As soon as I was done taking a bath and eating my meal alone, Claude returned to my tent holding our sleeping son in his arms as he returned Cloudy to his cradle. I ignored him as I continued reading some books that were all about the war that came from the point of view of different historians back in the past.
“It’s useless to read it. You are not going to war, Rachelle,” he said coldly.
I scoffed. “Reading them doesn’t mean I am going to the war, Claude. I am adding more knowledge about how the military tacticians resolved everything back then.” Sighing, I closed the book, losing my interest to read it. “When shall we depart?” I looked at him coldly.
He leaned to my desk and touched one of the books I was reading. “Later this morning. I already have the knights pack your things,” he said, not looking at me but to the book. “Say farewell to the brigade you have been wanting to lead, love. You will not be able to see them ever again.”
I shrugged and stood up so I could distance myself away from him. “I have led them to the best of my abilities. I have no regrets coming here despite the unnecessary actions I caused to the royal lycan family.” I glanced at him meaningfully to remember that I kept the pregnancy from him. “If I would be executed because of treason if your father knew about keeping the pregnancy, I would be happy to accept it. All I want to ask a favor from you is to take care of our son, Claude. I devoted my life to bear him inside me. I have loved him so much I am willing to die for our son. That is all I can ask from you, Claudian.” I stepped forward to approach him. “If ever you decide to remarry since I am a useless Luna Queen now and have a consort, assure me that my son will be the Crown Prince and the one who will be the next Alpha King.”
His expression changed into a sour one. “What makes you think I would even dare to marry another woman and grant it as a consort, Rachelle?” He huffed and smirked. “You really think so lowly of me.”
“Royal Ordinance No. 132,” I mentioned as I drew closer to him. “When the sun of the royal kingdom condemns the moon of the royal kingdom for a royal crime, the sun can respectfully remarry for the next moon but not limited to grant honorifics such as queen, consort, or concubine according to the ranks granted by the sun,” I recited what the content of that royal ordinance and sighed. “You are the sun and I am the moon of our kingdom, Claude. It means that you can still have a consort or concubine if you wish to. If the Moon Goddess will grant you a second mate, she can be the next Luna Queen while you can demote me and reject our mate bond.”
I felt a pang of pain inflicted in my heart as soon as I recited the Royal Ordinance no. 132 and its meaning. It hurts when I first read that phrase. Becoming a Luna Queen wasn’t easy as I needed to memorize all of the royal ordinances in a short span of time.
I couldn’t believe that I managed to recite the royal ordinance I hated the most.
His expression darkened. “Shut up, Rachelle. I did not utter any word that I am remarrying another woman so shut the hell up,” he said through gritted teeth.
I raised both of my hands as I stepped back. “Alright, Your Majesty.” I smiled bitterly.
He clenched his hands before he shook his head. “Prepare to disembark. I will have my knights escort you to the carriage.”
I watched him leave. I gripped my chest when I felt Claude’s emotions that he was being hurt right now. I hissed and wanted to cuss as Claude didn’t block his feelings. I was able to feel what he felt.
After that, I took Cloudy to my arms and kissed his forehead before I decided to roam my eyes around my tent. “I will miss everything…” I murmured, getting teary from this.
When I left my tent, my heart jumped when I saw Cherish who was waiting outside. Her eyes looked solemn as she bowed her head before me.
“I shall escort you, older sister-in-law,” she uttered.
I only nodded as a response. I didn’t even dare to say anything and just followed where the carriage was. When we arrived there, I got confused about why Cornelius was mounting the horse.
“Why is Cornelius here, Claude?” I asked and turned at Claude, baffled. “He is the battle commander in the Eagle Mist. Why is he here?”
Claude opened the door for me. “He will be taken to the palace for punishment,” he replied coldly.
I hissed. “You still think about that?” I raised my voice a little. I wonder why Lieutenant Commander Lycan did not inform me about this. “The battle commanders are crucial for-”
“I know what I am doing, Rachelle. Do not even dare to question my decision.” He shot me a glare.
I squinted my eyes at him. “You don’t know how crucial Cornelius is to the battlefield…” I said before going inside the carriage, shaking my head. Then I shot him a glare. “You don’t even know how strong the Eagle Mist is and you don’t know how crucial having my elite battle commanders is.” He was about to speak when I chimed in again. “I’ve trained them in a most strict and rigorous way. I dare to question your decision because you are not the one who trained them, Claude. I know my elites’ strength and you…” I paused. “You failed to realize it.”
Claude clenched his hands but didn’t dare to talk back to me. It could mean that I was right. He just wouldn’t admit it.
“You dare to call yourself an Alpha King when you cannot even accept relevant information coming from the master of the Eagle Mist,” I added, mocking him.
“Shut up, Rachelle. Talk back again and I will add more sanctions to you which you will fail to see our son,” he threatened.
That made me shut up as I secretly gritted my teeth in annoyance.
We were enveloped with deafening silence after thirty minutes that we were on the road going back to the palace. I didn’t even dare lay my eyes on Claude even though I always caught him looking at me.
My wolf was becoming more aloof against Claude. She was also affected by our relationship and she was disagreeing about my sanction that he had to break my son and me apart. My wolf thought that Claude was heartless.
But I explained to her and calmed her that it was my fault after all that I kept my pregnancy from him. It was the reason why Claude was having a hard time trusting me which was why he was taking the Luna Queen seal from me. But even so, if ever he decided for us to get back together, I am not certain if we could still return from what we had before.
To distract myself, I laid my eyes on Cloudy. I nuzzled my nose at him and smelled his baby scent. “You smelled like my favorite flower, Cloudy. You are my stargazer lily.” I couldn’t help uttering those words as I smelled him again. It was heady and pleasant. He really was a stargazer lily.
I glanced at Claude when I caught him looking at me. He immediately averted his gaze from me and crossed his arms over his chest. I shook my head and didn’t look at him anymore.
I gasped and immediately held Cloudy in my arms when the carriage shook. Then in one swift motion, the carriage turned upside down which I shrieked.
“Rachelle!” Claude held my head and touched it. He gasped when he saw blood on my head while I was protecting our son.
“I-I’m alright…” I looked at Cloudy who was sleeping soundly. “Open the door, Claude.”
But before he could open it, a knight opened it for us. “Y-Your Majesty, we are being ambushed by the rogues,” he reported, panicking after he helped Claude to get outside. Then Claude took Cloudy from me so I could get out with the help of the knight who opened the door.
Claude and I growled at the same time as soon as we realized that we were being surrounded by more than twenty rogues. I immediately took Cloudy from him while Claude stepped forward to protect me.
“Stay here, Rachelle. Protect our son,” he said.
“Yes.” I nodded, feeling at ease. I turned my head at Cornelius. “Cornelius,” I said, summoning him. He nodded his head.
“Allow him to step forward,” Claude ordered his knights to release Cornelius.
I heard the rogues gasp when they didn’t expect that we had Cornelius here. One of the ruthless soldiers I have trained before. I stepped forward even though I was feeling dizzy because I hit my head on the ceiling of the carriage. It was too painful but bearable.
Cornelius bowed his head before me. “Your command, Your Majesty?”
I glanced at the rogues coldly before I turned at Claude. He nodded his head at me as approval. “Eliminate them. Without mercy,” I said coldly.
“Your wish is my command, Luna Queen Rachelle.” With that, he unsheathed his sword from his scabbard before he growled immaculately.
I sighed in relief when Cornelius attacked them. It was his duty to protect me actually but he had another job. It was to protect the next heir of the Waevalon Kingdom. That actually made me relieved.
“You still have blood in your head. We need to head back to the military camp.” I turned at Claude when he wiped the blood from my head. “The cuts are already healed but we still need to have it checked.”
I nodded my head. “I am fine. I am more worried about Cloudy. I just want to protect him.” I kissed his forehead. He was still sleeping soundly.
“Target eliminated.”
I smiled upon hearing the words from Cornelius. I roamed my eyes around and saw that the enemies were defeated. Cornelius knelt on one knee to present himself, having no blood in any parts of his clothes. “Well done, Cornelius.”
“I am honored by your praise, master.” He bowed his head.
Then I turned at the carriage Claude and I rode on. “I can’t transform into a wolf form, Claude. I have Cloudy,” I said, concerned when I approached him.
He turned at me. “A few of the knights will transform into their wolf forms. We will be using the warhorses they used instead.”
“That’s a relief…” I sighed. I closed my eyes when he kissed my forehead. “I am fine, Claude…” I saw the worry in his face.
“But still…” he paused and hugged my side. Then he lowered his head to kiss Cloudy’s forehead. “I am already expecting this ambush but still I didn’t predict that they would dare to turn the carriage upside down,” he uttered, half-annoyed.
“I see…” I sighed. I instantly regretted the realization that we were not in a safe zone right now. We were still near the battlefield in the Auritaurie. “We must go now, Claude. This place is not safe to stay in.”
He nodded. Together, we headed to the horses given by his knights while Cornelius was set to the back of the line as he still needed to be settled there as he was never part of the knight troops. Just before I could mount at the horse with the help of Claude while I was holding Cloudy carefully, I immediately turned my head when I heard a thin sound coming my way-or more likely to-
“Claude!”
“Rachelle!”
The next thing I knew, I was screaming his name in a horrifying tone when I saw a half of his face was burning with a chemical thrown at him.