"Your Majesty, then where is Princess Irene now?"
"Irene... Irene is being held captive by the werewolf clan. So ti ago, it was known that Irene was not the Luna they were looking for. They were about to kill Irene, and I took her away using their portal to the human world. We t you Arielle, I saw you... Irene also talked to you... However, after your wedding day, the werewolf clan tracked us down and brought us back."
"I’m sorry, Your Majesty. But before that... What do you an by saying that I’ve t Irene before?" Arielle asked.
Arthur wiped away the remaining tears and looked at Arielle dejectedly. "Zoe, I told her to use the na Zoe while we were in the human world."
***
Arielle was left speechless. Of course, she knew who Zoe was! It was the girl she had t three days before her wedding. She bought all the young girl’s roses, and later on her wedding day, during the parade, the girl gave her a rose.
Zoe was Irene!?
All this ti, Arielle had been trying to think that she had heard wrong that night. She thought the child’s na was Sue because there was no way anyone would use the na of the queen for their child.
Good grief! Ronan and Irene were that close!
"Does Irene know that Ronan is her brother?" Arielle asked.
Arthur shook his head. "Irene only knows everything from the news in the newspaper. That night, when she ca back to , she was very happy to et a princess. Irene was raised as a servant to the werewolf clan. We were told to always be obedient and not violate their rules. I don’t want to give her hope because it looks like living with the werewolf clan isn’t going to get us anywhere."
Arthur continued his story about Irene being tested again as a Luna, but the result was always the sa every year. He didn’t know what Luna ant, but they were obsessed with Irene. Even their leader had almost married Irene who was still twelve years old!
Arthur hit the floor when rembering the incident. Luckily, at that mont the werewolf clan mbers restrained their leader whom they called Alpha. Arielle felt great anger when she heard that. She couldn’t imagine what the girl had been going through. Arielle was sure that if Ronan heard this, the man would not hesitate to try to kill the werewolf clan leader.
"What about Irene? Is she all right now?"
"Irene is fine. The child is still a child who does not know anything. Since then, Irene’s existence has been ostracized. Many said that it was Irene who tried to seduce their Alpha. However, Irene is still twelve years old! What can such a small child understand?!"
Arielle covered her mouth. She couldn’t bear to hear it.
"That’s why when the clan leader was tired and wanted to kill Irene, I stole one of their sacred flowers, waited until the full moon ca and then negotiated with Amadea. I purposely lured him with the scent of Cecil using the red snowdrop, and Amadea was tempted and allowed to exit the portal. After that, we stayed in Birwick Village and visited the capital. Before that I visited the chapel where Zoe is buried."
Arthur already knew about the curse in his body and what caused them to be cursed. The werewolf clan mbers always made sure that Arthur was just a lowly human who was cursed by one of their ancestors, Amadea. They would make Arthur feel guilty and kneel every ti they passed them.
Arielle felt she was starting to understand why the dragon clan and werewolf clan were always involved in conflict. With the way they treated humans, they both had high self-esteem so if they t they would only try to put each other down.
Arthur said that after they captured him and Irene again a few days ago, they punished Arthur right in front of Irene, making the girl cry and begging to stop the punishnt. Then, they gave one condition so that Irene could be released back into the human world, it was by bringing a dragon egg.
If Arthur could bring two, then they would tell the man how to escape the curse. Because dragons could lay from three to five eggs, Arthur had high hopes of returning to a normal life with his daughter in Birwick Village. Unfortunately, Arielle was there that night, but Arthur didn’t have any choice. With a deep guilt, he attacked Arielle to get the dragon egg.
Maybe because of that, Arielle saw Arthur begging for a dragon egg from Maxieno earlier...
She held Arthur’s hand gently.
"Your Majesty..."
"Just Arthur, Arrielle. I’m not a king."
"Father..." Arielle called him softly, making Arthur look up in surprise.
"I will save Irene because you are my family."
"But, Arielle..."
Arielle understood Arthur’s concern. She might look like a skinny woman with no energy at all. She looked weak and fragile. However, Arielle was stronger than the man imagined. She smiled broadly, showing a row of healthy teeth.
Arielle could defeat one giant wolf, what couldn’t she do next? Arielle strongly believed that this power given to her had a aning.
"I am here because Ronan trusts . So I ask you to trust . I am strong and not easily broken. I will protect Irene. She is the younger sister of the man I love. I want to treat his past trauma."
Arthur’s face darkened. "Did that night imprint on his heart?"
"Yes, physically and ntally," replied Arielle.
She drew a line on the left side of her face across from the top of her eyebrow to her chin.
"Ronan has a wound that his mother gave him. He still has nightmares about it."
"I... just want to die," Arthur replied, making Arielle pull the man closer to her.
"Please don’t. If you die, then who will erase Ronan’s wounds of the past? Only you can tell the true story and take Irene to et him later," Arielle replied, making Arthur cry again.
"Arielle... thank you..." he replied between her tears.
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