Chapter 226
The week that followed seemed more tedious than the rest. It went from one series of tests to the other. I spent every momen getting ready for the next task or trying to make sure I got through one.
Eros became exhausted. Even though he never said it out loud, I could see that it was taking a toll on him. He became distant and slowly pulled away from me.
He spent most, if not all, of his spare time reading and training for the physical tasks. I knew he just wanted to become better.
Eros didn’t want to fail, and as much as I understood that, I couldn’t help but feel a little hurt that he wasn’t paying attention to
- me.
At first, I tried not to think much about it and told myself that Eros needed all the time he could get to prepare for the test.
But it didn’t take long before I began to feel the loss of his presence. Days crawled into weeks, and I felt lonely.
My walks around the palace grounds became longer, and my worries about the competition grew deeper.
I knew I needed to focus more, but that didn’t stop me from missing him.
And then there was Cheryl.
She was a thorn in my flesh.
She did all she could to make sure she appeared at her best at all times, and I was beginning to feel overwhelmed by her
actions.
While she acted rude and ruthless to me, to the elders she was sweetness personified. A beautiful and dutiful young woman dedicated to the people. The epitome of graceful carriage and perfection.
I knew she was already the elders‘ choice for a queen.
But to me, she was just a cruel, manipulative leech. She doesn’t bother to show her claws to me, and there was just something about the way she smiled at me that unnerved me.
I was sure Cheryl took extreme pleasure in making sure I felt intimidated, and she had every desire to win this test. She was out to outdo me in every way possible.
And maybe she had begun to succeed.
Today was another day for our test. We had no idea what the test would entail today, but I had an unsettling feeling in my chest.
It took me a long time after the maid came to call me before I finally moved toward the bathroom. I dragged my feet across
the floor.
The bathtub was already prepared, and I soaked myself in a rose bath.
I sighed in contentment when I felt the water wash away remnants of sleep from my eyes.
I closed my eyes slightly and tried to enjoy the moment, but thoughts of Eros just popped into my mind.
Fros.
The last time I laid my eyes on him was when he came into the room two
nights
He just walked in and laid in bed beside me without a word.
I could tell that he was tired and needed rest. I gave him space and hoped that I would have him all to myself the next day.
11:16 AM
Chapter 226
But before I woke up the next day, Eros was gone.
For a while, I felt restless. But soon I relaxed and allowed myself to become contented with my own company.
I was still soaked in the bath when I heard a knock on the door.
I called the person in, and a maid entered and came over to me.
“My Lady.” She said with a bow.
“Yes?” I asked with a frown.
“The Elders are waiting. They want you to hurry” She said quickly.
I sat up quickly. “I thought I still had a few minutes?”
The maid nodded. “Not anymore. Lady Cheryl is there. The Elders have arrived too, and they want to start immediately.”
“What?” I scrambled out of the water.
The maid turned away quickly, trying to shield her eyes from my nakedness.
I ignored her and rushed to the room. The maid hurried away as I dressed quickly.
At first, I chose a blue jean and a top, but when I thought about how the Elders always disapproved of my cloth choice, I pulled out a blue floral dress and wore it.
I packed my hair into a tight bun at the middle of my head and applied a little bit of gloss to it.
When I was done, I rushed downstairs to the large study hall and entered.
Just like the maid said, I saw that the Elders, Heather and Cheryl, were waiting for me.
No word was said in disapproval.
“Sit there.” Ma’am Heather said and pointed to the chair opposite Cheryl.
I nodded and obeyed.
Ma’am Heather began again. “Today, I would be testing your ability to be obedient.”
Cheryl and I nodded.
Ma’am Heather looked at me, and then with a blank expression on her face, she asked me her question.
“As the queen, how submissive should you be to your mate, the king?” Heather’s eyes didn’t move away from me.
I felt my heart skip. I tucked an imaginary strand of hair behind my hair as I thought about how best to answer.
I knew Cheryl’s eyes on me; she was eager to hear me give a wrong answer, but for me it wasn’t so easy. Submission has never been something so… simple. It had always been in complex ways.
Eros and I regarded each other as equals, nothing less and nothing more. Our bond was built on a foundation of love and trust and not a dominance system,
“Submission is relative.” I said simply.
There was a pause, and Ma’am Heather frowned. “What do
you mean?”
I took a deep breath and began to explain. “As a queen, I have to respect my mate, the king, and love him wholly, the same way he loves me and respects me. The affection and respect should be mutual. There is no hierarchy. We make decisions together and checkmate each other. I would never submit to a wrong command the same way he would never accept a wrong decision.
Chapter 226
We are equals.”
When I finished speaking, I looked at Heather. Her face had gone pale and she looked shocked.
I knew immediately that she hated my answer.
I tried to explain “That doesn’t mean I won’t–t
“Enough, Ma’am Heather silenced me with a wave of her hand. “You’ve failed.”
My heart sank. Her words stayed in my mind, and I felt my stomach tighten.
I failed?
Ma’am Heather wasted no time and turned on Cheryl. She asked her the same question.
With a bright smile. Cheryl stood up and bowed slightly.
“As the queen, it is my duty to fully accept the decisions of my mate, the king, because he is superior to every other, including me. It is my duty to serve him, because that is the only way balance is maintained.”
Ma’am Heather smiled, and her eyes gleamed in approval.
I fumed. Cheryl won again. It was no surprise, as she only says what the Elders wanted to hear, but it made me more angry. “You can both leave.” Ma’am Heather said.
Without a delay, I stood up and hurried out of the study. In the hallway before I went far, Cheryl called out my name from behind. I stopped and turned to look at her with her overly devoted maids, who she had converted to her minions.
“You look pitiful.” She smirked. “Such a failure. I thought you would be smarter than that.”
I rolled my eyes and walked away, trying hard to stop the sting in my eyes. I would not cry. Not when it was Cheryl. Cheryl’s laughter filled the hallway as I hurried away to my room.
E
