SWNOVELS Chapter 147
Abby listened to her personal maid Reyna as she recounted what the people had been saying about their queen's good deeds for the past month.
"They finally knew how kind and nice you are, My Queen," the girl said, feeling proud that she realized her master's exceptional traits long before anyone else did. "I can't explain how happy I am right now." Abby could only shake her head at the girl's antics, because she felt Reyna was just exaggerating. However, her next words made the queen realize she didn't dote on her maids for nothing.
"When they said all those nasty things about you, I had never let them have peace."
"What did you do?"
"I fought them, naturally. Only then did they learn to keep their mouths shut."
Abby didn't know Reyna fought the others for her honor, and when the girl reiterated how she couldn't take those people speaking nonsense about Abby, she felt very touched.
Apparently, being alone here, Reyna was subjected to ridicule several times, even though it wasn't direct insults, as she caught the people from Arthur's old tower a few times running their mouths, in retaliation of which she had minor altercations with those people who forgot fear with the former king backing them up.
Just a couple of days before Abby returned to the capital, Reyna ended up rebuking them again, which led to a verbal battle between her and the other party until a few warriors stepped in. She got lucky to put it simply.
"Reyna, you aren't as strong as them. What would you have done if they ganged up on you?"
It was Alyssa, who voiced her dissatisfaction over Reyna's impulsiveness. Even though they all belonged to the same rank, she was alone while the other party had numbers.
She had been able to avoid bigger trouble only because a few other warriors were there to mediate the situation. If she had been alone, she didn't know what would have happened to this impulsive girl.
"Even if I suffer a little, it was worth protecting my master's honor, so I won't regret it." Reyna answered, not even batting an eyelid and Abby didn't know how to make this girl understand she didn't didn't need to risk anything for her.
"Reyna, they aren't worth either mine or your time, so don't be impulsive again.”
However, Reyna didn't promise her anything, other than lowering her head in submission, and Abby didn't understand if her maid would heed her advice.
Alyssa could also see this, so she changed the topic. Reyna would come around eventually.
"My Queen, you said you need to meet royal beta Alan to talk about something."
Abby did have something important to talk to the royal beta, and her mood plummeted a little at the idea. She didn't know what news Alan had for her. Alyssa and Reyna then assisted Abby to dress accordingly, before Deion took over as he escorted the queen to the strategy room where Alan was waiting for her.
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"So there is still no news?" Abby looked at Alan with this somber expression on her face.
"I'm afraid, no, Abby." Alan could see how Abby's shoulders slumped in an instant. "No news is also a good thing."
He didn't know whom he was trying to placate with this sentence, himself or Abby. Because the news they were talking about was the whereabouts of Micah.
"I don't know no, Alan," Abby said, feeling her stomach sink further. "It has been a month, why couldn't we find out what happened to them?" Micah left with Dax and the others to fight with the rogues at the very base, where Ezgar and Ruby were spotted along with those pests.
Mirella and the two Alphas had also followed the King deep into the forest, where they believed one of the rogues' bases was located.
The only problem was, it had already been a month, but there was still no news about their whereabouts or how the battle went. Abby didn't know how to reach her mate, and not knowing something about Micah, no matter good or bad news, was taking a toll on her.
"Alan, find a way to contact them." Abby could only say this to the royal beta, who nodded at her.
"We will find them, it's going to be okay."
"It has to be."
The situation with the royal council was getting out of control, because Arthur started to stir new trouble once he realized tarnishing her name wouldn't work in his favor anymore.
People had long started treating her with hearts full of sincerity, reciprocating her own actions, and Arthur found himself losing his grip over this matter.
Mere rumors couldn't help him distance Abby from the people anymore, moreover, if he were to try that tactic again, he would be dropping rocks on his own feet, harming himself further.
Realizing this, he started to find other ways to make things difficult for Abby, and Micah going missing seemed to have breathed new life into his plans to regain power in the palace.
By claiming that the matters of the kingdom needed to be handled by someone capable in the absence of Micah, Arthus started implying to the elders that he would be willing to shoulder the burden until his son returned.
But who didn't understand his selfish intentions to reclaim the throne, right after Micah went missing? He clearly had a goal!
Once authority fell in his hands, he would definitely make Abby's life a living hell. Wasn't this the reason Alan kept the matter of Micah and Abby going missing last month under the wraps?
Who would have thought Arthur could find another opportunity so soon when they avoided a crisis just a month back?
And if things came to that, Abby wouldn't sit still either. And when she made her next move, Arthur should pray she didn't find enough time to settle scores with him.
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'She turned the situation around with just a simple move.'
Arthur couldn't help but hit the armrest of his chair, the sound of which echoed in this great hall, where he could see the rest of the royal council members gathered to pressure Alan for answers about the whereabouts of their king.
The girl played her cards nicely, in fact really seamlessly, as she chose to gain support from the people instead of confronting him and the royal councilors, almost disrupting all his plans.
She managed to find a strong defense to stand against his moves in the form of public opinion, after all, it weighed more than anything in a kingdom, where the king had to prioritize people above anything.
He had asked Micah to think of the people and discard Abby because she had no value, but he had never imagined one day, Abby would reverse her own situation by prioritizing the same people.
However, he wouldn't let her have
the upper hand anymore. He could
tell it was only a matter of time before Alan relented and handed over the responsibilities Micah gave him, Because who else was more
in
suitable to run this king their
the
absence of the king if not their former king?
He would see how she was going to retaliate when he had everything below the sky under his grasp.
Before Micah returned, he would et
make sure Abby ran for her life
to return and then, even if his son returned, he could do nothing about it.
"Why was the royal beta taking so long?" Fabron, an elder, asked from the side.
"We have arrived earlier." Gavin, another elder, pointed out, making Fabron fall silent, because it seemed like they were relatively free.
However, before he could find fault with him, the guard announced the arrival of Alan, but it was Abby who walked into the great hall.
"What's a woman doing here?" Fabron shifted his displeasure to Abby, who chose to ignore his male chauvinism as she continued to walk toward the throne.
No one could stop her because Alan was right behind her, and it was clear that they didn't announce the arrival of Abby on purpose.
But that wasn't their main concern anymore when Abby finally took her seat on the throne and opened her mouth. "Please be seated and I hope this discussion goes well."
Only then did they realize they had all unknowingly stood up upon noticing it was actually Abby who came, and immediately sat down.
Abby was wearing one of her newly stitched royal robes in the color of black and gold, the royal colors with her frame adorned in simple yet elegant jewelry which made her look regal, sitting in the throne. Arthur had a bad feeling about this. Content
Everyone fell silent when Abby announced she wanted to discuss something with them, giving her a chance to talk first. However, her words were nothing but sparks of wildfire that sent them spiraling out of control.
"My purpose for coming to the great hall is simple, I want you all to report to me from now on."
In the next moment, a few elders started to protest, but before their voices could rise, Abby opened her mouth again.
"I know you will ask what right I have to demand of you of these things," Abby said, regarding each and everyone with a collected gaze. "So let me make it clear in what position I'm standing now."
She then calmly stood up. "As the queen of this kingdom, it is my responsibility to shoulder this burden of overseeing everything in the kingdom when our king is absent. So I hope you will all cooperate with
me."
Abby looked Arthur in the eyes when she said the word 'cooperate,' which left the former king gritting his teeth.
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