Chapter 50

Laurel blinked, shocked as she covered her sore cheek. She turned her head and looked at Delia. Something was wrong with her, but she didn't care to figure it out.

The maid behind Delia was shocked. Her voice trembling with panic, "Miss Laurel, are you okay?"

Laurel used to think that Delia was just a pretty woman whose only desire was to please Basil. She was a simpering woman who enjoyed her station. Since returning, she'd learned she was more like Basil than she had ever thought possible: selfish, vain, self-important, and willful. She never thought they deserved each other more than right now.

She had never expected Delia to have the nerve to hit her either. It was such an impolite thing to do. The thought that such a woman was Basil's mate made her feel sick mostly because she used to love him.

If mates were supposed to be reflections of each other, for better or worse, she had loved the selfish vanity and willfulness in Basil at one point.

She didn't think she could hate him more than at this moment.

Laurel heard the other maids who were working in the garden, but no one dared to speak in front of them. She clenched her fist and met Delia's gaze. She wouldn't let this willful, immature brat get the better of her today.

For all of her screaming and anger, Delia would never have what it took to be luna, but Laurel did.

"What are you doing?" Laurel asked calmly, her face still stinging.

"I'm teaching a disobedient servant a lesson! You always fail to recognize your place." Delia growled, baring her teeth. "Tina has taught you a lesson, so did Basil, but you are still so insolent. Do you think you can do whatever you want in this castle just because you've won the king's affection?"

Laurel was shaking with anger. She bared her teeth, furious as she pulled back and struck Delia across the face as hard as she could manage. Delia stumbled from the force of the blow.

The maids gasped again, but no one moved as Delia lifted her face, a brighter red than Laurel was sure her face was turning.

"How dare you!" Delia screamed and lunged for her.

Laurel struck her on the other side of her face, stunning her into silence.

"You hit me," Laurel said. "Why did you think I wouldn't hit you back?"

Delia's eyes turned red with anger and she pointed at Laurel, "Throw this wretch out of my castle, right now!"

Laurel didn't flinch. The memories of Laura's death had no bearing on her now. She wasn't afraid of Delia. She wasn't afraid of anyone without real power. She stared at Delia patiently as she seethed and cast her gaze around.

"Did you hear me? I said drag her out!"

The maids bowed their heads but did not act. Delia huffed and seethed. Her pretty face had turned into something grotesque and evil. She screamed before kicking one of the maids to the ground.

"How dare you disobey me!"

The woman cried out in pain as she fell to the ground. Laurel stepped between them and glared at Delia. She shrieked in Laurel's face every time she jumped between Delia and another maid, seething.

Delia wanted to hit her again, but knowing that Laurel would only hit her back would do nothing for her. If it got too out of hand, Laurel would tell Adolph. Delia shuddered at the thought of dealing with Adolph again. Even if she didn't, all of this would get around the castle quickly and Eden would hear more about this and probably come to rebuke her again.

Delia growled at her, "How dare you get in my way, you filthy whore!"

A maid nearby gasped in horror.

"That's enough," Laurel said, her voice still calm. "You're being childish."

"Everyone-Every single one of you, treats me like this!" Delia screamed, casting her gaze across the group of maids and Laurel. "I'll tell Basil to throw you all out of the castle!"

Laurel scoffed drawing Delia's wide-eyed gaze, "You dare-"

"Lily and I are the ones who run the castle now," Laurel said indifferently.

Basil was a prince, but she had been placed by the king. If she had taken this stance weeks ago, her time in the palace likely would have been much easier. She wouldn't be allowing them to make her feel as though her place in the palace was beneath them ever again.

"You're just-"

"And I won't fire a maid who hasn't done anything wrong," Laurel continued. "Go about your business and leave them alone if they have done no wrong."

Delia stared at her viciously, her hand twitching as if she wanted to lung at her again. Laurel directed the maids to look after the maid who had been assaulted and take her into the castle before returning to their duties.

They cast wide-eyed gazes at Delia as they went back into the palace.

"Look at you," Delia hissed. "Look at that smug look on your face! What are you? A soldier's daughter? It's an honor to be the king's mistress, flaunting your whore status all day!"

Laurel frowned at her before smoothing her expression again. She wanted to retort, but she had nothing to say in her defense. From the outside, she was just a woman of low status who had been entrusted with an important task without reasoning. She didn't have any well-known credentials. No one in the Imperial City had even heard of her pack, yet she was acting as the luna. It didn't matter that she was good at it. Anyone would conclude that she was Adolph's mistress.

She wanted to say that she was Adolph's mate and that Adolph had just sworn to love her, but she knew that no one would believe her. Delia would just ridicule her and twist her words. Their relationship, as it was and could be, didn't deserve her scorn or viciousness.

She didn't have a proper identity in this castle yet, but that would change soon enough.

Delia's eyes brightened and she lifted her chin with a laugh, taking her silence as an admission. At least the girl knew not to argue with her on that front, no matter how haughty she acted. Delia leaped on the chance.

She laughed loud and arrogant, "See! You are nothing! But me? I am the wife of the prince and heir. I am the real luna of this kingdom! And you? The king will throw you out as soon as he gets tired of you! Your days are numbered."

Laurel growled at her. Her fury shook the air and made Delia stumble back. She jabbed her finger at Delia as she sneered.

"Remember those words," Laurel hissed with menace. "Remember it so you can regret it properly!"

She turned from Delia and marched into the castle. Delia frowned watching her go. There was a dreadful feeling in her gut as she watched Laurel go rising from beneath her anger.

What would Eden think of this? Would he hear about it?

Laurel walked through the open doors at a fearsome pace, cutting through the corridor like a storm.

A maid's voice simpered from around the corner, "T-This way, Your Highness."

Basil and one of the garden maids rounded the corner as she headed towards the stairs that led up to Adolph's office. Basil saw her and glared at her as the maid stepped back. Laurel took stock of the woman to deal with later as she turned towards the stairs, intent on ignoring Basil.

Basil stepped in front of the stairs and glared at her.

"Get out of my way," Laurel growled.

"What are you doing here? You bullied Tina, and you bullied my wife-"

Laurel shoved him out of her way as hard as she could manage. He cried out and tumbled to the ground before running into the wall. She didn't stop to look at the pathetic sight of him slumped on the floor. The maid gasped and jumped back in terror, covering her mouth.

"You bitch!" Basil yelled after her, scrambling to get onto his feet, but Laurel headed up the stairs, taking the stairs two at a time to get to Adolph's level.

She passed her office and the maid that bowed and murmured a greeting. The door was closed, but she opened it without hesitation, furious and huffing. Adolph looked up from the papers on his desk as she slammed it closed behind her.

"Laurel?"

He expected Chasel or someone else to announce an attack of some sort, seeing Laurel there with a slowly blossoming bruise on her chest and eyes alight with anger was surprising.

She crossed the room and leaned over his desk, "Marry me, Adolph Raymond!"

Adolph blinked at her, stunned. A little jolt of happiness went through him as he started to process her words.

"What?"

She growled and Adolph felt the air shake as she slammed her hands on his desk.

"How dare you make me repeat myself? Say yes, or I'll leave the Imperial City and never come back!"

"Yes!" Adolph cried, grabbing her hand. "Yes. Yes, damn it. I want to marry you, and I want to marry you now!"