Seeking Comfort

*Chapter 112*

"Since when did you ever get to have siblings?" Frederick asked as he exchanged his glances between me and my father.

I looked away, sighing. "It's kind of complicated..." I didn't know how to start telling it. I looked at Father. "I must meet them. Who is the first then?"

Father stood up and tucked his hands into his pockets. "Go to the palace. It is important that you should go as well, Atticus," Father said coldly. "His Majesty is summoning you to report your aggression."

"Damn it..." Frederick huffed. "I want to understand what is happening. What do you mean half-sisters? Are they your father's daughters?"

"No!" Father exclaimed, being defensive. I didn't say anything and allowed him to say anything. "It is... from her mother."

I secretly clenched my hands. I was supposed to be happy right now that they arrived. But why did I feel nervous somehow?

"I must meet them..." I uttered with finality.

"What? No!" Frederick disagreed.

"Who are you to halt my daughter from seeing them?" Father's thunderous voice echoed throughout the whole garden.

I blocked Father when he was about to attack Frederick again. "Father, I refrain you from hurting my husband," I said earnestly. My face darkened when I met his hazel orbs which I inherited from him. "Don't blame me if we will end up with the same fate as what I did to Reginald when he attempted to kill Frederick." I posed a fighting stance, preparing that I would fight my father.

I heard a soft gasp and purr coming from Frederick. I could already tell that what I said pleased him. I had a feeling that he wouldn't halt teasing later.

Father looked at me in disbelief before he stepped back. He shook his head. "He abducted you, forced you to marry him, and now... you are protecting him? You are really unbelievable, Novalie."

I clenched my hands. "Do not question my decision, Father. I should have said that to you. You never expressed that you cared for me and now... you are acting like you have been thinking of my welfare? You are more unbelievable." There was bitterness lingered in my tone.

I felt Frederick holding my waist. "Novalie... Don't say that to your father," he said when he must have seen that Father expressed a painful expression.

"I always cared for you, Novalie..." Father replied as his breath was shaky right now. It even took his time to construct a sentence to somehow... console me.

I was about to bark back when Frederick chimed in. "We will go to the palace, Father. For now, I shall have Novalie to rest first." He gently tugged me to distance myself away from Father.

I stayed silent and didn't say anything as he guided me inside the castle and went to our chamber. "Frederick..."

"I know, I know. You want to scold me," he said in a soft tone and faced me. "But... Let's not allow you to be like that to your father. I know how he treated you from those years so do not say that I did not watch you all the time, sweetheart."

I looked away and silently cursed because I hadn't said anything yet Frederick already knew what I was about to say. I nodded after calming down. After that, I hugged him which made him stiff.

I sought comfort inside his arms and he immediately hugged me back.

"Do you think that the emotions he showed today are genuine?" I asked in a subtle tone. Usually, my voice would be a lot more firm than before but being vulnerable inside Frederick's arms was making me feel not inferior or superior to him.

In short, I trusted him despite the things he did.

Frederick gently caressed my hair and kissed the top of my head which made my wolf squirm. "Yes. He cares for you, Novalie. No doubt about that. Your father doesn't really know how to express his emotions well so he always resorts to coldness." He distanced himself so he could cup my face with his hands and coerced me to look at him. "It is hard, I know. But in time, I hope you two can have a proper talk with each other. You both create misunderstandings with each other."

"I don't know..." I looked away and removed his hands from cupping my face. "Let's change our clothes now."

He sighed. "Let me help," he volunteered.

We went to the royal palace after that while we had Father who was squinting his eyes at Frederick. He couldn't leave his eyes on him because Frederick was being so lovey-dovey with me.

When we arrived, we were summoned to the conference room where it was said that all the members of the royal lycan family were there. I was a little nervous since there was a big probability that His Majesty, Alpha King Azarius might know that Frederick and I's marriage was somehow forced.

I wondered what Frederick would do if it happened that it became unfavorable to him. I better watch him before he could do something drastic. He was always willing to take a risk when it was related to me so I must keep an eye on him.

Who knows... Frederick might announce that he wanted to cut ties with them if he thought that the royal lycan family was not welcoming me warmly.

That was how he expressed his love for me. Frederick would do anything that would always keep my welfare safe and sound. Sometimes, my heart was going wild every time he would do something that always rendered me speechless and left me surprised.

"Announce our arrival," Frederick said as he held my hand tightly, looking at the palace guard who was guarding the two-way door of the conference room.

"Yes, Your Highness," the palace guard said before he slowly opened the door. "His Highness, Prince Atticus... Her Highness, Princess Novalie... Dowager Marquis Argerich... have arrived!"

I frowned upon hearing that they were addressing me as princess consort again. I glared at Frederick who looked at me apologetically.

"I'll have him punished later..." he said, nervous.

I rolled my eyes and focused my eyes on the front. There, I saw Frederick's parents and brothers who were part of the royal lycan family on the left side of the table. On the other side, I saw four unfamiliar people. Three of them were adults, two females and one male dressed up in fancy clothing and the other one was a young kid who was probably one or two years old.

"Finally! You showed yourself, Atticus."

I snapped back when His Majesty spoke. Or must I address him now as brother-in-law?

Frederick bowed his head. "Pardon me but Novalie and I decided to marry each other, Brother Azarius."

"After abducting her?" Alpha King Azarius arched his eyebrow. He even clasped his hands together, placing his elbows on the table.

"This marriage is based on a bilateral decision, Your Majesty," I chimed in before things got heated up. I wanted to say that I only agreed to this because I never wanted to be stuck at Frederick's villa house but I couldn't find myself to do so.

Ah, yes. My decision of absconding from this marriage had been changing from time to time. Sometimes, I wanted to stay. Sometimes, I did not want to.

"Nigelle keeps wreaking havoc here in the palace because of you," Grand Alpha King Apollo spoke in a hostile tone.

Frederick didn't say anything. He knew that he had no excuse for that. Even I couldn't utter any excuse. Because if I should put myself in my father's shoes, I would wreak havoc as well if it happened that I had a pup and someone kept them away from me.

"I hope you are going to hold this accountable, Atticus. The damage Dowager Marquis Argerich has done to the east hall of the palace." His Majesty sighed.

"Of course. How much shall I pay for reconstructing the east hall then?" Frederick asked arrogantly.

"Frederick." I glanced at him and nudged him to tone down his voice. He glanced at me. I saw his eyes were protesting right now.

Father settled beside me. "Your Majesty, I am hoping that you shall let my daughter reveal who she really is now that all the members of the royal lycan family are here."

I turned at Father to see that he was not looking at Alpha King Azarius but at someone else. I followed his direction and he was looking at the people sitting to the right side who until now were strangely making my heart beat so fast.

"Certainly," the man, wearing a royal suit, said with a smile.

I got confused because Father was addressing him as 'Your Majesty'. Did I hear it right?

The man glanced at Alpha King Azarius. They both nodded their heads as if they were agreeing with something. Then he looked beside him, which I thought was his mate. I already surmised that the young pup they were with was their son because of the similarities they had with each other.

"Before you may do that, Princess Novalie," he paused. I wanted to bark right now. Why was it so hard to address me as 'duchess', instead of 'princess'. It didn't fit me and it was odd to keep on hearing it. "These people are right here..." He gestured his hand to the two women beside him. "I am certain that you know your connection to each other." He took the hand of the woman beside him. "Love?"

My eyes widened when I looked at those two women who were smiling. "Wait... Don't tell me..." I couldn't continue my words as I was shocked right now.

One of them stood up. She was wearing a military uniform that was not from here in our kingdom. When I saw the insignia of it, my eyes widened more upon learning that the insignia came from the Waevalon Kingdom.

She giggled as her ocean blue eyes were sparkling. "Noblete, I have arrived just as Mother promised."

"Wait..." I heard Frederick speak. "Isn't Noblete the pseudonym you used as a painter?"

I glanced at Frederick. "There is a reason I used that." I gulped when I glanced at the woman who I already knew that she was the first one Father had been talking about.

"What is it?" Frederick looked confused right now.

I inhaled and exhaled before I stepped forward. "You found me..." I said in an inaudible tone. I couldn't believe that what Father said was true after all... Damn it...

She smiled and nodded. "Indeed. I know you will know our connection in an instant, Novalie. Or must I address you in your real name, Noblete."

"What?" I heard Frederick say. "What is she talking about, Novalie?"

"Why don't you introduce yourself to everyone, my dear sister?" she asked with her sweet smile.

I looked around me. I could tell that they were all confused as well, except for the people that were with her and Alpha King Azarius. I already had a hunch that even Mother Luna Queen Adeline and Grand Alpha King Apollo were also aware of this.

I nodded my head before I held my head high. "Greetings, everyone. I am well known as Novalie Argerich, daughter of Nigelle Argerich, Dowager Marquis of Timestone. However, I have another name..." I paused and waited for the right timing. Releasing a sigh, I uttered the words that would make certain they knew about *our* existence.

"I am one of the offspring of the Moon Goddess. I am her third daughter. I am Noblete, a spirit goddess known as the Goddess of Marriage."