The Crown's Entrapment

Meanwhile, back in the library, Xenia focused on her reading and studying, making sure that she wouldn't miss a single detail of what she was reading. Understanding the material carefully, she made sure to put everything she learned inside her head. By the end of it, she was no longer sleepy, but rather, she was more annoyed than anything to even yawn!

"How could he leave me like that? Didn't he enjoy it?" Xenia murmured out with a pout, wracking her brains out on if her kiss was even satisfying to him or not. She even came to the point of smelling her own breath if that was the problem. It was insane. She couldn't even believe how affected she was getting as she shook her head.

"Is he playing hard to get now?" she questioned even more, her eyes narrowing as she recalled a similar situation in one of the books she read.

'Wow, I feel like I'm actually improving with my emotional intelligence right now,' Xenia inwardly thought. No wonder Jayra was so capable of deciphering people and emotions. Those books of hers really are that effective.'

Having had enough of her roundabout thinking, she decided to clear her head and focus on her reading. She still had a lot of stuff to go through, and she had to read like how she did it last night if she wanted to have any hope of finishing it all.

A few minutes into her studies, Xenia began writing notes regarding some of the more important footnotes in the history she was reading. She was amazed at how detailed it was all written. Even for the battles, they somehow recorded every mistake and cause of failure for the candidates.

"It's like history's repeating itself," she thought aloud as she read further.

If that's the case, then she should try her best not to make the same mistakes they did. It was there that Xenia realized how helpful it was for her to study and analyze the previous events that took place in the Five Trials.

Time passed, and she had made a lot of notes in the blank journals provided for her on the table.

"I'm hungry," Xenia huffed with a frown. "How come Jayra and Freya haven't come back for me yet…"

***

Meanwhile, Jayra and Freya were on their way back to the library to pick Xenia up for lunch when they passed by Bartos and a few officers going about their business.

As usual, everyone greeted Princess Freya and Jayra, but the former blinked at Bartos as he stood there, seeing as everyone had already left except for him.

"Yes?" Freya curiously asked. "Is there anything else, Lord Bartos?"

The man just scratched his head, unable to speak.

Jayra chuckled as she aired out her guess, "Are you going to ask me to eat with you for lunch?"

Bartos timidly nodded.

The young mage let out a smile as she replied, "How about dinner then? I already have an appointment with Princess Freya and Princess Xenia at this time. Will that work?"

Bartos nodded, "I understand. I will see you then later."

With that, Bartos bid his farewell to the two women, leaving the two on their own once again.

"Let's go," Jayra quickly commented, almost walking to pull Freya with her. "I'm sure Xenia's starving by now."

"Wait a minute. What was that?" Freya asked her head tilted to the side.

Jayra giggled as Freya walked to her. "I'm his mate," she proudly announced.

"No way!" Freya burst out with a frown. "I didn't smell either of your scents on each other."

"That's because he hasn't marked me yet," Jayra expressed. "And we also haven't done the Mate Bond."

"Ah yeah right, I almost forgot. No wonder then…" Freya nodded in understanding. "But still, I can't believe that this is all coincidence. Just imagine, Bartos and my brother sharing the same fate of having a human mate."

"I know, right? It's quite surprising, but also overwhelming at the same time since I'm bound to stay with Princess Xenia in one way or another" Jayra shrugged as she stretched her limbs, her lips curling up into a smile. "I guess I'm just blessed enough for the Almighty to also give me a partner in this kingdom."

"Lucky you then," Freya congratulated as she hooked her arms with hers.

Jayra chuckled at the woman's antics. The Werewolf King's sister was very friendly and was someone who you could get along with easily. Somehow, she reminded her of Lord Gideon.

"You and Lord Gideon are the same, Princess Freya," Jayra offhandedly commented. "Very approachable and cheerful, you two."

"You're close to Lord Gideon?" Freya asked at the sudden thought.

"Not really, but he's the first person I got along with among the werewolves," Jayra explained. "It's not hard to approach him. He has this vibrant aura around him, and he's quite funny and charming too… Are you two not close?"

An unsettling silence lurked between them as Freya was shaken by Jayra's question. It took a full minute before the princess replied.

"I've been away for four years, only just recently coming back home for Brother's prospective wedding," Freya mumbled out. "I was sixteen when I left. And at the time, the only thing I remember about Lord Gideon was how often he made fun of me. Just nonstop relentless teasing…"

Jayra didn't know what came over her when she suddenly justified his actions for him. "Well sometimes, that's the only way for a man to get a woman's attention. Judging from Lord Gideon's character, I'd say that he's the type who struggles to talk to a woman seriously."

She then shrugged, "But I can be wrong too… since no one knows what's inside someone's mind unless you've been with them long enough."

The mage then curiously asked, "By the way, have you found or met your mate yet?"

For some reason, something told Jayra that Freya and Lord Gideon would make a good match. It was simply her intuition telling her about things.

In response, Freya shrugged, her eyes narrowing at Jayra suspiciously. "Do mages have the ability to read minds?"

Jayra laughed at that. So she was right…

"Oh my… If it's Lord Gideon, then aren't you a lucky fellow as well?" Jayra teased.

"I really don't know," Freya pouted. "I wanted to talk to him after meeting him so drunk that night, but he was nowhere to be found since my brother apparently sent him outside the castle grounds."

"You two will make a good match!" Jayra enthusiastically beamed. "I can already see it too."

"We'll see…" Freya murmured, her eyes darting towards Lord Gilas who was talking to the other officials at the courtyard they just passed by. His eyes then met hers, and the man struck her with his beautiful and adoring smile.

'How come it's not him…' Freya inwardly lamented as she smiled back at the finest gentleman she had ever met since she was young. She failed to notice how Jayra followed her gaze.

"Ah… Now I know where the hesitation's coming from," Jayra interrupted her daydreaming.

Hearing the mage, Freya's face reddened as she then immediately walked passed by Jayra saying, "Faster, my sister-in-law's starving by now."

*************

July 22, 2021

AN: Yay... we reached another hundred Golden Tickets guys so thank you! Here are our bonus chapters for today!