Alpha Nocturne’s Contracted Mate by A E Randell
Chapter 92 The Silene
Ada stood at the lectern with her eyes lowered and her arms wrapped protectively around her belly. She was nervous and it showed.
“Lady Ava, you bring serious charges against your step¬sister to this court.” The female voice stated.
Ada simply nodded without raising her eyes.
“So, in your own words, tell us exactly what happened in the room with Ann.”
Ada took a shaky breath as Ann turned her gaze toward where she stood. Their eyes met for the briefest of moments and all Ann saw was the pure unadulterated hatred that burned there, before it was quickly replaced with the all too familiar, doe-eyed innocent look that usually graced her features.
“Well, we went to see Ann with the intention of smoothing things over. I at least wanted to try one more time to make peace with her. I know I did wrong, and if I could turn back the clock then I would do things differently but… wishing things would be different… doesn’t actually change anything.” Ada said in a small voice as she sighed deeply and raised her eyes to glance at Ann as if she truly meant what she said.
“Things had been going well, she had agreed to see us …at least speak to us and we followed her into her office in good faith with the basket of goodies we had made for her…more of a symbolic gesture. I wanted to do something nice for her… to show how sincere I was. So I put together a list of treats that she enjoyed as a child and spent a few days putting the gift basket together for her.” Ada continued quietly with a wistful smile.
“Anyway, we sat and talked a while, Ann wasn’t happy about us showing up unannounced, but she hadn’t thrown us out, so I thought that there was some hope at least for a reconciliation… as did my mother. She left to get coffee and find Ann’s a*s*sistant… Emma, I think her name was… and as soon as she left… that was when Ann and her wolf, lost it.” She whimpered sadly, wringing her hands in front of her as she f0rced tears from her eyes.
Ann almost snorted. In her opinion, her acting was terrible and she could only hope that the elders would see through it.
‘It astounds me that the little WH*ORE can make such bold claims in front of the Elder Council you know? She should be grateful that we didn’t lose it… as much as she deserved it… because I can promise you now, if she had even let that… enchantment or whatever it was she put on us, falter for even a second, I would have f0rced control and done some real damage to her.’ Maeve growled angrily in her head.
‘You wouldn’t Maeve, even in your fury you would have faltered because of the innocent baby she carries… you’re fierce and ruthless and unforgiving at times… but you aren’t a monster…’
Maeve huffed in response as she let out a stream of expletives before sitting sullenly at Ann’s side as she watched with a mixture of interest and disgust.
“You need to be more specific Lady Ada. ‘Lost it’ could encomp@ssmany things. The council requires the cold hard facts of the case, not details about baked goodies.” A cutting male voice snapped.
Ada’s shoulders seemed to stiffen as she sniffed loudly and pretended to compose herself, much as her mother had done during her own testimony.
“I’m sorry… I just… it hurts that my sister would do this to me… to my unborn child… her own niece…”
“As I’m sure it hurt your sister when your affair with her fated mate was discovered…” The ancient voice comment dryly, the already tense atmosphere, thickening even further.
Ada’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly as they flicked upwards in the general direction of the voice that had spoken out before she quickly averted her gaze and continued.
“As soon as the door was closed, she launched her attack. She hit, punched, and kicked whatever piece of my body that she could get a clear shot at. The door was locked so I couldn’t get out and no matter how much I begged, she wouldn’t stop. She threw me against the walls, the windows, smashed a heavy plant pot over my head…” She reeled the accusations off one by one as she looked up at the darkness of the chamber above her, hoping to connect in some way with the people hidden up there.
But only silence answered her.
She took a deep breath before sighing heavily, the next thing I remember was my mother crouched over me and… the blood between my legs…” Ada sobbed loudly as if traumatized at the very memory of it and Ann couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
“Yes… I’m sure it was uncomfortable for you, but the tests showed that there was nothing wrong with either you or the child, am I correct?” A female voice asked impatiently.
Ada visibly balked, not having anticipated the coldness with which she was being treated.
“Well… yes… thankfully everything was okay and…” “In fact, only moments after being admitted to the hospital under the guise of a potential violence induced miscarriage, the consultant in question gave witness testimony that you seemed entirely unaffected once alone in your room with your mother.”
Ada paled almost instantly.
“What do you mean… what witness testimony…” she stammered hesitantly as she looked to her father for support.
But he shared the same look of confusion that she did.
Instead of Leopold, a dark chuckle answered her.
“Oh come now Lady Ada, are you not aware of how a trial works? That’s not a good start for a prospective heir at all… have you no interest in the inner workings of our kingdom? Of course we gather evidence from the relevant parties and connected persons. A fair trial cannot be held on the word of one person against another. There must be facts and evidence presented.”
“You spoke to people involved without my knowledge?” Leopold growled dangerously.
“Yes, we did. Your requested punishment is a weighty one, it would require exiling a talented and skilled, well -established and true-born heir to the throne… to replace with an heir of hybrid descent with no known wolf to speak of…”
“So you’re intending to deny my daughter the right to rule because of her heritage?!” The King bristled suddenly.
“That is not what we said. The facts need to be investigated thoroughly before we can make a decision. The future of our Kingdom hangs on this judgment and whether she would be a human Luna Queen or a Hybrid Luna Queen, her race matters not to us, but it will to the Kingdom and diplomatic approaches would have to be changed, Leopold. You know all this…” A bored voice that seemed to be getting more impatient the longer this went on rose clearly.
“As for your daughter’s willful interference in a goddess blessed, and well-known union… that too will have to be investigated…” The ancient voice commented flatly. Ada’s face was a mask of fury by this point.
“No! I won’t allow it!” Leopold answered with an arrogant finality, to a resounding chorus of chuckles.
“That is not your decision to make, Leopold, that lies solely with us. Fated mates are a rarity in themselves, they are blessed by the Goddess and if they find each other within their lifetime, then they are intended to have some sort of meaningful impact on the world, as intended by Elune herself.”
“Interference with the bond is interference with the destiny of our kingdom itself.” Another voice rose.
“Perhaps one might say… that the act itself was an act of treason upon the Kingdom…” The ancient voice answered arrogantly, not bothering to hide his disdain anymore.