Forbidden Queen
Chapter Five – Difficult Conversations

Katy

Now that the warriors from the Royal Pack had arrived our preparations for the journey have been stepped up. We plan to leave in two days’ time, which doesn’t give me long to say my goodbyes to the people I will be leaving behind.

The most difficult person to leave will be Emma. It is too dangerous for me to bring her with us, we are expecting Lucius to attack our convoy and I won’t risk her life. I have lost too many people I love.

I have agreed with Alex and Joseph that as soon as we reach the royal palace, we will send guards to fetch her. The journey will be safer if she follows on later. I doubt Lucius even knows who she is, so I don’t expect her to be in any danger. It is me that he is after.

Now I just have to tell her that I am leaving. It won’t be easy, she has clung to me, frightened to let me out of her sight since our parents were killed in the rogue attack. Now I am going to inflict even more pain on her when I tell her that I am going to leave her behind.

First though, before I tell her that she is staying, I am going to make sure that she has the right people here to look after and support her. She needs to be with people who care for her. I am going to speak to my best friend Lily and Mrs Wilson and ask them to take care of her. Emma adores them.

Lily and I have been friends since we were five, never going more than a few days without seeing each other. I was happy when I found out that she was mated to Euan, Alex’s best friend, it brought us even closer together. She had been acting as the temporary Luna of the pack for months now, and she was going to continue in that role after we left.

I replace Lily in the Luna’s office.

“Hi. I just wanted speak to you alone before we leave for the Royal Pack. I am going to miss you” I say giving her a big hug.

“Me too” she replies. “I don’t know what I will do without you.”

“You will be fine you will have Euan, and all your Luna duties” I tell her.

“Yes, he is amazing, I am so lucky to have him. When I think about what my father had planned for me…..” She shudders. “I am so sorry for what he tried to do to you, to the pack.”

“Stop saying that. You are not responsible for your father’s actions. You suffered as much as anyone in the pack at his hands.”

Lily has been apologising to me since the battle. I keep telling her that she is not to blame, but she doesn’t believe me.

“He is my father though, and I am not sure that all of the pack will continue to support me as their temporary Luna” she says with a sigh.

“They are the same people who wouldn’t accept me as their Luna. Who think of me still as an Omega servant. We will never get everyone’s support”

“I suppose. When are you leaving?”

“6:00 a.m. on Wednesday. Alex and Joseph think we should leave early. They are convinced that Lucius will have spies in the pack who will report when we leave. They think it might give us a few hours advantage, before they realise, we are gone.”

“Well, I will make sure that I get up early to see you off. I won’t let you leave without saying goodbye.”

“There is something else that you can do for me. Something important.”

“Anything.”

“I can’t take Emma with me the journey will be too dangerous. I will arrange for her to follow on separately, but it could be weeks before she is able to join me. Would you look after her in the meantime? I will make sure that Mrs Wilson will be there to help as well. She dotes on Emma, but I want to make sure that she will have both of you to look after her until I can send for her.”

“Of course, I love Emma, I will be happy to take care of her, with or without Mrs Wilson’s help.”

“Thank you” I say giving her a hug. I am so lucky to have Lily as a friend she will make sure that Emma is OK.

………..

After catching up with Lily I search for Mrs Wilson. I replace her in the kitchen. Surprisingly, she is alone for once. I walk up to her. “Hi. We are planning to leave on Wednesday, and I wanted to say goodbye and thank you for everything.

I also have a big favour to ask you. I won’t be able to take Emma with me on this journey. It is too dangerous. She will be able to join me later, but for now she needs to remain here. She will be distraught when I tell her. We have never been apart for more than a day, and after everything that has happened recently…..”

“You don’t need to worry I will look after her for as long as you need me to. I already think of her as a surrogate granddaughter” she says with a smile.

“Thank you, you have done so much already, and I will feel more comfortable knowing that you are there for her.”

“You don’t have to thank me your majesty. I cared very deeply for your parents; they were my closest friends. I would do anything that I could for you and Emma.”

“Please don’t call me your majesty” I reply. “I will always remain just Katy to my friends, and you have been a great friend.”

“Thank you” she says looking pleased. “And I hope you have a safe journey. You look like you will be well protected. I have seen the ferocious looking wolves who have just arrived from the Royal Pack.”

“Yes, Joseph thinks they will be needed. He believes that the journey will give Lucius his best opportunity to attack. He won’t want me to reach the royal kingdom alive.”

“Well, if that is the case, I am glad you will be so well protected” she says and gives me a hug. “I will miss you, but it is important that you fulfil your destiny.”

……….

After I have finished speaking to Lily and Mrs Wilson, I need to tell Emma what we have agreed. I have been putting it off. Dreading seeing the look on her face, when I tell her I am going to leave her behind. But I can’t delay any longer.

I will speak to her as soon as she returns home from school. Alex and I thought it was best after the trauma she experienced over my kidnaping for her to do normal things and so we sent her back to school as soon as we could. She should be home any time now.

I make my way to her room. I always try to visit her at this time of day so we can spend time together. My days have been busy filled with training and my lessons on the Royal Pack. I have had to rely on Mrs Wilson to take her to school, but once she is back home, I try and stay with her until she is ready for bed.

I knock on her bedroom door and enter.

“Hey, Emma” I say. “Did you have a good day at school?”

“Yes” she replies. “Will I go to school when we leave for the royal pack?”

My heart sinks. She is expecting to come with me.

“Yes, you will, but you will be staying at school here for a little bit longer.”

“Are we not going to the royal pack? She asks.

“I am but it won’t be safe for you to come with me. Not yet. You will need to stay here for a few weeks longer.

“NO” she shouts, I can hear panic in her voice.

“It won’t be for long and Mrs Wilson and Lily will be here to take care of you.”

“I want to come with you. I don’t want you to leave me ever” she tells me shaking her head determinedly.

“I know, and I wouldn’t leave you behind if it wasn’t so dangerous. There are lots of bad wolves who could try to attack us while we travel. They are after me.”

“Then I need to be with you to keep you safe” she pleads.

“Oh Emmy, it will be too dangerous. As soon as we reach the Royal pack, I will send for you. It will be much safer for you if you don’t come with me.”

She starts sobbing and my heart breaks. I pull her into my arms and hold her. “It won’t be for long. I will send for you as soon as I can” I promise.

I stay with her until it is time for her to go to bed. When she has fallen asleep, I go to replace Alex.