A Sterling Silver Love

coronation

"GOOD MORNING MY LADY."

Aida turned and looked towards the door watching as Rose pushed a trolley through the doors. "Good morning Miss. Rose."

The maid blushed and looked down at the floor. She had a crush on the Queen, but everyone in their pack did. Not only was beautiful, but her heart was pure and she did everything she could to get to know people. "I brought you food...well the King had us make you food because he said you'd be hungry."

Aida suppressed a laugh. "Would you like to eat with me, Rose?"

The maid choked and brought a hand to her heart. "I'm sorry?"

"I get awfully lonely with Adonis off with Catherine and Draco doing King shit. I'm asking if you would like to keep me company and eat breakfast with me?"

Hesitantly Rose nodded.

"Brilliant. Let's go to the deck." Collapsing into a chair the Queen leaned back and let out a sigh. "Hmm, this is good. Did you make it?"

"No, My Lady." Rose shook her head, "Greta made it—she makes all the food here."

Aida hummed, "I haven't met Greta yet. Would you take me to her when we're done?"

"Of course."

Smiling at her, Aida gulped down her freshly squeezed pulp free orange juice. "How long have you lived in this pack, Rose?"

"All my life," she whispered, facing the grounds of the castle. "My father is head of border patrol, my mother runs labor and delivery."

"Would you ever consider taking over their positions?"

Rose shook her head quickly. "There's no need. My brother will take over my fathers job and my sister will get my moms. I'm the third child—my parents never wanted me."

The Queen raised an eyebrow and stopped sipping her juice. "What do you mean they didn't want you?"

"This is the oldest pack in the history of Lycan packs. At the beginning of time, people only had two children. The first born was always a boy and the youngest a girl. It was illegal to abort a child, so if a third baby was due, the parents never really cared for it. That tradition is one that is only practiced with the founding families. My family has been here in the same house for centuries, they aren't interested in changing their views any time soon."

Aida scoffed and broke the strawberry stem of the red juicy fruit. "What is it that you want to be?" Aida watched Rose cock her head. "What do you want to do with your life, Rose?"

Rose looked down and fidgeted with her fingers and let out a sigh. "I want to be a mother."

"Then do it, become a mother."

Rose sniffled. "I can't," she whispered softly. "My parents uh—I had an oophorectomy."

"Your parents made you get your ovaries removed?"

"I was 14. My body was just starting to develop and we went to Mexico and I got an illegal surgery."

"Does anyone other than your parents know?"

"My brother does. He hates my parents."

"And your sister?"

Rose shrugged. "She doesn't know anything about me. She's just like my parents—she doesn't care about me."

"What are their names? Your parents and sister, what are their names?"

The day had finally come where Aida DeLuca would officially and legally become Mrs. Draco Rivers, the Queen of Greece and Goddess of Lycans. Her chamber was flooded with light, but it felt empty. It was empty because the person she wanted, the person she needed, wasn't there. The tradition that the Queen would sleep away from the King the week leading up to the coronation was one Aida had come to despise. Slowly she slid out of the silk sheets and padded over to the bathroom; green tea and a warm bath already waiting for her. She sighed, shivering at the sudden warmth of the water. The bathroom was all hers for the first twenty minutes and then it was crawling with people; some for her hair, some for her makeup, and some for her body. The full body wax she got was anything but pleasant, but the massage after made up for the painful experience. She crossed one leg over the other as people poked, proded, and pulled at her face and hair. The dress was gorgeous; a sweetheart wedding dress, illusion long sleeves, lace, and a train that was easily seven or eight feet long.