The palace, the place Emily didn’t particularly care for – hated is more appropriate of a term really – and the place where she shall have to deliver her best act.
She’ll have to distance herself from her own mate, all for the sake of said act.
She had to make herself look meek and vulnerable, whereas Theodore needed to act cold and aloof with her.
You can do this, Emily, she told herself as she was entering the palace, a few steps behind Theodore.
Look at the bigger picture.
Tatiana welcomed them in, together with Liam, sporting sad faces. Considering the act, that was the most appropriate facade they could have put on.
They had barely been settled in their bed chambers when queen Alexia barged in, uncaring of what she might walk in on, no doubt thinking there was nothing to walk on in considering Theodore had forgotten all about Emily.
Thank god, they decided to act cold even in their bed chambers, knowing all eyes shall be on them.
“My dear Theo,” his mother began almost softly. “How did this come to happen?”
“Can you be more specific, mother?” Was his calm retort.
Emily looked at him worriedly, sensing his animosity towards the woman he was planning to have killed one way or the other.
“This,” the woman waved between him and Emily.
“Shirly got me good,” he told her coolly, “I don’t know what she injected me with. The seismotherapy was no good.”
She frowned slightly at that, probably not liking his seismotherapy idea.
“Hence I came to the palace, seeking help,” he finished with a shrug. “I need time to think of a solution.”
“You can take all the time you need, my dear Theo,” her eyes all but glinted with malice.
Within a few seconds, she left the bed chambers, almost as abruptly as she had come in.
Oh, she was definitely planning something. Emily could only hope they’d expose her before she did manage to create some other problem for them.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
It was soon enough dinner time, one of the most dreaded times for Emily, and definitely the most anticipated for Theodore and his siblings.
He walked ahead of his mate purposefully while remaining alert of everything going on around them at the same time.
Dinner was delicious, and yet he barely savored it.
They were having dessert when he breached the subject they were most eager to open.
“I don’t understand how a healer might have come into possession of such a strong potion,” he said pensively.
“Women always have their ways,” Tatiana said with a seemingly nonchalant shrug.
“They do, don’t they?” Serena rolled her eyes. “It is quite pathetic of her to want to drive a rift between fated mates. Thank god Theo has good instincts.”
“Instincts, huh?” Their mother scoffed. “Where were his instincts when he allowed her to inject him with the damned potion? The outcome could have been so much worse than just forgetting about his mate.”
Emily stiffened and allowed a small rueful smile out.
Theodore had to repress the urge to scowl or worse growl at his mother.
“Scared for me, mother?” He taunted.
“Of course,” she nodded vehemently. “I am after all your mother.”
“Right,” he smiled at her almost sweetly.
“May I be excused? I don’t feel too well,” Emily said after some time.
“Sure,” queen Alexia said, almost as if she was still the ruling queen.
Tatiana, however, was much more tactful, “Are you okay, Emily?”
“What’s wrong, Ems?” Theodore asked almost matter-of-factly when he knew perfectly what her end game was. This was all part of the plan.
“It’s nothing,” she tried to wave off their worries.
“Then why aren’t you staying?” Queen Alexia bit out almost angrily. “How about you stop acting all pitiful and start behaving like you ought to?”
“I… I…”
“You are undeserving of my son,” she went on with her tirade. “You are so below him…”
“Mother,” Theodore said in a chiding tone, almost despite himself. “I might not remember her, but isn’t she my mate?”
“Fated mate or not, she needs to hear the truth. You are out of her league, and you two don’t belong to the same world. Hell, had there been no intervention from the fates, you wouldn’t have looked at her twice.”
Emily gasped, portraying how hurt she was by the words, and then soon enough left the dining hall in haste.
“Mother, seriously!” Serena admonished before leaving the dining hall, following Emily no doubt.
“Theo, my sweet Theo,” his mother began sweetly, “Isn’t this your golden chance? It’s your chance to start your life afresh with a new partner, a powerful she-dragon who can fill the shoes of Theo’s mate.”
“Mother, what nonsense is this?” He asked, sporting a confused frown. “I came here seeking help to recover my memories…” he trailed off.
“Perhaps it is better if you never do,” she shrugged.
“Mother, come on. You don’t think that,” he told her almost placatingly.
“Of course I do,” she declared hotly. “I went to great lengths to get that damned potion. I cannot fail now!”
He got her. “What are you saying, mother?”
Her eyes widened at that.
“Alexia dear, please tell me you didn’t…” the former king began.
“So what if I did?”
“Are you admitting you had a hand in the whole Shirly issue?” Liam asked in a tone that was so calm, one could be mistaken to believe he felt no resentment against his mother.
“Now that the cat is out of the bag, and Emily is out of the picture for good, I can admit it: yes, I orchestrated the whole thing.”
Why did she sound so proud and smug of herself?
Theodore decided not to reveal he had recovered his memories just yet.
“Why, mother?” He asked, feigning confusion.
“What can I say? I never approved of her,” she shrugged.
“I didn’t know we needed your approval to be with our fated mates,” he quipped.
“Don’t be an ungrateful brat,” she spat out angrily. “I was mated off to your father and never got a choice. Back in the days…”
“Those days are over, mother, aren’t they?” Liam countered as he played with his fork.
“She even drove you to abdicate the throne! Can’t you see she was never meant to belong,” she scoffed. And then, in a softer tone, she said, “I am sad Shirly had to lose her life for the cause. But her sacrifice won’t be in vain.”
Theodore raised an eyebrow at that.
And she went on, seemingly unable to stop, “We’ll wait until she delivers the heir, take it from her, and then kill her. Meanwhile, I am sure you will find many women ready to do your bidding, my sweet Theo.”
“You’re sick,” Tatiana said distastefully.
“I won’t allow a mutt, princess or not, to insult me so!” She spat out at that.
“You’re mistaken, Alexia dear,” Tatiana began with a beaming smile, “I am the ruling queen. And as the ruling queen, I hereby sentence you to death.”
His mother laughed at that, seemingly in disbelief. “As if!”
“I shall be the executioner,” Theodore announced, a wicked smirk on his face, as he popped his finger joints.
It was only then that suspicion crept on the previous queen. She frowned slightly.
“You don’t mean that, Theodore,” she said, shaking her head negatively. “I did what’s best for you.”
Delusional!
“Says who?” He raised an eyebrow at that. He sensed his mate not too far away, observing the scene, and thus beckoned her over, “Come here, dorogaya.”
His mother was taken aback at that. She rose to her feet and started backing away from the dining table.
“I… I…” she stammered on her words as she saw Emily come to Theodore’s side and kiss him on the lips.
“You acted rashly and selfishly, as per usual,” he stated.
“You did what you believed was best for the crown, not for Theo,” Serena shook her head at her, disgust evident in her eyes.
“As you often say, the crown always comes first,” Liam scoffed. “It’s a shame we had you as a mother!”
“You!” She spat out, looking at Emily with hatred in her eyes.
She was about to take a step forward, to do heavens only know what, when she was flung backwards by an invisible force. Serena’s telekinesis sure came in handy.
“Release me at once, Serena,” she screeched as she struggled against her daughter’s power.
“Not happening,” Serena told her sweetly despite her obvious anger and distaste.
“Admit defeat, mother,” Theodore said as he rose off his chair. “We had you at your own game of deceit.”
“I created the damned game,” she chuckled darkly.
“But we outsmarted you somehow,” Liam quipped.
She growled, her eyes flashing crimson, and yet stopped struggling, realizing no doubt that it was a lost cause, and that she had lost the war.