Chapter 52: A man who watches and listens

The sweet smell of fresh roses and the loud chirping of birds outside the window woke Alyssa the next morning. She stirred, stretching her limbs which ached in a sweet, deeply satisfying way.

Memories of the previous night rushed back, bringing a hot blush to her cheeks. If she thought their first night in Iridian was mind-blowing, last night had completely shattered her.

She slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. A folded note rested on the nightstand right next to a massive bouquet of roses.

"Oh," she gasped softly, leaning over to breathe in their sweet fragrance. Her heart quickened as she opened the note and read the elegant script:

’’You are my safe place... the calm in my chaos. – D.’’

The short message stole the breath from her lungs, sending a flurry of butterflies straight to her stomach. A rush of pure giddiness hit her, and she fell back against the pillows with a happy laugh. It was amazing how a simple letter and a bouquet of roses could instantly brighten her morning.

She pressed a quick kiss to the note, hugged the roses to her chest, and finally slid out of bed.

For a moment, she stood in the center of the room, completely unsure of what to do first. She didn’t know the first thing about being the Luna over a territory as vast as the North.

Before she could dwell on it, a soft knock sounded at the door.

She cleared her throat, pulling her robe tighter around her. "Come in."

The door opened, and a young maid with dark hair and striking hazel eyes stepped inside, immediately dropping into a deep curtsey.

"Good morning, Your Majesty. My name is Cara, and I will be your temporary maid for the morning."

Alyssa blinked, startled by the sudden honorific. Majesty. It had a sweet, empowering ring to it.

"Good morning," she murmured, pausing before she asked, "Where is Dorian?"

"The Alpha King hasn’t returned from his morning run," Cara replied respectfully. "But Miss Pandora asked me to help you get prepared to join her for breakfast."

Alyssa lowered her eyes, a defensive habit that had stuck with her since childhood. But then it dawned on her that she was the Luna now. A Queen. She had to learn how to hold her head high.

Lifting her chin, she leveled a direct gaze at Cara. "Okay. Draw my bath, please."

"Right away, Your Majesty," Cara said, hurrying off to the bathroom.

Alyssa let out a soft laugh, still finding it hard to believe this was her new life. Minutes later, she sank into the tub of warm bath water, sighing blissfully as the heat soothed her sore muscles and tender parts.

By the time she stepped back into the bedroom, Cara had laid out a soft, peach-colored floor-length gown with dainty sleeves and embroidered flower petals along the full skirt.

She stood in front of the mirror while Cara laced up the back. The bodice hugged her chest snugly, the low neckline revealing the soft swell of her breasts.

Cara then brushed out her hair, pinning it up into a tidy, loose bun and leaving a few strands to frame her face. Finally, she placed the gold tiara on her head and stepped back.

"You have such beautiful hair, Your Majesty," Cara said with a shy smile.

Alyssa turned and beamed, already warming up to the young maid. "Thank you, Cara."

She left the room afterwards, heading downstairs. Along the hallway, every maid who hurried past stopped to bow or curtsey deeply.

When she entered the dining area, Pandora looked up from her phone and smiled brightly.

"There you are!" she rose, stretching out her arms to pull Alyssa into a tight embrace. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did," Alyssa said, holding her close for a moment before pulling away. "I’m sorry if I sounded distant last night..."

"Oh, stop it. You don’t owe me any apology," Pandora shook her head. "I completely understood that you needed to be alone after what happened. Truly, it’s fine. I know Dorian took good care of you."

Alyssa casually looked away, hiding the hot blush creeping up her neck. Oh, he took care of me, alright.

"Why didn’t you come up to the room this morning?" she asked, quickly changing the subject. "I was expecting you."

"Ugh, blame Dorian," Pandora huffed, rolling her eyes. "He asked me not to disturb you and to send a maid instead. He said he didn’t want me corrupting you with my loud mouth and wild behavior. I’m not wild, am I?"

Alyssa laughed softly as she settled into the seat beside her. "Well, you are wild. But in a good way. You brighten a dark room the moment you enter."

"Aw, that is so sweet," Pandora gushed, fanning her face dramatically. "You are much more fun to be around than my grumpy brother."

Alyssa chuckled, but the conversation cut short as two maids stepped into the dining room, carrying silver platters laden with breakfast; bacon, perfectly poached eggs, fresh bread straight from the oven, and sweet tea.

The rich aroma instantly made Alyssa’s mouth water. But just as the maids set the plates down and began to retreat, Pandora’s entire demeanor shifted. The playful grin vanished, replaced by a cold, razor-sharp authority.

"Come back, both of you," she commanded.

The two maids, Leah and Lexie, slowly turned around, keeping their heads lowered.

"Yes, Miss Pandora?"

"Have you forgotten the Alpha’s orders?" Pandora snapped.

The maids looked up in sudden realization. "Oh. Forgive us, Miss Pandora. It completely skipped our minds," Lexie apologized quickly.

Alyssa watched in confusion. Before she could ask what was happening, both maids stepped forward and took turns tasting her food and tea.

It dawned on her then. After the poisoning incident at the Dome, Dorian wasn’t taking any chances with what she ingested.

"You may go now," Pandora muttered, satisfied when neither of the maids dropped dead.

Alyssa waited until they were alone before she leaned in to whisper, "I know what happened yesterday was terrifying, but is tasting my food really necessary? This is Dorian’s home. No one would try something like that here, would they?"

"Dorian isn’t taking that chance," Pandora replied. "You can’t be too trusting, Alyssa. Even people you’ve lived with for years might suddenly turn around and betray you."

Alyssa said nothing else, picking up her fork to eat.

"Dorian has a lot of enemies," Pandora continued. "Being the Alpha King, he’s required to be brutal, cruel, and unmerciful. A lot of people silently wish they could destroy him. But my brother is untouchable, so they’ll target the next thing he loves. You."

Alyssa froze, her hand stopping midway to her mouth. She looked at Pandora in surprise. "Dorian... loves me?"

An amused smile broke across Pandora’s face. "Isn’t it obvious? Look at the wedding he threw just for you. The way he dotes on you and adores you. Early this morning, before he left for his run with Jake, Alec, and Anthony, he went out into the garden himself and picked those roses for you."

Alyssa’s heart skipped a frantic beat, her appetite instantly fading away.

"He saw how much you loved the flowers the day he took you to the garden," Pandora continued, her voice softening. "He’s a man who watches and listens. He loves his garden, even though he doesn’t show it, and it pleases him that you love it too."

Alyssa lowered her fork, leaning back in her chair. "I just... I never thought about it that way. I thought he was just being sweet. You told me he closed his heart off to love and affection."

Pandora stared at her for a moment, contemplating her next words. Unable to hold back, she leaned close and whispered.

"It’s because Elvira betrayed him years ago, and he hasn’t forgotten it. It had something to do with our cousin, Joffrey. That’s why Dorian hates him so much."

Alyssa’s curiosity piqued instantly. She leaned in closer, her breakfast completely forgotten. "What did Joffrey do?"

Pandora opened her mouth to answer when the front door suddenly slammed open with a violent crash.