Forged In The Flames By Karima Sa’ad Usman
Chapter 43 Removing An Illusion (Nikolas POV)
The walk back to the palace from the werewolf hospital was challenging. I planned not to make hasty decisions ever again. I returned to the palace and decided to head to my office, so Abraham could bring the report on what they found in the Estate.
I linked Abraham, and he told me he was on his way. There was an uneasiness about him, and I knew something was wrong. He arrived at my office in five minutes, and I could tell immediately that something was troubling him.
“What did you find that is troubling you like this?” I asked him, and he took a deep breath. “I hope you won’t take offence, Alpha. I would never do or say anything that would deliberately hurt you, but I heard something disturbing from Gezel when I returned from the woods. You can call her to repeat what she told me.” he said, and I got impatient.
I did not want to call anyone to my office or get into a matter other than what had already happened with the hunters in the woods. I had just walked a very long distance. I wanted to get everything over with and go to Aliana. “Tell me quickly. I do not have time, and I hope it isn’t anything that would waste my time,” I said, and he nodded. “I hope you won’t see it as time-wasting.
“Gezel told me because she wanted me to plead with you that, she had no hand in what happened this time. She said it was all your mother. That she was shocked to see it unfold. She was even crying and requesting that I plead with you to move her elsewhere,” he said, and I frowned. The only time I have dealt with Gezel was for being involved with bullying Aliana. What did my mother do this time that made her feel the need to report herself and distance herself from it?
“What happened?” I asked.
“Gezel said your mother went to your room to beat up Aliana. She said awful things and hurt her badly; She also said Ania and Lisa were there, along with some guards. She said she had no hand in it,” He said, but I could not let him finish his words. I was on my feet immediately.
I moved quickly. I left my office, crossed the foyer, up the stairs and went to my bedroom. I did not bother to knock; I turned the knob and just entered. Aliana was on the couch. Her eyes were swollen with tears. There was a bruise on her forehead, and when I moved closer, a slap was printed on her cheek. Ania and Lisa left immediately. I was livid.
I could not believe my mother would do this after I had told her to stay away from Aliana. I told her to respect my boundaries and stay out of my business. The fact that I wasn’t there to protect Alina made me feel like I had failed her. My mother had done it this time. I wasn’t blind at all. Either she was extremely hateful, or she wasn’t completely cured of her madness. Either way, this was unacceptable.
I walked out of the room to go and confront her; Bane was fuming, and so was I. She was my mother. She had her place, and Aliana was mine, and she had her own place.
I got to her room and learned that my mother was dining with the Lycans. I knew it was time for dinner, and I wondered why she was eating with the Lycans, but I did not care. The whole Queen thing had gotten to her head, and I needed to snap her out of her illusion. I entered the dining, maintained a calm exterior, and the whole place went silent. I saw Gezel and Erica serving my mother, and Gezel looked afraid, but I wasn’t there for her. My mother saw me and smiled. “You finally decided to join us,” my mother said, smiling as if she hadn’t done anything wrong.
“Who gave you the right to go to my room?” I asked her calmly, and everyone was silent. I looked around and saw that all my lycan officers were there except for Abraham, whom I had left in my office.
“Why are you talking to me like that?” She asked me, sounding hurt.
“I will talk to you however I please. Have I not warned you to stay away from Aliana and her friends? Did I not tell you she was off-limits? Did I not tell you to mind yourself?” I asked her, and she frowned.
“So, the b*itc*h said I did something to her, and you are here to do what? Discipline me?” She asked, and I realised the whole Queen thing had gotten to her head. I was her Alpha. Son or not, I was her Alpha, and she was bound to respect me. How would she respect me as King if she could not respect me as her Alpha? I doubt she would want me to have a queen with her behaviour.
“Leave us,” She ordered everyone.
“I give the orders around here,” I corrected her, and everyone sat still. She looked stunned. “You just regained your health yesterday, and no one likes you. Everyone is uncomfortable around you. That speaks a lot about your character when you were queen,” I said, and she looked hurt.
“All this because of a slave? Do you know what she did?” She asked me, and I nodded.
“You asked them to come to you, and they told you they can’t come based on my orders, and if you want them to come, you have to clear with me first,” I said, and she was silent. “Then you decided to go to my room and beat her up after I had warned you to leave her for me. I was the one that took Forest. How I choose to enact my revenge is completely my business,” I said, and she stood up.
“I am only trying to protect you son. Her father was your father’s friend, and look what he did,” She said, and I laughed. “You can’t protect me, mother. I grew up on my own and learned to live on my own.
Created a new family alone without you. I do not need you to protect me, mother.” I said, and she was shocked.
“All this because of a werewolf b*itch? Where was she when I carried you, gave birth to you and took care of you? Her father stole our home and left us….” She started, and I shut her up.
“Enough with the lies! We grew up in the woods because your brother would not take you in, and I think I can see why. I should have known. The amount of venom you planted in me at a young age was wicked. It might not seem like nothing then, but seeing you now, I know you weren’t any different in the woods either. Do not pin this all on Gabriel. The wolf is paying for his part in the crime. His people have died for it, and his daughter has been ruined by me for it. She is his only family, and that is how I choose to enact my revenge. Your behaviour is why your brother turned you away. Gabriel sent you off with your maids and told you, you could return with your child to claim Forest, but you never did. I know the hunters were your brother’s doing, as he is still doing now, so spare me the lies.” I said, and she was in shock. Everyone was in shock. I had revealed something the Lycans did not know about the uprising and Gabriel. I was afraid there might be more to the story that would make me ashamed of my lineage because of my mother’s behaviour.
“Do not blackmail me with what you did for me, Mother. I have paid my debt if you want to go that route. I did not bury a knife in your heart. I was ten, yet I risked my life to keep you even though you almost took my eye and killed me! Yes, you did this to me. Not the battles, not Gabriel or Aliana; you gave me this scar,” I said, and she gasped.
“I cared for you for nineteen years. I took you everywhere I went and ensured you were cared for. When we came here, Aliana, Ania, and Lisa cared for you until you were healthy enough to regain your sanity. I am sure they regret it even if they do not say it because you have somehow, in two days, managed to make yourself their adversary,” I said.
“I hit her because she was being disrespectful. Gezel was there,” She said on the verge of tears. My words had cut her deeply. She looked at Gezel to back up her claims.
“Tell him what the Slave did?” She barked at Gezel, and I looked at Gezel to see if she would have the effrontery to speak.
“Speak!” she yelled at Gezel, who was shaking with fear.
“We we we… went to the room and knocked on the door. Aliana let her majesty in,” She said and looked at me.
“The queen asked a series of questions, and Aliana did not respond, so she took offence, and that was when her majesty grabbed her hair and forced her to her knees. She said what she wanted to say, pushed Aliana’s head to the ground, kicked her, and walked out. Ania and Lisa just watched,” She said, and my mother got pissed.
“Why, you piece of shit,” She said, advancing towards Gezel.
“Don’t you dare!” I ordered with my command, and she froze.
I did not know I would have to do this to her, but she had left me no choice. “You went to my room and beat up a woman for no reason, simply because you were angry. If what they did hurt you, why didn’t you take it up with me? What made you think you had the right to go to my room, enter my private space and beat Aliana?” I asked her.
“How dare you say I have no right to enter your room, yet you have slaves there. A werewolf b*itch and two halfbreeds. Have you forgotten about the Unity law?” She asked, and I laughed.
“Aliana has every reason to be in my room. She is my mistress. On the other hand, you are my mother and have no reason to get involved in my business, especially in the bedroom department. So, I am warning you now. Let this be the last time you will enter my room; send for Aliana, Ania or Lisa. Let this be the last time you will lay your hands on Aliana or anyone, Gezel and Erica inclusive. From tonight, no one will refer to you as a queen again. You need to face reality, mother. You are no longer a queen and thus are not above anyone here. I also noticed that you are too idle, and that is why you have the time to cause havoc. I am, at this moment, removing Gezel and Erica from serving you. If you need anything done outside the basic chores, do it yourself like the rest of us. I do not owe you shit, Mother. You gave me life, and I preserved yours. Do not mess with me and my authority ever again,” I said, and people were surprised I looked at everyone.
“Everything I said today is binding. Henceforth refer to her by her name, while the slaves will refer to her as Luna in an honorary capacity only. She is not the queen and will never be. That position is reserved for my mate if I ever ascend, nor is she, Luna.
That position is also reserved for my mate, the woman that would bear my mark and have my children. She is just my mother, and that is all,” I said, tears streaming down her face, but what I was doing was necessary, or she might cost me dearly at this pace.
“Every time you misbehave, I will remove a privilege from you. Let this be a warning, dear mother. Do not aggravate anyone here ever again. I wouldn’t have gotten Forest back without the people in this room, and you would have died if it hadn’t been for the woman you beat up today. Learn to be grateful even to the slaves. We wouldn’t all be here if they had fought back,” I said.
“You should have left me to die,” She said, and I chuckled.
“You can denounce my pack and return to the woods,” I said.
I did not mean it and did not want her to go feral again, but I needed to stop her from emotional blackmail. I needed her not to know my weak spots because I knew she would use them to her advantage.
Doing this hurt her, but I need her to learn a little humility and gratitude. She stormed out of the dining room. I did not want her to crumble what I had built all my life, and I did not want her to keep doing things that would make people hate her.
Contrary to her words, Lycans were likely to revolt faster than werewolves. I could not let it get to that. I was doing this to protect her and everything I built. It was hard, but it was necessary.
Referring to Aliana as my mistress and belittling what we have as part of my revenge was hard, but I could not trust my mother with the information of how I really felt. How long would I have to keep up the pretend? I was ashamed of myself and felt a little weak, but there was too much riding on my Kingship that it was only wise to hold on and pretend a little longer.
I walked away after she left and returned to my bedroom.
Aliana was on the couch when I entered, and she did not utter a word to me. I just went to the bathroom to wash the day’s stress off my body.