Chapter 111

Carol’s POV

I wasn’t sure what to make of this revelation.

Despite knowing that I came from a royal family, I didn’t feel like royalty. I still felt like a typical Miller and was okay with that. I loved my family, and I would never trade them for anything in this world. I had no desire to stay at this palace and be a royal. I honestly had no desire to get to know my birth father.

These people were supposed to be magical and mythical beings, and yet they believed so easily that I was dead. It made no sense to me. How had my father not known that I was alive this entire time?

Did he even question Morgan? Or did he believe her right away?

I had so many questions in my head but mostly, what did Morgan say to him that made him want to send me away?

I was surprised by the ping of hurt in my chest when I thought about it. The decision to send me away and then thinking I was dead was ultimately what killed my birth mother. I didn’t know her, but I doubted she deserved that cruel fate.

Not to mention the fact that the King, my father, married someone new less than a year later? From what I was told, King Bennet was madly in love with Queen Emalyn. But he seemed to have forgotten that fact after she died.

I thought that knowing if I was actually his daughter or not would shed some light on my situation, but it only made me feel even more uneasy.

“I didn’t need a test to tell me if you were my daughter,” King Bennet said, stepping towards me.

I gave him a wry look, not wanting him to come any closer.

“It was just for formality. For your peace of mind along with the kingdoms,” he continued to explain.

“The kingdoms?” I asked, confused.

“Once the announcement is made, the media and our people will be all over this news,” he explained. “It’s unavoidable.”

My blanched as I stepped away from him and further into Aiden’s side.

“I wasn’t sure what to say; this was too much too soon.

Noticing my demeanor, King Bennet frowned.

“Maybe we should hold off on any announcements for right now,” Kendra suggested. “We don’t want to overwhelm the girl, Sir.”

“I was just thinking the same thing,” Aiden surprised me by saying. “With all due respect, Your Majesty. But my mate already had a family and she’s not looking to replace them. This is a big adjustment for her.”

“Well, of course,” King Bennet said, the frown still marring his lips. “I would never expect you to replace your family with your birth family. I know you probably have plenty of questions. But how about we return to the palace and get you settled in before we discuss anything? This is all a bit overwhelming for me as well.”

I nodded. I’m sure it was a lot for him to handle considering he thought his daughter was dead for all these years.

Once we returned to the palace, just before Kendra brought us to our room, the King stopped me before I descended up the grand staircase after Aiden.

“You and your mate will be fetched for dinner tonight,” King Bennet said, giving me a small smile. “I’d like us to celebrate your return.”

I nodded.

“That sounds good,” I said, trying to maintain a cheery attitude and a simple smile, but I knew the smile didn’t reach my eyes and the cheery attitude seemed fake.

He nodded as well, looking almost uncertain.

I turned and hurried up the steps after Aiden.

“This will be where you are staying for the couple of days you are here,” Kendra said, opening the bedroom door. “I hope everything is to your liking.”

The bedroom was huge and my mouth nearly fell open. This was not a bedroom; this was a mini apartment equipped with a small kitchen area. There was a giant bay window that overlooked the kingdom. It was a beautiful view.

“There’s an attached bathroom as well,” Kendra said, pointing to the door across the room. “Charles brought your things in here earlier so make yourselves at home. I’ll send one of our maids, Tilly, to fetch you for dinner later this evening.”

“Thanks, Kendra,” I said, smiling at her.

Out of everyone at this palace, I liked Kendra the most. She might have been tough around the edges in the beginning and very intimidating, but she was the least fake of them all. I wasn’t sure why I got a good sense about her, but everyone else I was wary of.

“Kendra, before you leave… can I ask you something?” I asked her just as she reached the door.

She froze and looked at me curiously; she adjusted her glasses and folded her arms across her chest. That intimidating manner of hers was back, but I wasn’t afraid of her. I knew she would tell me the truth regardless of what I asked, so I just went for it.

“Did you know my mother?”

Her arms fell to her sides as that question left my lips; she looked almost shocked at first, and then sad as her gaze shifted downward.

“I did,” she answered. “She was very kind to me. We were initially from the same coven, and I followed her to the Wlanc estates. I’ve been here ever since.”

“So, you were close?” I asked her.

“You could say that, yes.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“What would make her want to give me up?”

“Maybe this isn’t a question for right now,” Aiden cut in sharply, eyeing me suspiciously from across the room.

I shot him a look in return to tell him to shut up.

Kendra cleared her throat and shuffled awkwardly in her shoes.

“This isn’t a question I should answer,” she told me honestly. “It’s something your father would want to tell you.”

“He’s not my father,” I blurted without really meaning to.

She looked taken aback by my response.

“We just got the DNA results…” she started to say, but I cut her off again.

“Biologically, he’s my father. But my father is the man who raised me since I was a baby. He’s a Miller, as am I. King Bennet, is the sperm donor who created me.” I couldn’t stop the words from coming out of my mouth and Kendra looked taken aback by my outburst.

“Well, I’m sorry you feel that way, Carol…” Kendra finally said after a long pause of processing my words. “But your fa— King Bennet,” she corrected. “Cares deeply for you and when he thought you were dead, it utterly destroyed him. Don’t write him off until you get to know him and hear his side of the story.”

On that note, Kendra turned and stormed out of the room, leaving me in complete silence and staring at the closed door.

“You shouldn’t have said that,” Aiden said, closing the gap between us and wrapping his arms around me, pulling me into him. “He might be your father, Carol. But he’s still the Wolf King. You have no idea how much power he actually has. He has more power than any Alpha wolf in this world. That’s something to be afraid of.”

“I know I should be…” I admitted, peeking up at him. “But I’m not. I can’t explain it… but I don’t feel the same fear that others do around them. Earlier today, when the Queen appeared, both you and Kendra bowed to her immediately. Why?”

Aiden thought about it for a moment.

“Because she’s royalty,” he said, “It’s the right thing to do.”

“You couldn’t even look her in the face, Aiden. You kept your head lowered as you spoke and as she spoke,” I pointed out. “It was like looking at her physically hurt.”

He was quiet for a moment and then he nodded, conceding to my words.

“Yes, I couldn’t look at her,” he admitted. “It wasn’t that I didn’t want to, it was almost like my body wouldn’t let me. Even my wolf submitted to her almost immediately.”

“That’s what I’m saying,” I told him. “I didn’t feel that same compulsion.”

“Maybe because you don’t have a wolf?” He suggested.

I bit my lower lip and shook my head.

“I think it’s more than that,” I admitted. “Something is going on with me where they don’t affect me like they should.”

“It could be because you are technically one of them,” he said, shrugging. “You are a royal, Carol.”

A knot formed in the pit of my stomach from his words as I looked up into his eyes.

“But I don’t want to be a royal,” I whispered.

He sighed and bent to kiss me tenderly on the lips.

“Once I figure out how poison from this place was given to my father, we will leave and you will never have to see them again if you don’t want to,” he whispered against my lips.

“I need to figure out why I’m so different,” I replied. “And I think the only one who can answer that question is King Bennet.”