Chapter 17

Cassie

It was almost dawn by the time I got to the palace , still in my dress and yawning my head off. I wanted to sleep, wrapped in blankets and without this damn material strangling me but that wasn't going to happen thanks to Ian. Who had been waiting outside the hospital to drive me.

It was hard to argue with Ian, mostly because he just didn't do it. And I had tried a lot on the long drive.

Leaning forward I watched as the palace came into view. The house we lived in, the one with more rooms than we could use looked tiny in comparison and I blew out a breath. It was almost too much to take in but at least spending time under the same room as Julian would be easier here. We wouldn't even have to be in the same area of the house unless we wanted to be.

Which I certainly didn't.

"Are you ready for this?" Slowing the car down at the end of the curving driveway Ian finally spoke to me for the first time in an hour.

Pressing my face up against the window. I blew out a breath. "Ready for bed." I mumbled as my breath steamed up the window. "Yes. I just don't know why I couldn't go home and change-"

"Bed?" Ian cut me off. He chuckled. "You will be meeting the king."

I did a double take. Never in a million years did I think I would be meeting the king right now. My hair and make up was a mess. And I felt disgusting.

"Can I at least freshen up?" I asked hopefully but even as I said it, he twisted in his seat and stared at me.

The look he gave me spoke volumes. That would be a no then.

"You should have thought about that when you ran away from the party and decided to go against orders."

"Orders?" I scoffed and flopped back against the seat with my eyes closed. I needed a few minutes just to gather my wits about me. I had met the king before , but as a child. Which was the last time I had been here. There was a lot I could get away with back then because I had my own grandfather to keep me safe. He was gone now which meant I was on my own.

Pissing off Julian was one thing but annoying the king? That was just foolish.

"Ok." I blew out another breath and my eyes flew open. "Lead the way."

Ian nodded his head once and then he was out of the car and opening the door for me. Helping me out like a gentleman.

He led me forward, and the massive house loomed up around me. My heart began to thunder in my chest as we stepped inside and it felt like the house swallowed me.

"Wait here."

I was left in the wide grand foyer, with its double winding stair cases and the ornate gold framed paintings on the wall. I wanted to go and look at each one of those painting. Kings and queens of the past all stared down with judging eyes. Each one of them seemed to be telling me to run and free myself from this nightmare but I couldn't move. I was frozen to the spot.

"This way." A old woman appeared making me jumpS. Her eyes lowered. She shuffled but there was an urgency about her. The led me further into the gloomy palace until we finally came to a door set back from the others. It was so small that I would have walked passed it.

"The king will see you now." Knocking once she opened the door and stepped back. Leaving me no choice but to step inside alone.

The room was dark, the heavy drapes pulled closed over the windows that would have filled the room with the light of the rising sun.

"Welcome daughter."

I dropped into the lowest curtsy that my dress would allow. "You're highness."

"It's good to see you again Cassie." The kings voice was soft. "You have grown into a beautiful woman."

"Thank you." He hadn't told me I could stand so I kept my position. My eyes were totally locked on the floor. The muscles in my legs and core were spasming with trying to hold the unnatural position but I didn't dare move.

"You may take a seat." He said finally and I let out a sigh of relief.

Straightening I found him sat in a chair by the fireplace which was lit.

He was old but I didn't know why that surprised me. Of course he had aged but to see him so withered and frail was still a shock.

"Thank you." Tucking my chin into my chest I waited for him to speak. It was clear that he wanted to talk to me alone which meant it wasn't up to me to start a conversation.

"You have quite a reputation Cassie."

My head snapped up at his words. What did he mean by that?

"Not in the way you are thinking." His chuckle was raspy. "I have been following your education and career for quite a while and you have done well for yourself. And now you are married as well. How are you finding , juggling the two parts of your life?"

"It's fine." It wasn't even a lie. Apart from losing my place on the royal unit nothing had really changed in my work life. It was my private life that was imploding.

"And the house? My wedding gift to you, have you settled in and are happy?" His eyes were bright in his lined face. It was strange because he had the eyes of a much younger man. They were sharp and intense.

"Yes thank you. It's a beautiful house." Again not a lie.

His wise eyes narrowed. "But you are not happy? Is Julian giving you a hard time?"

I hesitated for a second too long.

"You called for me grandfather." The door opened and Julian walked into the room. Hesitating a second when he saw me sitting there. I stared right back. Noting that he had been given time to change. It even looked like he had slept a little.

"Yes. Your bride is finally here." Sitting back in his leather armchair the king steepled his fingers under his chin and studied us.

"She was just telling me about the start of your life together."

I risked a glance at Julian. Who was openly glaring at me.

"So would one of you like to tell me why you arrived separately?" All the kindness was gone from the king's voice. He sounded steely and cold. "The reports I am getting say that you do not spend your evenings together. That you don't spend any time together at all. Even now-" he motioned between the two of us. "You do not greet each other like newly weds. You cannot even look at each other. What is going on?"

Julian's lips thinned until they had almost disappeared completely but he didn't say anything.

"We just -" I stuttered. "Don't know each other."

"I see." Tap tap tap went the king's fingers. "Well as long as that's all it is and you aren't thinking of separating." He turned his attention back to Julian. "You must try harder, Julian. You have become cold and closed yourself off since your parents passed away."

Julian physically winced at the mention of his parents and I felt a rush of sympathy for him.

"Cassie my dear." The king forced himself to stand and reached for my hand. "Why don't you leave me and Julian to have a little talk. You must be tired? The omega outside the door will show you to your room so you can change and freshen up. She will show you around when you are ready and then we can have breakfast together and begin our full moon celebrations."

I dropped into another curtsy and left without looking back. I wanted to shower and change into something I could breathe in desperately but I wanted to escape Julian's presence more.

"This way Miss." The little omega shut the door behind me softly but not before I heard the King lay into Julian

"You must try harder, Julian."

"I don't see why, she is insufferable. I want a div-"

"No. There will be no divorce between you. Not now and not ever."