The Southern King's Hoax Mate

CHAPTER 3~~~ THE LAST STRING~~~

~~DEONISIA~~

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I packed another portion of the used plate into the sink as I readied to wash it along with the first batch, living within the palace means having visitors come in daily. 

These recent visitors that just left are officials from the eastern provinces, envoys of the eastern alpha and meetings like this always result in news of wars. 

The last serious war took the live of my parents, they were warriors in the kingdom's army, mom despite being an omega, was a great warrior and I had always thought to walk in her footsteps, but fate took her from me. 

It's been seven years since their death, and although there's been clashes between the kingdoms, none has been as severe as I remembered the war from seven years ago. 

It took lives, and it's disheartening when you find out the reasons for these wars are because of their greed for power and more land possession. 

"You are still here, Deon? I told you to leave the plates. I'll wash them."

I turned my head to door, and a smile break out on my face as the palace servant who tends the kitchen walks in, hands akimbo and a frown on her face.

"It's nothing aunty, you know I enjoy helping with chores. Besides, you still have to clean the halls and other things. Let me do this."

I tell her, blocking the way as she tries to grab the sponge from me.

"There are other servants to do that, you are like a daughter to the king's family. They won't be happy seeing you do my work."

"Come on, Aunt Gladys, I think they are tired of trying to stop me. I hate being idle or seeing things lying around dirty."

She glared at me for a hot minute before sighing and she nods her head, backing down and I smiled.

"At least use the dishwasher, it is there for a purpose."

"It takes away the fun, doing it the traditional way is relaxing to the mind."

I tell her and she nods, picking up something from the cupboard before walking out of the kitchen and I sighed. 

If only I was being sincere with what I just told her, truth is on any other day, I would prefer the dish washer over wasting my time. 

It might be a cowardice move that I have chosen the kitchen as a hideout and using the dishes as an excuse to not join the rest of the family in the main living room. 

Prince Hadrian would be there, and I've been trying to prevent anything that would cause us to be in the same space. 

Even though our mate bond is severed, which I hope it is, the pain is still there, every time I see him, I feel the pain of the rejection of all over again and it's too much for me to handle every day. 

I don't know if he goes through the same pain as me, and I don't understand why I still feel the pain this much if I already accepted his rejection, but I would not ask him. 

I'll rather remain without answers, instead of speaking to him or put myself in the same confined space with him ever again. 

The pattering sounds of footstep echoed in the hallway across the kitchen and I listened to know if the person was approaching the kitchen and truly they were. 

I was wary of who it might be, because I don't want to have any reason to confront Hadrian, however the familiar smell of the princess hit my nostril just as she pushed the kitchen door opened and I sighed in relief. 

The frown on her face deepened, and I knew she would scold me once again for doing chores.

"I knew you had to be somewhere stressing yourself when I didn't see you in the living room. What's bothering you?"

Princess Goldie asks, and I turned to her with a raised eyebrow. 

"What makes you think I am bothered by something, didn't you come here to scold me?"

I question, transferring a few plates into the larger sink, and Goldie rolled her eyes as she leaned against the vast kitchen island. 

"You always hide behind multiple chores when you have something bothering you. The amount of dishes in that sink and the unwashed ones is enough to know something is wrong, and that you aren't using the dishwasher. So spill what is it?"

I guess she wouldn't be my best friend if she doesn't know this much about my habits, but what do I tell her? That her brother is my mate, no ex-mate, and he rejected me after I foolishly opened my legs for him. 

I can't tell her that, not only would Goldie throw a huge fit and probably fight the prince, what about the king and the queen? They would know, and I seriously don't know how they would react to the news. 

I am not ready to take the chances, especially if one of the many outcomes might result in having I and my younger siblings thrown out of the palace, when I have no means to cater for them. 

"You think too much about things, there is nothing wrong. You know I hate seeing the kitchen untidy. I value cleanl......"

Goldie waved her hand in the air, cutting off my excuse.

"Don't give me that hygiene crap. You're hiding something, I've been your friend for eighteen years Isia, you can't fool me. What's going on?"

I heaved a deep breath at her words, knowing she wouldn't back out and I can't tell her the real problem.

"Do you think I should leave the palace?"

I asked, deciding to tell her about something else, which has been bothering me since Hadrian called me gullible with no career plan.

"Did you hit your head Isia, why would you think of leaving the palace. Isn't this your home, did someone tell you to leave?"

Goldie asks, pushing away from the kitchen Island, and she closed the space between us. 

"No one told me to leave, I've been having this thought lately. I am twenty-one now Gold, don't you think I should have a plan for my future or at least a career choice? I can't keep leaving off the king's grace, would they take offense if I tell them I want to go out there and look for something that might interest me to do?"

I need to at least make plans on how to earn a living, if at some point Hadrian becomes alpha king, I am certain he would kick me and my siblings out of the palace. 

How would I cater for them when that happens? 

"I am offended that you even have these thoughts, have I or anyone make you feel like a liability in this palace?"

Goldie asks, and I shake my head. She is right to some extent if prince Hadrian wasn't in the picture. 

"Mom and dad would find this offensive in so many ways, most especially mom. She already sees you as her daughter and they would react the same way if it was me telling them I want to move out of the palace, for whatever reasons. I know your worries, but you are family, Isia, you and your siblings are."

Goldie says, and I sighed in defeat. 

"I just want to earn a living or have something doing, instead of just staying cooped up in the palace all the time."

Goldie stares at me hard for a minute before she nods, stepping away from me. 

"I'll talk to father about this, think about something, I'll convince him to let you work in one of the royal establishments. Maybe like the infirmary, you could learn auxiliary nursing or anywhere close to home."

Goldie says, and I smiled in gratitude at her, knowing this is the best I can get. 

"Thank you, this means a lo.... Arghhhh."

The plate in my hand dropped as I screamed out in pain, hands grabbing my chest and my body hunched over the sink.

"Isia, Isia what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Goldie questioned, rushing to my side, and she holds me. 

"My, arghhh. It hurts ."

I whispered as she helped me up, and she tried moving me out of the kitchen.

"What hurts? Isia, talk to me, what's happening to you."

Goldie says in panic as tears pooled out of my eyes and I doubled over as another pain tore through my heart. 

"My, he- argh- heart, hurts."

I forced the words out of my mouth as Alora howled in my head and I felt something snap in me. 

~It's the bond, Hadrian is marking someone else. He was our fated mate; he is breaking the last tie to our mate bond. That bastard is destroying it all.~

Alora howled in pain as she retreats to the back of my mind and I went into a fit of hard cough.

"Oh my god, Deonisia, you are coughing blood. Some of fvcking help."

Goldie screamed, and I looked at my hands that covered my mouth to see it stained with blood. Fated mates. Hadrian is my fated? 

That means after the rejection, we still had chances of being together? Our mate bond didn't break completely, there was still hope for us to mend things. 

While my heart constricted in pain, my mind wondered if Hadrian knew about this, did he know we weren't just regular mates, but fated mates? 

Fated mates are rare, and most times never get the blessing over a second chance, mate, because that there is that thin thread that still leaves hope for your mate to come back to you.

"Isia, stay with me please, I'll take you to the infirmary don't close your eyes."

Goldie's voice sounded in the distance and I wondered if she he left the kitchen, but I could still feel her hands on my skin. 

Why does she think I am closing my eyes? Why would I do that? A painful howl breaks out my throat as I felt a stabbing pain in my heart and I slumped, reeling into the darkness.