him he made me wear a mask,”I said.

“So now you tell me more about your lifestyle?” I looked at him intrigued. I felt like a child hearing a story.

He looked at me and smiled so warmly. Shivers went down my spine.

“I was born in Saudi Arabia, if you don’t know desert wolves love migrating, but we tend to migrate when we see it as necessary,”he explained.

“And your parents.”

“My parents, well they like any Alpha and Luna should act, stand tall and emotionless, it was a arranged marriage.”

“And yours,”he looked at me straight into my eyes. It felt like he put a hex on me. I looked closer I could see he was hiding something.

“Your hiding something,”I said. He looked away.

“It’s your curse isn’t it,”I pressured.

“It’s not your problem,”he explained.

“It’s my part of my concern too,”I stood up.

“HOW is it your problem,”he shouted.

“BECAUSE I’m in love with you,”I said crying. His face got red.

“Lies,”he growled underneath his breath.

“LIES?,”I scoffed.

“AND how come we don’t talk about you don’t open yourself to me,”I looked away.

“You cannot lie about one’s feelings, YOU can’t simply fake love,”I said with a angered tone. I was annoyed of how my confession meant to him.

“OH really then why is the curse there, WHY is my blood potent, WHY is it you CAN’T perceive my scent,”he looked tired and sick.

“I don’t have a answer,” I said coldly. He looked away and stomped to the door. He opened the door with great force and slammed it. I shook a bit. I felt the tears wanting to come and I took a breath and hid them away.

“I’m not five anymore,”I began telling myself. I sat in the bed for hours on end till I saw the moon rise. I walked to the cord and rang the bell for the maids to come. I sat down and waited for them. It took them five minutes to come in. They walked in the door and a did a curtsy.

“Your majesty,”they addressed me.

“Prepare my bath and my night gown for tonight,”I said with a stricken tone. It was a thing opening up to the past for a dear family friend and another thing being called a liar by your lover. They nodded and bowed. I put on my bathrobe. They opened the bath faucet and began adding the oils and the scents. Once they were done they backed away. I took off the bath robe and got in the bath. They began massaging me my back. I relaxed a tiny bit. I dismissed the maids and I washed myself. I got out of the shower. The came back in with the night dress. But then we saw a blood spat on the window. I grabbed the dress and changed quickly. I walked out of the bathroom and went outside. Aramis was transformed and fighting a rogue. A lot of them were. Riven put his hand on my shoulder.

“Go back to the room we can handle this,”he said and got out his sliver hand gun.

“No I can help I don’t need to transform please no one has to die,”I said. He looked at me and saw his pack.

“Very well,”he said.

“And one more thing tie up Aramis,”I ordered. Riven sent his warriors next to him to get Aramis. He was too mad to calm him down. I walked in the battlefield. They tied up Aramis. I heard his growling. I heard the chains clang against each other trying to stop. And I glared at him.

“SIT,” I ordered. The rogues snarled. Aramis sat down shaking trying to disobey me.

“This is a fight between you and me not with these wolves,”I said putting more power in my voice. I let Selene come through my eyes. I could feel she was still hurt from the venom. A rogue came at me and I caught him by my bare hands and I twisted his neck. I walked to slowly to them and one by one I was making them fall. Once I knew there were no more rogues I walked back to the house. I was covered in blood. Aramis was transformed back and he looked at me in horror.

“No one’s hurt in your pack Riven?”

“No your majesty,”I smiled at Riven’s words.

“H-how are you not hurt females are weaker than the Rogues,”he tried saying.

“I’m not like other females, I’m a full royal Arctic wolf, my father’s fighting genes got passed to me,”I explained. I put my fingers to my fangs and pushed me them back up to my gums. The males began wagging their tails at me and I glared at them. The warriors stopped wagging their tails and whimpered. So I guess this was what Elio was warning me.

“Come join us on celebrating this victory,” Winston said. Winston was Riven’s beta. He was also covered in blood and naked.

“The borders are safe Riven,” Winston bowed and kissed my hand as he reported to Riven.

“Very well,” Riven said. I started coughing blood and felt woozy.

“Your majesty are you ok?”Winston asked.

“I’m fine let’s celebrate our victory,”I tried changing the subject and the warriors howled. We were celebrating our victory. The music was loud and everything seemed calm. I was with Riven and Winston. Aramis still looked mad. But I ignored him. As the champagne was setting in we heard a branch snap. Riven locked the trigger and shot at nothing and a wolf fell.

“A spy was in our land,”Riven looked around and listened to every footstep.

“Riven look I need a favor,”I tucked my hair back.

“Whatever do you need your majesty,”he asked.

“Take me back to my pack,”I knew I had my responsibilities. I needed all the pack regions to be reunited, we needed to plan a attack.

“Your maj-,”he tried to say.

“No I can’t have fun while a lot of good people are dying thanks to me not doing anything,”I explained. He sighed.

“Very well.” He looked at Winston.

“Take care of the pack, all of the wolves are in look out,”Riven ordered a warrior. The warriors transformed into wolves again and they went in different directions. I walked to Aramis.

“I’m going back,”I extended my hand to him.

“Wait you can’t go it’s,”he tried to say.

“I won’t let more blood run, what we need to do is reunite all the Alphas,”I explained to him. I lowered my hand knowing he wasn’t going to shake it. He grabbed a bottle of whisky and chugged it all.

“You can come but otherwise this is a goodbye,”I said with a grim tone. I was in love with him, but I couldn’t live a fairytale while everyone was living a nightmare. Plus he didn’t even validate my own feelings. I walked to Riven.

“Are you ready your majesty,”he asked. I nodded. We walked in the forest. Winston was holding a sliver hand gun which was locked and loaded. He leaded us to the entrance of the cave. We walked through the whole tunnel. Winston was behind and making sure no one followed us. Then we got to a part where the tunnel turned from water to ice. As walked through the whole frosted and cold tunnel we got to the exit of the tunnel. I took a deep breath and I took in the cold air. I was home. When we took the first step outside I saw what was like the dome Riven described that he would put on our kingdom to keep everyone safe. We walked to the castle, everyone seemed to be asleep in their houses as we got to the entrance of the castle. We entered the castle. Elio was there and then he saw me and cupped my cheeks.

“Oh I missed you so much Estella,”he exclaimed.

“Father I was gone for four days,”he began checking me.

“Can you transform?”he asked.

“No.”

“Stella,”he sighed and grunted.

“I don’t need a wolf, and I came here because I’m here to do my duty,” I said with a stern a tone.

“She is right Elio, you should’ve seen her today,”Riven tried helping my case. Winston nodded as extra support. Elio didn’t look pleased.

“Look I’m not looking for your approval I’m 18 and I’m going to send invitations to all the packs, I can protect myself very well,”I looked at him pleading for me to stay. He looked away and walked away.

“Well your majesty we must get going you know where to escape if things get too intense,”Riven walked out with Winston following behind. I walked to the north wing. I went to my office and began writing invitations. Dysis knocked the door.

“Come in,”I was rechecking every letter I made prior the day I left. The rainforest held 5. The seasonal pack held over 230. Then Dysis walked in the door and I opened my mind communication.

*So how was your short vacation?* I gave Dysis a look that explained it all.

*So not that good*

“Apparently my destined is mate is well a whats the correct word, a bit rude inconsiderate,” I crumpled a piece of paper of thinking about it.

“So you haven’t told him how you feel?” She grabbed some treats the maids left.

“I did, he was just was like blaming me it’s my fault that he’s cursed and me keeping secrets”

*You do though Stellar* she had her mouth with a lot of treats.

“You know it’s hard to reveal the truth,” I signed the last invitations.

*I mean it took you six years to tell me what happened to your deceased parents, and you know I was born in the rogue dumps they killed my mother Sona* she looked away. I smiled and hugged her tight. I was older by her for six years. I found her when I twelve.

“Do think we can consider each other like friends,”I asked her. I started putting the letters in envelopes.

*I mean your busy all the time so in a way yea* she said. I always considered her as my female friend but hearing her confirmation made me feel better. I never had male friend. Elio was too strict about that and I never knew why.

“Dysis get the messenger Arctic owls,”I ordered her. She nodded and bowed and left. I closed my mind chat for a bit. I sighed. I open the drawers to see if my father left me a hint or something that he would of left for me for my eighteenth birthday. But nothing was found in the old aged drawers. I put all the invitations the basket and gave them to the guard standing outside of the room.

“Go find Dysis, and help her ready the messenger Arctic owls,”I ordered the guard.

“Yes your majesty,”he addressed me and did a reverence and left to find Dysis. I walked down to the of second floor north hall. I shivered at the memory. There were still black curtains, my father’s office was bordered up. I looked at my old room. It was the crown princess’ suite. I opened the door and it was still the same. The room was decorated in black. I was trying to hold back the tears. I sat on the bed. I hugged myself and laid there like a child waiting to be tucked in. I sang to myself and fell asleep.

I woke up next to the shining sun. I checked the time and it was 5 am. I had to give it to Riven’s weird dome thing. I got up and walked to the office and began checking everything. Elio walked in and gave me the responses.

“Did you even go to sleep,”he asked.

“No.” I checked every response.

“And the Arctic owls?” I asked.

“They’re fine but Estella you should get some rest, and well a break”he sat in one of the chairs in the room.

“I can’t it’s a job I take seriously”

“So how many of them said yes”Elio got out a cigar and started smoking it.

“So far everyone single one, they’re coming tomorrow,” I replied. I froze at seeing Aramis’ response.

“What’s wrong with the last letter did it say no,”Elio looked at me.

“N-no he’s coming all right,” I replied. I walked and rang the bell and guard knocked.

“Come in,” I said. He came in. I put the replies in a basket.

“Take this to the sergeant of arms,”i gave him the basket.

“Of course your highness,”he bowed and left.

“Don’t tell your going to a party full of males,”Elio’s eyes and mood changed.

“I am and if you have a problem, deal with it, I promise I will wear a mask,”I explained to him. I sat down in my desk and began writing laws.

“You know your putting yourself as bait,”he snarled.

“You know the guards also do the same the thing, and most of them are already paired,” I kept checking the list that the royal court left.

“Elio” I said. He began shaking.

“Tell everyone in the castle to prepare the room estates for every Alpha and Luna,” I gave him a list and pushed him out of my office and slammed it shut. Then as I turn around I saw a dark figure as it turned around I saw it was Aramis.

“YOU” I tried exclaiming. He covered my mouth.

“SHH,”he tried getting me to stay quiet. I pushed him off of me.

“How did you got in?”I asked furious.

“I don’t need doors Goldie” I glared at him.

“Don’t call me Goldie I’ve told you a thousands times it’s Estella”

“Goldie fits you better princess”

“Look I’m not here to play your little game I’m still mad about what you did yesterday” I growled.

“Well well I think that can be forgiven so this is the north wing” I tried pushing him out.

“You know you have many books” I fell. He was too stubborn.

“You know you act too easy on me sweetheart”

“Well I won’t act easy on you now SO get out” I tried to get up. But then he put me in a corner. He grabbed my wrists. Again I felt submissive. I wanted to mark him right here. I wanted to show how I felt about him.

“I will get out if I get to sleep in the same room” he grinned. I kicked him in the groin and he got off.

“OUT” I ordered. He was on the ground crying. So I guess what I thought was a myth was not at all a myth.

“Quit crying and get out”

“Y-you know what you did,”he grunted in pain. I decided to sit down.

“You know you can ruin your chance to get kids” he got up barely and shaky.

“I don’t know a male body,” I said and looked away.

“So you lied that you slept with a another male,”he asked.

“Well you act so ignorant irrational and irritating,”I really was annoyed by his attitude.

“Half of that I didn’t understand princess, look I skipped etiquette class” he said with a grin. Then we heard a knock.

“Estella it’s me Elio, I did what you asked and I wanted to check on you” he said.

“Just one second I have to move a box in the cabinets,” I lied. I grabbed Aramis by his crew neck and stuffed him in one of the cabinets and opened the door.

“Your hair and your dress it’s a mess” he got in the office and walked around. I tried fixing myself up.

“I promise you it was just a box a heavy box” I said. I saw I left the cabinet a tiny bit open and walked there and kicked the cabinet door shut.

“OW” Elio looked in my direction. I didn’t know why Aramis would make a sound.

“I hit myself”I lied.

“Alright but if I see Aramis we’re having a talk, you may not be my daughter but I know when you get hurt”he walked away. I opened the cabinet.

“You broke my ankle”he said. I closed the door shut.

“Sorry I didn’t see my strength,”I explained. I go over there and get out my crystal necklace inside of my chest.

“Wait I thought that thing was a family heirloom”

“It’s not Aramis, this necklace was a gift to all my people all the Arctic Wolves have the power to heal,”I explained. I made the necklace glow and healed his ankle.

“Ow that hurt,”he complained.

“Of course it did it pop back in and healed the bone” I put the necklace on.

“So Selene gifted it to the Arctic wolves,” he asked.

“You know the Arctic wolves are the first,”I remarked.

“Look I’m sorry I yelled at you and blamed you for being the reason that you couldn’t break the curse,”he tried getting all his apology out.

“It’s fine, it’s true I have a lot of secrets but it doesn’t mean I don’t love you maybe it’s best if we take things slow for now,” I said.

“How come?” He asked.

“First off I can’t mark you, second off what you did cause pain in my inner soul, third Elio is going to kill you,”I explained. His skin color turned into a more pale color. I laughed.

“And fourthly well the war with the rogues, we can’t have a whole romantic relationship when everything is in chaos,”I hugged my knees. He looked away.

“I know your right, and your duty does stand with the packs,”he tried comforting.

“Just tell me one thing, were your parents chosen or um destined,”he asked. I looked at him.

“We in all the royal generations all of them are destined, they bore a special type of mark that connects with the another,”I lifted up my hair and showed him my birthmark on my shoulder.

“Mine is a moon shaped as crown, my parents were both a heart, everyone says their love was so pure,”I felt something in my throat. As if it wanted to get out. He grabbed me and kissed me on my shoulder.

“I think this is where I want to mark you when your ready,”he began kissing my shoulder. I shivered at his touch.

“Come on I don’t want you to be here, I don’t like it when wolves enter in my office,”I got up. I didn’t want to forgive him so easily.

“Where are you taking me?” He asked like a small child wanting to learn more. He was curious.

“To my room,”I replied. I tucked the necklace back into my dress. I rarely took it off.

“You can’t revive people with that,”he asked.

“No”I replied thinking maybe my father could be alive if I could just go in there and heal him. But even the more experienced healers at that time couldn’t save him. So as a small woe child I couldn’t do much to save him. He was destined to die in such matter. I walked out of the north wing.

“Now if you enter the north wing I will make you suffer with the consequences, only Dysis and Elio can enter,”I said. I didn’t want him to find out one scroll I read when I was still training to be Queen. Of course everyone knows the story of the first royal falling in love with a wolf. And that same wolf betrayed her. And I don’t want him to know what we did to his grandfather. I knew much of the Lycan name. I thought that the curse skips a generation or two. But I didn’t think that he would have the most lethal dosage of venom. We walked up to the room. He grabbed me and carried me to the bed. He took off my heels.

“Jesus don’t your feet get tired?”he asked.

“Just a tiny bit,”I chuckled.

“Well I will sleep on the right but keep your distance,”I tried to make him listen.

“I don’t listen sweetheart, I’ve gotten use to your tough choking aura,”he had snarky smile. I rolled my eyes.

“I have to go back to the office stay here and rest,”I got up and walked to the door.

“Wait, can’t you stay?”

“I have a lot of work, just make yourself at home, and if Elio knocks um stay quiet,” I walked out of the room. I walked to my father’s office taking all the twists and turns. I needed to know for myself I felt he hid something from me. I opened the door of the office and I go to the drawer. I open it and get out the gun that my father killed himself. It had a gold handle. But it seemed to have a sliver after the handle. I checked if it was loaded. It was loaded with round pellets. I tried getting one out and it burned and threw the gun in the drawer. Then I saw a book. I slowly grabbed it out of the drawer. I opened it and was a bunch of entries. I took the book out of my father’s office and went back to my office. I flipped through the pages wanting to know why he killed himself when he knew that he had a cub. I got to the page. I read through the page carefully.

Entry 230 Year 2006 December 23rd

It’s a been a day since the funeral and it’s my daughter’s 6th birthday. But it doesn’t feel like a celebration. I decided to end my life to be with Aceline. A wolf can’t live without their destined mate even more if she wears the mark I bestowed on her. So I will entrust my daughter to Elio. I hope if she’s reading this to forgive me for doing this. So I won’t write more and let my reign end.

I felt tears streaming down and I cleaned them immediately. I felt he was hiding something and he was too smart to hide it. My best bet was that Elio knew. But I felt I finally got the answer to know why he died. I leaned back in my chair and looked at the stars on the weird dome. And I sang sweet nightingale. I finished all the work that the royal court had for me. I walked back to the room and I saw Aramis asleep. I smiled. I laid down on the edge of the bed. He immediately grabbed me like a stuff animal. I didn’t want to fight his embrace for it felt comforting and that’s what I needed at the moment.