Thorin was looking at Valenthia waiting for her answer. What was she going to tell him? What was the big secret?
"You really don't know?" asked Valenthia. "The whole world knows."
"What!!?" asked Thorin.
"That one day Luna Opaline was walking along the border and heard a baby's cry. She ran to see who that was but she found a pile of leaves. She searched and searched and finally dug up a baby. That baby is you. They found you in a pile of leaves, not garbage," Valenthia was talking seriously but in the end, she could not control her laughter and started laughing.
"Ha-ha, so funny," snapped Thorin.
"What? I am not joking. Ask your mother, she will tell you the truth. Everyone knows, don't you? Poor child!" laughed Valenthia.
"Don't start or I will tell Edwina not to come to your wedding," warned Thorin.
"Haha," she laughed and went away. The whole way she kept laughing.
"Pile of leaves!! Bullshit! She is lying, right?" Thorin talked to himself. "Mom!" he ran to his mother.
"Why was he laughing?" asked Opaline.
"Did you find me in a pile of leaves?" asked Thorin.
"What!!" she looked up while cooking eggs.
"Valen told me," said Thorin, pouting.
"ha-ha, ha-ha," Opaline too started laughing.
"Why are we laughing?" Nolan came into the kitchen and kissed Opaline's cheek. "Why because my daughter is coming back?"
"Thorin just became aware of the fact that we found him in a pile of garbage," Opaline kept laughing.
"Oh no! He found out?"
"Not garbage, a pile of leaves," pouted Thorin.
"Yeah, yeah, that," laughed Opaline and Nolan joined in.
"Mom! Dad! You both are so bad," sulked Thorin and went away while shouting, "I will ask Edwina. She will tell me the truth. Now that she is coming back, I will have someone in my corner."
"But how did she say yes?" asked Nolan.
"Don't know, will have to ask Valenthia."
"Anyways my daughter is coming back. What are we going to do? Should we start planning the party now? It will take days," said Nolan.
"Calm down! She is here for the engagement. We can throw a party after the engagement," said Opaline.
"You are right," smiled Nolan.
The news of Edwina's coming spread like wildfire. All the elders were happy that their lucky charm was coming back. Everyone wanted to know why she ran away without telling anyone. Where was she all this time? What was she doing all this time? They all knew that she rejected Aaron but why? They were true mates since childhood, then what happened?
Everyone was talking about her.
"Is it true? Is she coming back?"
"That's what Helen's daughter is saying."
"They were pretty inseparable when they were kids. Who knows?"
"Will the rogue attack stop?"
"Maybe! Hope so! I am dying for her to come back."
"At least all the packs will stop fighting. Look at how much they are happy that she is coming back. All have started talking to Nolan."
"It was Nolan's fault that he stopped talking to Alder."
"Isn't it Alder's fault that he went to fight with Nolan after Edwina rejected Aaron? He is the king he should have talked diplomatically."
"But why did she reject him?"
"No one knows not even Aaron. Poor boy cried for days and now he is ready to take up a chosen mate."
"But he has changed. How good he was and now he is arrogant. Though he will be a good king. Alder is unable to stop the rogue attacks."
"Yeah, just last night they attacked that restaurant."
"But why a restaurant?"
"It seems they were hungry."
"Has anyone heard about Seth?"
"Seth! He died that day. What have you heard?"
"Well, I just heard that he is back to being the rogue king. He was in hiding for years and then started gathering all the rogues once again. That's why the attacks have started."
"Hope that ends soon. I cannot wait for her to get back." All the people kept talking about Edwina and her arrival for days. No one knew what day she would come back. She just promised that she would be back but when, not even Thorin knew.
It was the day of the engagement. All the packs were invited as their future king was getting engaged. The party was even grander as two pairs were getting engaged that day, Valenthia and Bardolph, and Aaron and Lorelei.
Aaron had been hearing about Edwina's arrival. His heart could not slow down that day. After so much pressure he finally decided to take up a chosen mate but now his love was coming back. He didn't know how to react. What should he do?
Aaron was dressed in a black tuxedo, his heart beating like a drum. The first pair to be engaged were Valenthia and Bardolph.
"She will come, don't worry," assured Bardolph.
"She promised, she would come," said Valenthia, sadly.
"Don't worry, she promised, and she never breaks her promise. She will be back," said Bardolph and smiled at her.
"I will kill her when she comes," said Valenthia.
"I will help you bury the body," he joked.
"Ha-ha, I love you."
"I love you more."
In front of their elders, they exchanged the ring and drank the dove's blood which was considered to be pure and a symbol of love. They were finally engaged.
It was now Aaron's and Lorelei's turn. Aaron's eyes were searching for Edwina, but she was nowhere to be found. He gave a look to Valenthia, but she shook her head in no. Edwina was a no show.
"I am so happy, Aaron," said Lorelei and smiled at him. He didn't answer her and simply smiled back. Morgana gave them both the rings to put on each other's fingers. Aaron took a deep breath. He didn't feel good. Something was wrong. Something was not according to his heart.
Abruptly the door opened and a girl in red appeared before everyone. All gasped and Aaron's fingers shivered. The ring fell on the ground, bounced a little and started rolling. It rolled all the way in the direction of the newcomer. Aaron ran behind the ring and stopped when the girl bent down to pick up the ring and their eyes met.