Love and Chaos Series
The Alpha King’s Ugly Bride Chapter 94

Xavier sat in the courtroom, listening to the report of the supervisors of the Capital 3 in the last few months. According to their report, the project should reach its completion in another four months and in a year's time, these institutions would become fully functioning. Xavier, however, didn't listen to their case or take anything they say into consideration. His mind was far away on the ship leaving for the kingdom of Reading, the ship which had the love of his life and mate. It left shores three days ago according to the reports he received and his heart had been bleeding ever since. He made a promise to Mia to carry on in her absence, and that was what he had done so far. Still, it hurt, waking up every day without her beside him. Going about his duties as king without having her laugh and tease him didn't sit well. He missed her; he missed her laughter, her grace, her rebellion and everything that made her who she was.

He couldn't accept the fact that she had gone, accepting it would hurt more. So he would keep telling himself she would be back every day until his last breath.

She had left a letter, just like he told her to when their agreement started. The letter detailed her affair with a man in the kingdom. And this letter he requested to set himself free from her, but now he couldn't even read it. He didn't want to set himself free, not now, not ever. He knew there was no other man in Mia's life, despite what she wrote in the letter. She was his and he was hers, yet what was in the letter scared him more than death.

She was far away now and he wished there was a way to know she was safe. He wished there was a way he could tell her he was thinking about her and wishing her safe travels. He had contemplated chasing after her to Reading, it would be romantic. However, he knew she would be horrified that he abandoned his kingdom and chased after her. She was a better queen than he was. He missed her.

He hadn't told anyone about the Queen's departure and though her absence has been felt these past days, no one dared asked about where she was. It was for the best. He didn't have any lie to tell and he was still in the stage of denial. The nights that had gone by had been too cold and he barely slept through any of it. How he had survived so far had to be a miracle.

He shouldn't have let her go. He should have made her stay, perhaps force her if it came to that. She'd hate him for a while, but she'd understand he did what he did out of love, right? Right?

F**k!!!

"Your grace!" Nixon, one supervisor of The Capital 3 project amongst the three bowed his head, and Xavier snapped out of his thoughts to him.

"We have submitted the budget estimations to Alpha Koz on your order."

"Very good," he nodded. "Any more information?"

"No, my king." they bowed their heads and took their leave.

"Next." he beckoned to the guard to let in the next case he had to listen to today.

At this point, he wanted to call it a day and return to his chambers and sulk, but he knew one of those waiting had been around since morning and it wouldn't be fair.

The guard opened the door and someone walked in with their head bowed. They had a long, purple hood on that reached their ankle where their black leather booth continued. Xavier picked up the scent of the one in his throne room. Despite being subdued by many other incenses, the scent lingered and immediately awakened his senses with how familiar it felt.

His gaze narrowed as he waited for whoever it was to speak, but after a minute passed, they didn't. He grew curious and asked, "Please speak. What brought you here?"

"My husband." Came the raspy voice that still sounded familiar, but Xavier couldn't place it. Whoever this Maiden was, he knew her, but her scent and voice made it difficult to trace. Perhaps he was tired. He barely slept through the night these past three days and that made his head fuzzy.

He would have said the one before him was Mia, but he knew she'd left for Reading. Hoping it was her would just be wishful thinking.

Xavier's brow raised. "And your husband, what did he do?"

"We agreed, and he has failed to keep it."

"What agreement is that?"

The strange maiden's hand lifted, and she pushed the hood on her head away to reveal her rosy hair. Only one person had this hair colour in the kingdom and that was his queen.

The maiden's head lifted and Xavier's eyes widen as he saw Mia standing before him. He rose instantly, shock and relief in his eyes as they beheld her.

"Mia!" he exhaled sharply. His eyes swimming in the ocean of disbelief.

"We promised that on my departure he's going to read the letter I left behind then inform the nobles, the elders and the royals about my decision. He promised that before I left, but he did the exact opposite: he stayed silent, my king."

"Why did you think your husband broke the promise he made you?" he asked, climbing down the stairs that led up to the throne seat.

"I don't know. He probably gave up on the plans we had and chose to sulk instead."

She was right about the last part. "So, why are you here?"

"I came so he can finish what he started, read the letter."

He dipped his hand into his pocket and picked out the letter she left behind, which he was still yet to read. He had carried it every day with him but never broke its seal.

"Read it!" she commanded.

He opened it up and began reading through it. "If you're reading this, it means I'm gone. I chose freedom and enlightenment. I have always wanted to dream big and live free and be seen for more than what I looked like. I wanted to be loved and appreciated for who I am as a person. No one, but my family gave me that in the kingdom. Then I met this man who saw me for me. He accepted me and though he wasn't perfect himself, he made me feel like I was. He loved me and appreciated me and never failed to tell me just how unique I was."

Xavier paused and could not go on, as his eyes had become glassy. This would be his last session for today. He was now a mess. He bit his lower lip, cleared his throat and continued.

"I believed him. He had no reason to lie. I also fell in love with him, despite my better judgment. Despite knowing that feelings of such would complicate a lot of things around me. My heart has no ears, so it never listens to me. As the days grew by, I knew what I must do, yet I was afraid. This would be the end of my dreams and hopes in life. I am sorry for all the pains I caused you, Xavier Ainsworth. I should have told you how I truly felt from the very beginning." "You're the man I love, the man I want to spend the rest of my life with and if you read this, know I'll be at the Asika household waiting for you!"

Love,

Mia.

He finished and rolled the letter in his hand. He had kept this for days without opening it, thinking opening it would mean goodbye. He didn't know in the letter was the answers to the prayers he'd prayed. He glanced up at her and his eyes met with Mia's hard ones.

"You had the letter for three days and you didn't think to open it?" she growled.

He missed this. He missed this side of her.

"I was in pain. I didn't know you didn't board the ship," he admitted. "I thought reading the letter meant saying my last goodbye to you, and I wasn't ready for that. I couldn't tell anybody anything. I wasn't ready. I thought I had lost the most important person in my life and I needed time." he didn't hide the pain. He wanted her to see him, all of him.

Her eyes dropped. "I didn't mean to put you through that. I thought you would read the letter and know where I was. And I thought that it would be romantic or something."

"It is romantic, but as you very well know, you didn't marry the brightest of men." She giggled and he did too. "Why didn't you leave?" "Because I love you."

She had told him she loved him many times in the past but hearing her say it now held a different tone and made him feel different. "And your freedom and enlightenment? You will never get them with me."

She smiled, "Freedom to me is the ability to live your best self, and I already have that with you."

"And enlightenment?"

She stepped towards him. "Once the capital 3 is completed, there will be no more need to go far in search of it. You're everything I need and more, Xavier Ainsworth."

He grinned and cupped her face, glad to have her back and to know this isn't a dream. "And you're more than I could ever wish for," he mumbled before sealing her lips in a passionate kiss.