Chapter 264: Chapter 264

264 Chapter 264 : A few suitors

“Good morning princess...”

Eira did not respond, neither did she move. She just lay in her bed under the covers, lost in her thoughts.

Maria walked to the low table near Eira’s window and set down the tray of food she was holding. “Your breakfast is ready, I was thinking we can go over a few etiquette lessons before you start your day, what do you say?”

“Can we do this another time Maria,” the red head responded, “I wish to be alone for a while.”

“I understand. But I do hope you come down to the dinning room for lunch later,” Maria added on. “Everyone will be there, your parents, all three sets of your grandparents and all your uncles and aunties.”

Eira pulled the covers further up her body and sighed. That’s right, it was officially her birthday. A royal ball would be held a night before to welcome not only the first day of winter, but her birthday as well. After which, the next day family members from all over would gather and give the princess gifts.

She usually loved this time of year, it was one of the few times she got to meet all her favorite people and receive fancy new gifts. But this year she didn’t feel as excited about it, especially after what her mother had just told her the night before.

“I will leave you to your thoughts then,” Maria spoke as she walked towards the door. “If you need anything don’t hesitate to call.”

When the door closed shut, Eira grabbed one of her pillows, placed it over her face and groaned. She then rolled over to the edge of the bed and sat up, her head still fuzzy from everything that her mother had said the previous night.

.....

As the princess walked towards the large window on the other end of the room, she pondered over her mother’s words over and over again.

‘He manipulated me and I am not proud of it, if it wasn’t for your uncle William and the others who uncovered the kind of psychotic lair Elric was, who knows if your father and I would have ended up together and had you. Elric is the kind of man who would lie to, manipulate and hurt anyone who stands in the way of getting what he wants. The only reason he ran off to live in exile is because he couldn’t bare the thought of not getting his way. Elric is the victim of nothing but his own actions.’

The princess wrapped her arms around her body and shivered a little. It was getting cold. She turned to the table beside her and poured herself a cup of ginger tea that she carried back to the window.

“Does fighting for something you believe is yours make you psychotic?..” the princess mumbled to herself as she sipped on her tea.

The way her mother told the story, she painted Elric as a villain, but there were moments in her story where Eira actually felt bad for the lycan. In as much as his way of doing things was grossly distasteful, at the end of the day he was fighting for someone he thought he loved.

Besides, her mother didn’t do the man any favors either by showing him affection for years and then suddenly taking it away because a man from her past came into the picture. And then there was the whole pregnancy thing, any person would react almost the same way Elric did, if their wife suddenly told them the baby they were carrying wasn’t theirs but another man’s. Elric wasn’t evil, he was just a man who had everything he held dear taken away from him.

The princess lowered her cup from her lips when two flakes of snow landed on her window sill. One of the snowflakes quickly melted away and another fell in its place. It was the first snow of the year, Eira’s favorite season. She always considered the winter as the earth’s reset season, when all animals and vegetation prepared to be revitalized for the summer. Winter was like the peaceful night before the break of dawn, a time to start anew.

Eira put down her cup and walked to her closet. Now that she had heard her parent’s side of the story, she needed to hear Elric’s. Only then would she see the full picture and know how to put an end to this rivalry.

*

If he thought he was losing his mind before, now Elric was at the verge of madness. Was this why he was constantly drawn to Eira? Because she was the daughter of the woman he thought was his mate? What the hell was really going on here? Why the hell was he seeing Melissa and Gareth’s daughter all those years back? Was it some sort of sick joke?!

Elric put down his glass of wine, unable to take not even a single sip of his beverage. He got up and walked to the window, pried it open and gazed out at the forest. His eyes widened a little when he saw a small white particle float down from the sky and land on his window sill. Was that snow?

The lycan’s mind went back to a day seventeen years ago. The day the apparition of Eira disappeared, it was on a day like this one wasn’t it? When the first snow of the year fell. That was seventeen years ago today. Wait! Could it be that, that was the day Eira was born?! Did he stopped seeing apparitions of her the day she came into this world?

Elric started feeling dizzy, what did all this mean? He was about to turn away from the window when his ears perked up. Not too far from where he was, he could sense a group of people heading his way. Were those Gareth’s men? They were a little too far for him to pick up their scent. Gods, so much for a peaceful abode, everything was so complicated now thanks to that purple eyed princess.

*

Gareth watched as Maria sat down to join the rest of them at the breakfast table. From the look of things, Eira was still mopping over the happenings of the previous night.

“Will she be joining us?” The king asked even though he knew fully well what the answer would be.

Maira shook her head. “I’m sorry your majesty, but the princess says she requires some time alone.”

Gareth sighed and picked up his fork. “Very well, I guess there is no point delaying our meal any further. Everyone please, do dig in.”

Soon enough, the sounds of cutlery clinking against the ceramic tupperware filled the room. Melissa instructed the maids to store away the cake that had been brought out, before turning the the guests and giving them an apologetic smile.

“Forgive me for the chitchat at the dinning table your majesty,” Tauriel spoke up, “I understand that Eira is a little upset right now but are you just going to sit there and allow her to behave in such a way?”

Garath glanced at his mother and sighed, “mother if you have something to say just say it.”

“I’m only concerned with how you are treating this situation,” Tauriel responded as she elegantly cut the scone on her plate in half and spread some butter on it. “Eira potentially put herself and this family in harms way, and all you’re going to do is give her a little talk and let her pout in her room all day? I say son, you’ve all but spoiled the girl.”

“Eira has always been a good girl,” Melissa responded on behalf of her husband. “This is just a little rebellious phase, it will pass.”

“A rebellious phase may turn into a rebellious life,” Vivian added on. “I mean look how Aiden turned out.”

The red haired king of Ervelon put down his fork and gave Vivian a sarcastic grin. “Very funny Vivian..”

“I think what everyone is trying to say,” Emma Morrell spoke softly, “is that you shouldn’t let Eira have her way even if this is just a phase. A little tough love goes a long way, and it’s better now before she makes a mistake that will potentially ruin her life.”

Gareth slammed down his cutlery and pushed his plate away, so basically everyone was saying he wasn’t doing a good job at raising his own daughter?!

“Alright then!” The elven king voiced out. “Since you know so much, what is it I should do huh?!”

There was a silence that settled at the table until Ivan’s voice broke it. “Get her married,” the dark haired elf responded casually. Earning himself a pinch from his wife and daughter who were sitting beside him.

“What?” Ivan continued, “marriage is what made me straighten out and settle, whose to say it won’t work for Eira? Besides, she’s seventeen years old, she was supposed to be married a year ago.”

Gateth was dumbfounded by Ivan’s words, getting his daughter married off was the last thing he-

“Sending a few worthy suitors her way wouldn’t hurt,” Melissa interrupted her husband’s train of thought, making Gareth even more astound. “It’s much better than her falling for a man like Elric.”