The Werewolf King's Bride

"Your Highness should not bother yourself with this matter. But Your Highness was really cool that time," Ruby said. She had been praising me again and again since that day.

"You keep saying it...," I mumbled.

"The beta told me everything! He said that it was the most amazing move he saw a woman doing," she exclaimed.

"Did... did he tell everyone?" I asked.

"I don\'t know. The beta is a serious guy. But sometimes I don\'t understand him," she said.

\'It would be better if he doesn\'t say this to anyone. It\'s really weird hearing people keep saying it...\'

I had gotten better a lot in a few days. Though I could move my body a lot better than before, there was always a feeling that it would not last long. That feeling always held me back from enjoying my life even a bit.

Dem said that we needed to go to the magic tower today. Since he had some work, Luc would take me there. I wished he would be by my side and if I told him that, he would surely be with me. But I did not want to hinder his work, so I did not say anything. Perhaps I would be fine on my own, at least this one time.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Oh, you\'ve come..."

Luc had already arrived. I wore a plain black dress. I could not wear anything heavy since my body was weak. But even so, I had to wear some accessories though they were light. Ruby said that as I was the queen, I needed to wear them all the time.

Dem wanted to carry me to the magic tower. But he had some work and he could not be with us, so I needed to walk there. It was not like I did not like it. Actually, I wanted to walk as well. It was embarrassing to be carried all the time.

"Wait a bit more, Lord Luc," Ruby said. "I will be done with Her Highness\'s hair in a bit."

"She isn\'t going to a party for god\'s sake," Luc muttered.

\'I agree.\'

"But Her Highness needs to look elegant all the time. She is our queen after all," Ruby protested. "And besides, it\'s just a simple bun."

"A simple bun that takes one hour to make...," Luc mumbled.

"You\'re being inconsiderate, Lord Luc," Ruby said.

"Just wait a few more... minutes, Luc. It will be d-done," I said. I was sure that if I did not step up, they would keep bickering at each other.

Last night, Luc came to the bedroom again. He and Dem were talking about something. I was almost asleep. But that time I heard something strange.

"Even if I have to abdicate, I will," Dem had said.

I always knew that he did not like to be the king and he wanted to live a simple life. But I did not know that he seriously meant it and was even thinking about it. I did not hear the whole thing, so I did not know exactly what they were talking about. But I was sure that he was considering abdicating pretty seriously. The question was- why? Why would he want to step down?

Just because he did not want it? I doubted it. Perhaps I would just ask him that.

"You sure you\'re better than before?" Luc asked as he took a seat in a chair a bit away from the dressing table, facing me.

"Yeah, a lot better... actually," I said.

"Your speech still stutters a bit," he said.

"Hm, the doctor said it... will get b-better soon too," I said.

"I see," he nodded. "By the way, your husband has sent me a letter threatening that if I cut too much of your skin, he will rip off my skin."

"He d-did?"

"Of course. You thought he wouldn\'t? Someone like him?"

"Well, that\'s not... it. It\'s quicker... than I expected," I said.

"I thought the same. I expected the letter to arrive after we go to the magic tower. He has a good sense of timing," Luc chuckled.

I could not help but laugh as well. Dem\'s over-protectiveness could be a bit too much sometimes, but it was kind of funny as well.

"I have to admit that it\'s kind of surprising to see Demetrius like this," Luc said.

"I agree. His Highness had been always angry, so I thought that the only emotion His Highness could show is anger, no offense," Ruby said. "But he knows how to laugh as well."

"Though it\'s gross to see him like that, I am glad that he is at least good to his wife. Well, he is too good actually," he said. "It doesn\'t matter if he is lovey-dovey with his wife. But even if front of me, he dares to be indecent."

"I am really s-sorry," I said, embarrassed.

"It\'s not your fault. It\'s him," he said.

"His Highness just shows his love for Her Highness. There is nothing wrong with that," Ruby protested. "I think Lord Luc is just sad that he doesn\'t have anyone to be like that with. Why doesn\'t the lord go out to find his mate?"

"Ack, who said I want a mate? It\'s a hassle," Luc grumbled.

"A hassle?" Ruby barked.

"Calm down...," I said.

"My apologies, Your Highness," Ruby said. "It\'s done, Your Highness. Does the bun look good?"

"It\'s great," I said. "By the way, where is that belt?"

"The one you tie around your abdomen?" she asked. "Here."

It was a thick belt that I wore around my abdomen. It relieved the pain surprisingly. Doctor Emma gave me that some days ago.

After a while, I was ready to leave. I could walk pretty normally now, though there were times when I felt a sudden pain in my legs.

"Do you need me to hold your hand or something?" Luc asked.

"No, it\'s alright..."

"Well, then, feel free to hold onto me if needed," he said.

"Yeah, s-sure," I smiled.

As soon as we went down to the palace ground, I heard loud clunking noises. It had been noisier these days, especially the side where my room was. And it was only noisy when Dem was not present.

"Well, take care..."

"Huh?"

I did not understand what Luc meant. But it did not take me long to get it. A little crowd of soldiers popped out of nowhere. It seemed like they were trying to say something. I had no idea what the soldiers had to do with me.

"Your Highness...," one of them said.

"Yes?"

"Actually," he muttered, scratching his scalp, "we like Your Highness very much!"

"Eh?"

The soldiers were very big and it looked like all of them worked out a lot. In front of them, I looked very small. Even Luc looked kind of smaller than them. And now they were talking like this. I had no idea how to react.

"We all heard about Your Highness\'s act that day. The beta said that it was very cool."

"As expected of Her Highness, the queen!"

"Yes, His Highness surely would bring someone who is really amazing! Your Highness, you really are awesome!"

"Um... Thank you...," I mumbled. I had surely turned red hearing their praising. I did not know that incident would lead to this.

"We all were very eager to meet Your Highness. But since Your Highness was not well, we could not."

"Yes. How are you now, Your Highness?"

"I\'m better than... before...," I said. "Thank you... for asking..."

"Good to hear. Hope Your Highness gets better soon. Then Your Highness can spend some time with us," the soldier with dark brown hair said with a smile.

There were four of them and though they had different facial expressions, it seemed they had good intentions. The one with dark brown hair smiled the most. The silver-haired one remained expressionless. The other two looked alike, though one was short and one was a bit tall.

"Oh, we\'re twins," one of the look-alikes said. "That\'s my brother. Our heights are just different..."

"Personalities too," the silver-haired knight murmured.

"Well, that\'s true."

"She is too noisy. Shut up already," the tall one said.

"She?" I muttered, surprised. I had no idea that it was a woman. Her hair was very short and looking at her body, she did not seem like a girl much.

"Most mistake me for a boy," she said with a grin. "Well, my chest is very flat like a boy\'s and my hair is short. So, it happens..."