Chapter 51: Chapter 51

Avril laughed hard that she felt her eyes stinging and begging her to calm down. Still, Camper sat that way and didn't move. Dakar also seemed to have turned into a statue. He was still in that position of leaning towards Avril and his hand was hanging halfway from her face. The way he was staring at his friend, it was like he was expecting this sort of behavior but couldn't believe Camper had to do that now.

“How do you keep up with him? You're direct opposites of each other,” she laughed as she said so. Dakar finally stopped being his own statue and exhaled.

“I don't know. Maybe it's because we've been together for decades,” he finally spoke and took another strawberry with a fork this time, dipped it in the yoghurt and fed Avril again. She just opened up while looking over at Camper and chewed casually, like this was normal. Dakar's joy knew no bounds that she was not resisting. Her attention was on Camper and she looked amused as he fed her for the fourth time.

“Do you think you would have preferred coffee to this orange juice here?” he asked as he peered at the glass.

“Oh, no. Don't worry, it's perfect. Vitamin C to begin the day with,” she said and took the glass to her lips. As she was about to take a sip, Camper smiled and got on his feet. His pretty dimples graced his face and he walked towards them on the bed, despite Dakar's growls for him to step back.

“If I hadn't known better, I would have thought you both were lovebirds that were so much used to each other. Have you seen how both of you just correspond with each other in everything? Your chemistry is topnotch,” Camper stated and Avril looked at Dakar over the lid of her glass. He shrugged and stood straight up, crossed his arms and stared at his friend.

“Why are you here so early, Camper?” he asked sternly.

“Oh, please. Don't act all tough because your girlfriend is here.” He turned to Avril and smiled sweetly at her. “What's up, girl? I hope you had a nice night,” he directed the question at her. Avril sat crosslegged under the blanket and took the plate of sandwich into her left hand, ready to start eating proper.

“Had a perfect night, Camper. How about you?” she asked and took a bite.

“Would you believe it? Nana found out I was trailing her home. She slapped me,” he replied and palmed his left cheek. Avril almost choked on her bite.

“Wait, what?” she asked and he nodded.

“She has a tough hand. Even my werewolf skin couldn't save me from that pain,” he stated. Then gently, he raised his hand to touch the side of his heart.

“Right here. The pain was too much right here,” he said dramatically like a man about to die in stage plays.

“Goodness, are you ever serious?” Avril laughed but Camper frowned.

“I'm serious, right now. I like your friend. But she's just hurting my feelings over and over again.”

“But, you just knew her. How can she keep hurting your feelings when you two hardly see each other?”

“Okay, then. In order to prove to you that she's truly hurting my feelings, I'll go and see her everyday at the mill.”

Avril shook her head and took another bite.

“I'm sure you're not this man you're portraying, Camps. I feel you're just using this you as a facade,” Avril stated.

“Oh my God. You gave me a nickname? The name is so nice. Camps—I like the sound of it,” Camper said in an excited voice. Dakar who they had totally ignored was still standing behind them at the other side of the bed, his arms crossed and his eyes in a glare. Camper had just stolen his show.

He sighed and walked to his closet, picked a blue round neck shirt and walked out of the room—still unnoticed by the folks in a deep conversation. He reached downstairs and grabbed his jacket which was on a hook on the wall. He wore it and finger combed his hair, dashed through the door and beeped one of his car which was parked right in front of his castle. As he drove away, he noticed that the autumn leaves were gradually falling and their much wicked winter would be back soon. The winter at the Kingdom of Remus was terrible and lasted for almost a little past half a year. Remus had really short springs and summers. But super long harsh winters.

Dakar stopped by the huge castle that belonged to the King and stepped out. He entered inside amidst the bows of the guards by the entrance and at different stations. The first hall of the castle wasn't the throne room yet. It was just the entrance and from there were different doors leading to different parts of the castle. The entrance hall was fully lit up by artificial lights and natural lights from the high up windows at the top of the high walls of the hall. The floor was smoothly marble, with portraits of stars in it. There was a huge white sculpture of a man wearing a thick cloak around his shoulders, the back of it was flowing behind him on the floor. He had hair falling on his shoulders, and a thick beard which appeared really trimmed. Right in his hand was a scepter with a spade at the top of it. He had it raised up halfway past his own height and was looking straight ahead of him. Prince Dakar passed by him to the grand, spiral staircase leading up to the throne room. He climbed them hurriedly and entered the magnificent throne room in a few seconds. It was larger than the hall downstairs, with golden sparkling floors having tiny bits of silver color in them. At different spaces by the walls were suits of armour standing. They were a mixture of the traditional suits made with steel, and the ones made with gold. Those ones were carrying golden swords, shieds and bows and arrows. They carried no helmet or any tough things covering their bodies. But cloaks and skirts. These particular suits were on a type of carved out sculptures of men and they stood in different battle stances or postures.

Just like the hall downstairs, this throne room was a mixture of artificial lights and natural lights. Though, more of the latter with windows high up and also the middle of the walls.

“I didn't think you would come so quickly. Knowing you are with that woman,” the Alpha King said as his son approached him. He was sitting by the center of the wall directly opposite the entrance. His throne was huge and golden—the top of it a snarling wolf, the same as the tattoo on Dakar's shoulders.

“I don't think I would defy my father's call because of a woman,” Dakar answered and King Kastor chuckled. He was slightly aged, with his hair a mixture of white and black. He had a beard, a mixture of black and white too. But he didn't keep long hair like his son did. He wore his regalia, the furry brown cloak made from animal skin. He also held that same scepter the man from the statue downstairs held.

“Come over, son,” the Alpha beckoned and Dakar walked closer. He bowed as he stood in front of his father. The King looked at the guards who were standing like statues themselves behind him, and at different points in the hall.

“Sometimes, I do feel choked by these people,” he said and Dakar chuckled dryly.

“You've been Alpha for more than a century,” he replied.

“I'm getting older. And need a bit of space, Dakar.”

Dakar stared at his father with a raised brow.

“Anyway, that is not why I called you. Ñiraka's father was here yesterday, while you were taking your woman out on your little trip,” he stated and rubbed his chin slowly. Dakar stood still and waited to hear the rest.

“He is proposing marriage between you and Ñiraka,” King Kastor continued and Dakar's eyes widened.

“What?”

“And he is already getting people to back him up. There's a tradition that the Royal concubine would officially become the wife after over six decades of being just the Royal concubine. That's what he is working with.”

Dakar ran his hands slowly through his hair.

“I'm not doing that,” he said with an agitated tone.

“Tradition is very important, son,” came his father's reply.

“Then I would remove her from being what she is.”

“I don't know. Do whatever you think you can do. I can only support you.”

Dakar nodded and exhaled deeply. His forehead had creased up in lines because of his frown.

“How is your human concubine? Heard you seem to be treating her a little too differently.”

Dakar stared at his father then began to smile.

“News travel first, doesn't it?” he asked rhetorically.

“Be careful. People are not smiling,” the Alpha warned and sat upright on the throne for he had been leaning over one arm earlier.

“I am working on something,” Dakar said and his father nodded.

“Think about what I just said and come up with a solution soon. You may go.”

Dakar strolled out of the throne room with a dry smile on his face. There was no way in the world he was going to have anything to do with Ñiraka. He had her by him for a few reasons and it was not yet time to manifest any of those reasons.

As Dakar got out of the castle and approached his car, he scented Verona and looked ahead to see her walking away towards the entrance. He mindlinked her and she stopped immediately. Dakar walked up to her and she bowed.

“I need your help, Verona,” he said sternly. She looked at him with curiosity and he rubbed the top of his head.

“Can you help me dig out information from Fiorella?” he asked and Verona's eyes peered at him.

“Any...any problem sire?” Verona asked in return.

“The name Alejandro. Did out as many information as you from her mind concerning alejandro.”

“Oh, wow. But I thought you said I should teach her to close her mind. Now you want me to get me to enter it?”

“Yes. It's an order. Remember, the name is Alejandro. Don't forget. And this better stay between us,” Dakar ordered sternly then walked back to his car. Verona stood gawking in surprise. Did she just see the prince being so curious? This was new. Now here was a problem. How was she going to make Fiorella think about this Alejandro before she would even extract the needed knowledge?