Surrogate for the Alpha Prince in a Coma novel Chapter 144

Chapter 144

Chapter 144

Lillian’s POV

Reginald glanced at Grayson but said nothing.

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“Whether or not training should include women is debatable,” the Queen said. “What I continue to speak out against is that the Luna Princess be the one to spend her time on the training grounds. It is unseemly. There are plenty of other tasks she should be contributing too.”

Reginald nodded, clearly agreeing, and the Queen preened, straightening slightly with a hint of a smile on her lips.

This seemingly emboldened her, and she stepped forward. “Lillian, come here.”

I had no choice but to comply. The Queen was not to be ignored. Setting the blunt sword aside, I approached the group, dipping my head down in respect.

“You have wasted too much time out here,” she said. “I insist you turn your focus to other matters, like arranging a grand welcoming banquet for Odette. This is an activity far more in line with a Princess’s duties.”

I wanted to argue, but there was no argument I could have with the Queen that she would accept.

“I… will do this,” I said.

“Good,” the Queen said. “I will make things easy for you and even give you a date. Two weeks time. That would be long enough for you to recover more, yes, Odette? We don’t want to wait too long.”

“That would be fine,” Odette said.

“That would make it…” The Queen thought a moment. “The 22nd. That will be the date of the party.”

I swallowed down all that I wanted to say. “I will make this happen.” No one had any way of knowing the true depths of my upset. The 22nd was my birthday, but I would be spending it making a celebration for someone else.

“Good,” the Queen said, her smile similar to a smirk.

Odette’s was softer. “Thank you, Lillian, was it? I’m looking forward to the event.”

I lowered my head.

“We should get back,” Reginald said. “Odette is getting too much sun out here.”

“I do feel lightheaded,” she said, clinging onto Grayson with both hands.

Grayson gave me a long look, before slowly nodding and turning with the others.

As they all returned inside, I looked to the group that was to be training. None of them seemed happy.

“Can we quit for today?” one asked.

I didn’t feel like continuing either, so I nodded. “For today, yes. But don’t let this discourage you. Our training will continue after today as already scheduled.”

A few of them looked at each other.

One asked, “You are going to keep training? Aren’t you going to be busy with planning?”

“I can do both,” I told them. At least, I was bound and determined to. I wasn’t going to let the Queen’s disapproval

of my dream of being a warrior interfere with the gains that I’d made toward my true calling.

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I was a capable woman. I would find a way to plan the perfect party for Odette – on my birthday – without surrendering even an inch of the progress I’d made.

“The training will continue as scheduled,” I assured them.

We parted ways, with most of them going inside.

“I’m sorry,” Clara said.

“There is nothing you should apologize for,” I told her.

“I feel like I made everything worse,” she said.

“You didn’t,” I said. “The fault rests fully on Ophelia.”

Clara frowned. A pause fell between us, before I asked, “Did Odette really save Grayson’s life when they were kids?”

“Yes,” Clara said. “I don’t know all the details, but that’s what they said. That’s what they always said.”

I wondered on the details, what had happened that lead to a situation where Grayson would even need saved.

“I should get back,” Clara said. “Everyone’s going inside.”

“Okay,” I told her, and watched her rush off after the others.

I looked around for Teacher, to ask what he thought about all of this. But he wasn’t by the weapons anymore. I turned all the way around, searching the entire training grounds, but Teacher wasn’t anywhere.

He had vanished once again.

I returned to the bedroom I shared with Grayson, trying to ignore the growing feeling of isolation rising within me. That, coupled with my jealousy, was making a whirlwind in my heart. I’d been pushing it all down, trying to ignore it all, but the more I did so, the louder, the stronger, it seemed to be.

After showering and changing into my nightgown, I rested in bed, waiting for Grayson. He’d promised to return tonight, and I believed that. I hoped it was true.

Desperate to stay awake, I tried to read, but after a few hours, my eyelids grew too heavy, and I drifted off.

When I startled awake again, Grayson was standing over me, gently removing the book from my lap and setting it onto the side table.

“You came back,” I said.

“I told you I would,” he replied.

I blinked a few times, trying to clear the sleep from my vision. The room was entirely dark except for the light from the lamp on the nightstand.

“Did you doubt me?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “I’m not sure what to think.”

He leaned down and kissed me, easing away some of my worry. “Go back to sleep. I’m going to shower and then I’ll join you.”

As he started to walk away, I called out, “Shouldn’t we talk?”

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He glanced back. “It’s late, Lillian.”

“But – ”

“Rest for now,” he said. “We can talk later.’

I hoped that was true. Turning onto my side, I watched him disappear into the bathroom. His presence woke me up some, and I felt wired now, my mind reeling with all the questions I wanted to ask him, about Odette, about their past, about what they had meant to each other and what they mean to each other now.

Grayson came out of the bathroom twenty minutes later. He changed into his pajamas, and then crawled into bed beside me. He moved like a zombie, practically dead on his feet.

“You are still awake,” he said.

Seeing his exhaustion, the heavy bags under his eyes, all of my questions caught in my throat.

Instead, I told him, “I didn’t want to fall asleep without you again.”

He hummed contentedly.

In bed he rolled onto his side and opened his arms. “Get over here with your octopus limbs.”

I moved at once, sliding closer, and relaxing against him. As his arms folded around me again, I knew I was in a losing battle to stay awake now.

Grayson was so warm, and already his breathing was evening out.

Surely, in the morning, he would make time for us to talk. He would answer all of my questions, set everything right again, and prove that I had nothing to worry about.

With that comfort inside of me, my eyelids grew heavy once more. Before I knew it, I was off to dreamland, safe and happy in Grayson’s arms.

I didn’t dream.

In the morning, I blinked my eyes open. I was colder now and instinctively reached for the warmth of Grayson’s body – only to find cool emptiness.

My eyes shot open and I sat upright.

Grayson wasn’t here. Once again, I was alone in this room, in this bed.

The sun had only just risen, and Grayson was already gone.

Aurora Starling

Author

Here’s another bonus chapter~ ^ ^ Please enjoy! It’s been really busy with writing recently((

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