Page 21 of Loved By The King

• King Soren •

My mind is whirring, now that my engagement has been leaked to the world. I sit in my office, the weight of the world pressing down on me as I stare at the laptop screen. The Zoom meeting with the council is in full swing, and I’m waiting for them to mention Bree. I know that is why they’ve called for this meeting. Damian sits beside me, his presence annoying as I prepare to face the inevitable questions about Bree.

“Your Majesty,” one of the council members begins finally, his tone formal and slightly condescending. “We must express our concerns regarding your relationship with Ms. Brielle. Her background remains unknown, and this raises significant risks for the throne.”

I shift in my seat, my irritation bubbling beneath the surface. “I understand your concerns, but Bree is not a risk, and who I marry is none of anyone’s concern, including the councils.”

“I understand that, but it doesn’t erase the fact that we know so little about her, and the fact you kept this hidden for so long is worrisome, like you were afraid to tell the world you were taking a mate,” another advisor interjects.

“It’s normal procedure. We hadn’t announced it because no dates are officially set, those who needed to know knew, and those directly helping in organizing the wedding did too. You must understand after my last wife, Jacinta. I am not willing to risk her safety especially since she is a werewolf,” I reply quickly.

The head council member, Clyde, sighs heavily. “Other kingdoms are beginning to take notice of your upcoming union, particularly the Vampiric Kingdom of Nocturna. King Alaric himself has expressed his curiosity about her identity.”

I furrow my brows. “Why would King Alaric care? We’ve never had issues with him.” I feel a flicker of confusion, and my annoyance heightens slightly. Alaric is a powerful vampire, but like the rest, he stays out of the media and most kingdom politics. He is known for his cunning and shrewdness within the council, though we’ve never had issues in the past. The hybrid kingdoms, yes, but never from the vampiric one.

The council exchanges uneasy glances. “We’re unsure, Your Majesty. He was tipped off about your impending marriage and wanted to know who she is. This kind of attention could lead to complications, especially when we have no information about her, given we can’t figure out who she is. We believed you were looking into an employee, not your own fiancée. That alone has us asking why you need to clarify who you’re marrying to that extent. Damian has been quite insistent on us finding information about her.”

I cut a glare at Damian, who shrugs simply.

“She did start out as an employee. It turned into something more. My brother investigates everyone; you know he is paranoid, Clyde. He himself looked into you many times for council breaches.” Clyde swallows thickly, and I know I struck a chord with him by the way he nervously glances at the other council members present, who are clearly not aware of any breaches against him.

“Now, these complications you speak of,” I mutter, running a hand through my hair. “What kind of complications are you worried about regarding Bree? Maybe I can clear them up now?”

“Unrest among the other kingdoms, should they perceive her as a threat or a mystery,” Maverick, Clyde’s second advisor answers.

Clyde seems to welcome the change in the topic since it’s not directed at him and adds, “It is imperative you investigate her background thoroughly. We cannot have someone with unknown ties so close to the crown, and council members from the other districts are already expressing worry about this woman possibly having a seat on the council when nothing is known about her.”

“She has no intention of being on the council. They have nothing to fear; Bree will hold no influence on the council,” I answer flatly. Though sometimes I wonder if that was why my late wife was targeted to begin with, she was meddling and half the reason Damian looked into Clyde so many times.

“We understand that, My King, that isn’t what we are—” Clyde begins.

“I will not treat Bree as a suspect,” I interrupt. “She’s done nothing wrong.” Why are the kingdoms really this worried about her influence when she hasn’t done anything to warrant their worry?

“Your responsibility is to the kingdom and council first,” Damian chimes in, his voice calm but firm. “We need to know if any potential risks are associated with her. The council is right to be concerned.” I grit my teeth and glare at him; he is not helping matters, adding his two cents worth when he has been nothing but critical of Bree from the moment he met her.

As the meeting drags on, I eventually agree to look into her past, yet the decision feels like a betrayal. I end the meeting with pressure crushing my chest knowing I’ve agreed to command the answers from her, though I hope it doesn’t come to that. The council’s demands echo in my mind, and all because Damian was pressuring them about her information, which has made it look like she is guilty of something.

After the meeting, I step out of my office and head downstairs toward the gardens where I know Bree and Max are playing. The sunlight spills warmly over the flower beds, and I find Bree laughing, her eyes bright as she plays with Max.

The sight tugs at my heart. How can anyone accuse her of being a spy or having ill intentions? She has fixed her hair, the colors bright, and her regrowth once again covered. I sigh; it’s another thing I’m dreading having that talk with her; my mother really wants her hair a more natural color, and the fact she is now the talk of the media isn’t helping. One magazine referred to her as a hippy. How they come to that conclusion over rainbow hair is beyond me.

“Bree,” I call, walking toward them. She peers in my direction, her smile fading slightly as she meets my gaze, and I offer as much of a smile as I can, hoping to reassure her.

“Hey,” she replies, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Max and I were just playing knights and dragons.”

Max giggles, his small hands gripping a toy sword. “We’re winning!” Max says. I glance around for the invisible dragons he is fighting, finding the small tree chopped to pieces with his blunt blade.

I kneel beside him, my heart swelling at seeing her with my son, but I don’t want him to overhear this conversation. “Max, go play. I need to talk to Bree for a second.”

He frowns, turning to do as I ask.

My attention shifts to Bree, “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course, what is it?” I sigh and prepare to tell her about the council, but seeing the worry on her face, I divert the conversation.

“Ah… Mom wants to know about your family. You mentioned before you didn’t have anyone besides your grandmother. She believes it will be odd if you have no family in attendance for the wedding.”

Her expression shifts, a shadow crossing her face. “It’s just been me and Granny since I returned.” She chews her lip, glancing at Max before speaking again. “My parents… they shunned me over my ex-mate. They disapproved of him, so they kicked me out.”