Alpha King's Mate

63. Home

There is a time in every person's life when they are faced with a decision unlike any they have made before. The stakes will be high, the consequences everlasting, and one mustn't consider merely the short-term.

I once saw my entire world as an acre of land, upon which sat my pack house, my parents, and memories I couldn't bear to abandon. I would lie in my sister's bed, curled up in every position, trying to get a glimpse of life through her eyes. Perhaps that would answer one of my hundreds of questions.

Had she noticed that chip of paint peeling away from the rest? How about the little cobweb in the corner?

My world is bigger now than it was then, than it was just a few months ago. Now my worries span generations.

What type of world will my child live in? The answer should not depend on their gender. Yet, I find myself pacing Zach's office, calculating each outcome. A mutiny is imminent, of that I am sure, even if the King lives, even if I have a son. The seeds of discontentment have been sown in our ranks, and it will take a desperate measure to flush them out. The only question is: will I be willing to heed it when the time comes?

"My Queen."

"Hm? Oh, Marcia. Please, come in."

The Queen Mother did not sit as I gestured, instead, she clutched a scroll in her hands, tightly. I almost thought she'd rip it.

"This is from Zachary," she said and dropped it into my hands. Her fingers shook. "He sent a messenger boy two days ago. We haven't heard from him since."

Her voice was shrill and quick, as if she was pushing through a blockage in it to speak. I couldn't fault her, after everything she has been through.

I took the scroll, which was branded with Zach's wax seal, and unraveled it.

Liv,
Things have worsened. I am writing to you out of pure necessity. Our communication lines have somehow been jammed, and technological correspondence is no longer a safe and viable option. The rogue army has vanished from the Eastern Kingdom without a trace. Some predict they have gone underground, others worry they will be launching a final attack on the capital. If they are coming North, to you, I beg you to remember the promise we made and please, for the love of God, keep it. I am sending a battalion to meet you just behind this letter. Take the family through the escape tunnel, and up to the cliffs. They will meet you there. I love you. Stay safe.
Love,
Zachary

I let the scroll slip from my fingertips and fall to the desk. Marcia immediately brought it up to her eyes for inspection. There was a short silence as she read, just before a gasp.

"We have to go." She said, her face pale. "I'll gather your things."

I couldn't speak. My mouth felt like it was filled with hot, dry sand and my jaw was iron, immovable. I did not know what to do, and the pacing continued.

"Olivia."

"I only need the baby bag under the bed in our room, would you please fetch that for me?" I asked, pulling at my fingers, twisting my engagement ring.

"Don't you want to save anything else?" Marcia asked, he voice high pitched and anxious.

"No," I said.

Marcia left the office then. I stayed. Zach wanted me to flee, as the village was sacked and the palace overthrown by rogues. I was overwhelmed with conflict, specifically with the part of me that was not surprised: the part of me that found the terror and imminent destruction of the palace familiar and potentially boring. The other part of me understood the stupidity of that notion. We had been attacked so many times, and always lived another day, but Zach's word choice rang through my brain: final attack. Final. There would be no surviving a breech like this one. Each time we were hit they got smarter, they learned more about our defenses and, most importantly, our weak spots. They have learned enough now, to defeat the purpose of any future attacks.