The She-wolf and The Prince

Alia on the way to France.

CHAPTER 15

April 11, 1812 Nottingham

Hiden, seated at the window of the tower, watched his wife fight tenaciously. He admired her and her hatred. His goal was almost achieved, but he still lacked one important thing: an heir. By making Alia his wife, Hiden Harrington thought he could one day get her to love him or be devoted to him. Alas, the young woman had declined all his offers, reminding him of the terms of their union. The worst part was that he could not use hypnosis because she was immune to it, nor could he use force because she had become stronger than he had imagined.

Suddenly, the young woman knocked down her opponent who was the strongest of the siblings. At that moment, he knew that this woman would never submit to him or rather, he had just realized it after all this time. The man turned to the room he was in. It was as empty as his soul; no memory of the former occupant remained, he had taken care of it for fear that the memories of this place would awaken Alia's buried feelings. Hiden knew it; she still loved him. He hadn't been able to take her away from him completely. That's why he sent soldiers after the hybrid, to eliminate him before he had a chance to meet Alia.

- Damn runt. I should have ripped your heart out. he spat.

He left the room and went to the king. This was an important day for him because he was about to take a big step towards royalty. He wore a victorious smile. Sitting on his throne, Henry Harrington discussed with the envoy of the king of the north, Great Britain, the border agreements and the case of the rebellious wolves. When the meeting was over, Hiden went to stand in front of the king.

- Father, Alia got the better of our dear Alois.

- Interesting. Tell her I would like to congratulate her on her achievement. Now you two make an exceptional couple. I hope to see you fight side by side one day.

Hiden had noticed his father's fondness for the young woman. She looked like Dahlia, his former wife, only better. He knew that sooner or later the old man would try to woo Alia. The only thing that made him hesitate was the fact that she was already married to his son, whom he would not hesitate to oust from the race when the time came. He would have wanted him to be Alia's husband, Hiden knew.

- You know, Father, that my marriage to her is only conventional. She and I are far from being close. So there is no need to think that this day will come.

- It's a shame.

- You don't really think so.

Hiden moved closer to his father's seat. He stared straight into his eyes, a mischievous smile on his face. The king was aware of the threat his eldest son posed to him, for it was he who had shaped his personality. He wanted to stand up, but a sudden weakness prevented him from doing so.

- What did you do to me?

- I just made sure you took your morning drink with a few drops of black dahlia extract. You are so full of yourself that caution for you was no longer an option. So all I had to do was sneak into your apartment and put the poison in your wine bottle.

Hiden had been planning this for a long time. Black dahlias were feared by vampires because their petals contained a substance that was toxic to them. Used in small quantities, it would weaken a vampire, while in large quantities it would cause paralysis or death. The worst part was that this poison was not detectable by taste and had no particular smell. As a result, these plants were being exterminated. He had therefore carefully cultivated them in the greatest of secrecy in order to live this moment. He put a hand on his father's shoulder.

- I know for a fact that you are happy about the distance between Alia and me because you also have a liking for her.

- What...?

- Don't play innocent.

- What are you going to do?

- Get rid of you of course. Let's say that you left the throne to discover new lands, leaving me in charge of England.

He suddenly thrust his hand into his father's chest, leaving him no chance to fight back. He ripped out his heart and then disposed of the body.

That evening, Hiden sat on the king's seat. As he settled in, he thought he had made the right decision. The enthronement ceremony? He didn't care. He sent a letter to his sister inviting her to a family dinner to celebrate his assumption of power. A few hours later, at midnight, the time of the appointment, Anemone had joined her brothers and sister in the reception room of the castle. She had even invited a number of nobles to this rather sober party who appeared in turn. The new king, far from being an extravagant man, was nevertheless delighted to have additional guests at his table. When it was confirmed that the last of the guests was seated, Hiden stood in front of the vampires at his table.

- Father," he began, "was bored with ruling such a small land, so he gladly bequeathed me his throne to give us other places to expand the kingdom. Let's raise a glass to Henry Harrington.

With one glass in hand, all but the two youngest siblings raised their glasses. Alia and Alois watched as their eldest son's words were questioned. Both had felt the sudden evaporation of the previous king's aura. In their opinion, Hiden was not innocent in the disappearance of the king. However, he made no remark about it; whether Henry or Hiden was the king of England, the situation of the people remained the same because father and son were alike.

One of the guests sat down at the piano in the middle of the room. He was a man with blond hair dressed in a tailor-made tuxedo. His slender fingers began to caress the keys of the instrument, which immediately produced a melodious sound that pleased everyone. Hiden, standing next to the player, spotted Alia in a corner, talking to a young man. He left his seat to join her, and his arrival caused the other man to leave, something he had noticed that his wife did not like. This last one struck him of the glance then posted a smile of courtesy. She made him understand that he was not welcome.

- Isn't he a virtuoso?" he asked his wife.

- Yes, I must admit," she replied.

Alia had not been kind enough to ask who the man with the blond hair was, and the tone she used with him only displeased him, who was trying to make conversation.

- Do you like being a queen now?

- Queen or princess, I don't care.

- Why be so cold with me, madam?

- You know that," she said, sipping her drink. We are far from being friends.

- You could consider us as such.

- Yes, I could.

Alia's tone was so nonchalant that he concluded that this woman would never give him any credit as a friend.

"She's changed since her daily life consisted of fighting, reading, and especially talking with Alois. What is he putting in her head?"

- Good. What do I have to do to deserve your attention?" he tried.

- It's up to you," she said, moving away from him.

He didn't understand what this woman was getting at. He watched her walk away, vowing to take out Ryan no matter what it took and to take care of Alois when the time came.

Time passed and the reception was coming to an end. The new king wanted to make a speech with his wife, but to his surprise, she and her younger brother had disappeared. He went to his wife's room. She had left a note: "We are leaving to fulfill my mission and will be back soon.

He then said that if he had no information about Henry Harrington's illegitimate son, it was because Alois was blocking his way to help Alia in her quest. He was going to lose; he knew it and what he had left now was the war.

At the port of Newhaven, Alia and Alois were embarking on their journey to France. The elder had been planning this venture since he had received the information about Ryan's whereabouts, and had hired a ship and loaded the luggage before he had even informed his sister. When the day came, all he had to do was take her with him. Now they were both on the "Night Hawk" heading for ancient Gaul...