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Frack.
Chapter twenty-two
A Spectacle
Aria
IfollowMulanoutof my quarters. I am thankful every day to have her by my side. Having her as a friend has certainly eased my transition here. Her, Hani, Owa and Jani have been good to me.
In Igor’s absence they have made sure I am always looked after; I am hardly ever alone. Though I do think a part of it is them making sure I’m not alone when I go in labor.
Something I hoped I’d have more of with Igor’s mother, but she seems to be determined to not give me much of her affections, not even friendship. Not that I expected – okay, I did – for her to be excited I am his mate, but that has not been the case.
A week ago, I finally decided to bite down on my pride and move ahead. I went to her office, and she barely even looked up at me. I had been crushed.
It was pathetic of me to expect her to welcome me with any warmth considering how she welcomed her own son, but I had hoped for something. I had hoped that she would be eager seeing as I was her only daughter-in-law, and I needed her.
I had cried a little, but Mulan and Hani tried to tell me that’s just how she was. I wish my heart listened then, but it didn’t. Mine and Igor’s children will be here in a little over a month, and I don’t want any animosity between me and their grandmother.
It also isn’t great that Igor isn’t here to facilitate the relationship. It would be easier to just be as cold to her as she is to me, but I know I want more for my children. I just don’t know how to penetrate the hard shell that is Masa.
I always think about my relationship with Owa and how I wished that was the one I also had with Masa.
“Stop overthinking, human.” Mulan’s gentle voice pulls me out of my thoughts. And it happens to be just when we are about to pass Masa’s office.
I force a smile at her and I force myself to not peep to the right. “I am not overthinking, female.”
She chuckles as she adjusts the containers on her arm.
My feet stop on their own at the corridor leading to Masa’s office.
Mulan stops ahead of me and turns when she senses my stop.
“Aria!” Mulan whisper yells.
I look her way wanting to ignore her and walk. But she doesn’t give me the option when she suddenly pulls me to her and I almost yelp.
“What are you doing? I was just saying hi to her.” I whisper, hoping the older woman wouldn’t hear us.
Goddess, I felt a little pathetic. I think a part of what has my soul crushed is how she seems to get on well with Azula, and a part of me feels cheated.
I get that she has known her the longest and for the longest time she thought Azula would be her daughter-in-law – and in many ways she still was – but I was actually her son’s mate, and she should also seek my friendship.
“Stopping you from making a spectacle of yourself.” Mulan says once we walk out into the open.
“I wasn’t going to make a spectacle of myself,” I argue.
“Azula was there.” She hisses through her teeth.
I can’t stop my frown. “No one was talking, how do you know?”
“She cleans her office this day, this time, every week.” She says like I was supposed to already know that.
“Oh,” is all I can manage.
“Yeah.” Mulan says in a gentle tone that isn’t mocking me.
I am not jealous of Azula or anything, but I hate the fact that she knows my husband intimately. And it’s like she knows it too because she always has a smug look whenever she looks at me like she is mentally rubbing it in my face. I hate it.
