Meeting The King
His unexpected question had left those present, except his entourage speechless. They were all staring as if the king had sprouted an extra head. But in reality, they were simply flabbergasted that the king had even bothered to recall someone as insignificant as Esmeray.
Alpha Dahmer was the first to recover from his shock, and his voice was smooth as he replied. "My sister is currently unwell, your Majesty. She caught a contagious flu and is unable to join us. Pardon her absence, and know she sends her regards." With a remorseful tone, he lowered his head to express his 'genuine' apology.
Finnian's brows furrowed in discontent at his brother's lies, but he bit his tongue. His mother already reprimanded him earlier to keep his mouth sealed about Esme in front of their guest, lest she suffers the same maltreatment as before. He couldn't risk his older sister's life by intervening, hence, he looked away, a frown settling on his features.
King Lennox, however, narrowed his eyes at the news of Esme being unwell, but he did not pursue the matter. Instead, he was escorted to a lavishly prepared chamber, tailored to his preferences, where he could rest. Later that evening, he joined them in the dining hall for a formal dinner.
The Alpha, Luna, his beta and Finnian sat at the special table, alongside Lennox and his beta who spoke cordially to each other. His gentle gaze flicked to Finnian who took his meal from the table and rose from his seat.
The youngest lord didn't utter a word and quietly left the dining, to the king's evident surprise. "Is Finnian not comfortable?" He asked when the boy was no longer present in the dining hall with them, and Dahmer tried to laugh it off.
"Children, he must have felt shy seeing as we're all adults at the table." He soothed, attempting to steer the conversation away from the awkward moment. "Your Majesty, I hope your trip to my abode wasn't too grueling?"
Lennox hummed and simply picked the thread, grateful for the distraction. "Well, the fatigue was the worst of it," he replied. "But my journey here was necessary. I'm sure you're curious about my sudden visit to your pack, Dahmer. I'll discuss the reasons with you later. For now, let's just say I'm loving the excellent cuisine." He commented, and his beta, the silent supporter, agreed with a quiet nod.
"His Majesty deserves nothing but the best meals, we are glad it is to your liking." Luna Percy joined in with a smile.
Meanwhile, Esme was in her chamber with Finnian and Vivienne. Her maid had been helpful with getting her the ingredients and tools she would need to make her first ever poison. It was quite risky, having to brew her first poison without a mentor, but she had a point of reference — she had taught herself to create herbal remedies, after all. She's gained experiences single handedly, so she believed with her own little knowledge, she could improvise the situation to her benefit.
Feeling her determination soar with a hint of excitement, Esme decided to play it safe and opt for a milder concoction, minimizing the risk of unintended consequences. She had gone through the books Vivienne lent her from the library and finally settled on creating an itch-inducing potion.
She rattled off the ingredients, her pretty blue eyes scanning the array of items on her worktable. "Lavender oil, water, lemon balm leaves and…." But as she took stock, her slim eyebrows creased in frustration — one crucial ingredient was missing.
How could she forget?
"Everything okay, Milady?" Vivienne asked, sensing her lady's concern, but Esme waved it off and turned to Finnian.
"I need one more thing from the garden. What is everyone up to right now?" She asked, and Finnian ambled to her side.
"They're all in the dining room," he replied. "Do you need something? I can always get it for you." he insisted.
Esme smiled at his willingness to assist. Finnian had always been interested in her herbal remedies, because he believed he could learn to make them someday as well. However, this particular concoction was off-limits to him.
"Why don't you go to the kitchen and help me with the small-sized apothecary bowl and grindstone?" she couldn't turn him down and simply asked to fetch something else she forgot to take from the kitchen. Vivienne would monitor the rest of the ingredients, while she would get the poison ivy from the garden.
Putting on her protective gloves, she rose to her feet. Vivienne handed her a mini handwoven basket, and Esme stepped out of the room. She made her way to the garden where she could get the poison ivy, and thankfully, the garden was nowhere near the dining room, so running into anyone at the moment didn't sound possible.
Arriving at the moon-lit garden, Esme inhaled the sweet mixture of flowery scent that enveloped the air. She strolled to the poison ivy patch, carefully plucking the required amount for her concoction. When her task was complete, she turned around to hasten back to her chamber, quite eager to begin, but her footsteps faltered when she came face to face with the king at the garden's exit.
His commanding presence, accompanied by the piercing intensity of his amber eyes, radiated an alpha aura that demanded attention. Esme's eyes widened, frozen on the spot, before she belatedly remembered her protocols.
"Y-your Majesty?" She swiftly bowed her head, her heart racing. She stammered, her voice barely audible above a whisper. "F-forgive me, I…I didn't realize it was—"
"Esmeray." His voice, calm and soothing, had Esme pausing mid-sentence. "Dahmer told me you weren't feeling well. It is not safe to be out here in the cold night, you should have taken a cloak or a shawl to keep yourself warm." His tone was laced with concern, and Esme lowered her head even more in appreciation.
"It must have slipped my mind as I was in a hurry." Esme explained. "Do forgive me for my absence during your welcoming, it was very uncalled for."
"You…" his voice drifted when he sensed something was off. "Did you cut your hair? If I'm not mistaken." He inquired, sounding surprised, and Esme immediately lowered her head further like it would fulfill her wish of disappearing from sight.
"Well..yes…I…there was…I mean—"
"You don't need to be so formal, Esmeray. Lift your head." He said, and Esme raised her head like he had told her to do. It was only natural for her to get paranoid, since his Majesty knew about her family's long tradition, and she couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes.
"It suits you." He complimented out of the blue, and Esme's eyes widened. She met his gaze, and he didn't look disgusted at the sight. "It's not surprising that it looks good on you, you are the daughter of the late Alpha." He added, sounding genuine, and his voice was just…too soothing, too honest.
It was strange.
"Come with me." Lennox extended his hand for her to hold, catching Esme off-guard. "I was heading to your chamber when I saw you walking in this direction. There's something important I must share with you and your family, come." He urged her to take his hand, but Esme shook her head, showing him her gloved hands.
"I'm afraid I can't take his Majesty's hand, I have touched poison ivy and can't afford to arouse any discomfort for you."
"I see," he withdrew his hand after listening to her explanation, his gaze shifting to the cute mini basket containing poison ivy. "Very well, then I shall wait for you to clean up. I understand you're ill, but your presence is crucial for what I intend to say."
"Is…is there a problem, your Majesty?"
Lennox's eyes seemed to veil at her question. "Let's just say there's a situation, but it doesn't directly involve you. You'll understand once I've made the necessary announcement.
"Oh, okay." Esme felt she was stuck in yet another dilemma.