All Novel Sweet
Chapter 55
"YOUR MAJESTY, do you really have to do this?" Helga asked, her gaze resting on Siegren as he gently stroked the horse's mane, making sure it was tamed before getting onto the saddle. He turned to her and gave a nod, his other hand then moving to caress her cheek affectionately.
"Yes. I know this is sudden, but this is the only harmless way to make him apologize without abusing my authority and power." Siegren answered, "I've been trying my hardest not to tear him apart, so confronting him like this should alleviate some of the frustration I'm feeling.”
Helga nodded and closed her eyes, savoring the warmth of his hand on her cheek before opening them again. They both turned to see Ezra arriving; he had just finished checking on Miranda, who was now unconscious due to what had happened earlier. Ezra's jaw clenched as he observed the Alpha King's affection towards Helga. He couldn't deny that their marriage had transformed from a convenience into something more, but he refused to believe that his former lover, who had once been devoted to him, could now be in love with such a despicable man. They weren't even fated mates and that only fueled his determination to win this race and prove himself to be the better man, making Helga see how foolish she was for choosing someone like Siegren.
"Apologize for the delay, Your Majesty," he made his way towards the King and Queen who appeared calm despite almost causing a war between their packs, "Shall we start the race? We had already discussed the rules and my beta has already set up the flag at the end of the trail—the first one to emerge from the forest with the flag will be declared the winner."
"Very well," Siegren responded before turning to Helga and gently kissing her on the lips. Her eyes widened, knowing that many members of the Incarnadine pack were watching them. Still, she closed her eyes and returned the kiss before breaking away, her cheeks getting red as they looked at each other as if they were in their own world. The sight caused a stir among the crowd, with murmurs spreading while Ezra seethed, staring intently at the couple with intense annoyance.
"Wait for me here, and don't worry too much. If anyone dared to harm you while I was away, the royal guards would take care of them." Siegren said as he glanced at the five guards who were accompanying them; despite only being a group of five, they were known for their strength and skill in combat within the royal pack, on par with even Gamma Lucian. Siegren had no doubt that Helga would be safe under their protection if anything were to happen while he was away.
"All right," Helga stepped back and smiled as she watched Siegren ride the horse. Without hesitation, Ezra followed suit and they led their horses to the starting point facing the Incarnadine's forest. The butler then gave them a signal to begin the competition, and off they went-Ezra and Siegren urged their horses forward, disappearing from view as they galloped inside.
Helga was well aware that Siegren had a disadvantage in the forest, as he wasn't familiar with the terrain. But she also knew he was fearless and undeterred. In his mind, any obstacle could be overcome, so she didn't fret over the thought of him losing. Helga had complete faith that Siegren would emerge victorious in the race, her only concern was the lengths Ezra would go to win, knowing how competitive he was. She only hoped that the race would come to an end without any serious injuries.
"Don't you think you're being too much?" Aldous' voice suddenly broke through Helga's thoughts. She spun around and raised her hand to signal the guards that everything was under control because they immediately blocked him from approaching her. After they moved aside, she made her way over to Aldous, keeping an eye on the pack members behind him and Viola, who was watching them from where she was currently taking care of Miranda.
"Whatever do you mean, Sir Aldous?" Helga asked, feeling a bit awkward addressing him as 'sir' instead of Alpha as she used to address him before.
"You had the chance to appease the King and prevent things from getting complicated," he replied with a grim expression. "You could have easily overlooked Miranda's mistake and forgiven her. Why must you stir up trouble over such a trivial matte-'
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"Are we not finished with this yet?" Helga cut him off, causing Aldous to flinch. He felt disrespected that the orphan he had once saved was now acting all superior just because she married the king. It had always bothered him. "That mistake could have harmed me. How can I let it slide?"
"You did the same thing to Miranda, you harmed her. What she did earlier was a mistake, she admitted it herself and apologized. Besides, nothing even happened to you, so, why are—” "How many times do I need to tell any of you that I didn't do it? Did you even have any proof that I put a peanut in her soup?" Helga cut him off again, "Of course not. Instead of investigating, you jumped to conclusions and punished me."
She released a deep sigh, not wanting to engage in another argument because things could quickly escalate. Siegren was already attempting to resolve the issue by participating in the race and getting an apology from the other party for their wrongdoings. She didn't want to ruin his efforts, yet here she was defending herself against accusations from the past. "Look, Sir Aldous, I appreciate that you saved my life. Without your help, I may not have made it this far. But let's not sugarcoat it; you didn't take me in out of the kindness of your heart. You did it because I have red hair and green eyes, and you thought I could bring wealth and power to your pack." Helga spoke calmly, but her heart raced as she recalled the times when she felt like she finally found a sense of family and belonging within the Incarnadine pack. “I am grateful for everything you've done for me, but that doesn't give you the right to treat me however you please."
"You were the one who claimed that I was the key to the prophecy, but why does it feel like I deceived all of you, especially after Miranda showed up with her own red hair and green eyes." she continued, her gaze shifting between members of the Incarnadine pack who looked away with guilty expressions. "I gladly accepted Ezra's decision to call off our engagement, but why do I need to be mistreated when I haven't done anything wrong?"
A harsh afternoon breeze whispered through the trees, causing them to rustle and adding to the already tense silence between her, Aldous, and the pack members behind him. She took another deep breath and cast a quick glance at the forest before turning back to Aldous, who was rendered speechless by her words.
"You can't even respond because you know I've done nothing wrong. But you refuse to admit your own mistake and take responsibility for it. And now, you're finding fault at me, telling
me I'm too much when I simply stood up for myself after being nearly harmed?" Helga didn't hold back and took another step forward. She didn't know why but she couldn't control herself any longer, "If you have no intention of apologizing or owning up to your mistake, then at least stop adding fuel to the fire or..."
Helga trailed off, not wanting to mention something that she wanted to forget. But she knew she had to tell Aldous, and so...she leaned in close and whispered, her hand balled into a tight fist. The other pack members were curious about what she had to say and why she was whispering, but they were too afraid to ask and just watched silently.
"Do you want me to mention to my mate what you did to me when I was fourteen?" Aldous froze in place, unable to move or speak; he was certain she was asleep at that time, but he didn't expect her to bring it up out of nowhere. When Helga took a step backward, she looked at him indifferently which only added to the panic that started rising up from the pit of his stomach. She then looked at the window where Viola was glaring at her before returning her attention to the previous Alpha whose face had gone pale. "Don't make me do something that could damage your reputation, Sir Aldous," Helga said coldly before turning around and waiting for the race to end.