Alpha Prince Unexpected Mate

Lancelot's eyes dropped to the floor where the champagne flute had shattered into pieces, spilling the expensive content all over the floor. Terror washed over Elizabeth, freezing her spine and paralyzing her senses, so much so that her hands remained in the air, in the exact posture she had dropped the glass.

She was unable to move, and at a loss for both words and actions. The entire Dankworth house sat in confusion, both Madeline and Edward were extremely pissed that their effort at making Lancelot's first dinner as Alpha King memorable, had proven futile.

Anger flashed in Edward's eyes as he looked around him, his eyes searching for Peter, who was the only one able to give an explanation for what was going on. While Elizabeth sat, hyperventilating, Edward spoke up in anger. "Where is Peter? What is going on here?"

In that moment, Lancelot tore his gaze away from Elizabeth and her mother and raised his hand. Both husband and wife focused their eyes on their son, and the rest of the family followed as well. Each person anticipating what Lancelot had to say.

Edward's blue eyes narrowed at his son and Lancelot sat up, he turned his gaze to Peter who had been waiting for his instruction. He gave him a curt nod; a sign for him to proceed with the second video. Immediately, Peter did as he was instructed. On the projecting screen, a video popped up.

It was the first one Lancelot was sent on the day of the coronation. The one where Roxanne was tied to the chair, bruised and battered. Her shirt was torn, leaving her sports bra exposed. Her head was constantly hit with a plank, and blood trickled down the sides of her face.

Marion and Eloise looked away in horror, Reuben's heart fell, and Arthur stared at the screen with shock. James, who didn't like Roxanne, didn't even seem pleased to see her in such a state. Ava was astonished. She had never thought that there was someone else in this palace who detested the human woman as much as she did, it was a scary but yet, amazing feeling to know that she was not the only one who wanted Roxanne out of their lives.

Edward's jaw dropped in shock. He could not believe what he was looking at. An innocent human, who had done nothing wrong, besides come to his pack, was being treated like an animal, beaten as though she was being prepared for slaughter. He refused to believe that anyone in his family, anyone who lived in his palace was responsible for that. The Dankworth's were tough and strong, no doubt, but they were certainly not beasts.

He swiftly turned away from the gory nightmare he had been watching and fixed his eyes on Lancelot. He spoke through his clenched teeth.

"You have succeeded in making such a big scene at such an important event. Something I can see you're becoming very accustomed to doing Lancelot. So, what is this all about?" Lancelot could hear the annoyance in his father's voice. And the from look on Madeline's face, he could tell that his father was speaking for both his parents.

Therefore, he would not waste their time, or his as well. He leaned into his chair and returned his cold eyes to his frozen cousin.

"I believe Elizabeth would have the proper answer to that question father. Would you not? Dear cousin?"

Elizabeth's heart thundered against her chest. She opened her mouth to speak, but every sound that came out was utter rubbish. She could not form words in her head to speak, she only continued to stutter, while gasping for breath. Hermione could not stand to see her daughter in such a pitiful state. Neither of them had prepared for this, or even seen it coming. How could Lancelot have traced it to them so easily? The CCTV cameras in the palace! How could she have been so stupid to forget those? However, now was not the time to regret or wish she had done things better. Her daughter was in trouble, and she needed to save her.

Hermione sprang up immediately, stealing the attention of the room from Elizabeth, and placing it on herself. With her shaky voice, she spoke up.

"My brother, Your Highness." She bowed to both Edward and Lancelot.

"Elizabeth only took Roxanne for a walk, she had no hand in any of this." She flung her hands into the air dramatically, and Lancelot fought back the urge to send a plate of turkey hurling towards her face. "It was all me! I am responsible for everything. Elizabeth had no hand in it."

From where he sat, Albert watched his sister stutter with fear in her eyes, while his mother pleaded. Surely, he couldn't sit and watch the two of them be embarrassed by his stuck up cousin. He had to do something, he had to stand by their side.

"Do not listen to my mother!" he called out as he stood up. Everyone glared at him with confusion, and Lancelot's scowl only deepened. Edward could not believe his eyes and Madeline rolled her eyes. She had seen enough family drama for one night. Furious, she clenched her fist and banged them against the table, in irritation. The table shook, the glass and ceramic wares on it shook as well, and the noise earned her family's attention. She sat up, cleared her throat and spread her palms on her thighs.

Finally, everyone thought. Madeline would speak, and since Hermione was the one in trouble, Madeline would spare no words, she would use every venom in her tongue to poison Hermione and send her crawling on her knees. Madeline looked around the dining room, exchanging glances with everyone seated at the table, before she spoke.

"I want to say I am surprised at your character Lancelot, but I'm not. It has become a common habit for you to make a mess of important occasions these days."

Lancelot could not deny that he was stunned by his mother's words. If anything, he had not expected her to admonish him, when Hermione's sins and that of her children were out in the light. "Mother, you can't possibly be facing me, when she is the one who..."

"When she is the one who what? Brought a human into our pack? Allowed a human obstruct a very important ritual, such as the hunt? Kept a secret that she was mated to a human away from the family? Exactly what did Hermione do that was wrong? Everything the human got, she deserved. She is like a sheep in the midst of wolves....literally. What did you think was going to happen?" As she spoke, she picked up a glass of wine and sipped it gently. There was not even a sign of pity on her face.

Lancelot scoffed bitterly. He could not believe that his mother had taken Hermione's side, just to spite the human and he wasn't the only one at the table who had been shocked by this.

"Really mother? Is that why you did this to her?"

Madeline's eyes narrowed in anger, even as her brows furrowed on their own accord.

"So what now? You're accusing me of sending thugs to kidnap and beat her up? You're sharing blames among your family members, and for her?"

Lancelot turned to Peter again and gave him a curt nod. The picture of the queen's door guard, whom Lancelot had caught at the warehouse, came to the screen. Madeline's eyes widened in shock and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. How was that even possible? She turned to Edward and noticed the scowl and frown of disappointment on his face. Her eyes pleaded innocent, as she stayed quiet. Lancelot shrugged and turned away from his mother.

"I thought as much." He turned his attention to the rest of his audience, some of which were thrilled, some of which were appalled, and some of which were both.

"I would find the one who has done this to Roxanne. And I swear that they would not go scot-free.

Albert was growing more and more irritated with every passing second. As he stood beside his mother, he decided to confront his cousin. For someone who had shamed the royal household times without number, Lancelot still had a lot of nerve to talk in their midst. And it was all because no one had ever dared to put him in his place. Now, he was going to do just that.

He stepped out from his seat, and walked across the table - all eyes following him behind - until he got to the side of Lancelot. Lancelot did not look up at Albert, he kept his eyes fixed on the empty chair his cousin had just stood up from. "You have a lot of nerve sitting there and throwing orders about...YOUR GRACE. Sitting here and threatening everyone, for what? A measly human who doesn't even deserve to be a servant of our servants? She had it coming for her, you know..."

Albert's sentence stuck midair. With the speed of lightning, Lancelot sprung up from his chair and, seized his cousin's hands, and pressed his head down to the table.

"Albert!" Hermione cried out, but Lancelot paid her no mind. His blue eyes glazed with fury as he stared at the back of his cousin's head. Anger thrummed in his veins, and rage poisoned his blood, his grip on Albert's neck tightened, and he felt delight at his cousin's struggle for breath. Besides Hermione, no one dared to stop Lancelot or call out to him.

His jaw tightened when he suddenly recalled all of Albert's silly games. All of which he had kept quiet about earlier. But, clearly his cousin did not know when to shut up.

"Don't you think for a second that I was ignorant to your games Albert. You brought yourself to believe that I was not aware of the stunt you were trying to pull at the hunt, didn't you? You really think I'm stupid, that I didn't see you were trying to get me killed..."

Murmurs erupted from all around the room, and something in Madeline's head sparked.

"And at the coronation? This wasn't because Roxanne was human. No! All of it was because you...and your silly mother, were trying to stop me from attending my own coronation."

Gasps of shock could be heard from all over the dining room. Madeline was surprised at the sudden twist of revelation. She had not expected the issue to turn out the way it did.

Lancelot let out a bitter chuckle, before raising Albert's head up and banging it against the table again. Albert screamed out in pain, and Hermione cried out, Elizabeth continued to whimper, even as tears ran down her eyes. "You failed Albert. Just like you always have, and just like you always will."

With that, Lancelot released Albert from his grip, and his cousin fell to the ground, gasping for air.

Lancelot turned around and searched for the guards.

"I want this woman and both her children thrown into the dungeon!"

Hermione's eyes widened in terror as three built men approached her. She turned to Edward, in attempt to plead with him.

Edward locked eyes with Lancelot, and was going to say something, but Lancelot was faster.

"I do not suppose you have a problem with that, father."

Edward stayed still and leaned back into his chair, saying nothing. As the guards picked them up, Hermione tried to resist. "You cannot do this to me Lancelot! You have no right! Get your hands of me! I am a Dankworth princess, you would see...!" Her screams were heard until she and her children were led out of the room.

The Dankworth family looked at each other, trying to recover from the shock of what had happened. Except Ava, who was glad within her. Now that it was certain Roxanne had many enemies in the palace, when she finally got rid of her, no fingers would be pointed towards her. Everything would be clean and clear.

She picked up a glass of wine and pressed her lips against it.