Chapter 1
In this world, power isn’t everything; it is the only thing. That is how I have lived my life as the Crown Princess, and that is how I shall live my life as the Alpha.
“Checkmate,” I announced as I moved my Queen to trap the opponent’s king. I stared smugly at the piece before looking across the board with raised eyebrows. “Care for another match, Father?”
Galen Saurore, the Alpha king, gave me a small frown. It brought me great satisfaction to know I could outwit the King in the game he loved the most. It gave me a sense of power, seeing the defeat in his otherwise proud golden eyes — a shade mirrored by my own — over such a trivial match.
“No. I must refuse, Evelyn. Although I enjoy these matches with my daughter, I am here for more than mere games of chess.” His eyes narrowed on me. “Evelyn, I still insist that you find your mate. Your reign is forthcoming, and so far you have not even a dime to show for it.”
I rolled my eyes before he’d even finished his sentence. Mate — of course, the subject had plagued me from the moment I turned eighteen. It had only been a year and yet the palacefolk acted like I’d been mateless for decades. I didn’t know how many more pitiful glances I could stand before I would snap. Didn’t these people know I was content with my situation, that a life without love would make no difference at all? If anything, love would only hinder me.
“A king going back on his word loses his credibility in ruling a kingdom. Do you not agree?” I asked, mocking innocence as I tilted my head to the side.
“And a Crown Princess refusing to look for a mate loses a kingdom and a lineage, does she not?” My father replied, mimicking my movement gallingly.
I frowned and leaned back, crossing my arms over my chest. “I am offended that you see me so unfit to rule a kingdom on my own that you believe I really will lose one.”
“Please, Evelyn, understand that that is not my point. My wish is for you to consider looking for a mate that will support you once you ascend the throne. A stable anchor once the responsibilities as the Alpha pile up like large waves.”
“Waves that I can sail on,” I insisted, emphasizing my point. “Father, I beg for you to stop with this insanity already. I do not need a mate. I can do this on my own.”
My father looked disappointed, a flash of sadness crossing his eyes before he let out an audible sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation.
“How can my daughter be so stubborn? If only your mother-” He halted, catching himself before he could even finish his sentence. The air thickened around us, and I knew why. Mentioning my mother had become a taboo of its own. It was as though her name was a jinx no one wanted to associate with, leaving only a bitter taste in the mouth it came from.
Not wanting to have that kind of discussion any longer, I steered the conversation back to the sole reason my father had taken the time off of his duties to see me — the Grand Ball.
“Regardless, I still decline your idea of holding that stupid gathering for the sake of finding a mate. You wouldn’t assume that a single ball will help me find one, right, Father?” I asked, standing to walk towards my desk. On it sat piles of parchments and letters from neighbouring kingdoms, all of which had been assigned to me as practice for my rein.
“Do not turn your back on me, Evelyn. I am still the King.” He warned, his chair scraping harshly against the marble floor as he stood. Anyone else may have ran or cowered in the face of my father’s wrath. Me? No. I rolled my eyes.
“You never struck me as the kind of king that uses his title to turn things in his favour,” I snipped, hoping my attitude would infuriate him enough to divert his thoughts from my mate dilemma.
Much to my dismay, it only made it worse.
“Watch your tone, young lady,” he reprimanded. “There is a large burden on your shoulders. I cannot recall the last time a female of the Saurore line stepped up to rule, if it has ever occurred at all. You will be the only Alpha Queen within leagues of this kingdom, and with that comes great responsibility, and expectations that you must live up to.” He leaned forward, eyes pinning me to the spot. “Remember, Evelyn. Your sex automatically puts you at a disadvantage.”
I suppressed an eye-roll. “Try not to be so sexist, father. I can rule as competently as any man, if that is what you’re implying. I do need not waste my time on silly balls and frilly dresses in hopes of seducing a man I will never want.”
Father sighed. “Can you not try to be more like your sister? Cienna would be more than happy to attend the ball-”
“Then let her. I do not care how many silly gatherings Cienna attends to nor how many suitors you wish for her to meet. I only care for my responsibility as the future Alpha. Let her take care of your fanciful ideas while I take care of the crown,” I added with a hiss, feeling an inexplicable dislike brewing inside me.
“And if I assigned her the crown instead? What would be left of you, Evelyn?”
That question stunned me, causing me to scoff out loud as I willed myself to not raise my voice at his persistence.
“My ability to rule, Father. My logistics in combat. My capacity to negotiate. That is what would be left of me as you are left to clean after Cienna’s mistakes as the Alpha. She will destroy this kingdom with nothing but her bare hands and blatant stupidity.”
My father gasped quietly in disbelief. “You do not know Cienna’s capabilities, Evelyn. You must refrain on criticizing your younger sister. She’s bright, kind, empathetic, and joyful. Our people would be happy to have her as their Alpha and surpass you if you keep this self-serving behaviour of yours.”
It was then my turn to gasp in disbelief of his high regard for my younger sister. “Between us, Father, I can attest that you don’t know her very well.”
“You dare say I do not know my own child?” His voice became a pitch higher, feeling ridiculed. And truthfully, he should.
“I’m saying that your eyes deceive you. You fail to see past the charade she publicly puts on. It is under your power whether you can see through that in the end as her father.”
It was silent for a moment, and not the peaceful silence I would’ve wanted. It left me on edge as I was left wondering what kind of crazy argument he’d start again. But it never came. What came was a quiet but painfully raw sigh from him.
“Was I incompetent as a father, Evelyn? Have I made a mistake with how I raised you that you’ve become so distant to others? All I prayed for was for you to have someone who can protect you. Being the Alpha is not a child’s play. You can be in danger all the time by enemies who wish to see you fall.” He stopped momentarily like he was trying his hardest to explain how heavy that small shining crown on his head felt. “I would never want you to go through the things I had to go through after I lost your mother. With no one to lean on, I was left to face the world bare and vulnerable, half of my soul buried with her. But I had to move forward, carrying a grief that will never fade until the moment I return to her.
It was hard, Evelyn. Harder than any wars fought.”
I remained unmoving, unspeaking, as he monologued the pain he’d been bearing silently. For a moment, I felt sympathy for him. Losing my mother came as a shock to me and perhaps to the whole kingdom. But mostly, it must’ve been utterly devastating for him as her mate. Which was exactly why I dismissed the idea of meeting my mate; if one of us dies early on, then the other is left to grieve for the rest of their lifetime.
“Father, please... This argument will never find its end between us.” I spoke my words slowly, letting him know that I understood his sorrows, but it would never change my mind.
“Hear me out just this once, Evelyn. You should not close off yourself in the face of Love, my child. Love has many sides. It moves in mysterious ways. You’d never know where and when you’ll meet the right person for you.”
I looked back at him, gaze hollow and voice monotonous; a contrast to how I was clutching papers tightly in my hand. “The only Love I grew to know is a Love that breaks, Father. I cannot afford to be broken by someone whom destiny calls mine.”
A look of grief passed his face, then of understanding and lastly of regret. “I’m sorry I made you think of Love in such a terrible way.”
Oh, great heavens. Why must you give me a weak spot for my father?
Looking at him, I let out a long sigh. Who knew having my father as my weak spot would push me to make the dumbest decisions? Most certainly not me.
Alas, I admitted defeat with a grimace. “Only until I turn twenty that I will attend these... lavish gatherings you prepare. After that, I will rule on my own if I do not find my mate.”
I observed how my father’s solemn face became a little more hopeful, but quickly changed into suspicion. “Are you trying to trap me to drop this subject once and for all, young lady?”
I smiled, relieved to hear the life back in my father’s voice. Whatever these gatherings led to, I would just have to brave it through until I turned twenty where I could be announced as the new Alpha. After all, there’s just no way I’d actually find a mate during those superficial events.
With a smirk, I responded. “A checkmate is what I would call it, Father.”
