When Ben said PR appearance, he wasn't kidding. Officially, the Alpha Princess was going to visit her grandfather's grave, and like all official Alpha Princess events, it was accompanied by a train of betas and agents, and warriors.
I had the largest bouquet of white roses ever to leave at Grandpa Alpha's grave though. It was so large that I needed both arms to carry it. My betas even allowed me to carry it all on my own. Grandpa Alpha would probably prefer colorful roses like the ones he cultivated in Grandma Luna's rose garden, but this was fancier than anything I might have brought to his grave on my own.
All the better for the world to see, I suppose. The world was definitely going to see this if the number of cameras or news vans was any indication.
Since the press members and associates had all been briefed to respect my private moment, no one was allowed to approach to ask questions. They were, however, welcomed to camp a distance away to take photos and videos from multiple angles.
It was a sunny day, and I'm sure the lighting was perfect for the outdoor shoot. I felt quite sure that the fact that my outfit was perfectly matching to the occasion was no coincidence either. My black wide long skirt bloomed outwards with each step in very proper black leather boots. My silvery grey sweater was fitted and under the bright spring afternoon, was only topped by my bespoke Betaman cape. I was wondering why Ki had set out boots for dinner, but now it all made sense.
I wondered what kind of face I should be making at such an occasion. I mean, I knew what kind of face I didn't want to make - it would be terrible if I ended up bawling my eyes out or anything dramatically and miserably weak like that.
I don't think it would be appropriate to laugh out loud or play punch Ben or anything like that either. People could be very judgy when they watched the news. I knew this for a fact, because I could be very judgy and I was the least judgy person I knew imao.
Plus I was supposed to be on official business, representing my Alpha Dad. What kind of face would my Alpha Dad make?
I tried to take my bearings from the wolves around me, but half of them looked like the sun was in their eyes, and the other half looked serious and grim. Yeah, that would probably be the face Dad would make too. Only Ki was smiling, but it was his very gentle smile - the one he used to hide his true feelings.
If there were anytime I could have a second face, this would be a good one. But since I didn't own such a thing and had no idea how to conjure anything up on the spot, I think my expression was just sulky, because I didn't want to be here. Despite the sunshine and breeze on the gentle hill at the Warrior's Resting Place, I wasn't ready to be pushed to face Grandpa Alpha's grave right now, and I definitely wasn't ready to do it in front of the scrutiny of all those long lenses pointing in our direction. I refused to look in the direction of the cameras and doggedly faced forward as Ben continued to push, I mean GUIDE me in the right direction.
Grandpa Alpha's grave was beautiful. The lawn was manicured, they had removed the marker and installed the permanent grave stone so now the words "No Regrets" was in gold lettering on a black marble slab angled and cut to fit against a few more large marble slabs to form some kind of jagged stone black wolf howling up at the... sun. I'm sure it would have made quite a different statement if we had come on the night of a full moon.
In the light of day, it wasn't quite as cold or miserable as the morning we buried him either.
I squatted down in front of Grandpa Alpha's grave and put down the bouquet. I suppose I shouldn't squat, but my dress was wide and it pooled on the ground around me.
{I'm still angry with you.} I informed him, but only in my mind. Grandpa Alpha wasn't here to hear it, and I was still vaguely aware of the audience in the peripheral.
Even in his grave, he made me want to rage and cry at him. Stoopid Grandpa Alpha. Always provoking me.
I stood up and managed a wobbly smile at my betas, "All done."
Now would be nice to go home and soak in the bath or steam under the shower. Just wash away… I don't know, just everything. I just wanted to forget it. I know it doesn't make sense, because he was already 6 foot under but I don't think I was ready to deal with Grandpa Alpha's passing just yet.
Ben's response was to suddenly order, "Betas pay respects."
And my three betas took their positions in a neat little row and made their bow in front of Grandpa Alpha's grave. They stepped aside and Ben called out, "Agents pay respects."
And my agents moved to the front and took their bows with practiced uniformity.
"Warriors pay respects."
This was accompanied by a sudden stomp as the warriors around us snapped into attention from wherever they were standing and took their bow.
It took all my willpower to not let my hair flare it's shock, so it only shimmered by my side. WTH.
I glanced back at Grandpa Alpha's grave, I supposed it was only fitting given the circumstance, this thought immediate led to some wet emerging from the back of my eyes so I focused on the annoying evidence that the effect of Wolfgang's tutelage was obviously not limited to the Alpha Princess understanding the meaning of being the Alpha both abroad and at home. I glared at Ben accusingly, since when had he learned the appropriate fancy stuff?
We were all growing up.
{Move out, guys. Walkabout time. Look smart.} Harvey reminded everyone over the mindlink.
Walk a what now? But we were moving - Ben's hand on my back pushing me forward again.
"Alpha Princess! Alpha Princess!"
I quickly straightened and kept my face forward as the warriors lined up on either side of us to walk us past the cameras. The surge of movement among the men and cameras made me nervous, but I was determined to not turn to look. Just keep walking. At any rate, there was a curtain of blue demon warriors marching on either side of us. Just keep walking.
I would have walked straight to our car, but my entourage had other ideas. We walked the other way instead and to my horror, I found myself at the entrance of the graveyard. Now, this wasn't like spooky entrance to the graveyard kind of scene. We were at the Warrior's Final Resting Place, so the entrance area of the graveyard was an open manicured garden. On a bright Spring afternoon, it could have been the entrance to Henry's mansion.
This place was also very different from that dreary winter morning when we had to make that miserable trek on the cold icy stone road. On a bright Spring afternoon, it was a beautiful red flagstone road. On either side, the familiar plastic barriers had been set up to keep the crowds from crossing onto the road.
It took me a while to realize what a walkabout was. I looked at Ben (I'm sure the panic was on my face), "What? Now?"
Ben smirked, "No, Sam. At your leisure."
He said this in his usual deadpan so I knew he was being sarcastic.
Ki gestured politely for me to take the lead. I felt immediately anxious, the last time there was a parade set up for me, a bomb exploded in my face. In fact, I think for most of the time, I was on high alert for the first sign of gunshots. I mean, I didn't realize exactly what my problem was at first, it happened so suddenly I was pretty dazed.
Ben pushed me forward and we approached the nearest barrier. Someone pushed a bouquet of flowers towards me. I took it by reflex because it was a lady whom I felt looked familiar. Someone I had seen before at the Night Forest Packhouse?
Ki thanked the woman and removed the bouquet from my hands. We continued to move down the barrier, shaking hands, smiling my automatic wide smile… it was hard not to. Not when there were these girls shrieking "Alpha Princess!" and trying to grab at my hair. My hair avoided all their grabby hands with admirable grace while my warriors stepped up quickly to push the barriers back to its rightful line. Well, it was exciting at first, but it kept going on and on.
My agents had it the worst. They were the forerunners who had to go ahead to remind the crowd to step back and remain calm. Because it was Ink and Neil, the crowd did shrink back, but only momentarily. They would surge forwards the moment I came by.
And then the other agents had to bodily shield me from unwanted hands.
We had to walk down one side and back up the other side. I'm sure I got even more flowers than Grandpa Alpha today - and I didn't even die yet!
And thankfully, there was no guns or bombs. Someone passed out in the crowd though, but there were paramedics and an ambulance on standby. I actually didn't even notice it happen, only caught it reported by one of the warriors to Harvey.
I think Jax got scratched in his face too. I turned when I overheard a commotion about his "beautiful face" over the mindlink, but Ben pushed me forwards and I decided it would be safer to just keep walking. This was one time I had to agree Ben's default impatience was in order - the faster we walked this, the quicker we can end this madness.
It was madness.
By the last part of the walkabout, the crowd got so rowdy, my agents and betas received the flowers on my behalf. I just waved mildly with my default wide smile frozen on my face and tried not to aggravate the situation.
The screaming from this one section hurt my ears physically - we weren't even in an enclosed space. The phones held up to take videos, the crowd of faces screaming, calling, yelling, waving, pushing flowers and cards forwards. I was half afraid someone would get squashed in the crowd.
Someone desperately tossed a box of chocolates out from the crowd. Cobra caught it, but even his quick reflexes could not stop the lid from coming off spilling half of the chocolates on the pavement, "Sssss...."
It's not like any of us could stop to pick it up. If we even paused, the crowd would surge forwards like a tide against the plastic barriers. Nothing in my Winderhill media experience had prepared me for this onslaught. Our brave blue demon warriors could only repeat, "Please stay behind the barriers!"
There were papers and pens pushed forward towards me too, but my agents would block it off, "No autographs today." But it didn't stop them from trying.
The entire time, Harvey stood back, arms crossed, his face stern and unsmiling, his wolf alert. I would have thought he might had just been as anxious about a repeat of the bomb incident, except I accidentally caught some of the warriors reports and realized his was coordinating the event in real time. The "no autographs" order came from him.
I overheard some of his instructions, {Keep walking. Keep holding the fort, men. Nice and easy.}
{Whatever you do, Ben, don't let our Alpha stop for anyone.}
As if I was going to stop in the middle of this crazy!
I don't think I breathed until I got back to the car. WTH. I sank back in the car seat. From here, I couldn't even see the crowd. I sighed my relief.
This was also about the time when I realized I was honestly quite expecting another bomb incident to blow up in my face. This realization somewhat surprised me. Why would I even think that? But now that I'm writing in my diary, I guess the set up was kind of similar.
Later on, I found out that this crowd had to pass through security screening to meet the Alpha Princess. The entire idea of this many people queuing in line for security checks just to meet the Alpha Princess and give her flowers and stuff was crazy, but I wished someone told me about it earlier and saved me all the internal freaking out.
Normally, shouldn't the appearance of alphas and lunas be met with less screaming and grabbing and more respectful bowing and polite greetings exchanged? At least this was my impression from the LNC. I'm not sure why my walkabout was like… I had no idea what to call it.
"It's evident that Goddess has very passionate fans." Ki beamed, "Even all the way here in Night Forest."
Urm… yeah, passionate fans. I guess that would be how to call it.
"That was crazy." Ben released a long breath, "Why are you attracting all the crazy wolves?"
What me? He should check the screening criteria! WTH. I crossed my arms and tossed my head to show Ben I took offense.
Harvey's wry smile reappeared in the rare moment we were alone. The four of us were in the back of the limo… it wasn't even my limo. Uncle Louis had lent it to us because it was bullet proof… GAH! Why did we need bullet proof transport? I suddenly remembered Uncle Louis saying something about the rebels… I glanced out anxiously at our Blue Demon motorbike escort - they weren't bullet proof!
"What, Sam?" Ben looked up from his screen.
"What, what?" I challenged. Ben had an annoying habit of acting like he knew me inside out.
"You've been freaking out repeatedly since we came out." Ben shrugged like he couldn't care less.
"I'm not freaking out." I returned to sulk mode.
"Whatever, Sam." Ben shrugged and went back to his screen.
What kind of Beta spoke like that to his Alpha? I tossed my head to look out the window.
I don't remember me being so anxious so repeatedly in my life. It seemed as if growing up came with a lot of anxiety. I sighed, just a very little bit, "Things were easier as a pup."
Ben chuffed, "Yeah, but its not like we could have come out on our own if we were pups."
I guess Ben preferred being grown up. I thought I did too, but I suddenly felt quite tired. No wonder Beta Lucas was always talking about his retirement. Being a grown up was tiring.
We didn't meet any rebels on the way home to Night Forest Packhouse. The worst thing that happened was the late afternoon sun that got in our eyes as we drove back. Ki was very pleased at the successful event. Not only did I fulfil my filial duties, I also greeted the local wolves, AND made a "beautiful public impression". I'd just have to take Ki's word for it.
It was a weird feeling, I was happy that Ki was happy, but that was probably the only good thing that came out of it in my opinion. I hadn't wanted to face Grandpa Alpha's grave. I definitely hadn't wanted to smile and interact with a random (screened) crowd of wolves I had never met before in my life. Well, sans the first woman because I felt quite sure I had seen her before.
Would I do this again? I glanced over to where Ki was. He smiled back at me. Yeah. I guess it was a small price to pay to see Ki so pleased and proud of me.
Its not that my betas would ever shriek my name and try to touch my hair, but I think each of them was crazier than those crazy fans combined. They just expressed it differently - in that work till their dying breath, follow to their death, and run to the end of the world with me kind of way.
I felt myself relax as Night Forest Packhouse came into view. We all alighted. We needed help from the Night Forest warriors to take out all the flowers and gifts. Ink and Cobra were told to inspect them first. Beta Larson came out to the porch to welcome me back and remind me that "dinner would be at 7pm upon my leisure."
I managed not to LOL in his face. Instead, I produced my wide smile and thank him politely.
Because I was grown up like that.
I missed being a puppy. Maybe like Grandpa Alpha, that puppy had long died. I just hadn't quite come to terms with it yet.