71!

BRIANNA

I opened up the throne room and walked in. It's been weeks since we returned to the palace. I have been to Greenwich but didn’t stay long because of the ceremony of the funeral of the King and Queen.

Looking at the thrones gave me goosebumps. I’m glad I found peace with the King and together we defeated the enemy who had my parents killed.

I haven’t been able to move past the position I’m standing on right now. I tried to move toward the throne seats but I couldn’t. The King and Queen haven’t left us yet, they are still with us.

“He needs to come out of the room,” I heard footsteps behind me. It was Beta Chris and Desmond along with Ethan and Mason.

“What about us?” Trish asked and I scoffed.

“You were masking yourselves, both of you,” I said to her.

“You need to be able to know that, not all witches can be friendly,” Layla said as he walked towards me.

“How are you doing?” I asked as I held her.

“Better than your betrothed,” she said and I sighed heavily.

Ever since we returned Liam has confined himself to his chambers. He refused to see anyone, eat anything or even allow for preparation of the funeral to begin. I thought leaving for Greenwich would give him space away from all my requests but it looks like nothing has changed still.

“We have given him enough space, Duchess,” Beta Chris said to me. I looked at him and nodded. He has been awfully respectful towards me this past week.

“What do you want me to do?” I asked him. “I have tried everything I can to bring him out of the shell he has surrounded himself with.”

“The more the Kingdom is without its ruler, the more our allies and enemies think we are vulnerable,” Beta Chris continued. “We can’t have that.”

“I know that, Beta Chris. What would you have me do?” I asked, looking each one of them in the eye. “His parents were murdered by his brother who is still a strength. Don’t you think he needs a minute to process it all?” I asked them.

“The time for processing is over,” Beta Desmond Spoke. “Now is the time to rule the Kingdom and let the whole creature world know that one King might be dead but another will be risen from his ashes.”

Those words brought chills down my bones.

“You are most certainly right, Beta Desmond,” we heard Liam’s voice and everyone bowed except for me.

“I didn’t mean to speak plainly, My King,” Beta Desmond said in a hurry.

“You can always speak freely, Beta Desmond and I’m not your King yet,” Liam said, trying to force a smile.

“Yes, you are,” Beta Chris said firmly. “It doesn’t need the coronation. By virtue or birthright, you are our King.”

Liam stood with his hands on his waist. “If my brother was the firstborn instead of me do you think that gives him the right to be the King despite what he has done?” his voice thundered, echoing everywhere in the throne room.

“My parents are dead. My King is dead. Murdered by a traitor and an ambitious and evil son and all of a sudden am King,” he said with his voice coming down a bit.

“Why don’t I earn the right to be King before I am called that?”

“Your brother will be punished, Liam,” I took a step forward from where I stood. “He will pay for his crimes.”

“Brianna,”

“No,” I cut him off immediately, “I will not stand here and let you second guess yourself after your exemplary actions in the battlefield,” I spoke to him looking straight in his eyes.

“I apologize for saying this but you can’t save everyone,” I didn’t blink. “Besides, you couldn’t have seen this one coming. And the one you saw, you prevented a massacre of your men and his.” I swallowed hard and walked towards him.

“You are and were an honorable and humble Prince and you will make a better King,” I bowed slightly at him and walked back to where I stood

“I don’t need to assume you all agree with her,” he said, looking at everyone.

“No assumption needed, you are our King,” Trish said, smiling.

“And you need to believe it yourself as well,” Layla said to him. “If you don’t believe the people won’t.”

He looked at all of us, I could see he was trying not to break down. He loved his father and loved his mother more.

Adrian took that away from him and Layla. Including myself and Trish. There’s a lot we wanted to ask the queen about but now we can’t. Adrian will pay for what he has done.

He has to pay.

“Has all our troops fully arrived from the battlefield?” I heard Liam’s voice a bit far away. I closed my eyes and opened it, I could hear him clearly now.

“Yes, including all our equipment you commanded,” Mason responded to him.

“I apologize for hiding myself,” he said to Beta Chris and Desmond. “I needed to grieve the way I did, so I won’t be distracted from my new duties as Highest Alpha King,” he said with authority.

“Well, the animals in the forest felt your grief,” Layla said. “You could have left some for the rest of us,” she teased him.

“Layla,” he sighed and walked towards. She bowed slightly and kissed both his cheeks. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered.

“It’s not your fault my King,” her voice cracked. Mason walked over and took her hands.

“Thank you Mason,” he whispered, walking towards Trish and Ethan. He appreciated them as well as the Betas.

“Best for last,” he held my hands as he stood in front of me.

“You owe me something,” my voice cracked, even though I tried not to.
“I’m sorry for shutting you out,” he said. “I just needed to grieve alone,” I nodded, blinking my lashes every second to keep the tears away.

“As long as you know this is where you are supposed to be,” I said to him.

‘I’m right where I am supposed to be,” he took my hands close to his lips and kissed them. I could feel Dia tingling inside my body. She misses him and so do I.

“Any news on my brother?” he asked, facing Mason and Ethan.

“Not yet but we are looking with everything we got,” Ethan said and Liam sneakered.

“Finding him will be hard but we will, in the meantime, divide those resources used to finding him into three. One for him, the other two to the matters of the Kingdom,” Liam spoke with a lot of confidence.

Layla walked over to me and held my hands, “he’s back,’ she said and I clicked my tongue.

“You bet your ass he is.”