"Mother?"
I straightened my spine. "It is what I shall call you from now on. Tradition."
I couldn’t tell if she was displeased; she just gave a blank stare, but so far, there was no hostile energy from her. She was...calm?
"Sit," she instructed, taking the quill and going back to writing.
I neared her cautiously and pulled out the chair and sat, adjusting my skirt and sleeves. There was a long minute of silence, with just the sound of soft scraping on the paper and flipping.
Is she going to keep waiting? I anticipated many things from this eting, but that doesn’t an I’m going to tolerate any of them.
I opened my mouth to speak; however, that was when she finally decided to cut the hot silence.
"Pardon , for I did not attend your coronation. Can’t bla for being unwilling to see my vision crushed into a million pieces. There’s only so much this old woman can take."
"Your vision remains, Mother. You only just never pictured ."
She finally moved her eyes to , dropping her quill. "The castle walls are whispering, louder than any ever heard, and spreading through the empire like wildfire."
"I wonder what it could be this ti. The whispers are juicy as they are untruthful, you know, like slandering an innocent woman for adultery."
"They whisper about you being a half snowblood."
My smile slowly faded. Already? I an, I expected word would get out given the Fates know, but if the entire empire is talking about this, there’s a possibility this spread months ago while I was asleep.
My coronation could have been a disaster, but it wasn’t. I looked at the Dowager. What does she have to say about this? Whatever it was, it can’t be good.
"Yes," I said. "I’m a hybrid; my origins are still unknown, given the timing upon discovery, but I do have traits of a snowblood."
She exhaled sharply. "Your diet?"
"I eat food, but I have cravings, which only amount to one blood source."
I wasn’t about to tell her sons were my blood servants. The little she knew was the best. Besides, she couldn’t question if she thought Drevon was the one giving blood.
"I see..."
I waited for any hostility that would follow because it was certainly forthcoming.
"Then it’s vital that you give grandchildren as soon as possible."
"Huh?"
"Obviously, the Fates knew about your bloodline. It’s the goddess’s will that your blood is needed to strengthen our family. Imagine the blood of a snowblood mixed with moonblood; what powerful children you will produce. Now tell , are you with child? If not, do ensure you work as hard as possible. The empire needs an heir now that there’s none. A firstborn male is a must, too. I shall bring a healer to see if you’re capable of producing healthy babies."
"You damn old woman!" I yelled, slamming my palm against the table, and my ice flared.
The Dowager gasped in shock, taking her hands away. "What is this?!"
"What’s your problem? Don’t you even have the decency of being a good woman for once in your life? What am I, so broodmare who will produce heirs for you? What kind of brain do you have? A toy one?!"
"How dare—"
"I’m not finished, you damn woman!"
The Dowager’s mouth was agape, eyes wide in pure stupefaction.
"I tolerated you for so long. You wanted to toss to your other son because of your vision. You wicked woman, treating like I was nothing, amounting to a person. My downfall was what made you sleep at night. But guess what? No more."
Her nostrils flared as her eyes glowed, but I wasn’t affected. I was more pumped to give her a piece of my mind.
"How about taking so ti to think like a moral person, not malicious intent, or a way to satisfy your fetish of a powerful bloodline? I shall return tomorrow, and I do hope we can speak like two mature won."
"You little—"
"What? Did you expect to sit down and listen to you? If you’re incapable of teaching the way of a queen, then I’ll gladly go novice and deal with it than listen to your insufferable fetish. Seriously, grandchildren? You’re not in the luxury of deciding such for , that is and my husband!"
I turned on my heels and walked away without looking back.
~•~
I slamd my forehead on the table. "What have I done?"
"Never in my entire life did I think you would have the bravery of a lion to this level," Talia comnted.
"I think it’s past a lion now," Osha said.
"Indeed. Did you see the look on the Dowager’s face when the doors opened? I have never seen her that shocked. I don’t think the coronation did that much damage." Ravyn uttered.
I raised my head, the napkin glued to it, but I pulled it off. "I lost it when she spoke to like a breeding animal. What is wrong with that woman?"
"The Dowager has always been obsessed with the bloodline. My guess is she planned that when Sloane was made queen, an heir would be forthcoming as soon as possible," Ravyn explained.
"She didn’t even care if I was a snowblood, an enemy that her husband had fought for years. She was more focused on heirs. Unbelievable!"
I sighed dramatically. "I don’t think she will ever agree to see now after my outburst; her teachings will not be passed to ."
At this point, I don’t care about that, because her ideas are twisted. Who would want that woman as a ntor? Over my dead body!
"So you’ll rule as a novice?" Talia questioned.
"Of course!"
"Need I remind you that this is Lycan’s territory? No matter how much you want to, you cannot escape being a stranger to their ways."
Ravyn nodded in agreent. "No one knows it better than the previous queen herself, unfortunately."
I held my head as everything swayed. I might faint from this distress.
What am I to do now?
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