As I like to remind my readers from time to time all chapters I post are unedited. Any mistakes pointed out will be fixed later. Thank you for understanding!

Chapter 33

--------------

Evy ended up on her favorite bench, overlooking the city in the courtyard garden, it was also known as the queen's garden. She ended up here after Max walked out of their fight. She could not stay in the room and this was a place that she found comfort in.

Evy was feeling miserable from the whole fight.

Looking back she realized she was mostly responsible for the fight going out of hand. Reminding Max of his claim was a shitty move and she was not sure why she brought it up. Being a cynic that she was, she put the whole blame of this mess on her shoulders. If only she would have said no to Alex this would not have happened, she hated the fight she caused between them both.

She did not realize the tears leaking out of her eyes until the salt water trickled down on to her injured cheek making her hiss in pain, her cheek was throbbing. Good thing she was a werewolf or else she would have sported a black eye for a week.

"I heard misery loves company, would you like some?" A voice broke in to her thoughts and Evy whirled around to see Roma standing behind her.

"Roma!" Evy said surprised and stood up quickly wiping her tears away.

Roma looked at Evy taking in her injury and her face scrunched at the sight of Evy's check and swollen eye. "What happened?" she asked sharply.

"Got in-between two testosterone filled males" Evy simply added.

"I See" Roma said after a moment and said "Come with me" it was nor a request.

Evy followed Roma in to her room, where Roma instructed her to sit in one of the couches and she walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a few ice cubes and wrapped them in a tissue and handed them over to Evy.

"Put it on the wound, it should numb the pain. You should morph in your wolf, the transformation heals all minor wounds" Roma told her.

Evy just nodded miserably at Roma.

"Was this about what happened today?" Roma asked.

"Um..ah...you know?" Evy asked hesitatingly, slinking in to the seat further.

Roma gave a small smile "You will realize soon enough that there is little that I don't know as to what goes around in this palace."

Evy widened her eyes, trying to recall what else that she did that would embarrass her further.

Roma sat in the couch opposite to Evy and leaned back in to her seat.

"What Alex did was not wise" She said sagely looking at Evelyn "But I don't know if I can blame you entirely."

"What do you mean?" Evy asked dreading the response she would get.

"You are eighteen Evy" Roma said as if that explained everything. That was not the response Evy expected, she expected something in the lines of 'You don't know' or 'you are new' or worst 'You need to learn or behave' but not this.

"I am..." Evy said hesitatingly.

Roma gave Evy a reminiscing smile "I was eighteen too once you know."

Roma's eyes were full of understanding and some sympathy, instead of disapproval or even disappointment Evelyn expected. She had been so sure that Roma would think her totally unworthy of her son.

"And I was not born in this house, like you, fate mated me to Maxim Roma. The good thing was I had some time to experience life...I crossed paths with Maxim when I was twenty four."

Roma paused and said "I too did not come from this life, had no idea what it entailed. It was a difficult adjustment...I was a bakers daughter, living a quaint life and had no complaints."

Roma got up and went to the bar section in her room and opened a wine bottle and poured in two glasses. She returned and offered one glass to Evy who promptly took it from her and had a sip and her eyes widened. It was exquisite.

Roma grinned, looking at Evy's expression "Delicious isn't it? One of my many weaknesses, specially made in the Roma royal vineyard. I guess being a queen has its perks."

There was a moment of silence between them as they enjoyed their drinks.

"So I was saying, I might understand more that you think..." Roma empathized.

"It's just not that...We had a fight and I said things that I did not mean" Evelyn said miserably.

"He is your mate Evelyn" Roma said reassuringly "He will understand. Do you think having mate's means you will never fight? You will still need to define boundaries and build your relationship just like everyone else. For the first three years of my relationship I had often wondered if fate had made a mistake."

"All this" Roma said indicating everything around her "Can be overwhelming, Evelyn but do not lose sight of who you are or this place will swallow you up." She cautioned the young wolf.

"Remember, one day you will be queen here" Roma told her.

Evelyn blanched "But not like you right? I mean just an arm candy queen, right?" Max would succeed his mother to the throne and hold real power and she would be queen in name or technically a queen consort and not a regent.

Roma studied Evy, with disappointment in her eyes.

"Is that all you want to be?" Roma asked her genuinely.

"You will be in a position to influence a great deal of good, if you choose to, even as queen consort. If you want you can help girls like you across the Roma Empire to fight for a better life for them or for everyone in general. You will be in a unique position to influence change if you really want it, even as queen consort you can be an agent of change...or just be an arm candy....That if you ask me is totally up to you."

"So let me ask you instead, what is it that do you want to be?" Roma questioned her back.

Evelyn's head was swimming, she had never considered all this "Honestly, I don't know...I have never even thought about it."

Roma shifted weight from her leg and said "That is a good place to start, to think about it. You have time Evelyn, you don't have to decide in a day, I am just giving you some food for thought. Your actions will decide how people will perceive you...your actions will help you build a legacy for both you and your future generations"

Evelyn nodded and hesitated in asking something.

"Ask child...don't be afraid to voice yourself out" Roma nudged.

"I..."Evy began and gathered her bearing's "You are right, all this is new to me and will take time for me to learn...but..I was wondering if it's not too much...I mean...if you don't find it inconvenient...can I spend some time with you every day...to understand what you do....so I can learn..." She asked.

Roma gave a gentle smile "good" she said and added "Since you want to learn, let me start with the first lesson of the day, never hesitate to ask for help, you will have a huge support structure to help you out this is not something anyone can do alone, including me...so if you need help, learn to ask for it."

Evelyn nodded, readily assimilating the knowledge from the old wolf.

"Starting tomorrow you will spend four hours every day with me, your job will be to observe and learn and I will also use you for my errands, typing up stuff, arranging meetings and other trivial tasks, you think you can do that?" Roma asked.

"Yes" Evy agreed eagerly and added "How much will you pay me?"

"What?!" Roma asked confused and slightly taken aback.

"I would like to earn my own money, so I do work for you and I want you to pay me" Evelyn asked. She did not know what possessed her but she felt brave after all the talk Roma gave her.

Roma laughed out loud, clapping her hands in glee "My child, you and me will get along splendidly." She paused and added "It's only fair I see the quality of work before I settle on payment, don't you think?" Roma asked. She would not give an inch to the girl, one day she would be the queen so she needed to learn the trade craft of diplomacy which was a sophisticated form of bargaining.

"You can look at my work for three days" Evelyn said "And then we can agree on a payment and I am sure you will pay me for the three days as well on the agreed amount" Evelyn pursued. Time to show the old wolf what she was made of.

Roma couldn't stop grinning "You have yourself a deal girl, now all this negotiation made me hungry, will you accompany me for a hunt?"

The Queen and Evelyn went for a hunt in the palace grounds, Roma found a rabbit and made a quick kill and after taking a few bites offered it to Evelyn. Evelyn was stunned, you never offer your food to other wolves unless they are their mates or close family members whom you value, with this gesture Roma was telling Evelyn that she was an accepted and integral part of her family and valued enough to pass on her hunt. Evelyn was extremely touched by this gesture.

Evelyn devoured the remaining kill and then went to the she wolf who was radiating power nothing like she encountered before. Even her old alpha seemed tame compared to her. She slowly approached her in a non-threatening way and rubbed her snout in to the old wolf's neck and gently licked her fur and nibbling gently by removing foreign matter from the old wolf's coat. It was an act of loyalty, Evelyn was declaring her loyalty to the old wolf and in allowing this ministrations by the young female the old wolf was accepting her.

Eventually they came back to Roma's room and transformed back in to their human form.

"Don't you think it's time to go and settle your differences with your mate?" Roma nudged the female.

Evelyn nodded and turned to leave.

"Remember Evelyn, Maxwell never had a chance to be eighteen and carefree...All his life he had the weight of being the son of Maxim Roma, even though we didn't want it to be that way and avoided such comparison at all cost, we could not stop the thought of people around him, people he was surrounded by like the alphas...his every move scrutinized, compared and commented on. Any weakness was keenly observed to be exploited later...his life was never easy...how much ever I wish it was different, that is the price of being the son of Maxim I guess. That pressure has gone up since his father died. I am telling this to make you understand the man he is and the boy he never was allowed to be. As his mate I feel you can help him." She paused and gave a small smile "And maybe next time convince him to sneak out with you as well."

Evy looked shocked "Is it safe to sneak out?" She asked out of curiosity.

"Child, if you think for a moment you were alone, you are a bigger fool then you think. Nobody intervened because they knew Alex could handle the threat and you were pretty safe at the police station, but at no point of time were you alone and before you ask nobody else knows. Do you think this is the first time one of my kids sneaked out of the palace trying to think they outsmarted me? Remember this in the future, Alex might think he is smart but I am his mother." She winked at Evelyn and turned around dismissing her.

Evelyn stumbled out of Roma's room in shock and awe...that old wolf was something else and for the first time since she arrived she felt a confidence that she had been missing before. She knew that there were invaluable lessons this old wolf would teach her...she could not wait to start.

***

Evy gently opened Max's door and stepped in He was sitting in a chair deep in thought and when he saw her entering he stood up, his face was etched with worry and his eyes eagerly roamed her face and as he saw no traces of the bruises his shoulders relaxed a fraction of an inch.

"I am..."

"I want to..."

Both of them started at the same time and paused and Evelyn pressed on.

"I want you to hear me out Max, please" she said softly and he nodded.

"I am sorry" That was a good place to start and she truly was.

"Me too...Evy, I am sorry the way..." but Evelyn cut him short "I know Max but please let me finish" She added.

"I should not have gone out with Alex...I know that and right now I vow to you that I will never do anything like that or risk my safety unnecessary...I can only imagine the worry I put you through and I am sorry for that. I hate to be a cause of contention between the two of you" She told him and pressed on "I was feeling claustrophobic in the palace and was curious to explore the outside world and when the opportunity presented itself I took it without thinking through it. I should have told you how I felt but I did not. You have done so much for me Max and I felt I did not want to add to your burdens...I mean I was living in a fucking palace and sitting here and complaining? The reason I am telling you all this is because I want you to understand where I was coming from, not that I did not trust you or was not comfortable with you...you are my mate Max...my home" She said her eyes tearing up with emotions welling up in her, emotions for the beautiful man in front of her "I did not want to be one more thing you wanted to worry about and instead I became exactly that."

"Evy" Max whispered stepping towards her.

"Please let me finish or I will never get it all out" she pleaded and he stopped his approach.

"All this is new to me Max and I am struggling to fit myself here, you are the only one with whom I don't have to struggle with but the rest...I want to contribute Max...feel valued member of this family not live like a parasite off you forever, that doesn't mean I will not take your help or money, I am not vain. But I also want to earn my own keep...however small and irrelevant it might be. I spoke to Roma before coming here and she agreed to have me work with her starting tomorrow. I wanted you to know that...I want to do this, I want to contribute in some way however inconsequential. I want you to understand that." She paused for him to digest this information and added "At some point I want to go to college, my aspirations have not changed Max, I want to go to Medical school and be a doctor. I had given up on this dream of mine but Alex helped me realize I don't have to...I am telling you this so that you can help me achieve it" She paused.

He just stood there in silence.

"I am done. If you are wondering" she chocked on her voice, worried about his reaction.

He was still silent.

"Say something Max" She pleaded.

He didn't say anything but opened his arms wide for her. Without any hesitation she ran in to his arms and he engulfed her tightly hugging her. The sense of comfort his arms provided overwhelmed her. Tears were flowing freely now in relieve, she felt light the burden off her chest. She sobbed in to his.

His hands softly stroked her silky tress comforting her.

"You silly girl!" Max said his voice laced with emotions "All I want for you to be is happy, I don't know how else to tell you this, how else to convince you of this."

"I know Max, It's just I am stupid" She mumbled in to his chest breathing in his scent.

He pulled her back gently and gave her such a tender kiss on her forehead that her heart almost exploded with emotions.

He pulled her towards a couch and he sat down pulling her in to his lap. She stuck to him like a leech, her head burrowed in his neck. The disharmony between them completely disappearing, they were two mates totally in sync with each other.

"I will worry about you Evy" Max said softly, his hands still running though her hair in gentle motions "I might come over as overbearing, jealous or controlling but I am terrified, terrified of anything that can happen to you...the very though paralyzes me." He confessed. "My father thought he was safe and secure but they killed him Evy, he was surrounded by men willing to lay down their life for him....it didn't matter, they shot him in the head" He choked on his emotion. Evy had a feeling he was showing her a side of his he never allowed anyone else to see.

"Oh Max!" She whispered, burrowing deeper in to him, trying to comfort him...she completely understood.

"I will always worry...Evy...I will..." He paused, trying to gather his emotions.

"Shhhh.."She whispered soothingly pulling her head from under his neck and looking in to his eyes. "I promise you Max...Please do what you think is right...I trust you to keep me safe."

"But at the same time I don't want to be overbearing...You need to let me know Evelyn. Promise me if it becomes too much, you will come to me and we will find an alternative" He asked her.

"I Promise" she readily agreed and she would.

"I mean what I said Evy, you are my mate and all I want you to be is to be happy, so can we work on that?" he asked.

"Absolutely" She agreed. "I learnt my lesson Max, no more bottling up stuff inside, pinky swear!" she said giving him a broken smile.

They sat there enjoying each other's company in silence.

"Since we are spilling our guts out an all...I thought it is fair to let you know I was having a case of cold feet about the marriage...and before you go ballistic please hear the word 'was' as in past tense." She looked in to his eyes to show him that there was no doubt about it now.

He searched her face closely trying to gauge her expressions "Why? And what changed your mind?" he asked.

"I felt everything was happening too fast...just me being silly...Alex helped me put it in perspective, so you might want to keep that in mind next time you feel like punching him" She tried to lighten it up.

Max just looked at her static and added "Evy if you want to wait...I will be more than..."

"Nuh..uh..." She shook her head negative vigorously... "It's a done deal" she said showing him her finger with the ring on it. "We are getting married...no escaping Mr."

She paused and added softly "I want to marry you Max, to tell the world that I am yours, both human and werewolf" Her tone did not leave any scope of doubt.

"Good" he said flatly and added "I was getting worried, we already placed an order with the caterers...would hate all the food go waste."

"Jerk!" she smile and slapped him on his chest and leaned in to him.

"So I guess this was our first fight" He mumbled at her.

"Yep." She agreed.

"You know there are some rituals involved in such events right?"

"Really like what?"

"Some very important rituals...that have been around for a long time and it falls on our shoulders to honor them"

"Do you now? And pray tell me my lord what these rituals would entail?"

"Why of course my lady..this involves you, me and a bed...my favorite combination. The ritual is named make up sex. Scandalous! I know, but a necessary evil."

She got up from his lap and smiled down at him "Necessary evil, huh? Have you not hear of the saying 'think no evil'?"

"I am afraid I haven't" he confessed "Besides, you have been moving your cute bottom in my lap for the last half an hour...a saint would have had unsavory thoughts and I my dear, am no saint" He smiled up at her wantonly.

She turned around and walked towards the bed and paused and said "Well what are you waiting for?" and she continued towards the bed.

He got up in a flash and in a moment was behind her and in one quick moment he picked her up in his arms as she squealed in surprise he quickly walked the rest of the distance and unceremoniously dumped her on the bed.

"You wench!" he said "Teasing your lord and all...you shall be disciplined."

"Disciplined is it?" She said licking her lips.