It took almost seven days for Dax and Mirella to finally arrive in the capital city. Because of the several tens of caskets that were being pulled by these huge horse carts, it took them almost twice the amount of time to complete this journey.
Apart from the first yet comparatively smaller cart that held two coffins, which obviously belonged to the two alphas, there were these other few huge carts that had the caskets of the several warriors that died in that battle. But everyone alive was on foot. Even Mirella chose to walk with Dax, in silent yet solemn reverence.
Abby and Alan personally received Dax and Mirella, who looked beyond dispirited, making Abby dread their explanation.
Behind the queen and the rest were people from the Red River pack and the Silver Moon pack.
Two days earlier, which was three days after her confrontation with the former king and Neesha, Abby received several people from both the packs, who followed their lunas for the two alphas’ burial. Because of the circumstances they had died, Abby agreed with Alan’s suggestion to bury Samuel and James’ bodies according to royal protocol.
Abby let Alyssa take care of the arrangements for the two women and the others’ stay in the palace, while they all waited for the royal gamma and the witch to return to the capital city.
The said women were now crying again silently as they rushed to their respective mate’s coffins.
On the other hand, the queen was about to probe the royal gamma when he bowed to her, but seeing the look of unmistakable guilt on his face made her swallow her questions.
“Alan, send the warriors back first,” Abby told the royal beta before she turned to Deion. “Shift these caskets to the underground basement.”
And then she saw as the guards unload and carry the coffins one by one to the basement, where they would keep them until the burial.
Even after looking at all the coffins, there was no change in her expression. She still held her head high as she asked Dax and Mirella to go to their rooms in the palace, while the warriors that made it back alive left slowly.
She didn’t tear up even at the uncertainty of the situation, where she didn’t know what happened to her mate.
Her gaze then fell on the two women still sobbing. “Send the lunas to their guest bedrooms to rest.”
Abby was about to return to her bedroom to go about her day when Claire, Alpha Samuel’s mate, approached her.
“My Queen, you should also rest well.” Claire said, as she bowed to her. And when Abby thought the woman would leave, she wiped at her face before continuing to speak her mind. “You should accept that the King is gone, and move on. Please, think about your baby.”
From her polite tone to consoling her words, her intention was simple. Like everyone, she believed Abby was just in denial and couldn’t accept the reality.
But if she bottled up everything like that, it would harm the baby in her womb, so she only meant well and Abby understood that.
“I’m not in denial, Claire. I know my Micah is still alive.” She said, standing by her beliefs.
Yes, she strongly believed that Micah was still alive. Since there was no dead body here, it only meant he was still alive. He had to be alive for her and their baby.
On the other hand, her words only sounded like she was comforting herself, especially when Claire recalled how Abby had been refusing to hold a funeral for Micah until she saw his body.
Claire wanted to persuade her a little more, feeling it would be indeed hard to accept the reality for Abby when this cynical voice beat her to it.
“How would she believe King Micah is dead when it would only reflect her own faults?”
“What do you mean by it, Hera?” Claire asked the woman named Hera, mate of Alpha James.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“How is the King dying in a battle the queen’s fault?” Claire was feeling indignant for the queen.
“Because her bad luck is the reason it happened.” Hera sounded righteous when Abby didn’t say anything in the face of her accusation. “She is a jinx.” “Hera, you are crossing a line.”
It was still Claire who spoke up with this obvious frown on her face.
However, James’ mate lost all
reasoning as she started pointing fingers at Abby. “She caused her mother’s death first, then exiled her own father and sister from this kingdom. Now her bad luck has even rubbed off onto my mate… Content
She had been holding back for a week now, but seeing James’ cold corpse made her lose it.
“She stayed in our pack for a few days, and my James left for a battle, then died because of her. She caused it. Her bad luck isn’t really a joke. Even the King disappeared without a trace.” The more she talked, the more brazen she sounded, while Abby just stood there, regarding her coldly.
Even when Claire wanted to stop her, Hera only spouted more nonsense until Alan couldn’t take it.
He had just returned to Abby’s side when he heard her curse at the queen without fear.
“Wherever she goes, death and gloom follows her! She is a jinx, I say!”
“Preposterous! Guards, drag this woman to the dungeon!” The royal beta didn’t hesitate to make this decision for Abby.
But the girl who had been unresponsive in the face of the insults Hera threw at her until now, chose this particular moment to speak again.
“No need for it, Royal Beta Alan!!” Abby held up her hand, stopping the guards who were about to follow Alan’s order and lock Hera in a cold cell Just confine her to her room until the burial.”
Her order was clear, Abby didn’t want to see her before the burial again. If she had to respond to every finger that was pointed at her, she
would never see the end of it.
Ignoring these irrelevant people
would do her more good anyway!