The Crown in The Abyss

Chapter 5.5: The Distant Memory

Discretion Be Advised

Aceline POV:

I carried my young cub through the snow. The night made the snow glistened. I set her down and she began looking at the sky and playing.

“Estella don’t go too far,”I told her. She looked at me and came running to be me and hugged my leg.

“Sorry mommy,”I felt her tears run through my leg. I bent down to her and cleaned her tears. I smiled at my own creation. She was going to turn five today. I kissed her cheek.

“My sweet child, I don’t want you to get hurt, your father isn’t here to protect us,”I explained. I grabbed a handful of snow and dropped it upon her head. She giggled. Then I heard footsteps. I grabbed Estella and carried her.

“Mother”she cried. I bounced her.

“Hush child,”I tried calming her down. I ran for the tunnels. I heard the steps get louder. I couldn’t transform, I had to get my child safe. I could feel my wolf selfish desire to protect its pup. I didn’t felt safe to stop. Then a rogue jumped in front of me. I dodged in time. I kept running with her in my arms.

“Mama what’s going on,”she asked.

“Mama ran into trouble honey, I just need you to be quiet and brave for me sweet girl,”I said. She clenched tighter. I let my destined mate Atreus knew I was being chased by rogues. I looked behind me and I saw a bunch of chasing me. I ran faster and once I knew I was far enough from them I looked somewhere to hide Estella. I found a cave and put her down. I cupped her cheeks.

“We don’t have enough time Estella,”I told her.

“Mama don’t leave,”she said all teary. I smiled and kissed her forehead.

“You know I will never leave your side,”I caressed her cheeks. I sang her sweet nightingale. I held for one last time. Once I finished I looked at her. She fell asleep.

“Please stay here safe, your father and his beta will be here,”I explained. I kissed her forehead.

“I love you my sweet child,” I left her near the cave and left her my dark pink knited chal. I saw the rogues trying to find me. I signaled them. I transformed and kept running but then a strong rogue caught me by the neck and threw me against a tree. I let out a whimper. I saw my paw and spine was broken. I was in no condition to fight. I transformed back weakly. The rogue transformed back and put his hand around my neck and licked it. I felt disgusted.

“Well you look at that it’s the Queen Luna, its nice to make your acquaintance,”he said with a sneered look.

“What should we do with her boss,”one of the other rogues asked.

“She has no pup so let’s make her to use,”he said.

“LET ME mate with her,”the same rogue exclaimed. The leader snarled and let go of my neck. I dropped to the ground naked. Then other gray wolf came.

“BOSS THE KING ALPHA CAME,”the gray wolf. The leader put a neck cuff connected to some hand cuffs.

“Move out,”he ordered. He dragged me to a ice breaker boat.

“GET ON,” one of them yelled. I could barely walk. As I got on they through me in a dungeon by myself and I saw many females crying. I sat down. I felt cold and far away from my mate. I sighed. Then leader came. I put a finger on my chin.

“Your a nice specimen of a royal,”he smirked. He moved his finger to my mark and then under boob which had my royal mark.

“So a true rare specimen,”he began nibbling neck. I tried moving away. Rogues wouldn’t listen to my commands. He grabbed forcefully by my sides. I felt disgusting. I tried not making any sound. He grabbed and tugged my breasts in order to get a reaction but I stood my ground.

“I see hard to get I really like that,”he breathed on my necked. Then he pulled me on his lap. I whimpered. I was in pain in my back. My wolf was too weak to react. He slowly penetrated and started moving back and forth. He tried digging deeper inside of me. I felt my cervix stretched. It felt like hours and he left his product inside of me. I was too sore to move.

“That nicer than I thought, I hope you get pregnant,”he got up and walked away. The females looked at me.

“Your majesty are you ok,”they asked.

“I-I’m fine,” I tried saying. Then I felt something warm. Atreus was looking for me. I started crying. I hugged myself.

Atreus POV

I got to where Aceline sent the signal for help. I saw Estella’s bow on the snow. I growled.

“SCOUT” I ordered. Elio shook at the order and bowed and began scouting. I howled to call her.

“Aceline, ESTELLA,” I tried calling them. Elio was right behind.

“Wait do you hear that?”he asked. I listened carefully. I wanted my cub and my mate to be safe. Then I heard crying in the crevice of a cave. I transformed quickly. I ran to where the crying got stronger. I saw her curled up. I nudged her a bit. She hugged my snout. I got her on my back and gave her to Elio.

*Take her back to the castle and protect her* I ran off and tried to get my mate’s scent. I howled and whimper and checked the whole Arctic. There was nothing. I run back to the castle and transformed back. The maids greeted me and gave me some clothes. I changed into them.

“Maybe she’s dead Atreus,”Elio tried to say. I growled at thought of it.

“Look Elio your my beta and all but I know my wife MY mate, she is alive, I can feel he,”I tried to say and I clenched my heart. She was in pain and suffering.

“Atreus?”he looked at me worried. I felt like I was about to get a heart attack.

“DOCTORS,”Elio yelled and they took me to the infirmary. I laid on the bed and once the pain was gone I began crying.

“Leave him alone,”Elio ordered.

“I’m going to find her,even if it takes me 10 years,”I told him. Then I saw some cute blue eyes.

“Eirlys come on out,”I said calmly. She walked slowly to me. I grabbed her and put her on top of me.

“I know you miss her it’s not your fault but you must be strong,” I stroke her hair. I held her close. Elio stood close without saying anything.

“You want me sing your favorite song,”I asked her. She nodded hiding herself in my arms. I didn’t mean that her birthday started like this. I sighed.

“I may not be the best singer,”I chuckled and I felt her smile. I began singing sweet nightingale. She cuddled closer to me. I saw she had the dark pink chal. I smiled.

“She fell asleep sir,”Elio said.

“I know,”I told him. When me and Aceline found out that Selene blessed us with a child we were over joyed. The nine months felt so long for me. I wanted to hold her. But I was about to lose both my child and my wife. But Selene gave my wife a vision and told me the first moon flower. I grabbed my guards to find it and they did. Once we made the elixir my child was here healthy. Me and my wife held her. I didn’t want to lose Aceline again.

“But she has blonde hair like the both of you it’s so weird,”Elio explained.

“But our eyes are golden, not blue that’s what makes her special,”I told him.

“What if you can’t find Aceline,”Elio said.

“I can’t live without Aceline, so if I can’t find her or I find her lifeless I will I trust you with Estella,”I told him. Elio looked shocked.

“Me?”he asked.

“Your my beta and what my daughter needs is someone stable with her, I don’t want anyone to see her in public, normally royalty begins showing their pup in public at age five, good thing we canceled the ball, I don’t want her out the palace walls, I don’t want no males to sniff her, promise me that Elio,”I looked at him.

“As you wish,”he said grimly.

“And I don’t want anyone to know this promise not even the royal court,this is an order from your alpha,”I ordered him. He nodded as best as he could.

“You know you were my only friend when I was young,”I explained to him.

“You know my father was the beta and the head general, they forced me to be your friend,”he said with a serious tone. I laughed. He smiled. I held Estella tightly. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep not knowing if my mate was ok. I felt empty and cold. And my daughter needed her mother. I cried a bit. Elio got in the embraced too.

Aceline POV

Nine months had passed. How did I know. My stomach grew and grew. Yes I was about to had another pup. The rogues brought us their secret base camp. I lived alone in a tiny house. I had rags for clothes. I felt my child moving and kicking inside of me. It was hard to move with a broken spine. It looked like I was having twins. I still felt that Atreus was trying to find me. I grabbed my cane and the basket full of seeds to feed the chickens. I feed the chickens. I held my stomach to help me move. I wondered when I would go to labor. Then the other prisoners came and visited me. It was Sona, Debbie, and Laura. The other prisoners ignored me. They weren’t pregnant as me they were used for pleasure. Some of them were but only if they had good genes.

“Your majesty,”they bowed.

“No no need to address me call me Aceline,”I told them. I felt a sharp pain in spine and I decided to sit down on a bench I had outside of my house. They came near me.

“Is it time,”Debbie asked.

“No no the the child is still way up, I think I might be nine or eight months, I will give it time,”I said.

“We can help, we know your spine is not in good condition to do work, we can do your chores,”they began saying.

“Thank you, I don’t know how to thank you all, my husband must be getting here soon, so I will let you all in the castle,”I told them. The looked at me with concerned.

“I don’t think you can go back to the castle your majesty,”they told me. I looked away. I had hope. I didn’t want to birth a child in a prison. Then I got a vision. My head was spinning. They helped me get up. I sat on the bed and they lifted my legs up on it. They began checking my checking my stomach.

“The child seems active and fine,”Sona explained. I smiled that it was ok. I knew that once I gave birth they would kill me. I just had a few days. I looked outside and I saw the sun setting.

“We can stay by your side just to check on you,”Laura explained.

“That will be great,”I said.

“I just had one question , won’t you get in trouble with the rogues,”I asked them.

“No no they left and won’t be coming back for a few days, they’re out and collecting more females,” Laura explained.

“If only we could communicate with the packs and tell them about the,”I tried to say.

“I lived here for three years, I tried sending the location to my fated mate and I couldn’t and when he found the hideout, the whole pack was killed, there is no way out and your soon to be born child will be like one of them,”Sona explained. I looked away. She was right. My visions were never wrong.

On the next morning I woke up. I felt the child squirming more than usual. I felt uncomfortable.

“Laura,”I tried saying. Laura’s woke up.

“What’s wrong,”she asked. Then I felt a sharp pain. Sona began checking on me.

“I think it’s time Aceline,”she told me. I nodded barely.

Hours passed by. It felt like forever. The pain was hard to endure with my broke spine.

“One more and he’s here,”Sona said. Laura cleaned my sweat. I did my best to push as best as I could and then I heard crying.

“It’s a boy,”Debbie exclaimed. They handed him to me. I held him close and cried. I wish Atreus was the father and he was here with me.

“He’s beautiful,”I cried. Sona helped me get cleaned up. I kept looking at him.

“Girls I need to confess something, Selene has blessed with me visions,”I began revealing the truth. They looked at me.

“I won’t be here for too long and he won’t have the name I had in mind, but I want you guys to know that I’m grateful your the last faces I see,”they looked at me with teary faces.

“We will remember you your majesty,”they told me. The babe in my arms let out a small sneeze. I kissed it’s forehead. My friends cooed at him. Then he let out a whimper. I bounced him. He calmed down.

“I wish he wasn’t born in these circumstances,”I told them.

“We know your majesty,”Laura said. They decided to cuddle up next to me. I put the child in a woven dried grass basket I made. He fell asleep. I went to the bed and laid down there and let myself travel to my destined mate. I saw him near the fire place sitting in his office chair and looking at a map with his cigar on his mouth.

“Atreus,”I let a gasp and breath. He saw my soul. He held out his hand.

“I can’t feel your warm skin on my body my love,”he explained.

“How’s Estella,”I asked.

“She’s wonderful and the unborn child,”he asked.

“He’s here but I got a vision from Selene,”I explained.

“Tell me,”he said with a sweet calm voice.

“No I can’t,”I didn’t want to leave Estella as a orphan too soon,” I told him.

“As you wish my darling, I was doubting if you’d ever come,”he said.

“I would never break our meetings,”I said. I felt weak.

“I have to go now darling,”I blew him a kiss and I was back in the slave dump. I wish I could help him but I didn’t know where I even was. I knew it was going to be days the leader of the rogues would come back.

“Sona is this their only one hideout?”I asked her still not able to sleep. She woke up.

“No they have many more,they have rogues and slave quarters almost all around the world,”she said. I guess they were a plague we couldn’t get rid of.

“Aceline do you have any other kids at home,”Sona asked.

“Well I have a daughter that’s five today, she’s really sweet,”I told her.

“Really how does she look like,”Sona looked at me listening to every word I said. It was comforting.

“Well her skin has pink tints and shes white as snow, her hair is golden, and she has blue eyes like the ice,”I explained to her.

“She sounds lovely,”she said.

“I miss her every day, she was Selene’s gift to me,”I explained to her.

“You and your mate couldn’t conceive?” She asked.

“No, you know the rogue would always slip in this tiny house to try again and tried to see if he could get cub from a royal, I don’t know why he wants a cub,”I looked outside questioning how would my life be with my new baby and my daughter.

“What if he kills the newborn,”Sona asked.

“He won’t that’s for sure,”I explained to her.

Days passed by and I took care of my child. Sona and Laura helped me till my spine was heal. In no time it was healed. Then came the rogues to the tiny house they held me captive in. There were no fences of course but there was rogues located everywhere and with the order to kill and ravage. So I didn’t intend to risk Sona Laura and Debbie and my child. They pushed Laura and Sona and Debbie to the ground. I put my child in the basket and walk to them to aid them.

“Thank you your majesty,”Debbie said. Then one of the rogue guards slapped me.

“YOU THREE GO BACK TO YOUR BUNKER,”he yelled. They scurried back to the bunker. The rogue leader looked at the child.

“When did you gave birth,”he asked.

“A week ago,”I answered.

“Let’s go out Aceline,”he said. He looked at the guards.

“Just use the hand cuffs,”he ordered one of his guards. The guard pulled out some handcuffs and put them on my arms. The sliver burned my skin. He walked to the newborn and grabbed him. My wolf growled when he held him.

“Let’s go on a family picnic,”he said with a sneered looked and walked ahead. I was mad. I wanted to transform and chop off his head but he was a male. Males tend to be stronger than females even more if it’s a leader rogue. We headed down the hill to a lake hidden behind some mountains. The guards set down a blanket and brought out a basket that seemed like they had it prepare. Normally they never fed me. I improvised and used the chickens and bred them. I asked the leader that I wanted to keep them like pets. I also asked him if I could have a garden. He compelled but only if I gave him what he wanted.

“So I haven’t introduced myself,”he began. He’s barely introducing himself after nine months of torture. I couldn’t take him seriously. I hated him. I wanted to kill him with my own hands. I wanted to let him know how I suffered.

“My name is Darcio,”he said. I didn’t say anything just looking at him. I saw the child peacefully asleep in his arms.

“I see you birthed a son, I guess you don’t disappoint Queen Luna,”he said.

“But I have a dear question,”he pointed a a gun that seemed to have sliver bullets.

“These aren’t ordinary bullets, I have the blood from one of Lycan Alpha group, as you can see I’m a one of those, so do you pledged your loyalty on me,”I glared at him.

“We can out throw the old monarchy the old traditions, we can rule together, and our son Draven will be the ruler after our deaths,”he said with great enthusiasm.

“Save the speech Darcio,”I spat the ground.

“I pledged loyalty to King Atreus, to the Lucelence royal line, if you want me to pledge loyalty to you you have to do it over my dead body,”I glared at him. He scoffed.

“Then have it your way.”

Atreus POV:

After no nights of sleep. I checked the world map of all the packs. I finally located Aceline. It was impossible to reconnect to her. Riven had also joined the excursion. It was thank to him we could find their hideout. I had hope. My Beta, my army and I were about to get there when I noticed what look like bunkers were burned.

“Scout the area check if there is any survivors,”I ordered. Everyone separated and my beta stood by. I motion my hand so he could transform. I walked around the whole camp and I found nothing of the newborn child or Aceline. Until my beta howled. I ran to him and I saw Aceline body laying next to the lake. The blood seem to feed the lake. I ran to her. I grabbed her and pulled her on my lap. I put my hand on her cold cheek.

“Aceline wake up I’m here please,”I put my forehead against hers. I cried. I knew it was too late. I hummed our song to her. I stroke her hair and kissed her. So this was the vision she had. I carried her with my beta following close behind me.

“I think they fled your majesty,”Riven began.

“LETS go home,”I told them. We walked for days. Then we got to the castle. I let Riven use the tunnels to get back to his pack. The funeral was appointed on Saturday. I stayed in the office all day not wanting to see anyone. My beta was the only one who I allowed. Not even my own daughter was allowed in.

“Maybe the newborn child was killed,”Elio tried to start a conversation. I glared at him. Estella then opened the door.

“Papa?”she looked at me with those bright blue eyes. I looked away and ignored her. She walked to me and grabbed my hand. I broke down crying.

“Come on Estella let’s go to your room,”Elio picked her up and left with her in his arms to her room.

Days went by and we got to Saturday. The castle was full of alphas. Elio was with Estella. Elio made sure she wore a dark veil in front of her face. They buried her on that very same day. Once the funeral was done I went back to the north wing. Elio passed me all the papers and kept me busy. I knew what he was trying to do. As he entered the room I gave him a blank stare. I felt no emotion no reason to live.

“You are selfish you know,”I began. He looked at me. And for the first time he stood tall to me.

“Selfish?”he said with a angered tone.

“YOU have a daughter, a daughter that plays in her room all day and wishing her father sings to her and tucks her in at night,”he ranted.

“YOU ARE selfish, I keep you busy FOR her, she knows what’s going on-,”he tried to say.

“AND TELL ME WHATS GOING ON,”I shouted. He looked away.

“A selfish man with no damn heart, THE Queen Luna left you a piece of her,”he remarked.

“YOUR the King Alpha for god sake THE strongest wolf in the entire world,”he looked mad.

“You think I’m strong but I’m a complete coward, I’m the biggest of cowards,”I said.

“Your daughter doesn’t see you as a coward, I don’t see you as a coward, your daughter’s eyes light up when she sees you I YEARNED for that for years, but I put my desires aside because I have a DUTY as a beta, so put your desires aside,”he was huffing. It was like he got something out. I heard some bit of movement. Then I saw Estella was behind the door again.

“ESTELLA GO TO YOUR ROOM,”I yelled. She stood there terrified. And tears filled her eyes and ran off. Elio glared at me and left to get her. I broke crying and opened another bottle of liquor and smashed it. I started destroying everything in the room. Then Elio came in again and saw the disarray on my face. He didn’t say anything.

“I don’t even recognize you,” he said.

“I’m going to room let me be,”I snarled. I walked pissed to the royal north bedroom. I slammed the door. The maids knocked my door.

“WHAT,”I roared.

“Please the Crown Princess is crying and she locked herself in her room, she isn’t letting us in, she’s asking for you your majesty,”one of the maids explained through the door. I sighed and calmed myself down. Eirlys was going through the same thing. I stood up and opened the door and went down the hallway to the left side of the north wing. I knocked on her door.

“Snowdrop, it’s me your father,”I tried finding the right words and she opened the door.

“Father,”she said. I hugged her tightly.

“I’m sorry that I yelled at you,”I wanted to make everything right. She cried.

“Father,”she cried out. She was crying a river. Her choppy breathing, her tears. I reflected myself in her. I stroke her golden locks.

“You want me sing you a good night song, it’s past your bedtime,” I told her and walked to her bed. She nodded and looked up me.

“”You won’t leave like Mama right?”

“Honey your mom was well how do I say this, she was taken from us,”I explained to her.

“Who took her?”

“Well some bad people, but I promise they won’t take you,”I kissed her forehead. She sniffled. I yawned.

“Can you sing me my song papa?” she asked.

“Of course honey,”I cleared my throat. She laughed a tiny bit. I sang her nightingale once more. She yawned. I saw her falling in a deep slumber. She fell asleep and I for the first time fell asleep too.

It was the next day. I slowly opened my eyes and Stella was still in my arms. I knew I had to go to my office.

“Papa will we have breakfast together,”I saw she was already awake. She was wearing a black dress.

“Sure if you want that honey,”I forced a smiled on my face. The maids enter and bowed.

“Your majesty and crown princess,”they addressed us.

“We’re going to have breakfast in princess’s room so tell the chef,”I ordered them.

“Yes your majesty,”they left. The chef and servants brought us breakfast. She began eating her eggs. I cut up my steak and gave her some.

“Papa the reason I wanted to come in your office was because well,”I saw she was stuttering.

“You want to be like me,”I asked.

“Yes your strong and really really amazing and the best father,”she was so enthusiastic.

“Fine I will let you sneak as much as you want,”I winked. Her eyes lit up.

“REALLY,”she asked.

“Or maybe I let you replace Elio,”I told her jokingly. She laughed. Elio came with a serious face.

“Sir the royal court needs you to review the documents that I left on your desk,”he said.

“Alright,”I ruffled her hair. Elio bowed and left.

“See you soon snowdrop.”

“Alright papa,”she said. I could see her mother’s death really hurt her. But what I told her gave her hope. I sighed and walked out of her room and walk to the office. I closed the door a tiny bit. I saw the pile of documents. I sighed. Estella’s and Aceline’s words were going through my mind. I pull out one of my drawers. I took a hand gun and reloaded it with sliver bullets. I stored it in case I needed protection but now I needed it to be escape.

“Oh Aceline I can’t do this, I can’t bear not being with you,”I said. I pointed the gun and put it against my chest and shot the bullet. I felt the pain and I engulfed it. As I closed my eyes I was greeted by my sweet Aceline.