Chapter 62

Mother told me to call his bluff and refused to let me leave. I would have done it with or without her permission but then she ordered guards to trail me all day to ensure I didn’t go without her knowledge. She also increased security in and around the palace to also ensure that whoever this person was, they would not be able to take anyone else from the palace.

Something about it still didn’t sit right with me and I still felt worried. My nerves were frayed and I was on edge because a part of me felt that no matter the measures we put in place, something terrible was still going to happen. I couldn’t tell anyone how I truly felt about it because I didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news or the one who brings down everyone’s morale.

The city had been alerted to Audrey’s disappearance. I don’t know how it got out but I assume it was from one of the guards. Everyone was on edge waiting for a response or an announcement from the palace about it but they weren’t going to get it. I was in no mood or state of mind to address the general public and neither was my mother. When the council asked our opinion, we both agreed that it would be best if we just stayed silent and allowed things to play out.

The council members then brought up the issue of the coronation and that led to the conversation that we were having now. They were listing off the millions of reasons why it cannot be postponed. They started by saying that it had never happened before and I was tempted to inform them that no monarch had their child go missing days before coronation. I was growing bored and irritated the longer I listened to them drone on about the importance of keeping the coronation. It wasn’t until one of them mentioned that it would be an insult to have the Alpha’s come all this way and leave/without the ceremony that I snapped.

“Do you realize that my three year old daughter is missing?” I spat with so much venom that I saw him flinch. “My child is goddess knows where and your biggest problem is whether or not the ego of an Alpha can take it?”.

“Your highness, that isn’t-” he began but I cut him off.

“I am going to make one thing very clear to all of you and I would advice that you do well to listen,” I paused to make sure I had all their attention. “This coronation is not holding until I have my child in my arms. I don’t give a sh it how long it takes and I don’t care how anyone feels about it. The monarchy will not end if I suddenly decide to put my daughter over it.”

“Your highness,” another one muttered softly. “It is your duty as the future Queen to have the coronation. This won’t be the first time a child has gone missing. You were missing for eighteen years and we found you. If your daughter isn’t found after the coronation then we will invite a witch from the coven we are aligned to and she ca-)

31

“Shut up,” I said and he bristled. “Maybe if you had allowed my mother look for me when she wanted I wouldn’t have been missing for eighteen years. But all that is in the past, I have said it once and I will say it again; nothing in this palace will hold until my daughter is safe. Is that clear?”

“Yes, your highness,” they all mumbled even though I knew they clearly didn’t agree.

I saw my mother looking at me with eyes full of pride and for the first time since Audrey went missing, felt an emotion that wasn’t anger or sadness.copy right hot novel pub