Both Georgina and Eliana were in shock. Like her sons, this gorgeous woman with long black hair and forest green eyes radiating pure power was Simon's and Damien's mother. Not only was she lovely, but she also seemed to be the queen of Agora. What did they get themselves into?
Standing up straight, Damien pointed toward the two girls to introduce them. "Mother, may I introduce to you Eliana and Georgina from Paxos? They will live with us from now on while studying at our university."
The queen only looked at them briefly, enough to show them her displeasure. Although she was smiling, it was evident that she was unhappy about the situation. Intently looking back at her son, she spoke with her melodious voice. "How lovely. You all must be tired from your journey. Why don't we continue these pleasantries inside?" Both men nodded, took the girls' hand, and dragged them inside.
The palace's interior was an ample open space with a central courtyard and a series of chambers and rooms around the perimeter distributed on three floors. Meaning some of the rooms were built into the rock while the others faced the city and had balconies, giving the occupants access to the outer space. Later on, the girls will find out that the rooms within the rocky mountain were mainly used as storage or rooms for the servants as there was almost no light entering those spaces. The courtyard was surrounded by a colonnade, with high towering columns carved out of the rock face, which they walked along to get to what looked like the receiving room.
Surprise after another, the girls were taken aback by the simplicity of the interior design. There was no gold or jewels like it was said from the Paxon Palace. The room they entered was rather significant, the floor was covered with carpets giving it a very comfy vibe, and pillows were distributed along the wall making the room look like a giant sofa. From the high ceiling, a beautiful chandelier crafteWaWater the middle of the room.
There was one throne-like-looking chair in the middle by the wall across the entrance, where the queen sat down and motioned to the new arrivals to sit on one of the pillows on either side. It was odd for the girls to sit on the floor like this, but to their amazement, the pillows were very fluffy and comfortable. Water, tea, and fruits were served immediately as they sat down.
The princes helped themselves from the trays offered by the servants and handed water and tea to the girls. Damien whispered to Eliana, saying that the tea would help calm her nerves and that she should trust him and not say anything, to which she could only nod shyly.
The girl's gaze drifted around the room, admiring the walls painted with dazzling, colorful designs resembling flowers and plants. Suddenly the queen's voice brought them back to reality. "Please leave us." All the servants disappeared behind the door, leaving the five alone in the room.
She looked at all four of them, staying quiet for a few minutes, making the silence very burdensome. To everyone's relief and horror, simultaneously, she finally spoke. "I wish you would have told me about your plans to have permanent guests in our palace beforehand so we could have made better preparations. But there is no reason to dwell on could-beens – you say they will study at our university?"
Georgina was just about to say that she wasn't planning to study when Simon gave her another nudge which made her glare at him. The queen saw the exchange and was further annoyed by all this, massaging her temples.
"Yes, Mother, Eliana will study medicine. She passed the exam for the medical school in Laros and is therefore suited to start her studies here."
The queen looked at Eliana from head to toe at Damien's remarks. "Hmm, I see, and what about the other human? What will she study?"
Georgina couldn't hold her tongue anymore and blurted out that she was not planning to study. "I will work instead."
The queen's head snapped in her direction, and Georgina would have died a thousandfold when looks could have killed. "I don't believe I was speaking to you human. Please refrain from answering questions that are not directed at you."
Damien immediately jumped in, not wanting the situation to get out of hand. "Mother, Georgina only meant to say that she doesn't want to be a burden and make a living for herself. She also didn't have a choice back in Paxos. I want to show her around and give her a chance to decide on what to do later. For now, they will stay with us. Eliana will start studying with the other students in one week when the next semester starts."
Another round of silence made everyone feel uneasy. The queen looked at them before declaring: "Alright, they shall get one room each in my quarters in the west wing."
Since his chambers were in the east wing, Damien was upset about Eliana being on the other side of the building. Of course, his mother had done this to create more distance between them, as if she could change their soul mate bond like that. Yet, he had to agree and was determined to convince his mother to accept Eliana as his future bride.
"You all may go to your rooms and rest until dinner time. I want to inform our guests that dinner is a sacred gathering where we all come together, and no excuses for tardiness are accepted. "As the queen had spoken the final word, everyone stood up to go to their respective rooms and freshen up for dinner.
Only Damien stayed behind to speak to his mother. After everyone was gone, he made his case to his mother. "Mother, I understand your disappointment and worry about a human being my mate, but fate cannot be changed. Please give her a chance."
"My annoyance is not only regarding her being a human but also about you keeping this a secret from me and running away like that. You are the future king, and I am only keeping this seat warm so you have time to develop your skills. That does not mean you can do as you please and bring people into our country, putting everyone in danger. Just because you feel the mate bond does not mean she does as well. As you know, humans must fall in love first and are not connected through their core."
Ever since their father had died a couple of years ago, their mother had been reigning until Damien would be ready to take over. She was very protective of her family and wanted her sons to have strong partners who could support them – a human girl from an orphanage did not fit that description.
"You speak as if I didn't think this through at all. First, we didn't tell them about the shield, meaning they passed the test. Second, I watched over her for months without her knowing about it and have seen her character. Third I didn't tell you because I had to come to terms with the situation first. I had always been sure I would mate with a werewolf one day. I never saw a fragile being like her attractive before, and it irked me to think I would have to spend the rest of my life with her. But with time, I realized that since the first night I met her, she had genuinely impressed me with her will to do what is right, her compassion for others no matter their race, and her drive to work hard for what she wants. Don't you think these are virtues our future queen needs?"
His mother had never heard Damien speak like this about anyone. He was skeptical, practical and didn't let anyone in easily. Getting attached was not his forte, and it made him strong. Hearing him speak like this right now made her realize that he had matured more over the past months than in the past couple of years. In the end, mates could bring out either the best or the worst of each other. In Damien's case, it seemed like it brought out his best which was all his mother could hope for.
"All I ask is that you give her a chance." Damien pleaded.
"I will observe you two and decide within the next few days." She decided to stay alert and ensure her first impression was correct.