Mocking

*Chapter 86*

I yanked my bleeding hands back. I distanced myself away from him like he had some sort of contagious disease. "I can handle it." I secretly gnashed my teeth, wanting to attack him right now.

I looked at my hands. Because of wolfsbane, my hands were having a hard time healing.

"Your hands do not look fine," Prince Atticus said. He was about to step forward but I halted by summoning my hand.

"Do not take another step, Your Highness..." Or I would dare to kill you right here, right now. I wanted to say those words but it would be hard for me if someone heard what I said.

"Alright..." he said, summoning his hands as if he was surrendering.

I looked at him with a cold gaze before I secretly bit my tongue because of the pain I felt right now.

"What are you? A charming prince or a knight in shining armor this time, Your Highness?"

I turned my head when Reginald spoke with a mocking tone. He was looking at Prince Atticus who had just chuckled.

"Very funny," Prince Atticus said. "I did not know you are trying to be comical right now despite the fact that you shall have your execution for the next couple of days, Reginald."

Reginald grinned. "At least, I can be as comical as I want before I die? How about you? How long are you going to make everything complicated for my dear wife?"

"She's not your dear wife, moron!"

I was surprised when Prince Atticus kicked his prison cell. I even had shivers down my spine with the words he uttered right now. He sounded displeased which surprised me.

He suddenly reminded me of Frederick if he happened to hear Reginald's words.

Reginald chuckled sarcastically. "Someone is getting mad..." he teased and looked at me. "Novalie, do you want to know who—"

"Guards, seal his mouth!"

I creased my forehead, not understanding what Reginald said because His Highness, Prince Atticus spoke angrily and summoned the palace guards who were guarding the prison cell. Moments later, they arrived and had chains before they entered Reginald's cell and coerced him to have the chains on his mouth.

"Wait... I still need to speak with him about something," I said when I realized that I wasn't doing anything to halt them.

But the palace guards blocked me. I growled and clenched my hands.

"Leave now, Marchioness Argerich."

I glared at Prince Atticus. "I need to speak with him," I demanded. "There is something he must tell me now."

"No," he said sternly. "Leave now before I will have you get dragged by the royal knights, Marchioness Argerich."

I squinted my eyes at him. I dared to meet his forest green eyes who were looking at me with pure bitter coldness right now.

Now that I realized it, this was the second time I met and conversed with him again. The first meeting we had ended up in a disastrous fate for my darling. His presence was enough to make my blood boil.

"Fine." I glanced at Reginald who was struggling more. I suddenly regretted it when Alpha Denzil banished him from the Wall Burgundy pack. I could have wished I could mind link Reginald.

I left the dungeon taking heavy footsteps. I was desperate to know where Frederick was right now.

Biting my lower lip, my chest tightened. I mounted the carriage with a heavy heart.

Something was missing from all of these achievements I had. I could have wished I celebrated it with Frederick right now...

When I arrived back at the manor, I summoned my watchers. These watchers became members of the Wall Burgundy pack. They were strictly under my command and Alpha Denzil as well.

"Your orders, Beta?" one of them asked.

"I want you to investigate the Maiden's Lair and learn something about the special slave. He was named Erick before he became Frederick. I want you to learn his origins and tell me what fallen pack he is from," I ordered.

They nodded. "Yes, Beta. Your order is our command," they said in unison before they left.

"So, you are finally investigating him."

I turned my head and was surprised that Father was behind me all the time. "Reginald said something funny when I visited him."

"That is?"

I opened my mouth and said what Reginald said. Word by word, not missing anything. I watched Father keep nodding his head. But he didn't say anything. Or more likely, he wasn't interested in Frederick in the first place.

He was just supporting me because he thought that... I was obsessed with him.

He didn't know that Frederick was my mate.

"An envoy from the palace delivered this," he said and handed me out the letter when I was about to retire.

"What is this?" I knitted my forehead as I opened and read the context. I gritted my teeth and glared at Father. "Did he seriously invite me to his birthday party next month? Is he mocking me?!" I crumpled the invitation and threw it aside.

"It is up to you if you wish to attend Prince Atticus' birthday, Novalie," Father said as he tucked his hands into the pockets of his trousers. "You can just express that you are not attending by that time. If you want, I can be the emissary." He sighed. "After all, you do not need to see the royal lycan family for a while."

I shook my head. "It is fine to see them. I just do not need to attend that bastard's birthday party. This is even the first time he sent me an invitation. Why would he even do it at this time around when things are complicated on my plate? How dare he?" I suddenly had this urge to destroy all the things here. But I needed to calm down since there was no way I would lose my composure.

Father didn't say anything. But he looked like he wanted to say something and chose to be quiet.

"I wish to retire. I need to get some rest. Reginald's execution shall be happening these days," I said and turned my back to leave.

I didn't wait for Father to say anything and went to my chamber to retire. But I surely slammed the door because I thought I met Prince Atticus again.

That freaking mask... Why did he keep on wearing that mask? He could have just revealed himself! Did he have some contagious disease on his face which was why he couldn't show it to everyone?

But come to think of it. Atticus was slowly revealing himself to the public. When I was engaged to him, he never even showed himself even once.

He always had Caspian to deliver his words to me.

I recalled Reginald's reaction when Atticus arrived. It seemed like he already knew him before. Does this mean that Reginald happened to meet His Highness before? Without his mask?

I was lying in the bed, feeling my eyes getting droopy all of a sudden. I sniffed the air and realized that it smelled something bizarre. My heart pounded when I realized that it was incense.

I groaned and got up when I realized something was wrong. "Father..." I called. Since when did we have incense here in my chamber? When was this lit up?

My vision was getting blurry as the door opened. I rubbed my eyes, wanting to fall asleep. I heard footsteps. I didn't know if it came from my father or from my male servants. I couldn't even comprehend the sound of the footsteps as slumber wanted to take me right now.

I collapsed in bed. I felt someone tucking me in and caressing my cheek. "My goddess..."

I inhaled sharply upon hearing that voice. "F-Frederick?" My voice croaked as I tried to open my eyes.

There.

My breath had been taken away. My eyes were getting misty upon seeing... "You're here, darling." I sniffed and tried to lift up my hand but I failed.

He smiled and nodded. "Yes, my goddess. Your Frederick is here." I shivered when his knuckles brushed against my cheek. He even took my hand and intertwined it. "How I have missed you, my goddess..."

My heart and my wolf reacted as I slowly closed my eyes. Tears fell from my eyes but they were gently wiped away by Frederick.

"I have missed... you, too..." I said as slumber gradually succumbed to my whole being.

I felt him kissing my forehead. "Sleep and rest well, my goddess. We shall meet again... on my birthday. You will come this time, right?"

I didn't know what he said but I only nodded. I held his hand tightly, not wanting to let go of him. I was too frightened not to let him go again.

"Please stay..." I said.

Before I finally succumbed to sleep, I heard two male muffling voices.

"She doesn't want to see you and doesn't want to go to your birthday party. You will regret that you are fooling my daughter once you reveal that you are the one she has been looking for."

"I know that... I am the man she really hates."