The end of the tunnel!!!
**Ashley’s POV**
As I stood by the side, watching my arch-nemesis being taken away, I honestly couldn’t tell what I was feeling at that point. Although this moment had been a highly anticipated one for me, it just didn’t feel right somehow. As soon as the guard announced that her banishment was to begin, I could feel my wolf’s countenance instantly change. I remained motionless where I stood, watching the whole thing unfold. Nobody moved until she was finally out of sight, with the men trailing behind her as she went on her way. I couldn’t shake the feeling I was getting, although a wave of relief washed over me. All this while, I had wanted her downfall-to see her get the punishment she truly deserved. But now that it had happened, I surprisingly didn’t feel as excited as I thought I’d be.
“Are you feeling alright?” I heard Simon ask as he placed a hand on my shoulder, and I nodded.
“Yeah, I… I just-”
“It’s fine, you don’t have to say anything. I can understand how you’re feeling right now. Come on, let’s go inside,” he urged, and I followed along with him as we all started heading back inside. The moment I heard the boys arguing from their room, I instantly ran up to meet them.
When I got there, I noticed the argument was about their race car. Luke was inside the car, and Simeon had stopped him, angrily demanding his turn to ride.
“Hey, why are you two fighting? You should be sharing, you know.”
“Mommy, Luke won’t let me have my turn, and he’s been riding all over the house in the car for more than 30 minutes now,” Simeon complained, and I turned to face Luke.
“Luke! Is this true?” I asked, and he turned his face aside, avoiding eye contact with me.
“Well, I guess that’s my answer then. Come out and let your brother ride this time. It’s not nice not to share,” I said, urging Luke to step out, and he frowned unpleasantly.
“Come on, you don’t have to do that, Luke. Nobody wants to have their mood spoiled, and you definitely don’t want to be the cause of it, right?”
“But Mom, you did this. You made me leave the car,” he whined, and I took a deep breath, bending down so I could meet his eye level.
“Look, I know it’s not always pleasant having to share something you really love. But one thing you need to understand, my boy, is that sharing is caring. To begin with, this car was bought for both you and your brother, so you don’t have any other option but to share it. However, even if something was originally bought just for you, it’s still not nice to refuse to share your toys with others.”
“But if they really want it, they should get their own.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes, Mommy.”
“I see. Now, let me ask you something. Let’s assume one day you haven’t eaten all morning, and you see Mommy eating food that was specially made for her. How would you feel if I told you to get your own and didn’t share any with you, just because it was mine?”
“But, Mommy, that wouldn’t be nice.”
“Exactly. We all need to learn how to share because it’s a good thing. Now imagine how your brother has felt this whole time while you refused to share the car with him.” His expression immediately softened as his mouth formed an “O.”
“Now, promise me you’ll be more willing to share with others.”
“I promise, Mommy.”
“Good. Thank you, baby,” I responded, standing up and making my way out.
“Okay, boys, I’m on my way now. Please don’t argue anymore. I don’t want to have to come back here to settle another fight,” I said, leaving the room and shutting the door before heading back to my bedroom.
—
It had officially been two days since Veronica’s dethronement and banishment from the mansion, and it had undoubtedly brought significant changes, not just to the mansion, but to the kingdom at large. All around, everyone seemed happy, and the usual tension in the air was no longer present. As I sat quietly in the living room watching TV, a guard walked in, bowed respectfully, and spoke.
“Greetings, Your Highness. Sorry to disturb you during your leisure time, but there’s someone here to see you.”
“Me? Who could that possibly be?” I asked, furrowing my brows as I tried to think of who might visit me.
“He’s not a familiar face, Your Highness, but he did tell me to relay the name George.” The moment I heard that name, my expression instantly changed.
“George,” I repeated, and he nodded. For a brief moment, I couldn’t find the words to express what was on my mind. In fact, there was so much going on in my mind that I couldn’t put any of it into words.
“Let him in,” I finally responded, and the guard bowed curtly before leaving. Moments later, he returned with George, who had a very sober look on his face. I frowned deeply at the sight of him.
“Ashley,” he began, his voice low and hoarse. I didn’t respond, but he persisted, seeing that I was obviously very angry with him.
“Ashley, look, I know you’re very angry with me right now, but please hear me out,” he pleaded. I crossed my arms and looked away from him. “Please, if not for anything, at least for the sake of our kids.”
“What do you want, George? After everything, you think you can just come back into our lives?”
“I know things can never go back to the way they were, and I don’t plan on coming back into your lives. I just need you to forgive me, please.”
“You hurt me, George. You hurt me. I trusted you and thought you’d come to take us out of this place, but no. You chose to abandon us, as if we didn’t spend six years together. As if our friendship meant absolutely nothing.”
“I know you’re mad at me, and you have every right to be. But please hear me out,” he continued, and I frowned. “Nothing can justify my actions, because I know what I did was wrong. But I couldn’t keep you and the kids away from the Kings. This house, the Kings, the Kingdom-they need you. It would have been selfish of me to keep you away from all this.”
“But I wasn’t complaining, was I?”
“Still, that doesn’t change the fact that those boys are the heirs to the throne, and they had every right to find out about their true fathers.” I took a deep breath, turning to face him as I finally decided to let things go. What would be the point of holding on to the past? Besides, everything was now fine for us, so holding on to old baggage wasn’t necessary at this point.
“You know what? If you had come earlier, I might not have forgiven you. But after everything I’ve gone through, and now reflecting on it all, I can’t hold any grudge. So, it’s fine. I forgive you.”
“Wait, really?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh my goodness, I didn’t expect you to forgive me so easily, but thank you so much, Ashley. Wait-or should I say, Your Majesty?” he teased, and I laughed. We spent time catching up, sharing our experiences from the period we’d been apart. I was thrilled to hear he had found his mate and that their wedding was scheduled for the fifth day of the coming week. All in all, everyone got their happy ending.
Before leaving that day, George made it a point to see the kids. They couldn’t have been happier to see him after so long. After spending a few hours catching up and spending time with us, he finally left, promising to return with his fiancee on his next visit, and we saw him off with glad hearts.
“My lady, you seem very excited today. One would have expected you to be in this mood the day Lady Veronica was banished from the kingdom, but you had a very sober countenance that day. Why?”
I sighed deeply, reminiscing about how I felt that day. Who would have thought they noticed my mood as well?
“Well, I wasn’t so happy about how things played out that day. Don’t get me wrong, I always wanted Veronica to get a taste of her own medicine. But when it finally happened, something about it just felt wrong. I actually felt bad for her that day. But in the end, she wronged us all, and she deserved it.”
“You’re truly a good woman, my lady. After all that woman did to you and your children, you still felt bad for her when she was punished for her crimes. If only Lady Veronica had a heart like yours, she might still be in the mansion as we speak.” I didn’t respond, just shrugged as she moved closer to help me change into my night robe. Just as I was about to lay down, Irene walked in.
“My lady, Their Highnesses have requested to see you. They’re in the royal garden right now,” she said, and I tried to think of what they could possibly want.
“They want to see me right now?”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Oh, okay. What about the boys?”
“I’ve given them their milk and put them to bed, so they’re fine.”
“All right then,” I responded before making my way out. As I walked down the path leading to the garden, I couldn’t help but reflect on all that had happened in my life, from the time I was taken out of my pack house to this very moment. So many things had threatened to take me down, but the Moon Goddess had been so faithful toward me.
“Ashley, come here,” I heard Lucas call from my side, and I turned to see him and Simon sitting with a few snacks and drinks laid out in front of them.
“Really? Alcohol now?” I remarked, raising an eyebrow.
“Oh, come on, don’t tell us you haven’t had it before,” Lucas teased.
“Of course I have, but is it wise to have some right now?”
“It’s just for our little celebration. Besides, you won’t be having much, so sit,” Simon replied, patting the space they had prepared for me.
I carefully sat down, and Simon poured me a glass of wine, which I accepted gratefully.
“Thanks,” I said, taking a sip and breathing deeply as I gazed up at the night sky, appreciating the cool atmosphere.
“Keep shining, my princess,” I whispered softly, a tear escaping my eye. Lucas and Simon glanced at me, their faces filled with curiosity.
“Don’t mind me, I just- I was feeling a little emotional, remembering our daughter.”
“Daughter?” they both chorused, and I nodded.
“You know, I didn’t give birth to the boys alone. I actually had three of them in my womb, but our little princess didn’t make it. She left us just a few hours after being born. That day was both one of the happiest and saddest days of my life. But I’m okay now; I have you two and our boys.” I let out a small, bittersweet laugh.
Lucas and Simon exchanged glances, and then Lucas raised his glass.
“Let’s raise a toast,” he began. “To everything we’ve been through-the highs, the lows, and everything that has brought us to this point.”
I smiled deeply, raising my glass along with them.
“Cheers to our love,” Simon added.
“Our kids,” Lucas continued.
“And the beginning of a new season for us,” I concluded, and we clinked our glasses together in celebration under the vast, open sky.
The journey had indeed been difficult, but after going through the trials that shaped me into the woman I am today, I couldn’t have asked for a better way to close this chapter of my life.
There’s always light at the end of the tunnel, they say, but for me, it wasn’t just light-it was the sun, illuminating everything. This chapter has finally come to an end, and now it’s “on to the next!”