Serena felt so uncomposed in the moment. Her mouth hung open as she looked at Clara, and then she laughed. "No, not at all."
"Then why did you come to visit us?" Clara asked. "I do not have many books, but there was this one where a beautiful princess from a faraway land came to marry the angry prince, and everyone lives happily ever after."
Serena was touched at the thought and concerned at the same time. She was happy at the sentiment that Clara thought of her as a princess, but... was Darius really the angry person she saw him as? Maybe that was why he gave no speech, or at least didn’t talk to his people.
"I came here for serious business, like seeing if my pack can get more iron," Serena explained, clearing her throat gently. "I am no princess."
"Oh. I am sorry. You look exactly like the picture in my book..." Clara trailed off, fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve.
Serena was itching to press on about Darius. She had the opportunity to pry into the minds of the wolves, to know what they felt about him. "Do you think your alpha is an angry prince?"
Clara’s eyes darted left and right, scanning for eavesdroppers, then she leaned in and motioned Serena closer with an air of dramatic secrecy. "Very angry," she whispered. "My grandfather said it’s the one from when you miss your parents."
Serena blinked. That was not the answer she’d been expecting. Slowly, she placed her hands on Clara’s small shoulders and sighed. "Do you like him?"
"I do," Clara said without hesitation.
Serena blinked again, surprised at the swiftness of it.
"We do not see him much," Clara continued, "but this one time I saw him, we played hide and seek, and then he sent me home to Grandfather with a full purse.
"Is that so?" Serena asked, the corners of her lips tugging up again. Thɪs chapter is updated by NoveI[F]ire.net
The girl nodded enthusiastically, then spotted someone across the room and gave a little wave. "I have to go now, Your Excellency. I will write you."
Serena smiled, watching Clara’s small figure disappear into the crowd. She waved back, though the girl didn’t turn around. Her thoughts hadn’t yet settled when a hand rested on her shoulder. She turned to find Elder Cedar standing beside her.
"Elder Cedar," she greeted.
"The famed ambassador," the man said with a quiet chuckle. "Come this way before the people pull you from my grasp."
Serena let out a soft laugh and followed him to a quieter corner of the hall, her steps light, though her mind still lingered on Clara’s words.
"Did you need something?" she asked once they were aside.
"Not at all. I want to give praises for when it is due," he said, folding his hands behind his back.
Serena smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "It is nothing at all. It is all our work."
"Ah, but you give yourself no credit. You are the face of all of this. If I am to be honest, I wish it could be every day," Cedar said.
Serena raised a brow. "What do you mean, Elder?"
The older man let out a slow sigh and pulled lightly on his ear. "Everyone is happy, just for this moment. I want to take this and make it last forever, but that sounds like magic."
Serena looked at the people in the hallway. A few handfuls were left, but there was laughter all around. Someone clinked a glass nearby, and a pair of young wolves danced without rhythm in a corner, their parents clapping along.
"I assume it does not happen often?" Serena asked.
Cedar’s hopeful expression had morphed into a grim one. He ran his hand through the sparse hair on his head. "Not that much. But we have our moments."
"I see." Serena glanced at her hands, then decided to go ahead with her question. "I do have a question... is Darius an angry person?"
The stare she received nearly made her take a step back. Cedar crossed his arms. "He has moved past that... Darius is better. He is not angry anymore."
Serena nodded slowly. The answer was vague. Vague enough to let her know she should not ask more. "I am glad. How is little Naomi?"
Cedar let his arms fall to his sides, and the lines on his face softened with a smile. "She is in the crowd, somewhere with her mother."
"Oh, I was hoping to see her before I leave."
"I am sure you will," Cedar replied. "You have someone coming for you."
Serena turned to see what he meant and saw Darius walking up to her. Everyone had moved out of his way instantly. His eyes were on one person, and one person only. Serena.
Darius watched as Cedar walked away, leaving the two alone. "Serena," he called.
"Hello, Darius," she said.
"Someone just walked over to me, saying you rejected his confession of love," Darius said in an amused tone.
"He met you as well? He asked for my hand in marriage," Serena said, arms crossing lightly as she leaned her weight onto one leg.
Darius rolled his eyes and shook his head. He couldn’t explain the flicker of irritation that overtook him the moment the ill-looking man had approached him, all puffed-up pride and wounded heart. It was irrational, really– because if Serena were to marry anyone in that room, it should’ve been him.
"Well, what did you say?" Darius asked.
"I am not sure why he came to you. I already said yes."
Darius did a double take and held Serena’s shoulders. "What do you mean you said yes?"
"What? I need your permission to get married?"
He nearly wanted to say yes, but he decided against it and looked to the ceiling like there was something puppeteering her.
"My husband would not be passive-aggressive to me, especially if a letter he sent was not delivered."
Darius let go of her shoulders, looked away briefly, and held his chin. "Did you really say yes to him?"
"Of course not," Serena said in an exasperated tone.
"Oh." Darius rubbed his neck and looked at Serena, who had a frown on her lips. "I’m sorry. I just did not want things to go wrong."
Serena turned her head, her gaze settling on a spot just past his shoulder. Her voice dropped, flat and disappointed. "You said you trusted me."