Chapter 51: Basil’s Questions

After Laurel rushed upstairs, Basil stood, straightened his clothes, dusted himself off, and went to find Delia. Upon seeing him, she ran to him with glimmering wet eyes.
“That woman!” Delia cried. “That evil woman is bullying me just because she had the favor of the king.”
She sniffled and Basil grit his teeth.
“I promise. I’ll talk to my father. She can’t just terrorize you even if my father gave her the position. It’s not right anyway! You’re my wife, not Laura. She’s—”
Delia pulled away from him sharply. Her cheeks flushed and her jaw trembled, “You called her Laura.”
“What?” Basil frowned, thinking back to the conversation. He shook his head, “No, I didn’t—”
“Yes, you did!”
“Well—”
“You’ve been talking about Laura a lot lately like she’s still alive,” Delia sniffled. “Like Laurel makes you think of her.”
Basil frowned, thinking about it. They did have very similar features. Laurel was younger, but she had some of the same mannerisms and a way of carrying herself, but what did that matter?
“They’re… very similar, but—”
“It’s more than that!” Delia huffed. “Lately, it’s been Laura this. Laura that. Laura. Laura. Laura!”
Delia shuddered as she thought about Eden. He had been so calm, but she knew better than to be fooled by him. He was dangerous. He would kill her just as soon as she proved unable to fulfill the task. She couldn’t have Basil slipping away from her so quickly. They hadn’t been married long enough for her to prove herself useful to the plan!
She had to know the truth of how Basil felt, so she could use it against him.
Basil flinched as she let out a broken sob, “Delia, please. Don’t cry. I just wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry.”
“No,” Delia shook her head, turning from him, feigning hurt. “Don’t just apologize to try and make me feel better. Be honest! You still have feelings for that woman!”
“What?” Basil stared at her blankly. “I… I’ve never had feelings for Laura.”
“Liar!” Delia hissed. “You were married to her for three years! You couldn’t have stayed married to her that long without feeling something!”
Basil shook his head, “Hold on. Just let me explain…”
She sniffled looking up at him. Delia took note of his troubled expression and hope that whatever would come out of his mouth would ease the sense of terror and failure that was filling her. Laura had been pretty, but she hadn’t used her looks to her advantage. Otherwise, Delia would have never stood a chance, but doubt gnawed at her.
“I only married Laura because I needed someone to take on the duties of the luna. She was never worthy of the title. She was always arguing with me. She didn’t listen to anything I said, and she went around me all the time like she was born a royal…”
Delia blinked at him as if he seemed to lose himself in his memories. He sneered a bit as he spoke, but his eyes didn’t match his expression.
“All she did was piss me off from the day we’d gotten married,” Basil said, shaking his head. He paused and murmured something that Delia couldn’t hear, but she didn’t need to hear it see the way his expression changed. His eyes turned soft, his expression seemed almost wistful and longing.
A pang of distress went through her. What was he thinking of? Had she pushed this too far and made him start thinking of Laura in a romantic light? She wanted to change the conversations, but he started talking again.
“Maybe if things had been different, I wouldn’t have kicked her out of the castle the way I did, but you two would have never gotten along.” He scoffed, “Laura was so arrogant. She would have never tried to get along with you.”
Delia’s eyes bulged as she stared at him, listening to him go on. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Did he not realize that he seemed more concerned about Laura’s feelings than hers?
“She was nothing like my mother who simply did as she was told…” His expression became filled with longing as she looked up. “My mother knew her place, but Laura was so determined to do things her way. Father said that the orchard was a great help to him, but she should have just let me present it instead of trying to make it known that it was her idea…”
Delia clenched her fists. Her jaw drew tight and her eyes burned with tears. She knew he was a fool, like all men, but she hadn’t realized just how much of a fool he was. She felt just as foolish for leading him into this conversation. She’d have to work harder on controlling him.
“And Laurel,” he scoffed. “She’s just as arrogant as Laura, but…”
Basil shook his head with a little murmur. He wasn’t sure what to say about Laurel other than they were so similar it was haunting. He looked at Delia and froze. She looked furious. Her tears had dried up as she stared at him. Had he been talking about Laura and Laurel all that time?
His face burned in embarrassment. It wasn’t his fault, exactly. He’d known her for three years.
“All that to say is that Laura is gone and she was a pain. Laurel is a nuisance just like she was. That’s all.” Basil cleared his throat, “You’re my wife, my mate, Delia, and there’s no one I love more than you. I don’t have feelings for Laura. I promise.”
Delia’s jaw trembled. She was stiff, but she allowed him to pull her into his arms and stroke her hair to comfort her. His wolf scoffed, disinterested in Delia’s distress or the conversation at all.
He seemed to be pondering Laura a bit, bringing her furious green eyes back from his memories and blurring them with Laurel’s crying face. His heart seized with panic.
He had spent three years married to Laura, arguing with her, being annoyed with her, and he had been so sure that it had been three years of resentment, but the more he thought about it, the less certain he was. His wolf seemed to be rethinking that notion.
*Why don’t you ever think beyond the obvious? Laurel had screamed at him. You listen to the people who make you feel important around you and blame others when things don’t go well!*
She had sounded so much like Laura during one of the first arguments they’d ever had. She’d sent back the tribute from the Golden River Pack and issued a formal decree against it without even consulting him. He remembered being furious about it as he was expecting the new silks for a new suit. He’d stormed to her office after his grandfather told him about it.
*“What do you think you’re doing?” Basil hissed at her. She flinched, her eyes wide and wary. “You have a lot of nerve issuing any sort of decree when you’re just a low-born girl!”*
*“But it’s bribery...” Laura said, looking genuinely confused.*
*“It’s not bribery! It’s tribute!”*
*She frowned looking up at him, “Your Highness… did you not think about why they were sending so much every month?”*
*“It’s a royal’s due to receive as much tribute as can be given.” He glared at her, “I don’t expect you to understand it.”*
Thinking back on it, something in her eyes had changed then. She no longer looked at him with shining eyes full of awe and love. Day by day, the light that had been in her eyes at their wedding dimmed until her green eyes had seemed dull.
*Did you not think about why?*
It was a question she asked a lot in the beginning. Then, she just stopped asking as the light in her eyes kept fading.
“Delia,” he started. “What made you come out of your room?”
Delia pushed back, glaring up at him, “What does that matter? What did you hear? Are you going to believe whatever those servants told you over me now?”
“No,” he hurried to say, shaking his head. “No. I was just wondering if something had been bothering you or if you needed anything.”
Delia seemed calmed by the words, but Basil only felt more uncomfortable.

********
Laurel swallowed, feeling a bit silly now as Adolph opened his drawers and drew her around to his side of the desk to hold her close.
He picked a small velvet box up and opened it to reveal a lovely golden band with a large ruby set among a gold filigree of azalea flowers. The ring looked more expensive than anything Laura had ever seen.
“I’ve had it picked out for months,” he confessed almost breathless as he offered her his hand. She placed her hand in his with trembling fingers as he kneeled.
“B-But…”
Adolph smiled up at her, hushing her with a little hiss of air, “Humor me.”
She tried very hard not to be swept up by the romance of gesture as he slid the ring onto her finger and kissed her hand.
“I promise to make you happy,” Adolph said. “You’ll never wish for anything.”
Laurel’s heart clenched because he was wrong. He stood and pulled her close cupping her jaw. He was so wrong, but she couldn’t speak.
There was a question in his eyes. His gaze dropped to her lips before returning to her eyes. She swallowed thickly as he came closer. Their lips brushed and Laurel closed her eyes.
He pressed their lips together and Laurel wished she could have the bliss rushing through her forever.