Chapter Twenty Five ▪︎ The King's Queen

(This chapter really reminded me of this scene from 'Pretty Woman'.)

Dedicated to . Thank you for voting, commenting and liking my book. You are such a sweetheart ❤.

any days have passed since The King profusely apologised to Dahlia for what his beast did. She forgave him, knowing he had no control over the moment.

She forgave him, but she was guarded around him, more so than before.

Every time she remembered how foolishly she let him dance with her at the ball, believing his distress, she cringed and vowed to herself that she would never again do such a thing.

Alexander noticed the change in her behavior fairly quickly, but didn't call her out on it. He was more than happy that she was willing to dine with him every day to keep him alive and healthy, he didn't ask for more.

However, he wanted her to willingly let him in. His beast couldn't and wouldn't be as easygoing as him, and he would ask for more from her. He would turn a smile to a hug, a kiss to a bite and her bed to his own.

***

Dahlia woke up to a bouqet of red roses with a single white dahlia in the middle of it.

The roses were thornless and immaculate, each one was so perfect Dahlia had to smell them to see if they were real.

In the middle was a letter, looking very similar to those she would find in her old bedroom.

She picked it out of the flowers and opened it.

'Dahlia,

I wish you the happiest birthday ever. I hope I can make it up to you tonight for everything I have done to you. Meet me in the lobby at noon. Wear something comfortable,

Alexander.'

What does he mean?

Dahlia couldn't help the rush of excitement that flowed through her. Was he finally going to let her leave the castle?

She certainly hoped so, but she remembered that she had nowhere to go.

She didn't want to go to her mother. She loved her, but she knew the relationship was toxic to her.

The tavern would only bring horrible memories of scrubbing blood from the wooden floors.

Her family would kill her instantly if they ever saw her, not only because of the vampire that would be with her, but because they still didn't trust her after her brother killed her father.

Her mother had no family that she knew of because the vampires killed them and she somehow ran away.

She slipped off the bed and out her door, turning to the left where she entered the bathroom. Closing the door and locking it behind her, she stripped off her clothes and filled the large tub with water. She dropped in a small fizzy, as she decided to call them, and watched as her tub turned to a curelean blue, reminding her of the lake full of mermaids she almost swam in before the lycan kidnapped her.

She dove under and emerged after soaking her hair. She wiped her eyes to get the the soapy water off and opened them. Looking to the left, she took the bar of shampoo. Dunking it in the water, she lathered it between her hands and put it back where it stood.

Rubbing her hands through her hair, she made different up-dos and played like a child with it.

She failed at making a mohawk as it fell down to her face, gravity disapproving her actions.

She washed out the shampoo and put on conditioner. While it soaked in her hair, she shaved her legs. It proved to be a bit more difficult than she thought due to the long window of time since she last shaved.

Dahlia pondered on how life changed so much for her. The lavish bath gave her flashbacks to her childhood. Her mother always insisted on personal hygene and appearances.

Deciding that today was not the day to get stuck in the quicksand of her past, she stepped out of the bath and wrapped a big towel around herself and another one around her damp hair.

She opened the door and looked out to see the empty hallway. She stepped out and ran to her room so Alexander wouldn't see her in a towel that was frankly too short for her tall body.

She quickly entered the closet and shuffled through it until she found a royal blue sweater and jeans.

As the time passed, more and more butterflies started appearing in her stomach. She was as nervous as she was excited, and all she could do was wait.

***

It was noon and Dahlia was sitting on a couch in a room full of the world's most dangerous vampires.

She had to admit she was intimidated, but she didn't show an ounce of fear as she exited the eleavator. Many of them looked at her in awe and wonder.

To see a human walking through the castle dressed in expensive clothes and with her head raised high was an odd sight. Her head would be in a basket by now if it weren't for the darkness that was surrounding her. They knew it wasn't her presence, but it definitely had something to do with her.

Soon after that, The King came out of the same elavator as she did. Nobody even spared him a glance, some due to fear, and others due to sheer ignorance.

The fact that they knew nothing of his actual title did little to hide his powerful aura, which only creatures could sense.

"Happy birthday, Dahlia." He said with a smile.

Her name sounded so right coming from his lips, she thought.

"Thank you." She smiled back at him, completely forgetting her plan of being careful around him.

"Let's go. It's not safe here." He said looking around and grabbing her hand. The sweat on their skin was an obvious sing of nervousness, but they both chose to ignore it.

He took her to another door and down a flight of stairs. They walked into a massive garrage. It had many cars and motorbikes in it, the only familiar one being the car they came to the castle in. She assumed every one of them was just as luxurious and comfortable.

"Where are we going?" Dahlia asked as Alexander dragged her to a reasonably sized black car. It stood out of the crowd due to it's simplicity and the dirt covering the bottom of it.

"You'll see." He muttered as he opened the door for her and ushered her in.

He closed her door and sat in the driver's side. He hooked the safety belt around her as she forgot to and then tugged his own on.

He took the key and twisted it into a lock behind the steering wheel. The car roared to life and he sped out of the garage.

"What am I going to see? Can you at least tell me how long we will be driving?" Dahlia whined.

"Quite a while. You should sleep." He commanded her and instantly, her head lulled to the window and she was fast asleep.