Chapter 62
Violet’s POV
The ceremony was set for tomorrow night, and Asher had a lot
to prepare during that time. I knew he had a lot on his plate, and
I didn’t want to be in the way, so I spent the first morning in
this packhouse with Mia and Olivia.
As we left the dining hall and walked down the hallway to the
garden, it became even clearer to us–the new environment
wasn’t as welcoming as we’d hoped.
People that we encountered were quiet. Most of them would
simply bow to us and hurried away like we were some sort of a
plague. I could feel them staring at us secretly. And those were
not friendly stares.
There was an odd tension in the air, and it left us uneasy.
“I miss Julia.” Olivia said with a sigh, her shoulders slumping a
bit as she sat on the garden bench next to me.
I understood how she felt because, honestly, I missed Jayden
and Michael too. We were a close–knit group at home. Nothing
Chapter 62
bad would happen with my family and friends around. They
were my strongest allies.
Yet here, we had no one and were surrounded by hostile
strangers.
I watched Mia run around, her face lit up with excitement as
she tried to explore every corner. She didn’t seem to feel the
unease we did. She just wanted to have fun and make new
friends.
It made me smile.
How I envied Mia’s innocent heart, her pure desire to be happy
without overthinking everything around her.
“Let’s get out of here and take a walk,” I said, standing up and
dusting off my clothes. “You heard the Beta yesterday. We own
this place now. At least we should know where the closest
restroom is.”
So we left the garden and began our exploration. The more
places we had been, the more strange looks that we were
getting, like we had entered places that we didn’t belong. But
honestly, I had grown a thick skin, and so had Olivia. We
walked on, our heads held high, refusing to let anyone’s
sideways glances bother us.
Mia was the first to spot a group of kids playing near the palace
courtyard. Her eyes lit up, and she tugged on my sleeve
excitedly.
“Can I go play with them?” she asked, her voice filled with
eagerness.
I hesitated. I didn’t want to let Mia out of my sight, especially in
this place where people didn’t seem particularly friendly
toward us. Olivia seemed to share my concern.
“Do you think they’ll be nice to her?” she asked in a hushed
voice, her eyes narrowing a little as she watched the kids.
“I don’t know…” I murmured. “But Mia deserves to have some
fun, especially after all the changes she’s been through.”
Mia were still looking up at me, her eyes wide with hope.
Nobody could say no to that pair of big, innocent eyes.
I gave her a gentle smile and nodded.
“Okay, go ahead,” I said. “But stay where I can see you, alright?”
Mia cheered and ran off, joining the group of kids with a huge
grin.
I noticed a few people standing not far away–probably the kids‘ parents. Smiling, I waved at them, trying to break the ice. But instead, they quickly avoided my gaze, shuffled even farther away, and started whispering among themselves.
“What the hell was that?” Olivia cried indignantly, “We were trying to be nice!”
A voice came from behind us, answering Olivia’s question:
“Don’t blame them. They didn’t mean it.”
We turned and found a beautiful woman with striking red hair
approaching us. She smiled politely, her green eyes warm.
“Hello,” she greeted us. “You must be the new Luna.”
I smiled, nodding. “Yes, I’m Violet. And this is Olivia.” It was so
nice to see one friendly face.
The woman introduced herself as Hannah. “I noticed the way
people have been looking at you,” she said, her tone apologetic.
“I assure you, it’s not because they hate you.”
Olivia raised an eyebrow. “Really? It seemed pretty clear to me
Chapter 62
that they aren’t exactly thrilled to have us here.”
“No, it’s not like that. The thing is… the former Luna–the
previous Queen–she didn’t like to interact with anyone who
wasn’t part of the royal family. She kept her distance from
everyone, especially those who weren’t in her social circle. The
people here are just… cautious. They don’t know what kind of
leader you’ll be, and they’re still adjusting.”
I gasped, and so did Olivia.
“You mean the former Queen never talk to normal members?
But how is this possible? They live in the same packhouse,” I
asked curiously.
“Well there are her maids there passing on her words to the
commoners. So you can avoid talking to members if you want.
And she would punish people who dared look directly into her
eyes…”
“WHAT?!” Olivia huffed, “That’s insane. What kind of tyrant is
she?”
I couldn’t help but laugh a little at Olivia’s bluntness. And it so
nice to know that we didn’t repel our members.
“Well, thank you for explaining. I’d love for people here to get
Chapter 62
to know me better. I’m not like her–I want to be someone they
can trust and rely on.”
Hannah gave me a polite smile, though I could tell there was
still a bit of distance there. She was respectful, yes, but I could
feel that she wasn’t quite ready to be warm or friendly with me
just yet.
It was okay. I knew that trust had to be earned.
“Would you mind showing us around?” I asked. “We’re still
getting used to everything, and it would be great to have a local
show us the best spots.”
“Of course, it will be my pleasure. This way please.”
Before leaving, I looked back at Mia. She was laughing with the
other kids. I was more comfortable leaving her with the kids
now that I knew those members meant no harm. And I felt
relief to see that she was fitting in. She adjusted to new
environment better than us adults.
Hannah led us through the palace grounds, taking us to a
beautiful garden that was tucked away from the main paths.
The flowers were vibrant, blooming in colors I’d never seen
before, and the air smelled sweet and fresh. It was
Chapter 62
breathtaking.
“Thank you for taking the time to show us around,” I said to
Hannah. “I really appreciate it.”
Hannah returned my smile, though it was still a bit reserved.
“It’s my duty. You’re the new queen, after all.”
“Like you said, there’s a new Queen and new King now. Things won’t be the same as they used to…I mean in a good way.”
Hannah looked at me for a moment, her expression softening
just slightly. “I do hope so.”
She let her guards down a bit. As we continued walking, she
began telling us more about the royal family.
“The former Wolf King was actually well–liked,” she said. “He
was fair, kind. But the queen… she was spoiled. She didn’t care
for the people here, and she made that very clear.”
“She wasn’t like this before.” I sighed. Asher mentioned his aunt
a couple of times and she sounded like a warm and kind person
years ago.
Hannah gave a small shrug. “Power has a way of corrupting
people. And their son, Matthew… He was supposed to be the
next in line, but he wasn’t fit for it. He was too distracted by his own desires–booze and women. Too interested in pleasure, not
enough in responsibility.”
I wanted to know more about the Beta and officers around
here. Yet before I could ask, I spotted an elderly woman not far
away from us.
Her hair was gray, pulled back into a neat bun, and her eyes
were sharp despite her age. She looked at me, her gaze intense,
and for a moment, I felt like she could see right through me.
“You!” she suddenly cried out, her voice loud enough for me to
hear. “You are just like her!”
I stopped in my track, astonished, “I’m sorry?”
