The Gold Queen (Prequel)

December 2, 1994

***Mateo***

We walk down the hall in silence as the Queen leads me through a series of corridors until we come before a door. I gulp as she lets me in, closing the door behind me. She walks over to her desk and sits gracefully upon her chair, interlocking her fingers and resting them on the surface of the table. Her cold gaze settles on me, making my wolf restless with worry. A long silence fills the room as minutes crawl by.

Anxious to get this over with, I clear my throat to break the stillness in the room.

“Y-your majesty,” I stammer, trying to come up with a possible explanation for my presence in Sofia’s suite. “I-I”

Homework! Luis suggests

“I-I have a homework assignment due tonight,” I say, refusing to look the Queen in the eyes. “Her highness was gracious enough to help me-“

She lifts a hand and my words dry up instantly.

“You are my daughter’s mate,” she says rather than asks.

My heart drops to the pit of my stomach and my brain screams at me to run. But I don’t. Instead, I remain perfectly still.

“Your Majesty, i-it’s… Look I can explain-“

She once again lifts her hand up to stop me, her eyes glued to her desk. In the silence, the Queen begins to rearrange the paper clips and tape dispenser while I watch, my heart beating a mile a minute.

When she’s finished, her gold eyes look up at me, chilling me to the bone with their icy fury.

“I don’t take too kindly to lying so I would choose my next words carefully if I were you,” she warns.

I swallow the bile that threatens to escape my mouth and stare at her hands. Loosing her patience, she rises from her chair.

She was no taller than Sofia but despite her small stature, the power in her voice was enough to make a full fledged alpha tremble. My throat suddenly becomes dryer than the Sonoran Desert and I find it hard to form a single sentence to deny her accusation.

“You must think me a cold woman,” she says after a long uncomfortable silence. “You must wonder ‘how could a mother force her own daughter to marry a man she doesn’t love for power'”

I did wonder. I wondered all the time how the Queen could agree to such an arrangement.

“But you would be wrong to think this marriage was just about power and that I do not feel pain when I think of the sacrifice I am asking my daughter to make.”

“Then why are you doing this?” I ask. “Why are you forcing this on her?”

“You wouldn’t understand. You grew up in a home where your sole responsibility was your clan. But Sofia? She is a Royal. And as a royal, she holds a lot of weight in her shoulders. It is a real job and contrary to popular belief we do a lot for our packs. The moon and sun chose us to do one thing and one thing only. Protect our packs. She understands that nothing matters more than our duty to our people and that sacrifices must be made so that people like you can live in peace.”

“Peace?” I scoff. “You call this peace? We’re on the brink of war!”

“Which is all the more reason for this marriage to happen!” she snaps, finally losing her composure.

I jump at the sudden harshness of her voice and she takes a moment to collect herself.

“You are too young,” she continues, staring out of the large window that overlooked the bustling city below. “Too young to know what war truly is. What it can do to you. What it can destroy. So I don’t expect you to understand the magnitude of what Sofia’s sacrifice will mean. All the good it will do for the kingdom.”

So this was her excuse?

I feel my b***d boil. This responsibility should not rest solely on Sofia’s shoulders. If the Queen truly feared war, then she should exhaust every possibility for peace, not use her daughter for an easy out.

“But what about what’s good for Sofia? Don’t you want her to be happy?”

“And you think you’re what’s good for my daughter?” She retorts. “You think you’ll make her happy?”

Before I can answer, the Queen bursts into dry laughter.

“Tell me, Mateo. What are the laws regarding inter-pack marriages in Sol de Oro?” the Queen asks.

I open my mouth but nothing comes out. I didn’t know the first thing about the Laws of the Kingdom.

“No?” She smirks. “That’s okay. What about our policy regarding rogues seeking asylum? Are we a sanctuary kingdom or do we only accept non-rogues?”

“I-I-“

“Do you even know how many hotels are in the Reyes Chain that are run by my husband?”

“Three- No- four!” I stammer.

She smiles to herself and sighs.

“You are a good boy, there’s no doubt about that,” she says when her laughter dies down. “But you don’t know the first thing about being a king. Julian on the other hand does. He’s trained for it all his life,” she shrugs apologetically. “You once said you wanted freedom. My daughter cannot give you that. So I wonder, are you willing to give up the chance to roam free and stay by Sofia’s side? Are you willing to work within a system you clearly loathe?”

I return her stare. I hadn’t thought about freedom since I realized Sofia was mine. She was all I cared about now. She was my freedom, my only passion.

“Yes.” I reply, not an ounce of hesitation in my voice. “I would give it all up for her.”

“That’s cute,” she chuckles, her voice suddenly ice cold. “But what good would marrying you do for her when she knows her people will suffer for it? Because trust me, they will suffer. You might be an Altamirano but you are nothing compared to the Prince and the connections he has. You don’t have an army. You don’t have the training. You don’t even know how to a manage a business and you expect me to celebrate your mating?” She scoffs, rolling her eyes. “Give me break.”

Her words were like knives cutting into my pride, smothering me, making me feel worthless when I knew I was worth more than that low life of a prince.

“You might think that you are what’s best for Sofia,” the Queen says, softening the cold features of her face. “But she needs a King by her side and you,” she points to my chest, “You will never be good enough.” Her eyes fog over briefly as she closes the gap between us, reaching up to caress me cheek. I wince at her touch, her fingers ice cold. “Sofia will be Queen,” she continues. “And you would do well to let her go. Let her rule in peace so she can focus on what’s truly important. Her packs. Stop filling her head with ideas of love and mates.”

“But-“

“If you truly love her,” the Queen interrupts. “Don’t make this difficult for her,” she whispers. “Leave. Travel. Fulfill your own destiny the way you want to… and let her go.”

My chest tightens at the thought of leaving her. I couldn’t. I refused to believe Julian would make a better King than me.

But I could not give myself away and the plans I had to stop this nonsense, so I grit my teeth and hold back my rage.

“Yes, your Majesty,” I respond, swallowing the anger in me.

“I’m glad we had this little talk,” she chirps, pushing past me and walking towards the door. “Now have you rejected her?”

I shake my head.

“Then make sure you do so by the end of the week,” she says over her shoulder as she turns the handle. “You certainly won’t be getting the chance to do so at the wedding since you won’t be attending.”

“WHAT?” I gasp, knowing this would ruin everything for me.

“I would prefer that Sofia to be free of the mate bond when she marries Julian, but rejections are a painful process and I cannot afford to put Sofia through that kind of pain at this time. So, we must do the next best thing and keep you away. I don’t want you anywhere near my daughter when she takes her vows,” she explains. “I’ve already informed the guards. You are not allowed within 100 feet of this hotel,” she adds calmly, her emotions hidden well. “I’m doing this for your own good.”

“You can’t make me reject her,” I snarl, livid at the mere suggestion of it.

“Watch me,” she says. “If you don’t, I’ll see to it that the Altamirano clan is banished from the Kingdom and I can assure you, you don’t want that. Healers like your brother are extremely rare and a desperate pack will do anything to get their hands on a pup like him.”

Banish the Altamirano clan? She wouldn’t dare put my brother in danger like that, would she? Surely the king wouldn’t allow it

I stare the Queen down. If she wanted to play games, then game on your Majesty.

“Yes, your Majesty,” I reply through gritted teeth.

She smiles with satisfaction as she opens the door, revealing Gamma Roberto waiting patiently for her instructions. “Roberto, please see to it that Mr. Altamirano gets home safely.”

***Ana Lucia***

I watch Roberto escort the boy out and close the door behind them. A million thoughts run through my head and I can’t keep the tears from rolling down my cheeks as I collapse into my chair, no longer forced to keep up the cold expression on my face.

I did not hate Mateo. In fact, I was quite impressed by him. I had watched him carefully ever since I caught him kissing Sofia and I knew instantly he was her mate. He lit up my daughter’s world and made her happy with just his presence. No one had ever made her smile like he did.

But it could not be. They could not be. I knew what they would become and I could not let it happen.

I wipe my tears and sit up in my chair, mentally preparing myself to finish up the last of the wedding details.

“Forgive me Moon Goddess,” I whisper to myself as I get to work. “But they cannot be the fated pair. I won’t allow it.”

***Sofia***

I work meticulously to remove Mateo’s scent, scrubbing my body and dousing an entire perfume bottle on me. No one could know how we had spent last night together. That would be our treasured secret, to be known only by us.

I rush down to the hotel restaurant to meet my parents for breakfast, still high from my night with Mateo. Nothing could ruin my mood. Nothing. I happily find my seat and order my food, smiling like a fool as I get flash backs of Mateo’s lips on me, his tongue worshipping my body.

“Thinking about your fiancé?” my grandmother, Maria (Ana Lucia’s mother) teases.

She and my grandfather, Eliseo, had flown in from San Luis Potosi for the occasion. Mama’s older brother, Angel, the current King of Luz Marina, and his wife, Queen Mercedes, would be flying in tonight.

“Ay mija, I’m so happy to see you and Julian are starting to work things out.” my grandmother continues. “I was so worried when your mother told me you two weren’t getting along.”

“Yeah,” I giggle.

Dad raises an eyebrow at me. “Why are you so happy?”

“Juan!” My mother snaps, smacking his chest. “Let the girl enjoy her last day as a single woman. Don’t question it.”

My father narrows his eyes at my mother accusingly but ultimately decides to drop the subject. We finish our meal in peace before my mother informs me that Queen Victoria, Julian’s mother, wanted to see me in the dress after breakfast.

I had met Queen Victoria only a handful of times since my engagement to her son but from our few encounters, I knew she was a great Queen. I often wondered how such an incredible woman could birth such a imbecile for a son.

He must take after his father, Solana mutters as we head off to the dressing room.

“Buenosa dias, su alteza, (good morning, your highness)” she greets me with a hug. “You look as beautiful as ever.”

“Thank you,” I smile awkwardly as we walk over to the seats.

We go through formalities before the matter of the wedding comes up.

“I wanted to thank you, Sofia, for everything you are doing,” she says, taking my hands in hers. “I know an arranged marriage is not an easy sacrifice to make. I promise, though, it does get easier.”

My tilt my head in curiosity as I make a realization. “A-are you not-“

“Jose’s mate?” she chuckles. “No. My marriage was arranged before I was even born,” She shrugs, her smile faltering slightly. “I was always destined to be Queen.”

“I-I didn’t know,” I say, giving her my undivided attention. “How do you do it?” I ask, wanting to uncover the secret of not going insane with such an arrangement.

“It wasn’t easy at first,” she admits, staring down at her hands. “But after a lot of arguing and fighting, Jose and I came to understand and respect each other. We’re good friends now.”

Sadness flashes in her eyes and I know she is lying. My heart sinks. There was truly no end to this pain, was there?

“Sofia, I know Julian isn’t the man you envisioned you’d be marrying. I know he is a difficult and … demanding,” she says after a long pause. “And I am afraid part of that may be my fault for not teaching him how to treat people better. But I do hope you give him a chance. He needs a good Queen by his side and I can think of no one better for him than you.”

He is a grown man! Teaching him to be a better man should not be my job! I want to scream.

“Give him a chance. He might surprise you,” she sighs, sitting up a bit straighter and rolling back her shoulders. “Now, lets see that dress.”

—

I spend the rest of the day finalizing everything for the wedding, counting down the hours until the sun came down so Mateo could come meet me.

When the sun finally sets, I lock myself in my room using the pretext that I needed my beauty sleep for tomorrow. Around 8 pm, I get a call and I rush to answer it, hoping it was Mateo.

“Hello?” I smile into the receiver.

“Hi, Princess,” Mateo whispers, his husky voice making my heart skip a beat.

“When are you coming?” I squeal, giddy with excitement to see him again.

“I can’t,” he replies with a sigh. “But I promise. I’ll see you soon.”

“What-“

“I have to go, love,” he whispers quickly. “I love you.”

“Teo wait-“

But he doesn’t. I hear the dial tone before I can even ask for some answers as he hangs up on me. Several questions swirl around in my head and I have no one to help me through this pain I was feeling.

A few tears spill onto my cheeks as I settle into bed and before I knew it, I was sobbing uncontrollably.

I’m getting married tomorrow. Oh goddess, I’m getting married.