MALIA’S POV
To be seized by guards and asked to serve a few days in the Pack’s prison?
Yes.
To be punished?
Yes.
Or worse, to be sent away from the pack? Yes.
But I wasn’t expecting him to dismiss the whole thing just like that and allow me leave. He did that.
Even as I footed my way to the door, I expected him at any minute to make me halt and then proceed to inflict on me the most merciless of punishments.
You might want to ask why. Well because I had seen him do so to lots of people who have talked back at her or even looked at her the wrong way. Why then was my case exceptional?
Up until I opened the door and walked out of the throne room, there was no call from him. Heck, the only sound I could hear was that of her voice condemning his judgement. He didn’t bother to defend himself. I had my back to him so I didn’t possibly know what he was doing but I could bet my whole life that he was just giving her that lazy gaze, after which he would just proceed to get up and leave at any moment.
I looked around for any sign of guards that would escort me back to my own space cause heaven knew I wasn’t ready to find myself in a different part of the palace. Luckily, I found the particular guard that escorted me here just a few walking steps away.
Even before I approached him, he knew he was taking me back to my room and he did it without any waste of time. I wished everyone around here was like him. Just doing their damn jobs and minding their businesses.
Instead of walking into my room, I decided to go straight to the kitchen just so I could get my breakfast. The chefs as usual were very happy to see me.
Over the past few weeks, I have become like their personal food tester and they were so willing to comply each time. All they usually did was just cook in large quantities and distribute to where food was needed around the Alpha’s wings only.
No one ever showed up to appreciate them when someone has been here for more than seven decades. It’s demotivating really.
This is the reason why I have made it my personal job to make sure they know how much appreciated they were.
I had my breakfast placed in front of me in a jiffy, I ate to my fill and then walked out of the kitchen after a little joke here and there with them.
I looked around the hallway for any sign of activity that I could engage in but as usual, the whole place was empty. And I frankly wasn’t about to go into my room and bore myself to death. I stood there for a couple of minutes until an idea struck.
The garden.
I have been meaning to go to the garden for a long time now since the first time I saw it from above and I haven’t gotten the chance to. Today my day is going to be filled with absolutely nothing but boredom, I could use a tour around the magnificent garden.
I wished just as it was easy to find my way outside, so was it easy to locate my room afterward. I do manage to locate my room when I am coming from outside or from Ronan’s wing. In any other part of the palace, I needed someone to guide me. The twists and turns are just so overwhelmingly complex.
When I finally arrived outside, I opted to ask the guards around rather than just taking a guess like I usually do and ending up in the wrong place. I was familiar with some of the guards mostly because we met at the training ground.
“Hey there” I waved at the familiar-looking face of Scott who was in the midst of his fellow guards just chatting and passing time.
“Lia!” He exclaimed when he finally took notice of me. Lia was the nickname they gave me during training and it gradually moved even out of the training ground. Even Ryder calls me that now.
“I thought you went with Derek?” I asked, moving closer and shoving my hands into my pocket.
“No, I didn’t. It wasn’t part of my job for the next six months. I should be here” He responded, his tone light.
“Oh right, it is great finding you here then” I uttered. “I was meaning to go to the garden, I don’t know if you can walk me there cause this place is still a bit strange to me”
“The garden? There are at least six gardens around here, I don’t know which one you are referring to” He stayed.
“Well…. I don’t know which one I am referring to either. But if it helps, the one that gives a perfect view from the Alpha’s wing”
“Oh” He exclaimed. “That garden?”
“Yes that garden” I nodded, grateful that he could easily recognize the one I was referring to without so much descriptions.
“Sorry to be the one to break it up to you but no one is really allowed in there except the Alpha and his brother, not even the Luna to be. That is an important place for them because it was established by their late mother.
Only workers that take care of it are allowed to go in there with the instruction of not to mess with anything”
“That is quite unfortunate. I had it in mind for such a long time thinking I could relax there today. But it still doesn’t matter, take me to the one meant for everyone and let me relax there. I hope it is at least half as good as that one”
“It is moderate” He replied.
“Alright then, lead the way,” I said, getting ready to go after him.