Genevieve

Chapter 21: Teach Me

Tristan felt as if the world around him stopped when he heard the words.

"We want to leave this kingdom."

One of them was his mate. His queen. The person he had waited for so long. It had barely been a few days since they came here and now they wanted to leave. He wasn't even sure which one was his mate yet, but it turned out that he wouldn't ever be able to find out. He didn't waste a single second, and instead of asking why, he immediately spoke.

"I'm sorry."

He didn't know what he was apologizing for, but he knew just one thing. He didn't want them to leave. It was too soon. "Whatever it is, I'm sorry. I'm spend more time with you two. I'll take you wherever you want. I'll do anything you say. I'll get you everything. Whatever is wrong I'll fix it. Please just stay." He had to admit that he was busy when they arrived, but he was willing to push all his schedules forward for them.

"We're sorry. We can't stay any longer." Bella replied. The girls didn't want to be rude to him, it wasn't his fault. But it was his people. The girls never thought that they would take such a decision, but the incident deeply impacted them and pushed them to the edge. The girls went to their rooms to pack, leaving Tristan saddened and with tons of unanswered questions.

The girls were in the middle of packing when they heard a knock on the door, and tons of women entered their room in joy.

"We did it! We did it!" They started jumping and hugged the girls.

"What do you mean?" Gen asked in confusion.

"Didn't you hear? The king announced that the laws will be changed, and the women are getting various incentives to start their own businesses, to get in the councils and to join the army as well." They revealed.

"Unmated males are now forbidden to touch females and the army is getting restructured too. Apparently, many men are getting kicked out and some are even getting banished from the kingdom." A women spoke.

"We're so excited and so relieved. This is all thanks to you two!" They cheered, while Bella and Gen just looked at each other. They were being treated as heroes when they hadn't really negotiated with Tristan, and their discussion with the men didn't go well either.

A woman noticed their bags and suitcases and inquired. "Why are you packing? Are you going somewhere?"

"Don't leave! We won't let you leave!" The women surrounded them, and that is when the girls realized that they had acted hastily and rashly.

After convincing the women that they aren't going anywhere, the girls decided to talk to Tristan and clarify everything. Gen felt at fault for misjudging him, and not discussing the issues regarding the women with him first. Tristan seemed busy with the council members but dismissed them immediately when the girls came to visit him.

"We heard about the change. It's great, we're so glad you took the step." Bella spoke first, and then nudged Gen to continue.

"We realized that we were leaving earlier than planned, so we were wondering if we could-" But before Gen could say 'stay', Tristan cut her off and spoke.

"You should leave."

Gen was taken aback and thought it was a misunderstanding, and so she tried to clarify. "But-"

"I have made all the arrangements for you two. You will leave tomorrow." Tristan interrupted again and left as soon as he finished his sentence. He felt so strange and so cold. Gen and Bella couldn't believe that he was the same person they met some time earlier. They realized that they hurt Tristan's sentiments, but they didn't mean to. But since they were at fault, they decided that they had to make it up to him.

The girls began to ask around about what Tristan liked and ways to make it up to him. But no one knew him well enough, and he spent most of his time training. He had started training the women as well, which was a move that Gen truly admired. Before the girls knew, another bomb dropped on them.

Tristan decided to make an announcement. "Dear pack members and guests. I hope you all heard about the changes that have been made and the new laws that will be implemented. I apologize for the delay; I should've done this earlier. I came across some disturbing news recently and feel extremely devastated. No matter how much I apologize, it will never be enough. I will do anything to earn your forgiveness. My pack has always trusted me, and I let them down. Which is why I have decided...

That I will be stepping down as the king."

Everyone was shocked to hear the announcement. They never expected Tristan to take such a huge step. He had always been devoted to his pack. They couldn't even imagine someone else as the king. Tristan did have some shortcomings, but he had been a great leader. He was calm, fair, and kind. He would be there when his pack members needed him, and he would always take the best decisions for them.

Gen was also surprised to hear him, and constantly observed his expressions while he was delivering the speech. He tried hard to hide it, but his face was guilt-ridden. Although he didn't remove his gaze from his people, he wouldn't look at them for long. He was trying to remain strong and confident throughout, but there were instances when his voice cracked, and his façade broke.

"Tristan, wait. Please don't do this. It is a mistake." Gen tried to stop him. "Your kingdom needs you."

But all he gave was a cryptic response in return. "My kingdom will be better off without me. And so will you. I'm sorry."

Gen was able to connect the dots and understood why Tristan was doing everything. From asking them to leave, to stepping down as the king. But she couldn't let that happen. It was not his fault. He was acting impulsively, but someone had to stop him since it would be a huge loss for the kingdom. Gen had to do something, and she had to do something fast. She needed a way in which she could stay and stop Tristan at the same time.

"Will you do me a favor before I leave, and before you step down?" Gen tried to negotiate, and Tristan pondered before agreeing.

Gen was really clueless what to say. And she didn't even know why she said it. But she uttered the first thing that came to her mind, and just hoped for the best.

"Teach me how to fight."

Author's Note:

Hi! Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who reads this story. I am truly overwhelmed by the response and feel so happy when I read your comments or see that people have voted. I apologize for not being regular with the updates. I decided to do a double update to compensate for that. Hopefully, I will be updating regularly now. And guess what...

I will be updating twice a week! On Wednesdays and Sundays.

Please support me and pour in your love, that is what keeps me going. I am so grateful to have a wonderful audience. I also receive a lot of emails but due to university, I haven't been able to reply to any. I try to reply as soon as possible. Lots of love xoxo