Chapter 54

Laurel sank into her seat, still giddy from the picnic. They had been out there for several hours that morning, enjoying each other's company until Adolph had to get back to finish up a few things before the ministry's meeting.

She smiled looking at the bouquet on her desk. Adolph told her that he'd had it replaced. The sight of roses still stung a bit, but she thought back to the picnic and found herself able to carry on with her work. She had a bit of paperwork to review regarding the orphanage and she still hadn't gotten a chance to speak with Basil about the orchard.

A knock sounded on her door.

"Come in."

Gavin Mirabelle entered with a cold expression, sneering down at her. He wasn't a bad looking man for his age, but his malice and greed had disfigured even the color of his eyes in her mind. He was nothing but a greedy man, pulling his grandson's strings. As he walked in, he saw several other ministers standing outside Adolph's office. He closed the door behind him and she watched him warily.

He crossed the room with smooth strides and took a seat without being prompted before staring at her. Laurel remembered a moment like this from her past life. Gavin walked into her office like this all the time and stared at her until she was moved to speak. It had been uncomfortable then annoying until the very last time he'd done it. She wasn't going to cave this time.

He had made her past life miserable. She wouldn't be giving him the satisfaction of doing it again.

She ignored him, returning to her work in silence. He could sit across the table for the rest of the day for all she cared.

"You really are a rude thing, are you not?"

"Is the person working rude or the person who sat without being invited ruder?" Laurel replied, scribbling a note on the budget of the hospital. She made another note about the food supply for the orphanage.

"How dare you sit in my daughter's office and pretend to be worthy of the position?" Gavin hissed. "I don't know what you've done to the king, but you will call off this farce of a marriage immediately."

Laurel didn't glance at him, rearranging her papers.

"Do you hear me, girl?"

She looked up at him with the coldest glance she could manage. His eyes widened, staring at her.

"Are you done, old man?" His jaw dropped open as she gave him a little smirk. "Or are you going to keep trying to distract me from my work?"

"You think you're clever," Gavin said. "Clever enough to win over the king, but it takes more than cleverness to sit in that seat, you know? You know how important I am? Grandfather to the prince and father-in-law to the king? I can make sure you never achieve much of anything."

Laurel met his gaze. It was a threat she'd heard before. How strange that he was using the same tactics against her when she, as Laurel, had a much stronger position than Laura had. Everyone knew Laura wasn't Basil's mate. Everyone knew that she had been, more or less, chosen by the ministers because of her parents and Basil's lack of interest.

Adolph had chosen Laurel to take over the duties, to sit in this office, and to be his wife and luna.

Gavin smirked, "So what is it that I can offer you-"

"Nothing." She gave him a cold smile. "If you're done, *Gavin, I have things of true importance to attend.*"

He flinched at the words, feeling out of place and displaced in time. The words felt as though someone had struck him across the face and pulled him into a memory that was not his own.

Green eyes had looked across his desk years ago from the face of a young woman with black hair. He remembered giving the owner of those eyes a cold and mocking smile. Had it been as cold as the smile he was receiving now?

He'd said those words to Laura How could Laurel be saying the same words? Was it just a coincidence? It was eerie and infuriating. He stood and glared at her.

"You will regret this."

Laurel laughed a little as he left the room and joined the others in the hallway. He knocked on Adolph's door and prepared himself.

"Come in," Adolph said.

He walked in, leading the group.

Adolph looked up from his paperwork. On the corner of his desk was a stack of different invitations all written by the Imperial Calligrapher in different styles. There was one that looked just like the invitation to Adolph and Olivia's wedding among them, but the one on top was written in a font he had never seen before as if pulled from some ancient history book.

"Your Majesty," Gavin greeted.

"What brought you up here?" Adolph asked, looking at them.

"Well, Your Majesty, you left so abruptly from the meeting-"

"It was an announcement. Not a meeting. Unless you've come to an agreement about the new nobility to be named, there is nothing to speak about."

"Your Majesty, surely you can see how we can't accept such a sudden declaration!" Gavin said. "You were married to my daughter and for all these years. Your devotion to-"

"Minister Mirabelle," Adolph said, his voice cold as he met his gaze. "You should be very careful about what you say next."

He swallowed and cleared his throat, "All I mean to say is that it is suspicious that you have decided to marry this young woman out of nowhere."

Adolph chuckled, "Oh? Was it suspicious that my son has married that immature woman a mere month after his wife of three years died?"

Gavin stammered but Adolph held up his hand.

"Have you all reached an accord about the new nobles?"

"No, but-"

"Have you a drafted budget for my wedding to Laurel?"

"No, but-"

"Then we have nothing to talk about," Adolph said and waved them out. "Get out and do your job before I get a chance to replace you."

The ministers scurried out and Gavin followed, fuming a bit. The door to Laurel's office opened. She closed it behind her carrying a piece of parchment and barely glanced their way before hurrying down the stairs.

Her long black hair whipped out of sight uncannily. Gavin shook that thought away and led the ministers down the stairs after her.

"Oh, hello, Eden!" Laurel said, brightly.

"Laurel," Eden said, his voice warm and friendly. Gavin smirked listening and hoping to hear something of use.

Eden's tone seemed too casual for just acquaintances.

"There's a rumor going around the castle"

Laurel gasped as Eden took her hand and narrowed his gaze at the ring on her hand. A few moments of silence passed as he stared at the ring.

" not exactly a rumor then."

She smiled, shyly, taking her hand back and cradling her hand to her chest.

"No not a rumor." His expression seemed troubled for a moment before a small smile broke across his face.

"It seems as though you're happy about it," Eden said. "I'm glad you're smiling Best of luck."

"You'll still be in the city, won't you?"

His lips twitched, "OF course."

"Wonderful!" Laurel grinned and dropped her gaze. "I was on the way to the hospital. It's a bit urgent, and I'm sure you have things to take care of."

"Yes," Eden said nodding at her. "Have a good day, Laurel, and congratulations."

She smiled at him, relieved that he didn't seem offended that she'd made the decision and clearly wouldn't be leaving the kingdom with him.

"Thank you, Eden."

Laurel left Eden and hurried out of the castle with Lynn escorting her to the hospital to meet with the heads of the hospital to go over the budget. She stopped off in town to buy something to snack on before returning to meet with Sarah and Lily about planning the wedding.

For several days, Laurel woke up with a smile and ran around most of the day. Adolph often caught her during meal times, enticing her into sharing a meal with her or stopping by areas she was known to be with flowers and a smile.

She wanted to be embarrassed about it, but she had decided to allow herself to enjoy his gestures without getting invested in them.

"Miss Laurel," Lily sighed a little dreamily as they walked to the ballroom. "You should hear the things the servants are saying."

Laurel froze looking at her, "What do you mean?"

"Everyone's talking about your great romance with His Majesty," Sarah said with a giggle. "Someone got a glimpse of your mark the other day and it's been all anyone can talk about today."

Laurel frowned looking at Sarah, "Why is that?... Is it strange?"

She placed a protective hand to the mark and Sarah shook her head.

"No! It's completely normal, especially with warriors to mark their mates in such a hard-to-hide place" Sarah flushed and cleared her throat, "The older servants, the ones that have been around since Prince Basil was born, are talking about it the most."

"Why?" Laurel asked, feeling her heart bracing for the agony of hearing about how Olivia's mark was in a more obvious place, like her neck instead of her shoulder, or some sort of scorn about the mark at all.

"They're saying Luna Olivia was never marked."

Laurel gasped as she heard a shrill voice from behind her, "You vile wench!"

Laurel turned to see Tina coming through the doorway, flushed and heading toward Laurel as if she meant to kill her.

"How dare you!"