Royal Outcast

Chapter 17

Seri’s POV

I stood timidly on the side of the living room, observing the tense confrontation unfolding before me.

Both Prince Lucas and Princess Lia were positioned in the center of the room, facing her majesty, Queen Liviana. The atmosphere was thick with tension, and the siblings had their gazes lowered, avoiding eye contact as their mother scrutinized them with a look of profound disappointment etched on her face.

“You are both grown adults. How is it that you continue to fight like children? Do you have no sense of shame?” Her majesty scolded them sternly, her voice ringing in the spacious room and causing me to flinch slightly at the intensity of her disapproval.

I pursed my lips, an unsettling feeling blooming in my chest. Guilt gnawed at me, knowing all too well that I was the root cause of their entire disagreement. If I hadn’t involved myself with Princess Lia and had simply remained in my room earlier, where I was supposed to be, everything could have been avoided.

It’s all my fault. I am a nuisance wherever I go, a burden.

“Seri,” a familiar voice called from behind me, interrupting my negative thoughts. I turned and saw Mr. Dillon standing there, his expression mixed with curiosity and concern.

“Mr. Dillon,” I greeted him, inclined my head slightly in a form of respect.

“What’s happening here?” he asked, glancing around at the unfolding drama with an inquisitive look in his eyes.

“Uhm… Prince Lucas and Princess Lia are currently being… addressed by her majesty after they had a quarrel earlier,” I explained cautiously, choosing my words with care to remain neutral.

Mr. Dillon let out a slight chuckle, an understanding glimmer in his eyes.

“Hmm. I get it now,” he said, nodding slowly. I looked at him, a furrow forming in my brow as confusion set in.

Mr. Dillon’s gaze returned to me, his expression shifting slightly.

“Come on, I’m going to escort you back to your room. It’s Prince Lucas’ orders,” he said, indicating that I should follow him.

I turned to glance at the prince, and to my surprise, he was looking directly in our direction, his face unreadable.

Without further hesitation, I nodded and proceeded to follow Mr. Dillon. The helpers assigned to me dutifully trailed behind, and I was quietly escorted back to my designated room by Mr. Dillon, a somber feeling still lingering within me.

“Mr. Dillon,” I called out as we reached the door to my room, trying to break the heavy silence.

“What is it?” he asked, looking at me with a mix of curiosity and concern. I inhaled deeply, gathering my thoughts.

“If I may, is it alright if I ask you something about her highness?” I ventured, hoping to navigate this delicate topic without causing further distress. Mr. Dillon raised an eyebrow, clearly interested.

“Princess Lia? What about her?” he prodded gently, encouraging me to continue.

“Is she… okay?” I blurted out impulsively, concern etching my features as I spoke.

“What makes you think that she’s not okay?” he asked, confusion knitting his brow.

“Earlier… it seemed as though Princess Lia was dealing with something more personal...maybe a conflict of a more emotional nature with her mate perhaps?” I asked cautiously, wanting to tread carefully around the subject.

In that moment, Mr. Dillon's expression shifted, as if he suddenly understood the depth of my question.

“Is that what sparked their argument? What did Lia do? Or perhaps, what did she confide in you or tell you?” he inquired, his tone growing more serious as he leaned in slightly.

I bit down on the inside of my lip, wrestling with my hesitation. Should I really disclose everything I knew?

“Well, it all started with me having breakfast with Princess Lia, and then his highness walked in on us while we were discussing about potentially going out. Her highness wanted to take me clothes shopping—both for myself and for the orphanage pups,” I began, trying to recount the events as carefully as possible.

“And?” Mr. Dillon urged, his eyes encouraging me to elaborate.

“And then his highness asserted that I was not allowed to leave or really do anything at all without his explicit permission,” I replied, each word still catalyzing a chain of guilt within me.

“Oh. And I’m assuming that Lia didn’t take that well?” he deduced, and all I could do was nod in response.

“Yes, she argued with him, emphasizing that I didn’t need his permission because I am his mate and not his property or a prisoner. The tension escalated until King Luan intervened to talk to Prince Lucas,” I recounted, recalling the emotional storm that had unfolded.

“Mhm. And then what happened next?” Mr. Dillon pressed, eager for more details about the incident.

“Well, after that, Princess Lia asked me if his highness had been behaving that way toward me since we first met. When I didn’t respond, she took my silence as confirmation. Then when I tried to reassure her that I was okay with the situation, she broke down into tears, ultimately encouraging me to reject his highness altogether because quote unquote, it's not what I deserve” I said, my voice trailing off as I gazed down at the floor, feeling a heavy sigh escape my lips.

“It’s entirely my fault. I was the reason for their argument and conflict,” I stated with conviction, my fingers gripping the fabric of my dress tightly in distress.

Mr. Dillon sighed, shaking his head gently in response.

“It’s not your fault, Seri,” he reassured me, meeting my gaze with a steady look.

“But it is,” I insisted, determined. “How can it not be? If I hadn’t been involved, none of this would have happened.”

“Lucas and Lia have always had a dynamic like ice and fire,” he explained carefully. “They’re twins, yet they are significantly different in many aspects. It’s just how they are.” He paused, choosing his words for emphasis.

“As for your question, yes, Princess Lia actually faced similar issues with her former mate,” Mr. Dillon added thoughtfully.

“Former mate?” I echoed, confusion flooding my thoughts further. Mr. Dillon nodded, affirming the reality of it.

“Yes. She rejected her mate about 2 years ago,” he revealed. I was left stunned, grappling with the weight of this new information.

“W-why?” I asked, my curiosity piqued, despite my earlier reservations.

“The man was extremely possessive of Lia. And I don’t mean in the standard way that werewolf mates often are; this was a different level entirely. He was dangerously possessive, almost obsessed. He was viewing Lia as his property rather than his partner and even laying hands on her at some point. We all loathed him from the beginning, and Lucas nearly killed him when he discovered that he had hurt Lia,” Mr. Dillon explained, frustration evident in his tone.

I found myself speechless, grappling with the unsettling thought of anyone daring to harm a princess or any royal figure for that matter.

“The full story is something best suited for Lia to share, but I thought you might want an overview to avoid confusion. It’s better to hear it from me than from your maids,” he said, glancing at the helpers, who immediately averted their eyes, prompting a quiet chuckle from Mr. Dillon.

“Anyway, you should take some time to rest in your room. I’m almost 100% certain that you won’t be seeing either Lucas or Lia for the rest of the day,” he told me, a knowing smile gracing his face as I looked up at him, curiosity bubbling within me.

“Really? Why is that?” I asked, intrigued about the dynamics at play.

“Because whenever Lucas and Lia get into it like this, her highness prefers to punish the twins by making them train together without a break for the entire day,” he explained with a casual shrug, as though it were a common occurrence.

I bit my lower lip, the guilt swelling again, and Mr. Dillon seemed to pick up on my internal struggle.

“Don’t think it’s your fault, Seri. If anything, both Lucas and Lia were projecting their past traumas from their former mates, which is why they behaved the way they did earlier. It’s not your fault that you got caught in the middle of it.” His words were intended to comfort me, and I mustered a forced smile as I considered his perspective.

I sighed, still uncertain about whether I truly believed him.

Mr. Dillon urged me to return to my room, and I flopped down onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling while allowing my thoughts to swirl around me.

I was thinking about what Princess Lia must have been through. I couldn’t hold it against her for her reaction earlier; I realized I might have inadvertently brought back memories of her own difficult experiences with her former mate. Witnessing her brother act similarly to how her former mate had behaved would surely have intensified those feelings of frustration and confinement.

It must be incredibly taxing for her to endure such emotional turmoil.

I sighed again, reflecting on Princess Lia's inner strength. She seemed like an incredibly powerful she-wolf, radiating authority and resilience. To learn that she had once been taken advantage of by someone who, by all accounts, was certainly less powerful or influential than herself was difficult to digest.

That wolf had quite the guts, to say the least. I can’t imagine anyone daring to mess with the royal family. It's well-known that the royal family isn’t merely powerful by title or influence; they are also skilled fighters, trained to defend themselves and their kingdom.

Countless tales circulated among the werewolf kingdoms about how each member of the royal family could single-handedly take down packs of rogues and rebels with remarkable ease.

While some might dismiss these accounts as mere stories, many could attest that the truth behind their strength exceeded what was depicted in the stories.

I identified with the latter group. I believe the stories.

I genuinely don’t believe that anyone could maintain their esteemed position if they were incapable of fulfilling their responsibilities and maintaining their power.

My father stood as living proof of that.

He held the title of Alpha within our pack, and throughout my upbringing, I witnessed him defend his title on numerous occasions. I watched him train relentlessly, honing his skills to ensure he retained his position, all while cultivating strong bonds with our pack members.

A nostalgic smile crept onto my face as I lost myself in those memories.

But like clockwork, a single tear slipped down my cheek.

I chuckled softly to myself, shaking my head in disbelief.

Oh goodness. Here I go again.

Rolling over, I buried my face in my arms, allowing silent sobs to consume me as I lay there in bed, lost in my feelings.

Eventually, exhaustion began to take its toll, and sleep overtook me.

The next thing I knew, it was already late in the afternoon, and I found myself jolted awake.

As my surroundings came into focus, I blinked a few times before my eyes settled on the clock, which read the late hour.

I face-palmed in realization, dismayed to discover I had been asleep for hours without meaning to. A sigh of disappointment escaped my lips as I knelt on my bed, feeling a wave of frustration wash over me.

This wasn’t typical behavior for me back in the orphanage. I wouldn’t just fall asleep during the day after crying and then wake up hours later, completely disoriented.

Normally, I might shed a few tears and then immediately divert my attention to something productive and worthy of my time.

I huffed, feeling increasingly disappointed in myself.

Determined to shake off the lingering heaviness, I climbed off my bed and made my way to the shower.

As I opened the bathroom door and stepped inside, I carefully hung my clothes on a nearby hook before easing my way into the warm water. I tilted my head slightly backward, letting the comforting cascade of water wash over me, trying to cleanse away both the physical and emotional weight I felt.

Yet, the image of Prince Lucas and Princess Lia quickly resurfaced in my mind, the guilt settling heavily once more as I contemplated the earlier events that had transpired that day.

Suddenly, I recalled what Mr. Dillon had said earlier: “Both Lucas and Lia were projecting their past traumas from their former mates, which is why they acted the way they did earlier.”

As I was about to wipe my face, I paused mid-motion, my mind racing.

Wait a moment…

I reached for the shower knob and turned it off abruptly, the water ceasing its soothing flow.

Mr. Dillon had told me about Princess Lia’s past trauma concerning her former mate.

But he hadn’t mentioned another crucial detail.

A former mate...

What past trauma did Prince Lucas experience? And what exactly was his history with a former mate?

Had Prince Lucas truly had another mate before I came into the picture? The thought swirled in my mind, leaving me with a mix of confusion and curiosity.