Alpha Zaelah | Book One: Realities Demise

FORTY-THREE

Z A E L A H

An hour and a half had passed since Nina, Giana and I had left Aropia for the tour of the new improvements made to the villages and our first stop was Lamonte because it was the closest.

I gazed outside the moving carriage as the satisfying sound of the horses' feet meeting the stone pavement greeted my ears while my nose took in the faint scent of rain that had barely fallen at the start of our journey and my eyes watched the tall trees that stood with their leaves dancing with the wind in the dark forest as we passed it.

"How was Drago?" Nina asked me with evident interest, causing my eyes to greet her sharp yet soft features.

"It was...good um I learned a lot," I replied vaguely which had Giana turning to me with slightly furrowed brows.

"What did you learn?" She questioned me and I honestly didn't know where to start because I had learned many things during my short stay at Drago.

"Uh, Malik told me the real reason the werewolves started the war," I informed her while looking away from her brown eyes as the eye contact made me uncomfortable, especially with the information I was currently sitting on.

"Which was?" Giana inquired, letting me know she wouldn't drop the topic which had me wishing I had mentioned something else, but I took in a soft breath before releasing it with my words.

"It was for me," I confessed and my response only seemed to bring her great confusion as her brows knitted together, perfectly matching the expression I had on my face last night when he told me.

"Now, I'm confused. What do you mean?"

"Well, as you both know Malik and I are soulmates which means our souls are bonded in every life so when I die I—" I was unable to complete my explanation as Giana continued it.

"Reincarnate."

I nodded.

"Yes."

She sighed softly, causing my eyes to meet hers, "And you believe him?"

"There is no reason he'd lie," I expressed, pushing down my defensive nature when I heard judgement in her tone.

"With all due respect Zaelah, I don't think I can trust him as yet. I've spent years facing the werewolves' wrath and they have spent years facing ours which makes it very hard for me to believe everyone accepted you so easily when you went to Drago with him. They are obviously planning something and this 'reincarnation' story is probably a part of it," Giana declared, voicing the thoughts that had been weighing on her mind for what seemed like days.

"Believe me when I tell you no one there was happy about my arrival except for his close friends and his mother. His people were outraged when they heard he allowed me and my family onto their lands."

"They do not own those lands, they stole it and maybe their anger was just an act." She speculated causing a sigh to leave Nina as she leaned against the carriage window.

"Or maybe you need to stop being so paranoid, Giana," Nina remarked, drawing a frown onto Giana's brows.

"I'm not being paranoid, Nina, I'm being cautious because obviously someone here needs to be."

"Malik is trying to build a new world," I told her and her frown deepened.

"I'm not surprised. I'm guessing Aropians are the last of the human population thanks to your bond?"

"No, he and his people haven't harmed a single human who hasn't harmed them. The Dragoian royal family lives to this day." I informed her.

"Have you seen them?"

"No, but he offered to take me to see Princess Maya, but I forgot to bring it back up," I explained, silently wishing I had visited Maya when given the chance because I hadn't seen her in years.

"Very convenient for him."

"Now you're reaching, Giana," Nina commented as she fixed the hems of her dress.

"Am I? I know what the werewolves are capable of, I saw my father barely escape with his life when one entered our home during their first attack on Gayaun and now you're telling me, he ordered his dogs to tear apart and kill so many just to avenge your death?" Giana proclaimed but made sure her voice never passed the point people would find disrespectful.

"This war wasn't started by him, humans did this. My grandfather killed me in my past life which is why Malik retaliated, if you want someone to blame, blame the kings and queens who stood by knowing his plans and helped him in killing me." I began.

"Malik sending his 'dogs' to attack their kingdoms was the consequence of their foolish actions that the subjects of these rulers had to pay, but Malik told me he and his people didn't attack a single child. They only killed the humans who were hellbent on killing them." I tried to reason with her.

"My father was just trying to escape, he didn't attack that beast." She informed me, keeping the same frown on her lips.

"You both can sit here and argue about what happened when the werewolf attacked Giana's home, but the truth is we'll never know because you told me you didn't see a thing Giana and your father won't talk about it and Zaelah you just weren't there." Nina voiced, immediately shutting down both our arguments.

I pushed down my pride as I nodded, "You're right, it's useless."

"What I don't understand is how you can forgive Malik and his people so easily, Zaelah like they didn't kill your own." Giana pointed out and I didn't get the chance to respond to this statement because Nina spoke.

"She can forgive them as easily as I forgave you and your people for demonising my people, our beliefs and our ancestors."

Hearing this had Giana staying quiet as if she knew arguing with Nina wasn't a path she'd want to take.

"We're 2 minutes away from Lamonte, your highness!" The coachman yelled over the noise caused by the carriage riding against the stony road that was leading us to our destination.

As if planned, my eyes captured the sight of people walking past the coach, a few stopping to bow when they noticed the royal insignia, it wouldn't take a genius to realize these people belonged to the Lamonte village. Soon enough the carriage stopped at the newly designed iron gate that held Aropia's royal seal and the colours of Aropia's flag, red, black and green.

The guards who were standing by the gate immediately opened it so the coachman could head through. When he found the perfect place to park, he hopped off his post before heading to my door, pulling it open so we could depart from the enclosed space.

I held the hand he offered as I stepped out of the vehicle and the sight of me had the onlookers whispering.

"Queen Zaelah, I wasn't expecting a visit."

My eyes went to the woman I knew as Lois who had been the mayor of this village for six years.

"I apologise for not giving you prior notice about my visit but this was a very sudden choice," I informed her while plastering a gentle smile on my lips.

"No need to apologise, your highness, but may I ask why you've come?" She requested.

"I just wanted to check on the improvements made to the village and the things that need to be added so I can estimate the number of supplies required to complete the rebuilds." I briefed her, giving her enough information to form her next response.

"Well the builders have given me a specific number, would you like to see it? They're in my office." She notified me and I gave her a nod.

"Please, lead the way."

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