Chapter 17. Help her.

Leighton

“How can we trust you?” I asked the princess after she silenced the room with her omission.

“If you need to ask me that, then you know the answer ?” She replied sadly.

“You trust her you fool.”

“How do we know that? She had just admitted she is a spy.”

“She could have lied, and you know you do so let’s just stop kidding ourselves shall we.?”

“Make the call, but we listen.”

“Leigh…”

“No Jackson let her, if you don’t want the King to get suspicious, you have to.”

I handed her the phone. “Keep it on speakerphone, he won’t know we are here.”

“Em do you have his number?”

I looked at Jackson. “Let’s take this to my office .”

Once he had entered the number he handed her the phone back. Eventually the King’s voice boomed out.

“Estelle, is everything okay? Princess Isabelle said you were missing.”

“Izzy called you?”

“No I had to hear it from Adalfundis, he was most upset his sons bride was MIA, I had to stop him sending a team out to search for you. What happened?”

“We got split up, I’m with the warrior that picked us up, he is taking me back tomorrow.”

“Is he there now?”

“No, I’m alone, the alpha let me borrow his office.”

“Have you found out any information yet?”

“Not yet, they don’t seem to know anything about any gold wolves. Why is it so important?”

I heard the King sign.

“It was just wishful thinking. I found out the night of your … engagement that Prince Alonso had met his mate, I had hoped that it would be you and then you would be okay with the match.

I know you think I don’t care for your feelings but I didn’t wish to take your mate from you, the only other way I could think of to get you out of the arrangement was to find another gold wolf to take your place. I don’t know why but if anyone could find one of the lost gold wolves I thought it could be you.

It’s probably a waste of time, if they even exist it you he wants.”

“What do you mean he has met his mate?” The princess replied, I could see her fingers gripping the chair tightly.

“He refused to tell his father who she is, only that he hasn’t rejected her and he still means to mark you and make you his Queen.”

“I don’t need his mark to be Queen.” Estelle shouted at the phone.

“This is why I didn’t tell you. You can’t control your temper. Of course you can be Queen without him, but you will be Queen to a Kingdom that has lived in peace and drag them into a war they didn’t ask for. Is that the legacy you want ?”

The Kings voice softened.

“I know you didn’t ask for this, and I know to ask it of you is unfair but this is the burden a monarch has to bear…… I’ll expect an update once you have returned to the training facility. Try not to get into any more trouble.”

Without even a goodbye he hung up.

I had been watching the princess the whole time and even her emotion hiding skills failed her when her father confirmed she wasn’t marrying her mate. There felt something so wrong about this girl who was so full of life missing out on her mate.

“Maybe the dungeons would have been preferable to that call.” She muttered eventually, trying to lighten the mood after that very sobering call.

“You can’t go back. Jackson, we can protect her here. Please?” Greer begged her mate would would never told her no.

“I can’t. Not that I’m not grateful for your offer but I have a whole Kingdom to think of . If I back out Adalfundis will punish them if he can’t get to me. Prince Alonso is a puppy compared to his father. I can’t let that happen. He would destroy you all too. .”

“You would just give up?” I asked, that didn’t seem like her at all.

“Would you risk a war, an entire kingdom of innocents, for a mate you had never met and might never meet? She replied. “I accepted my fate long ago, it’s just the final confirmation that’s hard. But your secret is safe with me, and if my father was looking for you to save me he will stop once I’m married.”

“How I can I trust you not to change your mind?” Jackson asked her, pulling Greer in tight.

“Firstly I’m 18 next week, my engagement party in the week later, so the chances of me meeting my mate are slim, even if I do I’m not selfish enough to risk a war, secondly Greer is marked and as you heard for some reason he wants me so there really is no reason for me to throw her under the bus.”

I felt the overwhelming urge just to hold her on my arms and take all her pain away. Not that she would have ever let me. I was still in shock as to how she accepted all this without complaint. It wasn’t fair, that she got no say in her life.

I watched as she excused herself from the office. Greer waiting until she had gone before she turned to Jackson with tears in her eyes.

“We have to do something. That poor girl.”

Jackson held her tightly. “That poor girl is a princess, and as much I was would love to, you heard what she said it would start a war.”

“I couldn’t be as strong as her.” Greer sniffed.

“You came here to be Jackson’s mate. I don’t recall you were given much choice ?” I told her.

“That was different, I wanted out that pack, anything would have been better, and while I might have not liked Jackson I was insanely attracted to him starlight away. Jackson also agreed to all the rules so I knew if I met my mate I could leave. These royals, they just make up their own rules.”

“You are one of them if you believe her story.” I told her.

“Even if it’s true, I stopped being royal that day the princess ran away. She chose love, that’s probably why they looked for her for so long, to punish those that dare as an expose to others. The story is probably made up.”

“Let’s not risk that by exposing you okay. Find the princess and find out if the other one will recognise Greer’s wolf and if we can trust her.”

I set of but I couldn’t find the princess anywhere. Eventually I recalled a hill there that gave great views of the valley, as it was dark now you would only see stars.

My confidence was rewarded as I found her sitting out watching the stars. Silently sitting myself beside her.

“He sent you to find me ?” She asked, her voice flat.

“He has a few more questions.”

“It’s so beautiful here. I wish I could stay.”

“Stay, we could protect you.” My heart raced as I waited for her answer.

“If it were only that simple.” She shook her head sadly and I moved closer, pulling her to me so she could rest her head on my chest.

“It’s okay to grieve for something you know? Juts because you are a princess doesn’t mean you don’t need to feel.” I told her, as he scent filled my nostrils.

“I feel, trust me, I cried myself to sleep for days when I first found out. But it didn’t change anything.” She didn’t protest or move but just stared out at the moon and stars.

I was at a loss, I wanted to make her feel better but for once I had no idea what to do so we just sat in silence.

The stark reality was I had no idea what it meant to be Queen. I naively assumed it was a choice, she could choose to leave it all behind, but her profound sadness told me otherwise. One thing I knew for sure about this girl was she wouldn’t let anyone suffer for her. I wished there was something I could do to help her, she didn’t deserve to suffer either.

“I wish there was something I could do..”

I whispered.

There was a long pause ansi didn’t expect an answer

“Me too.”