A/N

What's poppin' everyone? Serving you another random update. Please don't forget to click the star button to vote for this book! 

• • •

Sheets crumpled, tangled bodies, and the soft sound of his breathing right next to me filled the new dawn. His warmth hovered all over my skin and I found myself pulling away from him a little so I could have a minute to see his sleeping face.

There was no denying that I had comfortably slept through our first night together as a married couple. He surprised me with his gentleness-- something that I thought would never exist in his soul. Had I met him this way before, I would have considered accepting him more... loving him so.

My fingers itched to touch the tip of his nose. "Are you really Apollo?" I whispered to myself.

"Hmm." He caught my wrist as my finger was about to land on his cheek.

His eyes, though droopy, seemingly drunk me in. He drew me in closer to him with his arm. Whatever was this warm sensation I had, I believed it was the bond casting its spell over us as usual.

"Nothing happened last night." I was thunderstruck by his sudden assurance. "You may not believe it but I did not take advantage of you, My Duchess."

He didn't have to say it. I knew it the moment I woke up. I was aware of everything he said last night. But why was he being considerate, and honest, and... somehow benevolent?

I lightly pushed him away and sat up, no longer wanting to see his face and that vivid expression. Looking out at the fogged up window, I collected my thoughts and calmed myself.

"You don't need to pretend that you favor me just because I am now your wife."

Having said that, I felt more at ease with my shell on once again. "We can continue being civil. That is all I ask from you. Nothing more, nothing less."

He was surprisingly quiet with no retort. I took that as his way of agreeing with me, and so I left the large bed where he was lying and made my way out of the King's chamber, only to see the Queen at the other side of the door.

"Breakfast?" She chimed, showing her entourage which included Catherine and Lord Gilford.

Though baffled and quite peeved, I could not say no to Her Majesty's angelic smile.

"Good! Come join me at the Dining Hall after washing up." Queen Robin seemed to be in a really good mood. Her aura was screaming yellow daisies and marigolds.

"You too, my child." Her view shifted a little over my head. And that was when I felt the Duke's presence behind me, his hand resting on the door jamb like a bad boy.

"Is that an order?" He humored the Queen, something that I had witnessed for the first time.

"Aye, of course." Her Majesty replied, still with a smile. Turning her back, she seemed satisfied with what she'd seen and heard. The clacking of her heels echoed in the hallway but it suddenly stopped.

"Hurry up, you two. I have a surprise waiting for you."

• • •

The gloomy morning became delightful as I caught up on Galax running around the Castle halls. After leaving the King's Chamber to sober and dress up for breakfast, I saw him as soon as I walked my way to the Dining Hall. He was now more giddy to play with children around his age, and he was not merely playing tag with the sons and daughters of the noble guests. Rather, he was running around with the palace guard and servant's children. He had a more genuine laugh and I was comforted by it.

"Careful!" I almost dashed towards him but I was too late. He suddenly tripped and fell on his knees. But my little one did not cry out nor shed a tear. I went to him and checked on his knee. There were bleeding scratches and I blew on it.

My pumpkin proved to be a brave little boy. He was chuckling at the way I was tending to his wound. "Mama, it does not hurt."

His blue eyes pinned mine. "But it's bleeding. You should be careful next time." I badgered, a parental protectiveness made me say so.

"Aye, Mama. I promise not to fall down again. Can I play now?" He negotiated and it got me offguard for the nth time. There was something different with Galax... Something positive, I could only hope.

His playmates gathered around us and pleaded for him. "Please, Your Highness. We promise not to hurt him too." A little girl with jet-black tresses lent her hand to my dear prince. She seemed quite reserved, her hazel eyes and fair face was void of emotions. Strange, I thought. Whose daughter could she be?

"Alright, pumpkin. But I want you to keep your promise." I stood up and gave the little girl another glimpse before patting Galax's head. Her cat-eyes were truly lacking of emotions.

Galax beamed me a smile from ear to ear and quickly shifted his glance to the eerie girl. The little prince took her hand and he followed her like an obedient hound. Their auras seemed to be in sync as they ran away-- my Galax endlessly giggling.

I brushed away the negative ideas running inside my mind about the strange beautiful girl and focused more on thinking about what surprise the Queen had for us in the Dining Hall.

"Please put on a brave face." Catherine popped out from behind me.

"Today is most certainly odd. Why do people keep on surprising me this morning?" I muttered, allowing Catherine to hear me.

"Forgive me, Milady. I did not intend to scare you," was her hasty reply. "But I meant what I said. The Queen is up to something peculiar. I may not be smart nor educated, but I am afraid she is to put you in a rummy situation, Lady Freya."

I had no time to process what she'd uttered before me, and so the moment I stepped foot at the Dining Hall, my heart nearly stopped.

Indeed, I was astonished. I had no inkling of what the Queen had in mind that she brought an unwanted guest on the first day of our normal wedded life. I was first to arrive at the Dining Hall and sitting on my designated seat was the Alpha of Crux.

Her eyes were gleaming with glee while chatting with the Queen over a sumptuous meal. The Queen who earlier had an aura of yellow sunshine morphed back into her usual self. The majestic color of purple lingered around her body, proving she was masking something about what she had in mind.

"Put on a brave face." Catherine softly whispered, almost beseeching to save my face from embarrassment.

Straightening my back, lifting my chin up, I pretended to be unsurprised and shed an aura of thick gray as soon as Illaria's attention turned towards me. Her annoying smile stabbed my ego and my beast but I sent her an arrogant one in return like a strong warning.

"Good morning, Your Highness." She had the temerity to stand up from her seat and even curtsied gracefully to me.

"Good morning." I simply acknowledged her presence and shifted my gaze towards the Queen.

I still could not fathom how and why she was allowed to sit on my designated seat. Catherine was right, the Queen must have gone out of her senses, but I had to trust that she meant no harm. It could probably be the other way around.

I eyed another seat, opposite of Illaria's. As she sat by the left side of the table, I chose to stay on the right. Confidence in my movements oozed out of my body. No plethora of shame should come out of me in this situation. She was the guest and I was officially part of the household. She should be the one looking up at my title-- the one place she could only dream of now that I was married to the Duke of Therion.

"Good morning." As soon as I thought of him, he arrived like a thief, robbing me of breathe as I wondered where he would sit.

The thick-skinned Alpha curtsied to him with a cursed slant on her lips. "Good morning, Your Highness."

Her aura could never really lie. She wanted to covet another woman's spouse. And I would be lying if I said I didn't have a doubt about the Duke's loyalty to me. My trust for him was vulnerable. One wrong move from him and it would rapidly fall apart like a house of cards.

"I waited for you in the hallway only to find out from Galax you already headed here."

He gave her a short, passive glance and without a second thought pulled the chair beside me, speaking to me casually as if we were the only persons in the room.

"He seems to have garnered friendship with the Earl of Circinus' daughter." Apollo continued.

"Ah. It must be the pale girl with black hair?" I replied, wondering how this conversation seemed to be effortlessly natural.

"Yes. She is Robert Walsh's only child." He answered.

"Oh. She does not resemble his father at all. I thought the child was just an ordinary girl of no noble descent. She was odd but seems to be down to earth." I simply told him what I'd observed.

"You have an eye for good judgment. Her father is known to be the people's man and she is the spitting image of her late mother. We will be visiting Circinus in a few days, you would know him better soon. We might as well bring our son with us too." He was more open to me now more than he ever did before. Our son.

"Good morning, Your Majesty." He even just acknowledged the Queen before setting himself comfortably beside me. "Forgive me for the lack of courtesy."

"Nay. It is an endearing sight." The Queen laughed softly. "Sharing a divine union makes you forget to greet your mother first. 'Tis true. It does put other people on the background."

The Queen lovingly smiled at me. I passed her a short smile in return. Her Majesty turned to her left and I followed her gaze. "Oh. Let us not neglect our guest. I invited Illaria to discuss with us her plans for the coming Spring Festival. I want the Duchess of Therion to assist in the preparations."

Illaria seemed composed when the Queen dropped those words. They might have had this conversation before we arrived.

The Spring Festival. The Queen was already preparing for another banquet. But this one was different since it would be a community event. The upshot would be held in the middle of Spring, calling in people to gather and share their bountiful harvests after the dreary Winter.

"It would be idyllic to have large pots placed in Villagio Lupus Circle again, allowing people to bring all sorts of vegetables and ingredients for stews and soups in the evening. In this way, we can feed even the homeless aside from gratifying the heavens for the abundance of the season."

Illaria's suggestion made sense, hitting two birds with one stone. I wouldn't deny her aura was screaming alpha.

"Great idea." The Queen commended.

"That is what we did two years ago, but weren't there people who claimed to have been poisoned after sharing supper with the rest?" Apollo was quick to question her proposal.

I glanced at his hand taking a slice of loaf bread. With a knife, he took some butter and spread it evenly on the bread. He placed it on my plate and before I could utter my thanks, he took my cup from the coaster. After pouring some of what I guessed was tea, he placed it back on my coaster, going back to his own plate doing the same thing for himself.

"Thank you." I whispered, thereafter slicing the bread and consuming it.

"You should grow accustomed to it." He smiled.

He smiled.

The devil smiled quite genuinely?

Someone cleared her throat from the other side of the table. I held back a smile for Apollo for some reasons. Whatever he was doing seemed to have pulled strings of jealousy from our guest.

"We can entrust the screening of ingredients to Lord Gilford and his flock before the cooking begins. Aside from that, we will be sending out a list of ingredients needed for whichever stew or soup recipe the Queen prefers. Those on the list should be the only ones we accept." Lady Illaria presented her solution.

I could see Apollo nodding in my peripheral view. "What else can you suggest aside from the shared supper?" The Queen probed. I could tell she had just finished her meal.

The smell of peppermint tickled my nose as I brought the tea cup parallel to my lips. I'd never tried peppermint tea in my life was one of my random thoughts.

"Any suggestions, my duchess?"

I froze on my seat for a quick second when Apollo's question bubbled out of the blue. I composed my inner self and sipped a little of my hot drink first before responding.

"We could have a parade of flowers." I spoke.

"Aside from consumable harvests, Spring season to me is symbolized by the unfurling of flowers. It is best to have it at sunrise. People could make art using flowers, we could hold a competition for it too."

"That sounds wonderful, my dear!" The Queen exclaimed. "The competition could be for children too. Flowers are my simple joys. I am exhilarated by this suggestion."

Queen Robin seemed to be imagining the event happening before her already. A smile was plastered on her face. The happiness was showing even in her eyes. I knew she'd love the idea of it, I wondered if Apollo did.

"What do you say, Milord?" Illaria was really good in hiding behind her mask as she asked him with enthusiasm.

"We have not done that in a while since the King's disappearance." The Duke of Therion replied. "I am in favor of this proposition. 'Tis good for a change."

I sipped some of the tea feeling the peppermint taste lingering on my tongue. There was no doubt that the Duke would agree to my proposal for it was decent and reasonable. I just couldn't get used to Apollo considering me in a positive light. Something in him really changed. Was it our marriage? The bond's magnetic influence? The Queen's order?

"Now that the matters of the Spring Festival has been settled, I would like to speak to the Duke in private about the issues of the Southern and Northern Walls." Illaria's request cut through the thin air.

I stared at her, glaring daggers deep inside. She couldn't keep the mask on any longer, huh? Spoiling the first morning of my wedded life was surely her agenda for the day. She wouldn't leave empty-handed.

"Ah. About that." Apollo mused. "Would you mind sparing me from discussing about pressing matters today?"

I almost choked on the hot tea as I heard his flagrant plea. I turned my sight to my left and all I saw was the Duke concentrating on staring at his plate and silently chewing his food.

"Ohh... I see." Illaria stuttered for the first time. "O-of course, Your Highness."

Her strong aura rippled before my eyes. The confidence she strongly held suddenly dwindled. One thing I knew for certain was the Duke of Therion could easily do that to anyone since intimidation was his forte.

"Do you have anything important to do today?" Queen Robin barefacedly probed. "It is unlike you to refuse having discussions regarding the Kingdom's whereabouts."

The three of us seemingly glanced at the Duke, waiting for his reply. He took his time consuming his breakfast. As he put his knife and fork down, he took the napkin from his lap and wiped his lips clean.

"We only got married yesterday, and it was quite exhausting for me and the Duchess. I would like to take at least a day or two off from my responsibilities. It wouldn't be selfish of me if I want to spend some time with my family, right Mother?"

Heat crept all over my face. His family. It didn't help me hide my blushing cheeks as Apollo looked at me to affirm his budding thoughts.

"Oh! I am in favor of that. You do need rest, my child. There is nothing to worry about that. Take as much time as you desire." The Queen giddily replied. "Illaria can talk over the matters with me in the afternoon. I will summon Alexander and Dilmond to join us."

The Duke of Therion passed his mother a quick nod before he took my hand. "I want to show you something." He stood from his seat and urged me to come with him.

"If you would excuse us." I conveyed an intentional glance to the Queen and Illaria before getting up.

Apollo's fingers wrapped gently around my hand. "Where to?" I whispered as we walked out of the DIning Hall.

He was clearly acting out of character while at the same time still being him, luring me to do as he says without a choice.

"To the King's Chamber. To sleep." He replied, tightening his hold on me. "I was not able to sleep well last night."

"I thought you were going to show me something?" was my retort. Did he just lie to me in front of the Queen?

He simply ignored my remark and kept his pace. Every servant passing by looked at us with knowing stares and hidden giggles. Only then did I realize that our voices echoed around the hallway. I wanted to stop walking but I felt it would be more embarrassing to make a show out of the situation.

"How could you not have gotten proper sleep when you were sleeping peacefully when I woke up?" I hissed, trying to be as silent as possible.

"What?" He asked. "I cannot hear you."

The sadist spawn of the devil. I could see his smirk even just by gazing at the back of his head.

"I thought you were going to show me something?" The question resurfaced from my thoughts and I let it out completely.

"It is you who has to show me something." He purposely answered mischievously.

"In the bedroom?" For god's sake, my question flew in the air without a warning. I wanted to cut my tongue as my mind reeled with intimate, sexual thoughts.

This satanic wolf had me on the edge of a cliff. It did not help that Dilmond Langley happened to be passing by the same hallway at the exact same time. The other son of the devil laughed merrily with the servants, waving a hand at me, mouthing a 'goodluck.'

I rolled my eyes at him as the Duke scurried down the halls, leading us both right in front of the large wooden door of the King's Chamber.

"Enough with the games, Apollo." I pulled my hand away from his grip.

He plainly unlocked the door and pushed me inside the room without consent. I feared he would do this to me. I knew he would force me to bend my knees and allow him to consume me. Thoughts of what he said last night bombarded me. I nearly believed what he said... were they really sweet nothings?

"What do you want me to show you?" I had my own answers in my head but I dared him still to tell it to my face.

"Just lay there." He said, sitting on the left side of the mattress while pulling off his shoes.

"But we just got up from bed and had breakfast..." I murmured, turning my back on him as I sat at the opposite side of the bed.

I could feel the heat of his body going closer and closer as the mattress dipped and squeaked from behind. His arms wrapped around my waist and in a fraction of a second he brought me down with him on the bed, mystifying me more and more while my heartbeat raced.

"I need to learn how to sleep peacefully without the need to consume you."

I was mesmerized. His breathe fanned my nape as he held me still in his arms.

"The bond between us is too strong, too hard to control. It kept me awake the whole night."

There was something about his words that magnified my innermost feelings. He was holding back all of these? I truly thought it was easy for him to evade the bond. When he told me about his feelings for Illaria, I remembered how I crumbled... and I was curious how his demeanour was that same stoic face when it almost destroyed me.

"I cannot comprehend how you were able to sleep with such a strong force hovering around us last night." He loosened his embrace and I took that as a chance to even my breathing.

"Maybe it was the wine..." I replied, glad that my back was turned against him so that he would not see my cherry cheeks.

"Then should I drink every night before I sleep?" His comic suggestion somehow lightened the heavy atmosphere.

"I wish not to have a drunkard as a husband."

I heard him laugh a little and for the first time I felt at ease having a normal conversation with him. We still had many things to learn about the bond we shared. It was up to us if it would stay a curse or turn into a blessing.

I closed my eyes, calming my heart. Deeply breathing in through the nose and breathing out through my mouth, I basked in the heat of his presence whilst putting my defenses out. Somehow, in some way, I knew I had to get accustomed to this for it would be the new normal for us...

I felt my breathing getting even with Apollo's. The bond stopped surging like waves as the quiet moments passed, and as I felt myself falling into a deep slumber, the bond ostensibly covered us in its comfort like a warm blanket.

"This bond around us does not seem ordinary to me." Apollo whispered as he moved closer, his chest touching my back once more.

Sleep was beginning to overtake my thoughts and all I could remember was him saying...

"We must have met in the past lifetime."

• • •

A/N

Just so you know, dear readers... Apollo is set to end at Chapter 60. It's kind of a challenge to close a complicated plot (hell yeah, I did this to myself) and I want to build up the events properly for you to enjoy the story more.

Currently writing Chapters 43&44. TBH, your girl went through a very painful heartbreak so writing is all I have right now to ease the hurt. Hope everything goes well.

- Lady Therese