The Alpha's Forsaken Feisty Mate-Chapter 45: Worse than the loneliness

"Can I really go to the palace?" the young girl asked, her voice full of both excitement and doubt. It was none other than eight-year-old Zenna.

"Yes, the Luna Queen wants to see you, Zenna," Raya, the lady-in-waiting who had been assigned to look after the young girl, replied kindly.

"But Father says I can’t leave here. Last time, I accidentally stepped outside the gate..." Zenna whispered, her eyes downcast, fear creeping onto her face as she clutched the frayed edges of her dress tightly.

"The Alpha King will not punish you this time," Raya reassured her gently. "The Luna Queen is his wife, and she wants to meet you."

Zenna’s eyes brightened as she lifted her head. "Will she love me? Will she keep me in the palace?" she asked, hope filling her small voice.

"Oh, she will, dear," Raya said with a warm smile, feeling a wave of fondness for the innocent girl before her.

"Then I must hurry and pick some flowers for Her Majesty," Zenna exclaimed eagerly. "I’ll offer her a bouquet since it’s my first time meeting her." Her sweet, innocent smile spread across her face as her eyes sparkled, and she quickly ran towards the garden of the cold palace.

After gathering the flowers, Zenna followed Raya to the palace, where the royal family resided.

When they arrived, Zenna eagerly stepped out of the carriage, greeting the lined soldiers with a joyful wave as she walked in, her heart racing with excitement.

"Zenna, make sure you don’t say anything wrong in front of the Queen," Raya reminded her quietly.

Zenna nodded, still smiling brightly. "Isn’t this place so beautiful? Everything looks so amazing! And there are so many people! Who are they all?" Her wide-eyed wonder took in every detail, from the grand architecture to the bustling palace life around her.

As they walked past a large water body along the pavement, Zenna paused and gazed at her reflection in the water, mesmerized. "Even the water looks lively here," she murmured softly, her smile widening as she marveled at the serene beauty surrounding her.

Finally, Zenna arrived at the large chamber of Luna Queen Loretta. The grandeur of the room left her in awe—the silk drapes, the polished floors, and the luxurious furniture all spoke of a life Zenna could hardly imagine.

In the middle of it all stood Aria, dressed in a beautifully tailored gown. She twirled in front of her mother, her voice filled with pride. "Mother, how do I look in this dress?" she asked, her tone filled with self-assuredness.

Zenna stopped in her tracks, her eyes drawn to Aria. The gown shimmered in the light, a vision of elegance, while Zenna’s own worn, shabby dress seemed to pale in comparison.

She felt a wave of shame wash over her, her gaze dropping to her feet as she fought the sting in her chest.

The disparity between them was undeniable. The feeling of being out of place here—surrounded by such wealth and beauty—was more overwhelming than anything she had ever known. It was worse than the loneliness she had endured.

As she stood there, Aria’s eyes landed on her, and her expression twisted into disdain. "Who are you?" she sneered. "How can they allow a beggar to enter my mother’s place?"

"A beggar?" Zenna murmured.

Loretta’s cold gaze fixed on Zenna as she knelt before her, trying to protect the crushed bouquet of flowers. On the other hand, Loretta remained unfazed, clearly uninterested in the girl’s distress. "What are you doing? Do you think your pathetic attempts will earn you anything here?" Loretta’s voice was icy, her words laced with disdain.

Aria, watching from the side, snickered. "How ridiculous. Why would anyone bother with such worthless things?" she said with a sneer, completely dismissing the emotional turmoil Zenna was going through.

"Princess Aria should go to her chamber," Loretta told her daughter.

Aria nodded and walked away with a smiling face.

Raya, who had been standing quietly, stepped forward and with a shaky voice, she spoke, "Your Majesty, Zenna is just a child. She only wanted to offer a gift."

Loretta scoffed, her gaze flickering to Raya for a brief moment before turning back to Zenna. "A child, you say? A child who thinks she can win favor through simple gestures? This is the kind of disrespect my position does not tolerate."

The words pierced through Zenna’s heart, each one heavier than the last. She had only wanted to bring something beautiful, something that would please the Queen.

But instead, her simple gift had been rejected and trampled upon. The pain in her chest was unbearable as she sat there, trembling on the floor, unable to look up. She had never imagined that her desire to be accepted could lead to such humiliation.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she held them back. She didn’t want to show weakness, not now, not in front of them. But the sting of Loretta’s cruelty was too much for her young heart to bear.

Loretta’s voice was cold and filled with venom as she glared at the trembling figure before her. "What did you say? Why isn’t she dead, Raya?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing with disdain. She viciously kicked Zenna, causing the girl to wince in agony, the force of the blow sending a sharp jolt of pain through her body. "Have you been feeding her too well?"

Raya dropped to her knees in a desperate plea for mercy, her hands trembling. "Your Majesty, the Alpha King ordered that she be kept alive," she said, her voice quivering with fear. "Please, spare her. If you do this, the Alpha King will not take kindly to it," she added, her eyes pleading for Loretta’s mercy.

Loretta’s gaze softened, but only slightly, as she approached Zenna. She grabbed the girl’s chin with cruel force, lifting her face to meet her gaze. The tears on Zenna’s cheeks were hardly enough to melt Loretta’s hardened heart.

"Zenna," Loretta spoke in a low, menacing tone, her words dripping with malice. "Listen closely. You will either die by your own hand, or you will endure a lifetime of torture. I don’t take pleasure in punishing girls like you, but your mother has taken so much from me. You will pay for her crimes—every single one."

With a swift motion, Loretta then slapped Zenna’s cheek.

"Leave!" Loretta commanded as she stood up and turned around.

Raya helped Zenna to stand up and dragged her out of the chamber. That entire day, Zenna locked herself in the room. For two days, she didn’t either drink water or take any food. The incident had horrified her. Her nightmares had added one person in them– the Luna Queen.

In her unconscious state, Zenna ended up crying to see this incident from her past and a tear drop escaped her eye, disappearing in the pillow. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Radulf, who was watching her, saw the tear escaping her eye. This did not only hurt his wolf, but also ached his heart pretty badly. His hold on her hand turned firm and he moved closer to her, to make her feel warmer.

"I am here. Just open your eyes soon," he whispered.