Chapter9
1295 Words
-Lillian's Pov
My memories that were lost came back, and Mom, who has been watching me all this while, approached me slowly, and she mentioned that she had been so scared to come to me, thinking that I would hate her for what happened.
When she reached out to hug me, I had left her and placed my head on her shoulders. Her hands were wrapped around my body, and I couldn't help but break down.
Dad left me when I needed him the most, there's still a lot that I need to learn from him but he wasn't here anymore.
Mom made efforts to spend almost every day with me after Dad passed. She didn't leave my side for a minute.
I was putting on one of the dresses she got me in my bedroom, and she was teaching me how I should behave as royalty as Dad's funeral was coming up, and I would get to meet some of the nobles in the country.
"I don't think this dress is gonna fit,"I grumbled.
"Wait."Mom said and stopped me from putting on the dress, she left the bed and met me at the dressing table.
"Turnaround Lillian."
I did as I was told, confused as to why she suddenly asked me to turn around.
"Did you take anything? I can see some traces of potion on your body, it's moving around."She panicked.
I hadn't taken anything, except the potion that was forced down my throat by Luna Sarah.
"Hold on, I will get an antidote from the physician immediately."She scurried out of the room in haste.
I put on a simple dress and waited for Mom to come back while I stared at my face in the mirror. With a short knock and the door opened Mom came into the room holding a small bottle. "This is what the Physician administered to me and you have to take it. It would work against the potion. "She uncapped the bottles and placed them on the table.
Sighing, I took it and chugged it down my throat.
Mom smiled and stroked my hair.
"Thank goddess I noticed on time, I don't want anything to happen to you. Lilian."
"Nothing will happen to me."I returned the smile, she held me in her arms, and my head rested on her bosom. "Let's have lunch together in the garden. "She suggested.
I looked up through my lashes and nodded.
I spent the rest of the morning in my room, and the library in the palace, taking out a book and trying to read them.
I haven't seen the twins for some days, and Mom said they are busy running the pack affairs and training the soldiers.
At lunch. I went to the garden, and Mom was already seated at the dining table waiting for me and lunch was already served.
"Did I come late?” She shook her head. "You came just in time. "She touched my hand across the table.
I smiled at her, and we started eating. I detected a slow-acting poison in Mom's juice when she sipped from it.
I dropped my fork noisily on the table and she lifted her head and dropped the glass.
"Mom, "I called, she smiled and continued eating, ignoring my discomfort.
"There's poison in what you're drinking."I blurted out. She turned to the glass of juice and shrugged.
I scoffed in disbelief, she was aware of the poison. I stood up from my seat, moved closer to her, and took her plate of pasta and meatballs and inhaled it, if I could get any traces of poison in it, and it was in there.
There was poison in her food. "Mom!"I called out in frustration.
Seeing how she was so worried over a potion on my body yet she didn't care about her own body.
Mom didn't react to it, she remained nonchalant and was about to pick up her fork when I pushed it aside.
Why was she eating it when she knew about the slow-acting poison in her food? And even the juice she drank from. It's nothing to worry about Lilian, have your seat."
"Nothing to worry about?"
"Yes. "Her response was short.
"You've been aware of the poison all along."
Mom chuckled. "It doesn't harm."
My jaw dropped. "Who told you such a thing? You're so comfortable taking poison into your body, it could be harmful to your wolf."
"You're making a big deal out of it."
I was stunned by her responses.
I have detected this poison before, somewhere in the palace. Then I remembered it came from Dad's bedroom, and when I hugged him before he passed, it came from his body, the poison had taken over his system completely.
I staggered on my feet.
I couldn't believe this was happening, but it was the same poison that was responsible for Alpha Nicholas' demise, which was my father's.
"It's not what you think it is, Lillian. Sit down and I will explain to you."
I sat down and waited for her explanation, maybe there was something I was missing.
"We've been using it for a long time, your father knew about the poison as well."
"But why?"I asked.
"Because we didn't have a son, and we lost you, there was nobody on our side, your father and I were weak and we had to submit to the authorities and feigned ignorance of the situation."
That was absurd, how could they use poison to control the Alpha Family, and rule the country behind my father while he was used as a puppet and then killed?
The authorities had to be the council of elders, they were the strongest court in the country, and they could take out the King if they had all agreed to take him down from the throne and reject him as their Alpha.
They could do that for Luna, and take down the Alpha family if they choose.
"I can't let this go on, Mom."I slammed my fist on the table.
I heard a soft chuckle behind me.
"What do you think you can do princess? Confront them? Don't be silly.
This isn't a child's play, little wolf."
I snapped my head in the direction of the voice. Mom stood up from her seat and introduced me to him briefly.
"Lillian, that's the minister of the pack, Hermes Crowley. He was the right-hand man to your father.” He was tall with broad shoulders, his dark eyes were filled with mischief and he was bald, he wore a casual outfit and sunglasses.
"You can't do anything, the weakness of the Alpha King gaming stems from the lack of a suitable heir in the pack. Without an heir, the country's power will fall directly into the hands of the council of elders who are powerful men from all around the country. What do you think an eighteen-year-old she-wolf with nothing could do to stop it?"He taught and snickered.
"I will do everything I can..."
"Ssh."He placed a finger on his mouth. "If you want to save your mother, you have to prove to everyone that you're a powerful heir and worthy to be known as the princess."
"Honey, Hermes is right, you shouldn't do anything. I don't want you to get hurt, don't worry about me."
"Mom!"I raised my voice.
I was perplexed, I had no idea how to become a qualified ruler, and I didn't want Mom to end up the same way Dad did.
"But..."Hermes said and placed his hands on the table. "There's a way, I will propose the Heir Assessment to the Elders."
"You should."I agreed, only to catch a glimpse of Hermes' secretive smile in a moment of uncertainty. He turned and smirked. "Very well princess.”
- Writer
