The Crown in The Abyss

Chapter Six: Aramis POV

I woke up and checked where she was. I got up and checked everywhere in her room.

“What are you doing?”She was drying her hair and was wearing a mint mesh balloon dress.

“Oh your awake”

“I saw the sun shining bright orange and it’s almost eight, Elio is going to come soon,”she explained. I knew he was going to boil me alive. I never ever met a beta that was brave enough to stand against an alpha.

“So Elio is your guardian”I asked.

“In a way, Elio was in charge of getting me the throne and he taught me etiquette, economics, and diplomacy,”she said.

“That sounds boring,”I scoffed. We heard a knock.

“Come in” she began brushing her hair.

“You aren’t going to hide me,”I asked.

“I think it would be fun to see you get scolded for once,”she smirked. I really wanted to brawl her to the ground. Elio entered and he saw. He didn’t look happy just by looking at me.

“And you have the audacity to come back here?”

“Look beta boy I’m alpha and you're just a mere beta,”I was mad that she wasn’t going to put him in his place. He walked to me and grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and put me against the wall. His strength was incredible.

“I may be a mere ROYAL beta, but this beta has the strength of 10 polar bears combined, I’ve trained tirelessly in the snow so I wouldn’t mind to rip your face and devour you for myself,”Elio’s face reflected his beast form. It was truly terrifying.

“Elio, leave the poor boy, you’re scaring him,”Estella said grinning. She chuckled. He let me go slowly.

“If you hurt her again I swear to Selene that I will eat your insides in a record second,”he snarled and walked to Stella and whispered something in her ear. She nodded in agreement. Whatever it was, it meant I was meant to not interfere. Elio left as he finished giving her the message.

“The last few packs that are farther away just responded,”she said.

“I hope you're hungry because I sure am,”she got up and walked to the door. I saw she put her hair half up and the rest was down. I had to admit she was terrifying, beautiful but annoying. I followed her.

“So this castle is the oldest?”

“Of course it is Aramis, the inside of the walls are made out of ice,”she explained. We got to the dining room. She sat at the head of the table.

“You can sit next to me,”she said. I could tell her aura didn’t work on me anymore. I sat on the right side and then the royal court came in chattering. Estella put her gaze upon them. They all stopped chatting and stood still. They seemed like statues when her gaze rose.

“Members of the royal imperial court. I Queen Luna Alpha Estella Eirlys Lucelence, will have guests very soon so please I order you to welcome them, the very first guest is the Alpha Aramis,”she said with great honor. They bowed at me.

“Now please sit and feast, we will need the strength to fight the rogues and save as many lives as our empire can,”as she said that the chef came with trays that smelled so good. The royal court sat in their respective places.

“So when are you going to bestow the title of the King Luna on Aramis?” Rizon asked.

“I think it’s best to not do that, Rizon,”Elio snarled. He looked angered.

“Elio is right, Rizon, it will give our enemy more opportunities to attack and I mustn’t put my desires first when everyone is at war but I’ll give it some thought if bestowing the name on him for it could bring us a lot of strength,”she explained. I didn’t understand a single thing they were saying. I flunked English class. But I think they were talking about marriage because they did say my name.

“I want the imperial court to go to training today,”she ordered. Then I felt the choking aura. I felt that anyone who entered this forcefield could eventually die.

“Yes your majesty”they all said together in harmony. We began eating, feasting and drinking. Filling our desires to the maximum. The food was so great, I never had food that tasted this good. I could say I was poor compared to them. I could see Estella finished faster than anyone. I finished as fast as I could and I walked to her and followed like a puppy. She stopped walking and turned to face me.

“Aramis, you can’t go where I’m going,” I could hear her breathy tone. As if she was nervous about something.

“Why not?”

“Look I’m going to my office please go train or do something else”

“Or I could join and I promise I won’t touch anything or invade your space. I will be good,”I pleaded to her. I didn’t want to leave her side. She sighed.

“Alright fine, but I’m only making this exception once,”she explained. We walked to the guards.

“Wait, they weren't here when we,”I tried to say.

“When we went back to my room I made them go to the master of ceremonies to prepare the invitations,”she explained. She walked past them and I walked carefully behind her. The maids enter behind us.

“Tea your majesty?,”one of the maids asked.

“Yes thank you Debbie,”she replied. They left the tray and left.

“So how long are we going to stay here, you promised we would travel all around the world,”I said.

“I need to reunite all the alphas and the way you treated me on that night is very hard to forget,”she replied while she was making her tea and checking all the laws.

“What? You're mad because I told you the truth?”I asked daringly. She raised her brow and her powerful gaze was upon my body and soul. Her gaze was so haunting.

“The truth? You don’t know the truth,”her voice was shaking.

“Yes I don’t know the truth because you're keeping it from me,”I exclaimed.

“No you choose to rather not see it,”she said her eyes were beginning to fill with tears.

“Then explain what I’m not seeing?”

“My love for you, I yearn every night spent with you in my room, I yearn for that attention I didn’t think I would find,” she said. I got too close to her.

“Then let’s run away, we let someone else take the throne,”I tried to say.

“And how many bodies do we have to have on our name, how many graves do we have to visit?”she asked. I looked away. She was right.

“How about we get married right now,”I asked her.

“Married?”

“I don’t see no problem with that”

“Then the rogues will attack you and your pack of desert wolves, Aramis,”she explained.

“And how are you so sure?”I asked her.

“I’m certain because that’s how they took my mother,”she blurted out. I was in shock. I could see a dam in her eyes. The water wanted to escape but there was something that didn’t let the water escape. It was at the brink of over flooding.

“How old were you when your mother got kidnapped,”I asked.

“I was a mere pup, it was December 23rd, I was just turning five on that day, my mother got me to safety but the rogues were still around us so she risked her life to save her child,”she explained. I couldn’t believe she had to go through that.

“Hey we can go find her, she must be alive,”I tried saying. She looked away. Again I went too far with my words. The rogues wouldn’t kill a royal, they were too smart to cause a nonsense war.

“Just when the time is right, I will tell you more about my past and things I am hiding so please be patient,”she explained. She was hurt.

“The last thing I want right now is to put you in danger, I want our marriage to be public to let the people know my true identity,”she began telling me like it was a far away fantasy.

“And it will happen ,”I smiled at her. I hugged tight. I didn’t want to hurt my mate anymore but from the looks of it I did two big scars that were only visible to me. I kissed her on the forehead. I let go of her and sat on the floor and looked at what she was writing about. We heard a knock.

“It’s the royal butler Osian,”he said.

“Come in,”she put a stack of papers aside. The butler came in.

“We just got all the invitations back, your majesty, all the packs are coming to the ball, and the estates are well furnished and well equipped,”he said.

“Very well, anything else,”she asked.

“The packs of Canada will arrive very soon in 2 hours, I shall take my leave your majesty,if I need anything just ring,”he said.

“Here, give this menu to the chef, and the maids are assigned to every room?”she asked.

“Yes your majesty,”the butler said. He grabbed the small piece of paper that she handed to him.

“And the betas are coming?”she asked.

“All betas are coming, I reassured you,”he said.

“Alright then you may take your leave,”she said. He bowed and left. She got up and walked the weird cord with a pom Pom thing.

“Wait what’s that?”I asked.

“It’s to call anyone I need, one pull rings the bell in the maids corridors, two I’m calling a guard, three I’m calling the butler, four the general, and five I’m calling Elio,”she explained. She pulled it once and sat back down at her desk. She poured herself more tea.

“Why are you calling a maid,”I asked.

“First I need you to get ready to welcome our guests and I need to get a new dress,”she explained. There were so many rules I didn’t see the point of.

“Ready? Oh no you're not making me wear a suit,”I said.

“You must wear a suit Aramis, you're not going to welcome the guests like that and I need you to be next to me since well you're my destined mate,”she explained.

“So you're giving me the role of King Luna,”I asked.

“I am and I’m also giving you the role as my friend,”she looked at me with those once ice cold eyes. They were warm now. I stroke her hand.

“Alright as you wish,”I said. The maids knocked.

“You may enter,”she put the stack of papers in the boxes. The maids entered and did a curtsy.

“Your majesty,”they both addressed her.

“Kiana please take Aramis to get him ready, and Debbie please bring out the dresses we will have guests,”she ordered.

“Yes your majesty,”they said. They did a simple curtsy.

“Come king Luna,” Kiana said. We exited the office. Kiana took me to Estella's room. She got out a suit with a floral vest and a lot of medallions that had the royal wolf crest. I hated dressing up. Whenever it came to royal balls, family reunions or an alpha party at my house I was in pants and a t-shirt. I grabbed the clothes and went to the bathroom. I started taking off my casual wear. I felt my wolf whimper because my clothes had her scent. I sighed and put on the mixed puzzle pieces. There were so many buttons on the white undershirt. The ivory gold vest had four and the medallions were just a confusing laundry line. I saw that they were cufflinks and I put them on the suit. I got out and the maid began cutting my sort of long hair. Then she bought a gold tie handkerchief so it could hide the undershirt. I put on the dress shoes. As I looked in the mirror I looked like prince material.

“Come with me king Luna,”she said. I followed her. I saw her hands were scarred. It was probably a whip. I grabbed her wrists. She jumped.

“What are you doing?” shaking like I was about to do something.

“Who did this to you?” I asked.

“I’m forbidden to speak of it King Luna please I could get in trouble” she pleaded.

“With the Queen? Did she do this?” I asked her. I tried getting my voice harder for her to deny my command.

“My Queen Alpha has nothing to do with this, it's for her I’m in the castle” I let the maid go. I couldn’t get the story out of her mouth. I could get an idea by looking at her.

“The Queen never gave me these scars, she saved me from getting deeper ones that’s all I have in her defense,” she pleaded.

“Very well I believe you Kiana,”I said as the embarrassment went through me. I didn’t mean to scare her. She took me to the grand entrance. I saw Estella in a yellow gown adorned with roses on the top. There was a lace corset belt that hugged that hourglass figure.The sleeves were sheer but had Tulip embroidered them as well a nice yellow ribbon which made them cuff. The yellow skirt was hiding some white lace. The flowers on the skirt gave her an innocent complexion. Her hair was held by a bow. The braid was art. I liked the yellow simple jewels that gave her glow. Then she looked at the maid and walked to her and cupped her cheeks. It was like a mother checking on her child how was her day at school.

“Kiana what’s wrong?”she asked in a soothing voice.

“Nothing, your majesty,”she said. My mate read her troubled face.

“Please go rest, you have the rest of the day off,”she said and kissed her forehead.

“Thank you, your majesty,”she bowed and left. Then she gave me a glaring look. I knew I was in trouble.

“I hope you're not bothering my staff Aramis,”she said and put the tip of her nail on my chin.

“Because I will make you pay,” her seductive voice rang through my ears. I really wanted to get punished by her. I wanted to play her game right now. But then my thoughts got interrupted by Elio.

“Estella, where's your mask?” Elio glared at me.

“I know you may be beta, but I would like for you to consider that I think we have to change traditions Elio,” she gave him a sweet smile. He grunted and grabbed a tuft of hair.

“Promise me you will be fine,” he said.

“I promise,”she said.

*I will erase their memories of them seeing her when we finally reach a agreement* I heard Elio’s thoughts loud and clear. I didn’t want to tell Estella because then I could die before my wedding. The butler entered.

“My Queen they’re here” the butler bowed and left. She extended her hand to me.

“Let’s go together,”she still had that smile. I could tell she was nervous. I held her hand gently. I could hear Elio’s disapproval. I ignored it and walked out the curtain with her. Her beta was behind us.

“I present your royal majesty Queen Alpha Luna Estella Eirlys Lucelence,”the master of ceremonies announced us as we walked to the grand entrance. I could see the entrance was full of Canadian Wolf packs. The betas, the alphas, and the lunas bowed at her. She cleared her throat. I kept looking at the audience. Everyone was really amazed that they could finally meet the one who was leading all the wolf packs. My mate was a mystery to everyone so this pack was the very first to see her in person.

“It is great pleasure to invite everyone to my home, please make the most of it, you all must be tired from the journey so I have rooms prepared, the royal ball will be in three days since we are waiting for the rainforest packs and the rest of the seasonal packs,” she said. She was shaking a tiny bit.

“I also have a bit more news but for now please go to your rooms and get some rest, we will discuss more at dinner in two hours so please don’t come late,”she explained. Then the maids came with cards on the plates. It seemed they had names of the alphas. Estella let go of my hand and went with Elio. Elio let her go first and I tried to follow and he put a hand on my chest.

“I have some important matters to discuss with her majesty so be a good King Luna and go somewhere else,”he snarled. I understood his anger and his thirst for revenge. I did hurt her. I walked around where the Canadian wolves were staying and some of them were young. They looked at me as if they could take my mate. As I was minding my business a brunette with the bluest eyes approached me.

“I’VE BEEN training for king for my whole life, I won’t let desert a wolf take it from,”he was roughly my age. I chuckled and gave him an eye roll and put him against the wall.

“Oh you don’t want to challenge the beast,”I said with a grin. He didn’t look intimidated enough. He was lucky that I liked my food when it was hard to get.

“Look prince material,”I tried to say.

“It’s Leucos,” he snarled. Now he would make fine entertainment.

“Fine Leu AND that goes for y’all as well” I roared.

“I got chosen to be Selene’s destined so get your jealous asses calmed down or you might be dinner for my dead grandmother,” I chuckled a bit and let him go. Everyone stared at me including Leu Leu. I scoffed and walked to Estella’s room and I found her there with her arms crossed.

“What Goldie,”I asked her and stuffed my face on the brook of her neck. I tried to not grab her by her hips since she wouldn’t let me. I smelled the anger.

“You know you embarrassed my name Aramis”

“What can't you make a few jokes here and there,”I asked her jokingly.

“If I don’t get this right many people can die due to me not reuniting the packs,”she said.

“Why do you say you won’t keep hurting me but you still do,”her desperateness in her voice cracked in my ears.

“I’m sorry I just,”I sighed. I had no excuse.

“When I was little I was always casted to the side because I was a monster ravaging for blood, that’s why I dropped out of high school,” I explained to her slowly. She picked up my face to look at her.

“Then maybe I could teach you some manners,”she said. I immediately backed away red. She sat down on the bed. She patted it. She was inviting me to lay next to her.

“I was messing around,but I don’t see a monster when I see your wolf or you in general,”she chuckled a bit.

“Then what do you see?” She looked at me so sweetly. Her stare was soft.

“A big puppy too innocent to be in this world,”she said. I kissed her cheek. I didn’t know what type of relationship we had but I knew I wanted to see it grow. She smiled and nuzzled under my neck.

“I love you Aramis,” I felt a cold tear stream down my neck. I held her close.

“It’s ok I love you too, I will try to keep my mouth shut just for you Goldie,” she chuckled at me saying that.

“I think Goldie is starting to grow on me,”she said. She moved her face to my chest and she tried to engulf my smell. Then all the thoughts came to my mind at once.

“How do I smell?”I really wondered if we had at least established the matebond.

“Just as I wished,” she said, leaning against me.

“I see you can recognize me as your destined mate?” I asked her.

“I guess,” she said. I grabbed her by the shoulders.

“Do you think we’re going too fast,” I asked her.

“I mean we’re not humans,” she looked down.

“I know maybe I’m taking it too fast,” I tried to say but her loud snort and laughter interrupted my thought.

“You really want to be mundane?” Her face red with laughter.

“What are you even saying?” I didn’t understand what she said. Sometimes it was like an alien language to me.

“Mundane means human or humane or dull,” she explained.

“And what does dull mean,” I asked her again.

“Um lack of excitement,” she said.

“Well your response is correct, I do want to become more human,” I told her.

“Why? You have so much power being a Lycan,” she said.

“And I can say the same thing about you, you can tear me to pieces, well anyone can be torn by your power but you let Elio take over as Beta,” I said. She looked away.

“To be honest you are right but deep down I don’t want to disobey his rules because he is like a father to me in a way, I never had anyone else to tell me right from wrong, I know he has a lot of rules but it’s for my protection,” she explained.

“So Rapunzel in a way?”

“You mean the story that a parent would tell to children when they go to sleep?,” she asked.

“I guess in a way, Rapunzel never left her tower to not disobey the witch who was literally keeping her locked away for a selfish desire,” I explained.

“It’s hard to imagine Elio as the villain of a story, Aramis, but I do know he is hiding something,”she said.

“Like what?”I asked. I didn’t want to tell her that Riven erased his troops' minds from seeing her. So even Riven is hiding something.

“What’s the problem being seen? I’m Queen, I'm powerful enough to take a few rogues,”she explained. Few was an understatement but she was right.

“I mean he let everyone see you today,” I explained.

“But after I explain the plan, he will fix their memory and make it all be a dream except the plan,” she said. I petted her head.

“I must get changed for dinner,” she explained.

“Alright,” I answered. The maids came in with a new change of clothes and did a curtsy. I knew she called them before I came in. They grabbed her and pulled a curtain. They took a few minutes until they pulled the curtain back. She was in a tight ivory pencil skirt. The bodice matched the skirt. But she had sheer lace for the bell sleeves. The lace sheer extended to the parts where the bodice didn’t cover. It had tiny bits on the slit of the skirt. To finish off the look she was adorned with white pearl tassel earrings embroidered with gold and medallion for the turtle neck collar and a belt with another but bigger medallion. I saw the medallions had the crest of the royal blood. Her hair was still in a braid but the bow was matching my suit color.. She had ivory satin pumps. The butler came in holding a white cape.

“My Queen and King Luna dinner is served in the dining hall, you may come down,” the butler addressed us.

“Very well my destined mate and I will come now,” Estella said. The maids put on a small crown on her head and the butler clipped the cape on her. She grabbed my hand with force and we walked to the royal dining. As we entered, there were a lot of people standing. The dining hall would have at least 130 people packed at its finest. My mate sat in a tall chair almost looking like a throne. I sat on her right. And the royal court also sat on her right and the Canadian packs sat on her left. The chefs came with giant plates of meat, a giant turkey, almost anything you could think of. To be honest this was going to be my second time I dined with Estella. We began eating in silence. The room was calm.

“What are the news you have for us, your grace,” one of the alpha leaders spoke. She smiled and took a deep breath.

“As all of you might’ve heard that one of the packs of the desert region is now extinct due to the rebels, I want to reunite the packs and plan a war with them,” she spoke with honor and without even a stutter. But that honor broke after someone was heard laughing. His beta was tugging on his shirt.

“Alpha Hugo, is there anything you like to share with me and the rest of the guests,” Estella’s glare focused on Hugo.

“Your excellence the desert wolves became extinct due to their own thirst for power and blood,” Hugo said with a sneered smile. I tried to keep my mouth quiet for the sake of my mate.

“It is true your excellency my father told me it was a crazy Lycan saying he had a vision from the goddess herself,” another alpha rose his voice. I tightened my jaw. She stood up. Her eyes were purple, I could see her fury, I knew that anyone would regret messing a royal. The room felt like an icicle. The lights went out.

“I see that you're insulting my future husband and the goddess itself, for I am the goddess in full flesh and blood, please gentlemen. I know what everyone might’ve heard but they’re rumors,” she said.

“Now Hugo, I have witnessed the extinction of the desert biome, I have visited at least three packs, so what do you have to say yourself Alpha Hugo,” as she sat down she kept eyes purple. The room began to grow frost.

“We apologize your majesty,” Hugo said.

“I accept your apology, but I will say this, insult my name and my destined mate you will be stripped from your land and your title, for I have the authority to secure peace,” the lights turned back on and the room felt warm again. I looked at her and opened my mind canal.

*Thank you* She gave my hand a squeeze.

“Now then, now that everyone is aware of the King Luna, we’ve seen the rogues attack and what they’re capable of. I will have the meeting after the new year's ball,” she announced.

“Now if you excuse me I will go up to my chambers please enjoy dinner,”she got up. The butler took off her cape. Elio was smirking.

“I taught her well,” he scoffed. I did want to follow but I knew she would tell me to go to my room. I could see how many lost the courage to fight for the throne.

“Elio I’ve heard rumors about the old deceased king, I don’t know if it’s true or not,” I asked.

“It’s true in a way but as my childhood friend he was weak, his father would spoil him rotten, any knowledge he asked they gave him the answer, and that knowledge he would share it whoever was close to him,” he spoke grimly.

“You're hiding something, aren't you,from Stella?”