"The wolves are no longer in alliance with us." I whispered looking at Charles as he stood behind his desk. He looked at me darkly sending shivers down my spine. "There is something amiss here. It is far bigger than the wolves leaving our alliance." Charles turned his dark eyes to me; I could feel his eyes bearing into my chest.

My hand trembled as i fought to speak. "There must be something other than the death of those two wolves in America. Those wolves had to have some connection here to make them act this way." "Connection? "He whispered. I watched as his eyes grew dim. I let my conscious slip into his as he thumbed through memories. I could see the days we met in the garden with his brother Edward and his wife to be Esmerelda.

There was a small blur within the trees of the garden. The smell of dogs had hung thick in the air. "The wolves decided to act in compliance to us; their king allowed us guard wolves. They are some of the best" Edward praised looking around the garden. Charles gripped my hand tightly I could see his jaw flexing. He didn't like wolves being around the kingdom even if they had sworn loyalty. The wolves had killed his biological parents. I knew his deep displeasure with them.

Esmerelda rubbed her swollen stomach as she stared calmly into the distance. I stared at her in disbelief the woman who had said years before she could not see herself married, though look at her now. The king being her mate had to have been pure luck i had deserved the position of queen. I glanced at Charles who stared at his brother with contempt.

They were having a conversation internally i could tell. I looked once more at my friend she stared at me lovingly finally regaining her senses. "When can we expect our niece or nephew?" She asked her voice as smooth as silk. I smiled at her, she was a good friend and i rarely stayed mad at her. "We are to have one within the year," Charles growled out his eyes flitting to Esmerelda before back at Edward.

Edward has a wary expression as he stared at Charles. "I wanted to tell you before he did" I glance at him. "Though that seems impossible now, I am within my first month so i should give birth a month after you." I smiled at her. The gleams in her eyes were impossible to doubt. "The wolves belong outside" Charles growled.

"Charles it is my decision, and they stay. You must have a handle on this temper of yours." "Let us go, Elizabeth" He turned on his heels towing me along. His strides were faster than my own, i had to run to keep up with him. "I want to talk to Esmerelda more" I whispered as we went up the cobblestone path to the castle. "Consider your friendship with my brother's wife over." I looked at him, fear draining from my body filling with rage.

" I refuse" he shoved me roughly against the walls behind the stairs. He came forward his hair hanging to his shoulders in an onyx colored sea. His eyes shined a brilliant midnight blue. "You dare to refuse me Elizabeth!" he growled. I whimpered but kept my gaze strong. "HE is not your fiancé! I am, and my wife will obey me" "I will not" "Then i will go to the extreme to make sure you do not see her." I glared at him. "What has she ever done to you?!" "My brother is foolish; he will only bring us down in power. He gave those rogues power in the new land without authority." "He is smarter than the rest, he is a pure blood." he glared at me. "What are you getting at?" he growled.

I looked away knowing i had made a grave mistake. "Look at me Elizabeth, I asked you a question." "You are not of pure blood." he laughed incredulously his laugh filling the lobby. "My dear, It does not matter if i do or don't i shall have the crown. You will be queen just as you have wanted" his fingers slid across my cheek lovingly." Esmerelda stole that right from you did she not?" "Her mate is-" "She says he is her mate, but i think there was something else she hid from you. My darling, listen to reason she has been acting weird. I think she has betrayed you and feels guilty about it." "I will ask her" I started to move only to be shoved back. "I will show you evidence of her betrayal"

"Elizabeth!" Charles whispered snapping me back into reality. "You are not focusing on the matter at hand." He pulled me into his gentle embrace. My cheek brushed his silk black vest taking in his spicy scent. "Those wolves were part of the guards my brother had at his mansion. It was a grave oversight in my case. To rebel against us after all this time of cooperation, something is happening." His chin touched the top of my head as his arms tightened around me. "We are in this together, my queen."

The word felt dirty no matter how much I had wanted the title. Going this far as to hurt my own flesh in blood, made the word rotten to the core. My hands pushed against his chest making him release me from his embrace. I was not satisfied with what we had done. Evil was a word that was not foreign to me. I had embraced the strength of the vilest of men just to undergo the process to make myself queen.

"I do not feel any words of comfort in being called a queen. I have strayed far from the royal line as can possibly be. My hands tainted with the lives of the people we called our friends our siblings. Yet, i cannot possibly fathom how i could have carried out such an order. Had i known the burdens of baring the title of queen i would have gladly bestowed it else where."

"Have you forgotten the burdens placed on this land at the hands of my brother? He was a disgrace to vampires!" "He was not, he was a remarkable man and to the depths of your soul you cannot deny that. Jealousy and envy over took you, as it did me. To have the kingdoms fall down upon us this is our own undoing! Fate has decided-" I fell to the floor in agony as my cheek stung.

His hand was no more than a blur to me. I looked to him in shock. His stare was ominous as he stood over me, taking in my pitiful state. "Our, undoing my dear? Nothing shall be undone. This is my kingdom and i will retain it with your assistance." "Just as i have done before i will refuse!" "We will see in time" He left not bothering to help me up. My fingers in twined with my velvet black cape. Was this really worth it in the end? To have killed my dear friend, out of jealousy?

That simply wasn't the case. My ill intentions toward Esmerelda had never concentrated into the hatred i had shown her. They would always dissolve in thin air once she smiled at me again. She'd had that effect on everyone. Her determination was something i had admired to the fullest, even growing up she had unwavering brown eyes. The eyes that had capture the heart of the future king. The king i had my eyes on.

Though i knew it would never be i saw the sparkle in Esmerelda's eyes when she gazed at him. I chuckled to myself as i moved to sit in the corner of the room. The light of the moon covered the room in a warm glow. Esmerelda was indeed the perfect queen, her heart made of pure gold. That night after Charles had forbidden our friendship, i had snuck out once Charles had fallen asleep. We met in the gardens as always.

The moon had been high in the sky, shining a bloody crimson. The beauty of the castle garden was unparalleled to anything i had ever seen before on that night. The rose were a glistening pink in the light, the lusciousness of the green trees and grasses.

The scent of flowers had hung thick in the air. Esmerelda sat in the middle of the garden where the gazebo sat in the middle of flowers. The gazebo gleamed a bright gold in the light. Rose vines were creeping upwards toward the top. Her hair was shoulder length in tight curls. Her flawless pale brown skin was a lovely shade, against her powder blue dress.

She smiled at me her full red lips plump with eagerness. Her eyes were brightest brown i had seen them in years. Her happiness was happily painted on her face. "You are late" She whispered feigning anger. I laughed when her lips twitched from the scowl she had painted on her face. "I am not late" I said sticking my nose in the air. I walked sharply to the seat next to her copying my mother and her stuffy attitude. We both broke out in fits of laughter.

"Why did you not tell me you were with child? Then again i barely see you accept in court" she said. My smile faded "Charles want it to remain a secret until after our marriage next week. It was my every intention to tell you first!" "Calm yourself Elizabeth i do not mind. It is alright to keep secret every once in a while" She rubbed her stomach. "Charles how does he treat you when your alone?" she asked nervously. I saw her hand twitch. I looked at the ground not meeting her eyes. "As any mate, treats his destined one." "Elizabeth there is a way to break a bond." I gasped scooting away from her. "Are you implying that he does not love me?'

She looked at me frantically "I am worried! i am your best friend. Elizabeth you're losing your fight." "What fight? i have all the fight i need. With my mate!" Esmeralda stood "Your submitting to him! i know your visits are planned by him" "How do you know that? Who told you!" I yelled I stood prepared to walk away. I need to defend myself. I needed to defend my fiancé and child. He did not control me i was in control of myself. "Have you looked in the mirror lately? Elizabeth have you told him of your fits?"

"Of course i have he-" "He helps you with them does he not?" I stared at her in disbelief how did she know all of this? "From your silence he does." She stood striding forward her brown eyes crossing to rage. "He helps me" I said barely above a whisper. "By getting you to submit to him! Do you understand you have become his puppet?" "I am not his puppet!" I screamed.

"You are! Look how angry you are!" she pointed to the glass table in the middle of the gazebo. I rushed to it. My fangs were bared protruding from my lips, my eyes glowed a dark crimson. I smashed the table watching my blood drip from my fingers as the glass hit the concrete. "He is feeding that anger into you!

You must break the bond or this will continue. I am afraid that you may lose yourself and do something you will regret" The sound of boots hitting the pavement ended our conversation. She stared at me with fear in her eyes. She was wrong. My mate would never do anything like that. He had his share of problems as i did mine. He would never do anything to harm me.

He had told me that many times. The information she had i wondered what spies she had sent to obtain it. She was trying to push me from my pedestal of being princess so that she could feel empowered over me. Charles was right in keeping me away from her. I was to blinded by our old friendship to notice the difference. "Elizabeth listen to me quickly, before they come."

" I have been keeping a secret from you but, i want to tell you before it is to late. There is a way we can break the bond. That way you can get your sanity back. I beg you to-" I grasped her arm turning away from the guards that were fast approaching. I held her by the neck my breathing rapid. "I do not need your secrets to destroy my place in royal court. I will be a princess can you not stand for me to almost be on equal ground as you?!" I whispered furiously

. Her brown eyes carried fear in them. She pushed me away from her defending herself. She place her hands over he stomach. "That is not what i want! He is breaking you from the inside out. It is far worse than what I imagined. Elizabeth would never raise her hand to me" "Well i am different! I will stay with Charles and bare his child." "Elizabeth he is dang-" "My Queen is everything alright?" a gruff voice asked. We looked to the tall man in front of us.

He stood tall with broad shoulders. I could see his honey colored eyes from where i stood. These were the wolves. He bowed to me as he proceeded to Esmerelda. She glanced at me "Everything is fine, Eric." she looked to me once more. "We will talk more later." "I doubt it." I whispered brushing passed the wolf and his four subordinates.

We rarely talked after out argument. Of course she had tried many times to get me to come over. To get me to break the bond, I steadily grew to believe Charles. Though the more i rebelled against her i was pulled into the arms of Charles. He continued to help me with my fits. "My fits" I whispered chuckling to myself. The little fits i had from anxiety that seemed to get worse every time i had them.

They were painful to the point were i would greedily take blood until it numbed my body. Charles had said it was unbecoming for a princess to have fits. I let him calm my fits. Though calming was rumored to be very dangerous. I had been in so much pain i would have let him do anything to me. Little did i know he was feeding me lies while i was being calmed. Tears rolled down my cheeks as i remembered my last fit. The fit that had began my rage.

RATE AND COMMENT

ITS GETTING LATE I'LL UPDATE THIS CHAPTER MORE TOMORROW!

ANYONE VIEW THE QUEEN DIFFERENTLY?

REMEMBER DAMNED TO LOVE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION SO MORE DETAILS ARE ADDED IF YOUR A FAN. HIS REFUGE AND HAPPINESS IS A FLEETING FANCY HAVE BEEN REMODELED.

OH JUST PICTURED ELIZABETH