SWNOVELS Chapter 23
Chapter 23
“I wanted to.” Abby’s simple admission made the King smile and he couldn’t help but tousle her hair.
But before the King could say something, Abby beat him to it with a confused expression on her
face.
“Where are Alyssa and Reyna?” Abby waited all evening, but the two were nowhere to be seen.
At the mention of their names, Micah’s almost smiling face fell so fast, Abby regretted saying something and ruining the moment. But then she saw his face harden and realized something was really wrong.
“What happened?” Abby couldn’t help asking when Micah didn’t say anything for a really long.
moment.
Under her probing gaze, the King let her know that they were sent away. “I sent them to the laundry.
room.
Laundry room?
It was a hard place to work at. Especially for maids like them.
“Why?” Abby asked immediately but all she got was a narrowed look from the King.
Abby realized she didn’t need to ask anymore. They were sent away because of the incident in the morning.
She immediately felt bad as she could tell they were being punished for something that they did unintentionally. She didn’t hesitate to ask them to be released, saying she wanted them back.
“But,” Micah started, but Abby cut him off saying they were just caught off guard and the King couldn’t refuse her when she asserted her stance on this matter.
“Alright,” he agreed to her request so fast Abby couldn’t believe it.
However, her happiness was short–lived as the King had something important to say to her.
“A mating ceremony?” Abby couldn’t help but stiffen.
His meeting with the Elders in the morning was actually about this, where they emphasized how the people were all very eager to see their future queen.
Micah felt bad for her. He knew she needed time, but his hands were tied in this matter when they wouldn’t listen to him no matter what. And so here Micah was, informing Abby the one thing he thought about all day, knowing fully well she wasn’t ready yet.
“Yes, where you would be introduced to the people,” Micah told her softly.
Hearing this, Abby was even more dumbfounded… introduced… to… people…”
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Chapter 23
Micah could hear the fear in her voice when every word she said came out as a question.
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“As their future queen,” Micah continued even though he could tell how frightened she was about this whole fiasco.
She wasn’t ready at all. She didn’t know what to do. “Future queen?” she repeated robotically,
And when she asked when the ceremony would be held, the King’s reply was actually vague. “As soon as possible.”
On the other hand, Abby realized it was no use knowing when it would be held, no matter when, she wouldn’t be ready.
However, before Abby could let any intrusive thoughts enter her mind, Micah changed the subject.
“The royal seamstress will take your measurements in two days‘ time,” he said, wanting to divert her attention. “You need more clothes and also a dress for the ceremony.”
Meanwhile, Abby welcomed the topic change as she didn’t want to think about the mating ceremony right now. She would think about it later, when she was much calmer and stopped feeling the urge to run to the mountains just at the thought of meeting his subjects as his mate. His future queen no less.
And she really needed more clothes. Her old clothes were all passed down from her sister, Hanna. Or to be more precise, the clothes she didn’t want and threw to her as some charity. Meaning, they
- didn’t suit her at all.
“Okay,” she said, not making any comments on the arrangements.
On the other hand, even though Micah was unhappy about her previous clothes, he could pretty much guess whose handiwork it was and he couldn’t let his future queen suffer any grievances.
As such, it was decided that Abby would meet the seamstress the next day.
The next day, Abby woke up to the happy chit chattering of two women and when she opened her eyes, she saw both Alysaa and Reyna beaming at her with lights in their eyes.
“Good morning, Lady Abby,” they both chirped.
“Thank you for forgiving us,” Reyna immediately said, as she avoided mentioning the cause of their punishment.
“Yes, we are really happy you spoke up for us,” Alyssa followed her cue.
Abby couldn’t feel any resentment whatsoever from them and felt happy for being right about them. These two girls were really nice with no ill intentions toward herself.
On the other hand, forget about resentment, they didn’t even feel unfair for being punished for their unintentional actions. When they realized that they made her feel uncomfortable in a place she was new to, they felt shameful in fact. They crossed a line as servants. Their master got hurt. because of them
And they couldn’t believe that Abby actually forgiven them when the guards came to the laundry
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Chapter 23
room to fetch themselves back.
They couldn’t be more grateful when they learned Abby wanted them back as her personal maids.
The future queen was really kind and they were more than happy to serve her.
“My lady, you have a long day ahead.” Reyna spoke mysteriously as she ushered Abby into the washroom with Alyssa. only they didn’t follow her into the room.
They would take one step at a time, they decided to wait for Abby to become comfortable with them first.
An hour later, after eating her breakfast Alyssa and Reyna prepared for her. Abby found herself waiting to meet the royal seamstress.
After a soft knock. Ella, the seamstress, walked into the King’s room.
“Good morning, my lady.” Ella greeted her politely. Her expression was perfectly schooled and Abby nodded in response.
Ella asked her own assistant to set the tools and things she needed before sending the person away.
Now it was only Abby, her two maids and Ella in the room and Abby didn’t feel that tense.
Abby realized the seamstress was already aware of her scars, apparently Micah had informed her about it.
Yes, Micah told Ella everything and also the things she needed to pay attention to while she worked on her dresses.
“My lady, do you have any particular requests for your dresses?” Ella asked, still sounding polite.
She meant the style and such and when Abby said she didn’t mind her opinions, Ella told her what. dresses she planned to make for her.
“Then, please step out of your dress when you are ready. I’m ready to take your measurements.” Ella informed Abby after they finalized the styles and colors Abby wanted her dresses in.
Even though she could tell that the seamstress was warned of her situation, Abby couldn’t help. feeling self conscious to open her dress.
She only came around after Alyssa and Reyna kept giving her reassuring glances and finally opened her dress.
And Ella finished measuring her in no time. Even though she didn’t do anything that warranted Abby’s now frowning face as she watched her leave with her things and maids, she felt something was amiss. Only she couldn’t point out what it was,
Ella was too polite and worked mechanically, there was not even some small talk save for the greeting she offered Abby the moment she entered her room.
On the other hand, Ella stepped out of the King’s bedroom to leave for her own tower with no expression whatsoever on her face.
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However, the disapproved look in her eyes was something her close servants couldn’t mistake. But it was only momentary as her eyes turned blank in the next second.
When the King summoned herself to talk about the dresses Abby would need for the ceremony, Ella didn’t expect him to list so many things she needed to take care of. Things she clearly deemed the future queen of this kingdom shouldn’t be associated with.
And when she saw the scars with her own eyes, Ella’s dissatisfaction with Abby only grew, but she wasn’t stupid enough to voice those things or display her feelings.
Back in the room, after Abby wore her dress back, this time with the help of Alyssa and Reyna, she was pulled out of her room by her enthusiastic maids who wanted to give her a personal tour.
And a few minutes later, Abby found herself walking through the back garden of the palace, as her maids took it upon themselves to give her a brief tour around the palace.
It was a beautiful garden filled with yellow flowers and Abby immediately fell in love with the place.
One place at a time, they showed her the important places until they ended up at the training ground and Abby couldn’t help but feel awed by the number of warriors going through training
there.
Some were fighting in human form and the others circled each other in their beast form. Even young warriors were so invested in training, Abby couldn’t help but admire their tenacity.
And when the warriors saw Abby, they greeted her politely. But when they saw how timid she was they couldn’t help wondering if she could become a good queen for them.
Moreover, Abby was wearing a plain dress without any accessories, looking oh so simple, they couldn’t imagine herself as the Queen. If not for the news about herself being Micah’s mate hadn’t been spread already, they wouldn’t even associate her with the King.
Meanwhile, feeling their curious gazes on her, Abby felt even more self conscious. “Do you know where the King is?” She finally asked Alyssa when she couldn’t take it anymore.
“Since it’s afternoon, he should be in a meeting with the elders.” It was Reyna who answered her.
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