5
1586 Words
Freya didn’t move until the words had long been delivered, the silence in the room as deafening as any shout.
“You’re going to marry Alpha Ronan.” They repeated over and over in her head.
Her fingers clutched the side of the bath tub until her knuckles were white.
Her mind flew back to the first time she had ever seen Ronan, before he’d grabbed her before she fell.
Before he’d spoken to her softly. Before he had actually looked at her and not as though she was an object of disgust. After years of being treated like less than nothing, a tiny spark had flickered in her heart then.
Could this be real? Or was it just another joke playing out to amuse her?
It was late in the afternoon when the servants had changed her into the next stage of the transformation. The flowing gown that graced her body was the most beautiful violet color imaginable, silver embroidery shimmering on the fabric like moonlight.
Her long hair was meticulously braided and intertwined with tiny white flowers.
When she looked into the mirror, she barely recognized the girl who stared back at her. For years she had watched Aria in beautiful dresses while she trailed behind carrying her train. But today…She was the one in the gown. Still, instead of happiness…She was nervous.
A maid appeared at her doorway. “The young Alpha is waiting.”
Freya swallowed. “…Already?”
The older woman nodded, her lips tight. “He does not like to wait.”
Freya bowed her head. “I will try not to disappoint him.”
The castle gardens were simply breathtaking.
Snow rested like a soft blanket on the marble statues scattered throughout and evergreen trees wrapped around the edges of a frozen lake which gleamed and glistened in the late afternoon sun.
Standing beside the base of a stone fountain was Ronan, dressed in a perfectly tailored black coat. One hand was tucked into the pocket of his coat while the other held a steaming cup of coffee.
He turned when he heard her footsteps and smiled. “There you are.”
Freya stopped several steps away. Neither of them spoke for a moment.
“I was beginning to think you’d changed your mind.” She laughed a little nervously.
“I almost did,” He chuckled. “I promise I won't bite.”
A shy smile touched Freya's lips. Slowly, she began to close the gap between them.
“I…” Her voice hitched. “…wanted to thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being kind.”
Ronan blinked. “That’s all?”
She nodded. “No one’s ever been kind to me.” Something flashed in Ronan's blue eyes.
Without thought, he opened his arms to her. “You look like someone who could use a hug.”
Freya didn’t hesitate for more than a moment before stepping into his embrace. His arms went around her, not possessively, or forcefully, just warmly. It felt, for the first time in as long as she could remember, like being safe.
Laughter floated up through the courtyard. Ronan bent down, whispering something in Freya’s ear that made her smile.
From the balcony, Alpha Uther watched the scene unfold.
The crystal glass in his hand shattered completely, and red wine mingled with the blood that flowed between his fingers. The nearest servants flinched back, their heads bowed low.
“Leave.” He bit out.
Once the room was empty, he looked out over the garden and clenched his fist. “She was supposed to be mine.”
As days melted into weeks, the winter frost gradually gave way to the fresh shoots of early spring. And life in the castle in the North changed for Eleanor.
Ronan introduced her to the castle library, a room more spacious than anything she could have ever imagined.
She learned that he was secretly fond of reading terribly written adventure novels, and he discovered she was captivated by poetry. He taught her how to play chess, and though she beat him at the game exactly once (which he insisted was purely down to luck), they spent hours sitting by the fire, playing the game. They walked through snow-laden forests, fed the birds by the river, and drank hot chocolate in front of crackling fireplaces.
Slowly, irrevocably, the walls Freya had built around her heart began to crumble. She found herself laughing and smiling more. Sometimes she even forgot what life had been like before.
On a particular Thursday afternoon, Freya entered the library holding two books.
“Ronan?”
No answer.
She smiled. “Are you hiding again?”
Still no sign of him.
She searched behind towering bookshelves, under the reading tables, and even behind the great sweeping staircase.
“You win.” She sighed dramatically, as she lowered herself onto one of the couches.
Just then…the library doors creaked open. “Ronan…” Her smile vanished. Alpha Uther stepped into the room, his expression colder than the Northern air.
He closed the doors quietly behind him.
“What are you doing here?” Eleanor asked cautiously.
Alpha Uther looked around the library. “I could ask you the same question.”
“I was looking for Ronan.”
“So I gathered.”
He walked toward her slowly, his features blank. “I have something I need to say.”
Freya remained where she was, watching him. “What is it?”
Alpha Uther stopped several feet away from her.
“For a very long time…” He glanced at the bookshelf to her side. “…I thought power was everything.” His voice was surprisingly weary. “When I brought you to this castle, you were nothing more than a piece in a much larger game.”
“What changed?” Freya asked, her brow furrowed.
Alpha Uther's blue eyes met hers. “You.” He paused. “I watched you absorb insults, and overcome obstacles that would have broken another person.”
Freya’s stomach lurched as he slowly dropped to one knee before her.
“I have done things that cannot be undone. Things I will forever regret… but if there is a chance even a slim one…” He lifted his gaze to hers. “…allow me to spend the rest of my life trying to make things right.”
Freya stared at him in disbelief. She had never seen the formidable Alpha on his knees, not ever and certainly not even for anyone.
“I…” She took a slow step back. “I’m sorry.”
“I understand.” He closed his eyes briefly.
Freya didn’t wait for another word, turning to bolt out of the library. Just before she exited, she glanced back.
Roman was exactly where she’d left him, still kneeling.
Her heart thudded in her chest as she hurried through the corridor. It all didn’t make sense.
Why had Alpha Uther apologized now? Why then?
Lost in thought, she turned a corner and collided with someone. Strong hands caught her before she fell.
“You really should watch where you’re going.” Freya looked up. “Ronan...”
His playful grin faltered as he saw the tears welling in her eyes. “Freya? What happened?”
She tried to speak, but only a few tears slipped down her cheeks. Without another word, Ronan gathered her into his arms.
“You don’t have to talk about it right now,” he said quietly. “But whatever it is…you don’t have to go through it alone.”
Freya buried her face in the front of his coat. “I don’t even know what’s going on anymore.”
“I know.”
His voice was soft. “But we’ll figure it out together.”
Freya looked up at him, and their eyes met.
For a few moments, the world seemed to melt away. Ronan brushed a strand of hair from her cheek, his fingers lingering.
“May I?” he asked, his voice a barely audible whisper.
Freya nodded.
He leaned down, his lips meeting her forehead in a light kiss. A warm blush spread across her cheeks.
She smiled shyly. “I think…I’m starting to trust you.”
Ronan's smile widened. “I will do my best to make sure you never regret that.
A slow clap echoed through the hallway and both of them spun around.
Alpha Uther stood at the end of the hallway, his expression as cold as ice. “So that is how it is… stealing my bride.”
Finally, Ronan turned. “I never stole her. You rejected her, remember?”
“Even when I did, she was still mine!” Alpha Uther roared.
“She's not yours anymore. The ring on her finger says otherwise.” Ronan hissed.
Alpha Uther regarded his son with a cold glare before turning on his heels without replying. He didn't see any need to. He was a man of action and not words.
At the very edge of the corridor, he paused and looked back. “May the strongest Alpha win.” Then he walked around the corner.
Freya watched between the two of them her heart threatening to beat out of her chest.
She hadn't got the faintest idea why the most powerful Alpha in the North wanted her. It was all abundantly clear to her now, though.
This was not a simple conflict of father vs son. It was a war.
- Writer
