Solitary

Chapter 29- Fucking Hear Me

"Nikolai told us about you a while back." King Father says as he pours me a cup of tea.

The lemony fragrance was calming but didn't tempt me enough to take a sip. The both of them take sips from their cup and pointedly notice that I don't touch mine.

I don't make a move to either.

"Solus." I look to Queen mother as my name flows smoothly off her lips. "To be Alone. Who chose your name?"

"I don't know, I never asked." I say.

"You should ask your parents. We want to meet them in a week so we can properly begin your ceremony." Queen mother says as she takes a sip of her tea.

"That wouldn't be a problem if I actually had parents, Queen Mother." I say and she sputters in her cup.

"I'm sorry, I had no idea-"

"No, they're not dead!" I cut her off quickly. "We just have a very difficult relationship. I don't really consider myself to have much of a family. Don't feel bad, we just don't talk."

"Pray tell, why not?"

"A lot of reasons." I shrug it off and my fingers lock together. I don't like talking about my family at all, not with anyone. "But, we were simply just too different to live peacefully together, so I moved out."

"Oh, well I'm sure you all could put aside your differences and come together for one afternoon." Queen mother smiles. "It's in our tradition that the family hand off their daughter as we eat and talk. It shouldn't be too unbearable."

It sounded for a moment like she was commanding me. Like I didn't have a choice. I keep quiet as my hands fisted together, knuckles crushing against each other as I bite down the pain.

"Your coming out party will be exquisite!" Queen mother beams with a shining smile. I'm starting to see the resemblance between her and Natasha. "We'll have dinner first, then you'll be dancing with Nikolai, then the world will know you as our future Queen. It'll be spectacular!"

"We cant just have a small get together? We can still follow through with traditions but it doesn't have to be so large scale." I say and they both look at me like I just cursed at the table.

"It's not in our men's nature to be discreet about finding our mates." King father grips Queen mother's hand as he speaks. "It'll be a show of out power and strength as a family."

I've never been good with families.

***

Making it back to my room, I flop down on the bed exhausted. I can't do this everyday, I need to talk to Nikolai, we need to find some common ground.

Just as that thought comes, Nikolai enters the room.

I spring up from the mattress, almost desperate to be heard.

"Nikolai we need to talk."

"Yes we do." The look on his face pinned me. He didn't look happy, my wolf whimpering at his expression. "You offended my mother."

"What?"

"Suggesting that your family not come to the exchange? Telling them you didn't consider yourself to have a family, it made you look illegitimate, and also interrupting my mother and making her look uneducated about your circumstances."

"Nikolai this shouldn't be news to you, I told you my family and I were not okay. And what the fuck am I supposed to do about your parents? Drop my whole autobiography on the table?" I take the defense quickly ready to fight against him. I wasn't going to let him talk down to me. Regardless if he was king of the world.