The Crown's Entrapment



As Bella expected, her body didn't even touch the ground as she felt those familiar warm and possessive arms wrap around her body. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw Amon's worried face staring directly at her right as they gently landed on the ground.

'Are you alright, Lady Bella?'

His imagined voice echoed in her head. She couldn't help but want him to ask her that with his concerned tone. Alas, his face was so dim as she blinked at him.

"What is wrong with you, Lady Bella? You're a werewolf, so how could you be so careless?" Amon scolded her just as quickly as he put her down on the ground. "You didn't even shift into your wolf form and just let the horse throw you off in your human form. Why? Are you that ready to fall on the ground?!"

Bella's brows wrinkled as she defended herself with a pout. "And if I did, you'll just get angry since I'd suddenly shift into my naked human form," she pointed out. "Besides, I know someone will come to my rescue like Commander Rendon anyway." She then turned to Rendon who she knew had arrived just in time to save her with her genuine smile. "Isn't that right, Commander?"

Rendon had a blush on his face as he scratched his head and answered, "Yes, milady."

To the side, Amon's expression darkened as he authoritatively instructed, "You, get Lady Bella another horse. If there are no available horses, then let her travel inside the carriage with Mother!"

Bella hid a giggle as she watched Amon explode. Despite how he acted, she was still enjoying his reactions.

[He's being affected,] Bella victoriously uttered to her inner wolf Poona. [Admit it or not, he's the same Osman who doesn't want me getting involved with another man.]

[Well, let me just watch you since you seem to know what you're doing then,] Poona replied with a yawn. [I'll just comment whenever I feel like you're not on the right track.]

"I can always just use the horse my sister-in-law is using. She can get on the same horse with my brother anyway. Or maybe I can simply ride with Commander Rendon, Your Majesty?" Bella candidly suggested. "You see, I prefer to be traveling outside. I don't like traveling inside a carriage where I feel like I can't breathe with how stuffy it can be."

All the while, Bella couldn't help but recall Osman's possessive words from before.

"I won't hesitate as long as it involves you, Bella. Hell, even if you feel the Mate Pull and meet your so-called mate… I'll kill him before he even gets near you."

A sly smile curled up on her lips as she watched Amon being visibly confused as his expressions constantly flickered across his face.

"I think that's the best option," she casually shrugged. "I can ride with Commander Rendon instead since I'm not comfortable riding a horse alone, to be honest. I'm a bit traumatized."

[You do know that you're not making sense at all, right? You're overreacting and being lame,] Poona pointed out. [Having trauma from riding alone can be plausible sure, but you don't even want to travel inside a carriage? And now you want you and Rendon to travel on one horse? It doesn't make any sense. You just sound desperate.]

In spite of her inner wolf's protests, Bella didn't care. She was way too focused on observing Amon's reaction to everything she was doing and saying now to even bother. Of course, she was aware of how she didn't make any sense at all, but she was usually silly anyway.

Upon hearing her words, Amon's face remained dark as he stared at her. Likewise, Bella didn't even flinch or blink as she met his glare. "Is there a problem, Your Majesty?" she challenged.

Amon blinked as he remained silent. Not even bothering with addressing her, he instead bellowed, "Lucia!"

The woman in question quickly appeared before them. "Yes, Your Majesty?" Lucia asked.

"Let Lady Bella ride with you. And make sure she wouldn't be able to do anything childish or you'll be the one to receive punishment," Amon commanded as he turned and mounted his own horse. "If Lady Bella causes any delays or unnecessary interruptions during our journey, it will be you who will take responsibility!"

Watching Amon ride ahead of them, Bella simply shrugged as she ignored his grumpiness. She then turned to Lucia and shamelessly remarked, "I guess His Majesty didn't want me getting close to the company of men. I apologize in advance if I might cause any discomfort to you while sharing a horse."

Lucia simply gave her an awkward smile as she climbed on her back.

Letting off another shrug, Bella turned at Rendon who simply shook his head at her while he chuckled.

"Too much?" Bella asked. 

Rendon simply nodded, and Bella let out a small scoff as she focused on the current situation. If there was a silver lining in what just happened to her, it was that Lucia and Rendon were willing to help her get close to Osman. They knew everything about him, so it was an advantage to her that the two seemed to be rooting for her as well.

"You have to stay low for now," Lucia reminded her in a low voice. "You wouldn't like him if you press him to his limits, Lady Bella."

"Why? Is he going to avoid me more often?" Bella curiously asked while staring at Osman's back who was riding quite a distance ahead from them. She had never witnessed Osman getting annoyed before, so she had no idea how he would react if she pushed his buttons. But somehow, she still wanted to do it and find out. 

"How many candidates are there already for the competition anyway?" she further asked. She had been too shy to ask the Queen Mother when the older woman mentioned it to her yesterday, so she might as well try and ask now.

"I'm not sure, Lady Bella," Lucia answered. "However, I heard that there are currently only twenty now in total in terms of Helonian maiden participants."

"Hmm… The Queen Mother told me that they would only accept ten participants outside Helion so the total would be at around thirty," Bella snorted. "It would be much easier if it's something along the terms of one-on-one combat."

"No… There's no violence involved, Lady Bella," Lucia chuckled

Bella's face twitched as she scoffed, "Yes, I know. The Queen Mother told me that it will involve brains, grace, and how to become a good wife to the king." She let out a joking sigh, "It's so boring…"

"That's because that was how the previous Queens were selected. The Kings of Helion usually have a harem of thirty chosen and meticulously selected maidens throughout the kingdom. Those thirty are all already considered as his women, and each one of them fought to be the king's Queen," Lucia lengthily explained. 

"However, King Amon had already changed the rules and traditions for that since he doesn't want a harem in his kingdom. He only wants to have one wife, and that will be his Queen alone." 

Bella smiled as she dreamily mused, 'And I'll be his only woman, wife, and Queen!'