Amelie opened the door and saw a maid.
"Miss, the Queen has asked for your presence," the maid informed her.
"Why?" Gabriel asked, standing right behind Amelie.
The maid bowed humbly. "Forgive me, Your Highness, but I do not know. She emphasized that only Miss Amelie should come to see her," she asserted.
Amelie glanced at Gabriel, who was already unwilling to let her go alone.
"Don’t worry," Amelie said and followed the maid downstairs to the garden, where Mabel was present, taking a stroll.
Amelie slowly halted, seeing the maid had stopped.
"Your Majesty, Miss Amelie is here," the maid informed the Queen, who turned around. She dismissed the maid and kept her gaze fixed on Amelie before walking toward her.
Amelie greeted her with a good evening before lifting her gaze.
End your family matters in the evening. Since only two days have left, I want the focus to be shifted to the wedding," Mabel stated.
Amelie was a bit perplexed seeing this sudden change in the queen’s attitude. Till the morning, she was against their idea of marriage. Then, why was she suddenly stood in its favor?
"It’s true that I was not affectionate to Gabriel like I was with my other kids. However, that doesn’t change the fact that I’ve given birth to him," Mabel affirmed and looked at her neck, where she could see the mark that Gabriel had given to her.
"He not only gives you his pendant for protection but also the mark," Mabel remarked. Amelie’s hand instinctively moved to her neck, feeling a bit flustered.
"How much do you love him, Amelie?" Mabel then questioned.
Amelie lowered her hand slowly. "Even I don’t know the answer, Your Majesty," she replied truthfully.
Mabel chuckled to hear her response.
"However, I can assure you that I can give my life for Gabriel. He means that much to me," Amelie stated.
"That’s so easy for you to say," Mabel said and turned her back on Amelie. "But if a day comes when you’ve to sacrifice yourself to save Gabriel, don’t hesitate. That’s all I want from you," she pronounced.
Amelie was confused by her statement, but she simply hummed. "I will, Your Majesty," Amelie promised without hesitating.
~~~~
"When will I be taken out of this prison?" Flora asked, looking at the guards outside, who were guarding the gate. She held the bars tightly. "Please answer me. I didn’t do anything to my sister. Please just ask her once to see me," she requested.
However, the guards gave her a cold shoulder as if she didn’t exist.
Tears rolled down her cheeks. She looked at her dirty wedding dress. It was supposed to be the most beautiful day of her life. Then, how did everything turn against her?
’Why did Alex betray me? He didn’t even stop the prince’s men. Did he plan all of this?’ Flora thought. Tears poured down her face as she got on her knees. "I can’t stay in this prison forever. I–I did nothing, then why do I have to undergo such a treatment?"
Warm tears fell over her dress, turning it damp.
Just then, she heard the unlocking of the gates and lifted her head. Gabriel’s gamma, Denzel, was standing behind a guard with a stoic face.
Flora quickly stood up with the hope that she would be released finally.
"Did Alex come to save me?" Flora asked with a hopeful gaze. ’I should not have doubted him,’ she thought.
"Alex is counting his days in one of the dungeons here," Denzel said. "Now, follow me," he stated and turned around before walking away.
Flora walked after him with a limping leg. "What do you mean by that? Alex is in a dungeon, but why?" She confusedly gazed at his back.
Denzel didn’t answer her and kept walking. Flora pursed her lips tightly. Her feet abruptly halted seeing the glare of evening light which fell upon her eyes after one whole day.
She lowered her hands only to find Denzel had gone quite ahead. Flora held her dress and ran after him with herlimpingd legs. Numerous questions were lingering in her head. She stepped inside the mansion and halted in the living room, where the entire royal family was present, including Amelie and her mother.
But what confused Flora was the absence of her father.
Flora lowered her gaze to greet the Alpha King and Luna Queen.
"So, this is your second daughter, Mrs. Conley," Mabel said with a taunt, looking at Samyra. "From her face,ce no one will say that she tried to harm her elder sister."
Samyra lowered her head in shame.
"I–I didn’t do anything this time, Your Majesty. There’s a huge misunderstanding going on," Flora said.
"What kind of misunderstanding?" Mabel questioned.
"Amelie is taking revenge on me," Flora said and glanced at her elder sister.
"Flora, stay quiet!" Samyra scolded her and stood up from her place.
"Mom, why are you acting like this? You know Amelie jinxed our family. She jinxed my life. Alex and I were about to get married, but she intentionally lied to everyone about being harmed." Flora glanced at Amelie with a disdainful gaze.
"Shut your mouth," Gabriel’s deep voice echoed in the living room.
Flora bit her bottom lip and gulped in fear.
"If not for Amelie, I would not have let you out of the prison," Gabriel said.
Mabel exchanged glances between her son and Amelie. "Honey, we were supposed to go out. Let them handle this matter," she opined and left her seat.
Raidan nodded his head and stood up before holding his wife’s hand.
"Where are you both going?" Casaio asked with curiosity.
"For a dinner with some of our old friends from this place," Raidan replied. "Moreover, we have to invite some of the people for our son’s wedding," he added with a smile.
"That’s wonderful to know!" Katelyn said, her eyes sparkling in joy.
Mabel gazed at Gabriel. "I don’t want any blood bath before the wedding," she said and walked out of the living room. Raidan followed his wife closely before patting Gabriel’s shoulder lightly.
"Flora, Alex betrayed you and all of us. He launched an attack on us and... And he tried to kill your sister again," Samyra spoke as soon as the King and Queen left.
Flora’s eyes widened in shock, and she gazed at Amelie, whose eyes were elsewhere, but not on them.
"Your father is in the hospital, Flora. He was gravely injured last night while fighting against the wolves that Alex sent to kill us," Samyra said as her eyes brimmed with tears.