Claimed By The Alpha Queen

CHAPTER ONE THE QUEEN BEHIND THE CROWN. TALIA The first thing I wanted that morning was five minutes alone. Not five minutes as the Alpha Queen, not five minutes surrounded by people waiting for my next decision. I wanted five ordinary minutes where nobody needed anything from me. Instead, the moment I opened my eyes, there was already a knock on my bedroom door. "Your Majesty? Are you awake?" I stared at the ceiling, trying to pretend I didn't hear the knock on the door. Then came another knock. "Your Majesty?" "I'm awake." I mumbled sleepily. The door opened, and one of the maids stepped inside with my clothes folded neatly over her arms. She gave me a polite smile. "Good morning, Your Majesty." "Good morning." She greeted cheerfully. "Your schedule has already been prepared. You have breakfast with the council at eight, then a meeting at nine, and after that…" "Please stop." I cut her midway. She immediately went quiet. I rubbed my face and sat up. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound rude." "It's all right, Your Majesty." She placed the clothes on the chair beside my bed and lowered her head. I watched her for a moment. "Thank you." "You're welcome." She said with a small bow. She left. The door closed behind her, and the room became quiet again. I let myself fall back against the pillows. Breakfast with the council, a meeting at nine. More responsibilities after that. I closed my eyes. I hadn't even gotten out of bed, and I was already tired. I eventually forced myself up and walked toward the mirror. My reflection stared back at me. My hair was messy, my face was bare, and for a few precious seconds, I didn't look like an Alpha Queen. I looked like Talia. I liked that version of myself. Unfortunately, she never lasted very long. I got ready and dressed in the clothes that had been prepared for me. By the time I finished, I could barely recognize the tired woman from a few minutes earlier. Everything about me looked polished. Perfect. That word again. I stood in front of the mirror and adjusted my expression. A queen needed to look confident. A queen needed to look calm. A queen needed to look like she had everything under control. I practiced a smile. It looked convincing enough. A knock sounded. "Come in." The door creaked open and Mira stepped inside. She didn't bow. She never did when it was just the two of us. Instead, she stopped in the doorway, looked at me from head to toe, and frowned. "You look terrible." She blurted out. I turned toward her. "Good morning to you too." "I said you look terrible." Mira crossed her arms. "I heard you." I sighed. Mira walked closer. "You didn't sleep." "I slept,” I muttered. "For how long?" I didn't reply. She raised an eyebrow. I sighed. "I don't know." "Exactly." A little frown pulled at her lips. I turned towards the mirror again. "I had things to think about." "You always have things to think about." Mira's voice softened. "Because I have responsibilities." I looked down. "You always say that." Mira's brow furrowed. "Because it's true," I met her eyes. Mira leaned against the table. "You're tired, Talia." "I know." I sighed. "No. I don't think you do." Her voice barely above a whisper. I looked at her through the mirror. She folded her arms. "When was the last time you actually rested?" "I rest." My voice cracked a little. SEO "When?" She asked. "When I sleep." I replied sharply. "That's not resting. That's surviving." I turned around. "Don't start." My expression turned serious. "I'm not starting anything." Mira crossed her arms, but her eyes were soft. "You are." I looked down at my hands. "I'm asking you a question." She took a step closer. "And I'm answering." I gave a little smile. "No, you're avoiding." Mira's voice dropped. I sighed and walked toward the window. Outside, the palace grounds were already busy. People moved around with purpose, each person carrying out the responsibilities given to them. I watched them silently. Mira came to stand beside me. "What's wrong?" Her shoulder brushed mine gently. "Nothing." I swallowed hard. She looked at me. I knew that look. I gave her a small smile. "I'm fine." "There it is." Mira's lips twitched, but there was no smile in her eyes. "What?" I blinked, confused "That word." She said it like it hurt her. I frowned. "I'm fine." "You always say that when you don't want to talk." She leaned against the window. "Maybe because I am fine." I wrapped my arms around myself. "Are you?" Her voice was quiet. I didn't answer. Mira waited. Eventually, I whispered, "I'm tired." Her expression softened. "I know." "I'm tired of being watched." "I know." She reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "I'm tired of everyone expecting me to know what to say, what to do, how to act." "I know." Mira sighed. I turned toward her. "What if I make a mistake?" My voice shook, and I hated how small it sounded. "Then you make a mistake." She said, making it sound easy. "It's not that simple." I pressed my fingers to my temples. "Why not?" She titled her head. "Because I'm the Alpha Queen." The title felt heavy on my tongue. Mira shook her head. "You're Talia first." She added sharply. I looked away. It sounded so simple when she said it. But my entire life had taught me the opposite. I had been raised to understand what my position meant. People depended on me. My decisions mattered. My actions represented more than just myself. I knew that. I also knew I couldn't keep pretending it didn't affect me. "I just want one day," I said quietly. "One day of what?" Mira turned to face me fully. "Nothing." I let out a shaky breath. Mira smiled faintly. "That sounds impossible." "Exactly." She reached for my hand. "You don't have to be perfect every second." I looked down at our hands. "Tell that to everyone else." She squeezed my fingers. "I'll keep reminding you." A knock sounded at the door. We both looked toward it. "Your Majesty, it's almost time." I closed my eyes. Mira sighed. "And there goes your five minutes." I laughed, even though I didn't mean to. "Come on," I said. We left the room together. The moment I stepped into the hallway, I felt myself change. People greeted me. "Good morning, Your Majesty." "Good morning." "Your Majesty." I smiled and nodded, again, and again, and again. By the time I reached the meeting room, I had already put the real Talia away. I sat at the head of the table. The meeting began. People spoke and I listened. Questions were asked and I answered them. Decisions needed to be made and I made them. It was exactly what I had done every day for as long as I could remember. But that morning, something felt different. I kept thinking about what Mira had said. Talia first. I wondered what that actually meant. The meeting continued for what felt like hours. When it finally ended, I stood immediately. "Your Majesty, before you leave…." I stopped. The words were polite, but I felt my patience slipping. "Yes?" I answered, trying desperately to hide my impatience. "We still need your decision regarding….." "I'll look at it later." I cut him off mid-sentence. The man nodded. "Of course." He replied nervously. I walked out before anyone could ask another question. Mira caught up with me in the hallway. "You're walking very fast." She panted as she caught up with me. "I'm trying to get away." I replied sharply. "From what?" She raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. "Everyone." I didn't look her away. She laughed softly. But I didn't. She looked at me. "Talia?" I stopped walking. "I can't do this." Her smile disappeared. "Do what?" "All of it." She waited. I looked around to make sure nobody was nearby. "I'm tired of being the person everyone expects me to be." Mira's voice softened. "You don't have to explain." "I do." I wrapped my arms around myself. "No, you don't." Mira shook her head, her eyes searching mine. "I do, because nobody understands." "I understand." Her eyes softened. I shook my head. "I don't think anyone does." Mira stepped closer. "Then tell me." I took a breath. "I want to leave." She stared at me. "Leave?" "For a while." I nodded, forcing the words out. "Talia..." She breathed my name like a plea. "Not forever." I whispered, my voice barely above a whisper. "You can't just disappear." Mira's voice cracked. "Why not?"I blurted out. "Because you're the Alpha Queen." She said it like a chain around my neck. I looked at her. "That's exactly why." She went quiet. I looked down. "I want to go somewhere nobody knows me. Somewhere nobody looks at me and sees the crown. I want to walk into a room and just be a woman." Mira studied me. "And what would you do?" "I don't know." My voice broke. "Where would you go?" She stepped closer. "I don't know." I shook my head. "How long would you stay?" Mira asked, her voice quiet. "I don't know. I looked away. " She sighed. "You really haven't thought this through." "I've thought about it more than you realize." The words came out sharp. "Then what are you waiting for?" I looked at her. "I don't know." She took my hand. "Are you sure?" I nodded. "I think I have to do this." Mira didn't argue. That surprised me. Instead, she squeezed my hand. "Then promise me you'll come back." She said with a hint of worry. "I will." I said, reassuringly. "Promise." Her voice barely above a whisper. "I promise." I met her eyes. That evening, I returned to my room and closed the door. For the first time all day, nobody called my name. I walked to my wardrobe and stared at the clothes inside. Everything I owned seemed to belong to the queen. I reached for something simple. Something comfortable. Something that looked like me. I changed and stood in front of the mirror. No crown, no formal dress, no carefully chosen jewelry. Just Talia. I smiled. It was the first real smile I'd given myself all day. I packed only what I needed. I didn't want anything that would make people notice me. I didn't want to carry the palace with me. When I finished, I sat on the edge of my bed. For a moment, doubt returned. What if I was making a mistake?. What if people needed me?. What if I couldn't handle being away? I thought about the meetings, the expectations. The constant feeling that I had to be perfect. Then I thought about the woman in the mirror. Talia. Not the queen. Just Talia. I stood. I took one last look around my room. "This is only for a while," I whispered. I opened the door. The hallway was quiet. I took a breath and stepped outside.