The Mad Alpha's Substitute Bride-Chapter 29: All Her Fault

(LOCKE)

We reach the castle in record time. The guards at the entrance give me an uneasy look as I head inside. "Where is Sigrid?"

When no one replies, I roar out her name.

A woman appears before me, wearing clothes that were designed for Corrine. She has Corrine’s face, her hair, her body, but she’s not Corrine.

"If you are referring to the traitor’s maid, she’s in the dungeon. You remember me, right? I’m Princess Ravenna. Your mate, King Locke."

I walk over to her and see the satisfaction in her eyes. Without a second thought, I grab her by the throat and squeeze. Her eyes widen, and she makes a choking sound, clawing at my hand.

"My mate? You are not my mate. Something so disgusting cannot be my mate."

She’s struggling to breathe, and I hear Bella’s voice cry out. "Let her go, Locke! What are you doing?"

I release Princess Ravenna, and she falls to the ground, pallid. Bella crouches next to her to help her up then glares at me. "What are you doing? She’s the queen!"

I look at her with hatred in my eyes. When she sees it, she flinches, and I notice the flicker of guilt on her face.

"The queen? She’s not the queen. Where is Corrine?"

Bella straightens up, lifting her chin. "This is Princess Ravenna, the true Princess Ravenna. I imprisoned the impostor. She escaped, but I’m having people track her down. This is the woman meant to be your mate. She has royal blood—"

I slap Bella with the back of my hand, causing her to fly sideways and hit the wall. I catch Derrick flinching out of the corner of my eye, but he doesn’t say a word.

It’s the first time I’ve ever raised a hand against a woman. "I trusted you."

Bella gets to her feet, rubbing her jaw and groaning.

I advance on her. "I trusted you, and you betrayed me."

She squares her shoulders, defiance in her eyes. "What are you complaining about? You said we needed the real Princess Ravenna. Now, here she is. I’ve had people looking for her for a long time. There was nobody, remember? Just someone with a mark on her wrist. I tracked down the true princess and brought her here."

My eyes widen. "So, you manufactured this entire incident?"

Bella isn’t showing an ounce of remorse. "I never betrayed you, Locke. The Asher family has always looked out for the royal family’s best interest. The purity of the bloodline—"

"Purity?" I say mockingly, grabbing her by the back of her hair and forcing her to look at me. "Purity of the bloodline?" I drag Bella over to Ravenna and throw her at the princess’s feet. "Why don’t you fuck her, then, because I will not touch this female."

Bella pales. "You have to! You have a duty to maintain the royal bloodline."

"I have no duty to anyone but my fated mate. Because of you, she is dead. You had her believe that I wanted her to be tortured. You had her believe that I was going to execute her. You used my seal illegitimately."

"I did no such thing!" Bella retorts. "I was your delegate. I had the right to use the royal seal!"

"Not for an order of execution!" I snarl. "You wanted my mate to die? You’re the one who will die, Bella. In the same manner you planned for her execution."

Ravenna steps forward, shielding Bella from me. Her voice is high. "You can’t touch her. She’s my royal advisor."

"And who the fuck do you think you are?" I grab her by the jaw and shove her aside. "Derrick, capture the traitor. Throw her in the dungeon and starve her for three weeks."

When Derrick advances, Bella goes pale. "You can’t do this! I’m the Asher family heir."

"You are nothing but a traitor who betrayed your king and your queen," I say furiously.

As Derrick takes hold of Bella, she shouts, "Let me go, Derrick! Don’t you know me? Why’re you mishandling me like this? Locke’s just pissed off for no reason!"

Derrick is silent.

"I did nothing wrong!" Bella screams, a hint of panic in her eyes now. "I was well within my rights. You can’t execute me just because you’re mad that whore of a woman died. I hope she suffered. I didn’t break any law. I did everything by the book! And if you execute me, the elders will turn against you. This kingdom will descend into chaos!"

"Take the traitor away!" I roar. "And Rothan, go release Sigrid!"

Ravenna bristles. "You can’t do this! I’ve chosen Bella as one of my most trusted people—"

"You are no one to make decisions in this castle!" I growl. "Edgar, strip this thief of my mate’s belongings and lock her in a cell!"

Ravenna gives me a hateful look as she is dragged off. Alone now, I stand in the entrance hall, quivering with rage. Everywhere I look, Corrine’s efforts are showing.

"Your Majesty."

A woman’s voice has me glancing over, and I see a familiar face approaching me. It takes me a second to place her as one of the maids who once assisted Bella in mocking Corrine.

"What do you want?" I snarl at her.

She has tears in her eyes. "Your Majesty, we helped the queen escape. Is it—Is it true that she’s dead?"

All the fight leaves me. Dead.

My beautiful Corrine is dead. My shy mate—the one who liked to chase my tail in her wolf form, the one who used to burrow her face in my chest when I held her at night—is no more.

A thick, rolling wave of grief staggers me. "Yes. Corrine is gone."

"Corrine?"

"That was her name," I say hollowly. And I loved her.

How did she do that? How did she go and make me fall for her so effortlessly? I don’t even know where to go and ask her. I don’t know which room to search for her. She’s not going to be there.

It’s hard to breathe. I failed her. I failed her, and that will haunt me forever. She died thinking I had lied to her, used her.

I don’t know which is worse, that she’s gone or that she believed that of me as she died.

***

"They’re asking for help at the border."

Edgar gives me his report as I stare at the paper before me, my eyes unseeing. "So, send help. What’re you asking me for?"

Edgar clears his throat, looking tense. "They’re requesting your presence."

"I’m busy. They can deal with it themselves."

"The elders are insisting you help them. The monsters are encroaching on their territories."

"The elders, huh?" I think about the twelve men who claim to be loyal to the royal family. "Tell them to send their sons to the battlefield."

Edgar flinches. "Locke—"

"No." I look at him coolly. "It’s ’Your Majesty’ to you."

My childhood friend doesn’t look away from me. He meets my gaze head on. "Don’t question my loyalty, too, Locke. I faced my father in a physical duel to claim the position of head of the family so that I could side with you during the council meeting two weeks ago. I went against my parents, went to bat for you, to prove my loyalty to you. There’s nothing more I could have done."

I don’t respond.

"What is that woman doing?"

"Which one?" Edgar asks quietly. "The queen."

"She has called a designer. Bella is assisting her."

"Restrict her budget. I don’t want that frivolous creature emptying the treasury."

Edgar nods. "Call Sigrid."

He leaves the room, and a few minutes later, Sigrid enters.

I soften when I see her wan complexion. She has aged ten years in the past month, ever since the elders called for a council: an act where they can pass certain rulings that even the king has to obey.

Calling a council is rarely effective because most of the time the elders are in conflict with each other. This was the first time they have ever agreed on something unanimously.

Princess Ravenna was to become queen. A proper mating ceremony was to be held.

And Bella Asher was not to be executed.

Derrick’s uncle, the head of his family and one of the elders, agreed to it all. As a result, I ousted Derrick from my most trusted circle. Rothan remains but only because I don’t entirely blame him for what happened to Corrine.

"Have you been sleeping?" I ask Sigrid, my tone gentle.

She moves her shoulders in a shrug. "Sometimes. I’m still tired all the time."

"Sigrid—"

"Are you planning to go through with the mating ceremony?" she suddenly asks.

I meet her gaze. "Do I have a choice?"

She falls silent. After a few moments, she murmurs, "You should have killed Bella when you first saw her. You should have killed them both."

I sigh. I know she’s grieving. Sigrid truly loved Corrine from the first moment she met her. I’ve never known her to be so attached to anybody before, other than her son. Corrine’s death has shaken Sigrid to her core.

"I should have," I agree tiredly. "Sigrid, I’m thinking of heading to the border to fight."

Her head jerks up, and I see the tears in her eyes. "You’re going leave me here?" She has never sounded so old before.

I get to my feet and guide her to one of the chairs. I sit down across from her and take one of her hands in mine. "Would you like to come with me as my attendant?"

She looks shocked. "That’s Derrick’s—"

"Not anymore," I say coolly.

"It wasn’t his fault, you know." She cups my cheek sadly. "If he had known for even a second that Bella was capable of something like that, he never would have spoken to you on her behalf."

"Maybe," I murmur. "But I’m not ready to forgive him."

"Did you know that Bella’s father approached him as a prospective mate for her?" Sigrid asks. "His uncle agreed to it, but Derrick refused. Bella was furious. She went to confront him. She was nasty to him. He told her that she had used him and cost him everything. He said cruel things to her. She left his room in tears. His uncle has disowned him as a result. Derrick is leaving the castle. I think he plans to go fight as a mercenary."

My chest tightens, and I look away from her. "Why are you telling me all this, Sigrid?"

Her voice is soft. "He’s your best friend, Locke. He would cut off his right arm for you if you asked him to. He is not to blame for what happened to Corrine. He’s stricken with guilt, Locke. Make up with him." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"He—"

"He wasn’t responsible for Corrine’s death, and you know it. That poor girl was fragile. You two did not get enough time together for her to fully trust you. I’ll come with you to the border, but don’t abandon Derrick. What happened was all Bella’s fault."

When she leaves the room, I think about her words. She’s right. Corrine and I did not get enough time together. It would have been easy to manipulate her. Bella had all the right tools at her disposal.

I get to my feet and make my way over to the living quarters. The door to Derrick’s room is open, and he’s throwing things into a bag.

I knock on the door. "Is that for the journey?"

He stiffens upon hearing my voice. "Your Majesty." He looks like he hasn’t bathed in days, and there are dark circles under his eyes.

"We’re leaving for the border in two days. Be ready." He looks stunned. "I’m going with you?"

"Yes."

"But you said—"

"Do you want to come or not?" I demand. He nods.

"Then be ready."

"That’s the day of your mating ceremony. Are we leaving after it?" "No," I say coldly, turning my back and walking out. "Before."

I’ll be damned if I give that woman the satisfaction of having a mating ceremony. Let this castle rot. I’ll stay at the border and do my duty.

Without Corrine, this place feels empty. It’s no longer my home.