The Unknown Lycan Princess - Chapter 46: Chapter 46

There was a knock on the door that freed me from my thoughts. I nodded to my lady in waiting and they opened the door to allow whoever was at my door to enter. I was shocked to see Queen Natasha standing in the doorway smiling at me. I knew she did not like me and wanted me gone. The smile she was wearing seemed innocent, but I could see the cold calculating way she looked at me in her eyes. She has told me on more than one occasion how I was unfit to take her place as queen.
I tried once to voice my concerns to Roman, but he assured me that his mother was just looking out for her only child, and she would soon love me as he does. I didn’t have the heart to tell him he was wrong so I just smiled and kept every further comment to myself. Though I did talk to a female servant a time or two. I believe her name was Sandra. She was a very sweet woman and she reminded me so much of my Roman. The way she would sometimes talk as if she was his mother and not the queen. How I wish that was true. She was a beautiful soul and Natasha was not. I could just feel the darkness coming off of her in waves.
“Esmerelda, you look beautiful today. Would you mind coming on a walk with me before the coronation begins. It is tradition after all if my mother in law would have been alive she would have done the same with me,” Natasha asked with a tone that brokered no argument. I simply nodded and followed her out of the castle. We walked through the small village that sat outside the castle walls and towards the woods.
I was starting to feel even more apprehensive the closer we came to the treeline. I had a very bad feeling about this and I placed a protective hand on my stomach. When Natasha stopped we were just inside the treeline where no one would be able to see us and as she turned around I saw an evil gleam in her eye. She pulled something from the pocket of her gown and she blew a powder into my face. I felt my head become hazy and before I could not comprehend anything else I heard her say, “You, a lowly human, thought you could take the vampire crown from me. You are not worthy to wear it. I don’t care what my father has said or what his witch foretold. You and that abomination in your belly will never know happiness. I promise you that. Roman will move on from you quickly. I will make sure of it. Now sleep. When you wake you will be in your new home. Your name forever more will be Esme. You are a homeless pregnant widow with no memory of your past. You will not go seeking answers, you will live and you will die with no memory of who you were in the past. When I woke up I was laying on the ground by a large oak tree. I don’t remember anything about my life. Who am I? Where am I? My head was pounding and I felt like I was missing a piece of myself. I felt utterly alone and devastated and I didn’t even know why.
It took some time but I finally found a place to call home with a lovely woman who took care of me and my daughter. I suffered from terrible nightmares for years. Then I started to dream of a man that had my daughter’s eyes. He was so handsome and every time I saw him my heart would flutter. I could only see him from a distance at first and every time I would try to get closer to him he would move further away. It wasn’t until my daughter was a woman and had a child of her own that I was finally able to get close to the man in my dreams. I knew he was important to me when I first saw him in my dreams but I couldn’t place why.
One night, after having the same dream for nearly 40 years, I finally was able to reach him and as soon as I touched his cheek I saw flashes of a life I once lived. My memories had returned to me and I was fuming. I woke up with a start and started to plan my way back to Roman. I had sent word for my daughter to come visit me. I was hoping she would bring my granddaughter with her because it had been a while since I had seen her. They lived a few villages away, and no matter how many times I had pleaded for her to stay close she refused. Like all children she couldn’t wait to flee the nest. It was a heartbreaking day when she left my care, but I was so proud of the strong woman she became despite all the hardships life had brought us.
I was talking to my daughter when I felt an eerie chill in the air and I just knew something was wrong. My instincts told me to grab my daughter and flee, but before I had the chance there was a knock at the door and my daughter was already heading to answer it. By the time I could find my voice it was too late and the door had already been opened to reveal Natasha and a group of guards I remembered from my time at the Vampire palace. She didn’t even say anything before she nodded to the guards who swiftly cut the head of my daughter from her shoulders. I tried to scream but nothing would come out. I stared at my precious childs lifeless eyes as her head rolled to my feet. When I raised my eyes from the horrific sight I saw the satisfied smile on Natasha’s face.
“This is your fault, you know, but don’t worry. You will be with her soon,” Natasha said with an evil cackle. Before I knew what was happening I felt a blinding pain and looked down to see a dagger shoved into my chest. I had just a moment to be grateful that my granddaughter was not her after all before my head too was severed from my body.
End of flashback
Roman’s POV
As I listened to Esmerelda’s story my anger towards Natasha burned even stronger. Yet again I was sorry that I wasn’t the one to end her evil ways. After the anger subsided, my guilt consumed me. It was my fault all of this happened. If I would have just listened to her when she first brought up her concerns about Natasha none of this would have ever happened. She and our child would still be alive today. It is all my fault. I felt the soft touch of my beloved’s fingers as she wiped away the tears I hadn’t realized were falling from my eyes. I looked into her sad eyes as she said, “Roman, I know you feel this is your fault but please don’t. Everything happens as it is meant to. I have had a long time to reflect on what happened in my life and everything I have witnessed since. Please find peace with yourself my love. I love that you have stayed a faithful beloved to me after all of these years, but it is time for you to move on with your life. We will find each other again of that I am sure.”
“You never could understand how much of my heart and soul had already belonged to you the moment I laid my eyes upon you. The day you said you loved me too was the day you gained even more of them. When you told me I was going to be a father I gave the rest to you. I have no heart or soul to give to another woman. They will always belong to you and I trust that you will always care for them until we can meet again in the afterlife my love,” I said to her sincerely. It was true. I had no more heart or soul without her and I would not want to even try to take it back from her. They are hers and I gave them to her willingly.
We just laid on the bed holding each other the rest of the night. I knew all too soon she would be leaving me again as soon as I saw the first rays of the sun trying to peek out of the darkness. With my last moments with her I placed a passionate kiss on her lips. When I came up for a breath I saw the sad smile on her face as she softly said, “I will always love you Roman, and I will wait for eternity for you to come back to me. Please take care of Beth and her children. There is more going on than meets the eye and everyone is to be looked at with caution. Beth is strong, but she is still young and will need your patience and guidance. She may be our grandchild but in many ways you have and will become more of a father to her, and I need you to be that for her as much as you need that. I am afraid our time is up, my love. Please find peace because I have finally found mine.” Were the last words I heard before she faded away from my sight. There was no stopping the wail of anguish that fell from my lips.
When I came back to my senses I vowed to my Esme that I would always look after Beth and her children. From this day forward she will be my daughter and not my granddaughter. It was the last wish of my beloved and it will be so.