What could she say about the man she married? They had never met until after their wedding, and she was pretty sure she wasn't allowed to divulge that information.
She stammered, "I-I am certain I will learn about Randolf when we spend more time together."
"It is King Alpha, Randolf!" Snapped Louve. Her eyes were cold.
Sylvie knew then Louve hated her. As if forgetting that King Alpha Adolf was there, Louve replaced her sneer with a saccharine smile, batted her long eyelashes at King Alpha Adolf, and spoke in a sweet, demure tone. "Apologies, Lord Adolf."
Adolf held up his hand to stop her from saying anything further. "There is no need, Sylvie is still new here and not accustomed to our ways. I am sure with your help she will be. She is Lady Canis. Any disrespect to her is an indirect threat to Lord Canis." He supplied.
Those words made Louve want to scream. She should have been Lady Canis, not this human bag of bones. She had no choice but to tow the line. She put a fake, brittle smile on her beautiful face and spoke as if none of this was insane, and bothered her in the least, "Yes, Lord Adolf. It will be a hard task. One that I am up for."
"Good. Next time see to it that she is properly dressed for the occasion. The Clan games are in a few weeks' time. We are all counting on you beautiful Louve." He complimented her. His voice was like velvet.
Louve felt her cheeks growing red under the praise of her ex-betrothed father's words. She had always been secretly attracted to both men. When she had been informed she would not marry Randolf, she had set her sights on his father, until she saw Bouvier. Whitley had informed them of their strange relationship. Louve knew she could overlook such a trivial thing, but she didn't want to.
She wanted to be the only woman in both men's life. A sick and perverse thought she kept buried in the recesses of her mind. By King Alpha Adolf's current words, she knew her little plan to humiliate Sylvie by making her wear inappropriate attire backfired on her. He would not punish her because of the circumstances surrounding their current situation.
"Yes, my Lord." She looked down in her lap as a submissive gesture. Letting her King Alpha know she was his loyal subject and she would act accordingly. She heard Aolf stand up, along with his two best Generals that had been dining in silence along with them and exited the dining hall.
Sylvie and Louve were alone now. Louve looked up and then looked at Sylvie. "Stay out of my way, or I will make your life here hell." She shot up from her chair and sauntered out of the room.
Sylvie said nothing once more and realized she was alone at the large dining table. She had been utterly humiliated. She stood up and exited the room. Bouvier was waiting a few hundred feet down the long hallway. She was seated on an ottoman with a red velvet cushion.
She stood up when she saw Sylvie and Whitley walking in her direction. Whitley stopped and spoke, "Madame Bouvier, if you would kindly escort Lady Canis to her chambers. I have other pressing matters of the Manor to attend to."
Bouvier knew it wasn't a request. Adolf had already instructed her to look after Sylvie.
"So, how was dinner?" Bouvier asked as they walked down the long hallway.
Sylvie was conflicted. She was humiliated at dinner and no one seemed to care. She didn't want anyone else to know or to pity her for that matter. She lied. "It was fine. King Alpha loved the dress."
Bouvier was surprised at that piece of knowledge. "He did?"
"Yes. He thought Louve did a wonderful job looking out for me. We have lessons with her bright and early tomorrow as well."
Bouvier was dreading it, and secretly, so was Sylvie. Especially after what she said to her at dinner. Bouvier quit asking her questions and they walked the rest of the way in silence.
Once they were there, Sylive turned and smiled at Bouvier, "Thank you for your kindness here. I don't think I would be able to make it here."
Bouvier heard the pain in Sylvie's voice and knew all the things she had said about dinner had been a lie. Bouvier patted her on the shoulder. "There, there Lady Canis, all will be well. You just need some rest. I will see you in the morning bright and early."
Sylvie smiled through unshed tears and went into her room. Tonight had been strange. She knew her life would get even stranger. She recalled her father in law talking about something called the Clan games. She wondered what he was referring to, and why it was so important she be up to speed.
Sylvie undressed and got into her bed. She looked to her left. That was where her husband had slept. She didn't know a thing about him, except he seemed to always get his way and he didn't like his wife to call him My Lord. Now, she knew he had been a mischievous little boy and almost burned the house down twice.
She needed him to help her understand her new life. He had thrown her to the wolves quite literally. She knew no one and nothing. Tomorrow there were more lessons from someone who did not like her. She wondered how that would go.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She welcomed sleep. With each deep breath she took, her body relaxed, and her anxiety melted away. Sylvie was fast asleep in no time.
| Louve |
How dare that sniveling human bitch play the sweet and innocent role. She was no innocent,and Louve knew it. Louve had been known for her beauty, her charm and her
grace. Though it was frowned upon in their society to put all of your emphasis on it, Louve enjoyed doing it. She had been told all of her life that she would marry a King Alpha.
She had been born to the lifestyle. She was trained and prepared in the ways of Loux Gareaux diplomacy. She was the best fighter out of all the women, and she was also the most resourceful. When her parents sat her down and told her about Randolf's hasty decision to marry the human she had been crushed. They had tried to paint him as a picture of nobility that his marriage would signify a peace he would bring from winning the war.
Louve felt nothing for Randolf now. He had obviously forgotten his duty and obligation to his betrothed. When King Alpha Adolf asked for her help she felt like it was a slap to her face. He had made her lower her standards and humiliate herself by being around the woman who took her life from her. Louve couldn't see what Randolf saw in Sylvie.
She was weak and mousey. Her eyes were always big with wonder like a small fragile child. It made her want to hurt Sylvie. She deserved it. When Sylvie had entered in that revealing dinner gown Louve had gotten so much pleasure from it.
It made her ecstatic to see the look of despair Sylvie had on her face when she saw what Louve was wearing. Throughout dinner she looked like an injured fawn. Sitting there lost with those big eyes. She knew nothing about Randolf or their ways. It was an insult.
She wanted to jump over the table and crush her skull in, but she knew she couldn't. She was going to be haunted by this for the rest of her life. The other Loux Gareaux women would not let her live this down. She had not lied to Sylvie when she had told her that the women here could be even more cruel than the men.
They would have already tried to kill Sylvie. Louve wanted to but now she was put in a peculiar situation. She could not. She had to keep up pretenses. Her family's legacy depended on it.
In this moment she had to choose them over her own personal vendetta. In the end she knew if she didn't come around causing Sylvie bodily injury. Some other Loux Gareaux woman would. She was hoping for it. Sylvie would be dead by Summer.
| Canis Island |
The weather on the Island was changing for the worst. The rain was now turning into ice. The fires had raged on and left more than 50% of the island charred. The people of the Island were frustrated and starving. The majority of the crops were burned and only left meager helpings.