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Healer Rhea's POV

The pillow under Rhea's head had been a blessing, the softest goddamn thing she had ever felt and she couldn't get enough of it. Her hand gripped the fine material and the distant thought of commending the innkeepers for supplying such a blessing had crossed her groggy mind.

Then again, this was the King's room.

Last night had been draining to her body and so she truly hadn't thought about Romulus' proposal, but perhaps she needed much more than the average female.
Would it be wrong to ask for a courtship?

And that is when the ideas had formed into her mind, if Romulus wanted to undermine the court's authority, what better way to do it here under false pretenses?
Perhaps just hiding amongst the rest would do her better justice than returning outright as Queen.

However, her quickened heart had alerted Romulus and he huffed in damnation. And Rhea laughed, it was almost like her pillow had grown aggravated—wait...

A gasp had caused her to jolt forward, only to find that Romulus turned to look at her, then the rest of the room. His snarl had been eerily calm, though she still had a full sight of his beautiful set of teeth.

Not a moment later, Romulus had taken leave and plopped onto the floor, only to rise just as nude as he ended the day yesterday. Leaving Rhea to groan once again with her hand covering her face.

"Humans are so modest. Amory, it's just a little skin."

"I don't believe your cock is just a little bit of skin, Romulus." A ripping growl had settled the matter as he truly hadn't expected her to speak with such a sharp tongue, and it spoke directly to his beast.

Even mentioning his cock was calling him into action, but Amory was in a delicate state and he wanted to prove that he would be a caring husband. Perhaps then he could further it by becoming mates, that wasn't unheard of, was it?

"Curious about my cock, little Queen?" He grinned ever so widely as he leaned further over the bed and this time Rhea had turned to face him directly at eye level.
"Curious? Yes. About yours? Perhaps." That earned a grunt as he turned away, but she did award herself from her teasing with a quick glance at his arse.

And goddess, was he sporting a fine backside.

"I will send in a female to help you get dressed and ready for our travel to the castle." Now that certainly caught her full front attention, but Romulus hid his smile that she had definitely been looking towards him.

It wasn't strange for a female of his kind to size up their male, wondering if they are worthy and strong enough. Especially when it meant bringing pups into the world, a bit barbaric, but of course a female wanted strong pups.

While Romulus went along to check in on the two males and prep them for their journey back to Red Moon, the King had also added a letter that needed to be delivered to Alpha Stephan.

With that all settled, Romulus had turned to see Amory speaking brightly to both the female at her side and Marrow—Who's grim face suggested that he was apologizing on his brethren's behalf.

Yet as he come closer, either had dispersed while her gaze was down to her borrowed cloak. Leaving Romulus to pick up her gaze. "Is everything alright?"

"Of course, I was just admiring the design. This must have taken ages to stitch." She cooed down to the fabric and he instantly buckled it properly. "It isn't fit for your small frame, I will have plenty commissioned for you before winter comes."

"I have two." Two wouldn't do, not when she was a feeble human who couldn't withstand a fever in the state she was in.

Not wanting to pick an argument so early in the morning, Romulus docked the plan and lead her back to the dining hall which was well-emptied. Yet those who run the inn were placing fresh meals to prepare for their arrival.

Rhea wasn't prepared to be seated at a table with so much food. Full of meats, potatoes, and vegetables of all sorts. Leaving her reaction completely vulnerable to Romulus' attention.

"Eat, I will not have my wife nearly bones." He growled, taking a gentle sip of his offered tea. And Rhea began to do the same, seeing that this was much more fatty food than she was used to.

So she lined her stomach with a chug of water before staring at the fine layers of toast and the assortment of jellies before her.

Romulus was seated across from her, but the table truly wasn't so large that they were far from one another. But just as she was coming to finish her portions of eggs and bread, he had picked up his own plate to pass it along to her.

"Rom—"

"I have eaten a large meal yesterday, little Queen. Humor me." He was lying of course, but he could continue to pick here and there while she continued to satisfy her cravings. Yet it suddenly dawned on Rhea that the roles were suddenly reversed.

The first day she had met Romulus, it had gone something like this, hadn't it? Where she offered him food and he scarfed all her could down, thinking it was his last meal. Yet she tried to defuse her never-ending thoughts and decided to build a conversation instead.

"I have a question..." She dwelled, and Romulus had taken another bit of bread and leaned back into his chair, tilting his head in acceptance to this. "I may have an answer."

"What happens when your Councilmen deny this? They have that power, don't they?"
"Deny my right to pick a choice mate? No. Wolves tend to find their mates by compatibility." Now that had caught her off guard, mate? She had always assumed it was just the term of one would use when deciding to mate with their decided—But not their soulmate.

And it sounded as though it wasn't the ladder.

"And your wolf thinks we are compatible?"
"I didn't hide in your bed for my benefit, female. My wolf felt safe with you from a young age."

"And now I'll be hiding in your bed?" Her question caused a similar growl to sprout, similar to the one from this morning, and it certainly drowned her further in controversial thoughts.

"You've spent a good portion of your life with wolves, how is it you do not understand the mating process?" Rhea choked on her next sip of tea before placing it down, not wanting to make the mistake again.
"I have heard a few things from humans who have a wolf significant other, but I'm not—Experienced. I've been too busy to find somebody I'm compatible with. Besides, that process seems sacred." Romulus understood that this female was taught to be a Queen, to preserve herself for another royal figure in another kingdom. But the vast difference of humans confused him greatly, others were easy to bed.

Others weren't.

But that still allowed his wolf to rumble happily.

"Though the Alpha Stephan had offered my choice of warrior, I think he was teasing. Before our courtship, that is. Usually, I made good friends with the wives—Or mates, some were humans actually. I helped deliver plenty of the first few generations of half-pups." She offered, and that caused him to hum in delight.

"A certain few of my councilmen might favor this, mind you. Others will—"

"But what do you think, my King? Humans and wolves coming together to create a pup?" The mere silence had alerted Rhea to the switch, and she caught just how much he was battling his inner beast.

It was the way his eyes were flashing from normal to black, but she had shivered in knowing that it was a familiar trait of his that he never outgrew. Yet upon thinking of those finer memories, she laughed.
"I believe I have caught your wolf again, Romulus. Do you remember me, young Alpha?" She cooed, and his eyes flickered down to her moving hand to watch how she took another bite of meat.

Meat that his males had hunted for the both of them, oh how he couldn't wait to feed her properly.

"I remember kind female. Always remember." It had been a guttural revelation, thus earning him a smile. One that he sorely needed for the coming days. "Well, that is very sweet. I suppose I should ask if you want me as a female, I'm not as young and pure as others of your kind." She claimed, and this caused Romulus to stand, his actions that of a predator as he stalked forward to sit just to her side, pushing her nose deep into the crook of her neck to take a sniff.

"You are pure."

"Pure in the sense of not mating before—But I meant ripe of age, n-not the former." It had earned her a kind nuzzle, one he had enjoyed last night when she was deep asleep. "I will gladly take claim to the bravest human there is." Rhea had blinked up towards him before cowering down.

The level of submission had given Romulus enough sway over his wolf to return to his consciousness instead of controlling him entirely.

"I apologies, there are times when he pesters me to no end for a moment out."

"There—There is something else I should probably tell you as well..." She whispered, and Romulus cocked his head to the side in curiosity.

"Something more that you haven't told me?"

"Well, we were interrupted last night and fell asleep soon after. I couldn't find a better time to tell you." She informed, and so Romulus hummed in agreement, though it acted as both encouragement for her to continue.

"The immortal wound was the cost of being revived—I was killed by the Rogue King, for minutes my heart had given out...If it hadn't been for the kind-hearted witch who gave up the rest of her life in exchange for mine. I would be one with the earth." Just having settled his beast back into place was becoming a damning task, as with anything that involved Amory.

But this was worse, much worse.

"You have the soul of a witch?"
"I do. And I do not know the lengths of what that might mean. But when you called me a human—I know that isn't the full truth, not when she isn't the first witch to bless me." Romulus nodded, though he truly did not have any insight as to what might be running through her veins now.

To try and distract him now, she had managed to make up a bite and offered it up to him. Granted, it had taken a moment for him to understand the action. But he was all too willing to commit to it. "When we make it to the castle tonight, you are eating, Romulus. I am not daft enough to think a meal nearly a day ago is enough to satisfy a wolf. Much less an Alpha king." She spoke as though her word was a decree, and better yet, she rose to her feet as the Queen she was born to be.

And Romulus couldn't wait to make that matter into a reality.

As things had been packed, Rhea had taken note of what Lillian had deemed worthy of following her to the Kingdom. Though a good portion would remain, given that both Ray and Clive had orders to take the irreplaceable instead of the scraps of fabric that Rhea had in her closet.

Even now, she was sporting a borrowed dress from the innkeeper while Romulus' cloak hung over her shoulders. Rhea favored this because it hid her cane with ease, that and managed to hopefully remain unanimous throughout all of this, as that was the range she was hoping to go for.

The Enforcers and everyone here were to play this role with the rest of the court, and given that Romulus had the voice of an Alpha—They couldn't divulge even if they tried.

So off they had gone, though it was still the same carriage—Only for both Rhea and Romulus to enjoy each other's company once again, and what a delight it was.

Or had been, given that Rhea had fallen asleep with ease as soon as the evening had struck. But he truly hadn't given it much thought, it allowed him to think of perfect ways to treat her during their courtship.

Given that it is going to be close to nonexistent to the public eye was making it difficult, but at least he could be civil about it—Even if she was going to pretend to fancy Ray.

No, Romulus decided that they could have nights to themselves—That he would go and protect her from the nightmares. Even if it cost him a special concoction for her to hide her scent from the rest, it was better than waiting for the day.

He was hopeful that she would come to find that he was a good male, perhaps not the best—But kind, courageous, and protective.
Gods, will he be protective.

Amory may still see him as a helpless young pup in some ways, but he had fully fought for his title and all those that challenged him since the moment he stepped into power.

He wondered if anyone would dare to challenge him when he would make the announcement of finding a Queen. Or after—As in some instances, the male who wins the title will win the female as well.

And Romulus would be damned if any male trying to undermine him would win her as a consultation prize—It was making him drool and itch for the blood of an enemy that had no face.

Not yet at least.

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Date: 06/18/23

Time: 9:59

Words: 2398

Author's Note:

Please let me know if there are any Roy's still left in this chapter, I swear I tried to change them all to Ray but my computer decided to only do half.

If you catch one, I'll send you a virtual cookie🍪

But here we go, onward to the Kingdom--And hopefully, this half-concocted plan will work out in their favor. Playing undercover and scouting out support will make transitioning Rhea's place to the throne much easier...Hopefully👀