Stolen by the Beastly Lycan King-Chapter 193: A Colorful Life

With this first decree, Lorelai’s reign as the Queen of Erelith had officially begun. Of course, there were still many matters to address, but she felt that this particular task deserved to be at the top of her list.

Besides, once her son was born, Lorelai would need to go to the Beast Kingdom, leaving the delicate matter of managing the court in the hands of her most trusted companions.

"Marianna," she said, her voice calm yet serious, "in my absence, I would like to create a small group of Vice Sovereigns to act on my behalf until I can return to oversee matters personally."

Marianna straightened, feeling the weight of the responsibility about to be placed upon her. "Of course, Your Majesty. Who would you like to appoint? I can prepare the list of suitable candidates right away."

"I already have a list, and I want to appoint them immediately."

"Oh?" Marianna raised an eyebrow in surprise. "May I ask who they are?"

Lorelai smiled. "Of course. Vice Sovereign Elion Draven, Vice Sovereign Frederick Galeran, and... Vice Sovereign Marianna Torrie."

Marianna gasped, her mouth falling open in shock. A veil of tears blurred her vision, and her hands trembled so much that she nearly dropped the official decree.

"Goodness... Your Majesty... but how can I—"

"Marianna," Lorelai rose to her feet and walked around her desk, pausing right in front of her aide. She placed a hand on the woman’s trembling shoulder and offered her an encouraging smile. "Over the years, my life in this place was nothing short of hell. However... thanks to the three of you, I was able to persevere, to hold on and do my best. Because of you, I had a chance to learn what it means to have friends and trust others. It’s only natural that I chose you as my second-in-command."

Bursting into tears, Marianna forgot all the rules and embraced her queen in a tight hug, her tears soaking Lorelai’s shoulder.

"Your Majesty! I’m so happy to follow the lead of your benevolent heart! You are the ruler the people of Erelith deserve, and I promise you, we will do everything in our power to help you build the kingdom of your dreams!"

Lorelai closed her eyes and buried her nose in Marianna’s neck. "Thank you, Marianna. Thank you... my friend."

***

"Lorelai," Rhaegar patted his wife on the head, prompting her to finally open her eyes and wake up. He had been standing before her desk for quite some time, but the sight of his wife sleeping quietly, slouched over her desk, made him hesitate. He didn’t want to disturb her.

She had been working tirelessly since her coronation, and although he offered his help, Lorelai insisted on handling everything herself.

Today, he figured, she could afford to take a little break.

Lorelai tried to reach for the cane beside the desk, but Rhaegar picked her up with one arm before she could rise, and grabbed the cane with the other.

"You have a good husband," he told her. "You won’t need it for now."

Normally, she didn’t rely on her husband as a means of transportation, but Lorelai quietly wrapped her arms around his neck. She knew it upset him to see her hobbling with a cane.

"Where are we going?" she asked, fixing her big green eyes on him.

Earlier that morning, she had been informed that her husband had prepared a little outing, but despite her persistent inquiries, no one would tell her exactly what he had planned.

They climbed into the carriage already waiting for them. Though it was the roomiest carriage at the palace, it still felt a little cramped with Rhaegar inside. He tugged a black handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to his wife.

"Can you cover your eyes?"

"Why?"

"Because it’s a surprise."

"...all right," she said, covering her eyes with her hands instead of taking the handkerchief.

Watching her small, amused smile, Rhaegar fiddled with the box in his pocket. He then slipped his hand out of his pocket and turned away, as if nothing had happened.

The carriage pulled away from the palace, and Rhaegar swallowed dryly as the landscape rolled by outside the window. He was so nervous his heart was pounding, and suddenly he worried that Lorelai might hear it too.

Somehow, even after everything, he couldn’t control his feelings today.

After a somewhat long ride, the carriage arrived at a spot on the outskirts of the capital. A familiar landscape awaited, and the coachman stopped where Rhaegar had instructed him.

"We’ve arrived," he said, gently pulling Lorelai’s hands down. He stepped out of the carriage first, then paused, turning to take in the place.

"..."

Without saying a word, he returned to Lorelai, lifted her into his arms, and she hugged him back as he carried her away from the carriage, turning slowly toward the field.

The field of sunflowers stretched endlessly before them. The flowers swayed gently in the breeze as they walked deeper into the field. After they had covered a fair distance, Lorelai tapped him on the shoulder.

Carefully, he set her down, and though she staggered a little as she regained her balance, she managed to stay on her feet without the cane they had left back in the carriage.

In the middle of the sunflower field, they faced each other, and Lorelai’s hair rippled with the flowers as the wind passed through. Rhaegar could only watch the way the sunlight caught her hair, glowing like fire.

He had been unusually quiet all day, and silent since they got out of the carriage. Normally, he would have teased her by now or said something mischievous. His silence made her even more nervous, and her lips felt as if they had been glued together.

"...I want to..."

His voice sounded strange. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"I want to have a proper wedding with you."

With trembling hands, he pulled the box from his pocket and opened the lid. Inside, nestled in velvet, were two rings side by side. Lorelai’s eyes fixed on them, staring, before slowly lifting to meet his. freewebnøvel.com

Suddenly, she found it hard to breathe.

"Marry me," Rhaegar said softly.

The wind rose again, filling the silence.

"What if I don’t want to?" Lorelai asked, her smile teasing.

"...I’m afraid you have no choice."

Rhaegar’s face flushed as he glared down at her, his calm expression wavering. It had been one thing to marry her out of necessity, when they barely had time to reflect on their feelings. But now, it was different.

This was an emotional decision, and for someone like Rhaegar, it required incredible courage.

"If I refuse, will you force me?" Lorelai asked, clearly suppressing her laughter.

Rhaegar lifted her chin.

"I will if I have to," he said, filled with dignity. "I don’t think your life will ever be as colorful without me in it."

Lorelai burst into laughter, the sound echoing across the sunflower field. When she finally calmed down, Rhaegar took the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger.

Lorelai mirrored his actions, taking his hand and slipping the larger ring onto his ring finger, smiling softly.

"All right," she said, lifting her hand to his lips. "I will be expecting an endless blend of colors from now on."

Chuckling, Rhaegar pulled her toward him by her hand. She stumbled forward, off balance, but he caught her, his arms tightening around her waist.

"I’ll be by your side for the rest of my life."

His amber eyes glowed so brightly that Lorelai immediately slid her arms around his neck, transfixed. Then, she kissed the man with the beast-like eyes, and thought that she finally knew what it meant to be truly happy.

Dear readers,

Thank you so much for staying with me until the end of this story. While I may no longer consider myself a novice writer, each new novel remains a fresh experience for me.

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Wishing you a wonderful year ahead, filled with countless amazing stories to add to your library.

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