Fated to the Triplet Alphas-Chapter 47: In Good Hands

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Chapter 47

~King Ash’s POV~

I had barely taken a sip of my evening tea when the doors to my study opened without announcement.

Only one person in this kingdom walked in without waiting to be invited.

Azriel.

He strolled in as though this was a casual social call, dressed in his usual all-black attire, the faint scent of night air clinging to him.

A plate of honeyed pastries sat between us on the low table, and he helped himself without asking, as if he were not here to stir unrest in my already burdened mind.

"Brother," he greeted smoothly, taking a seat across from me. "I see the chaos of Lunaria hasn’t reached you."

I frowned. There was hardly ever any good news with Azriel, and with him being here, I honestly did not know what to think.

Still, he continued, "Have you heard what your daughter has been up to?"

My fingers tightened slightly around my cup, though I kept my expression neutral. "If this is another attempt at provocation, Azriel, I am not in the mood."

He chuckled softly. "Provocation? No. Information." He leaned back, crossing one leg over the other. "It seems the Future Queen of Lunaria has had her nude circulating in school. Quite unroyal, do you not think?"

The words struck the wrong chord in my head, but I refused to let him see the reaction he wanted.

"I am aware of the rumour," I replied evenly. "And I also know my daughter. Jade would never do such a thing."

"Is that so?" Azriel tilted his head. "Intent does not erase disgrace, dearest brother. It would not be long before the kingdom whispers. A Queen without proper training, without restraint, will bring Lunaria to its knees."

I set my cup down carefully. "You will mind your tone when you speak of my child."

His lips curved faintly in that infuriating, amused smirk.

"I will get to the bottom of what happened," I continued. "As for the throne, I do not require your concern over matters that do not belong to you."

Azriel laughed outright this time, not that I cared. He was getting on my nerves. "Just because you found your lost daughter doesn’t mean the kingdom will accept her as the next heir."

"Look around, Azriel. Jade would be accepted."

"Maybe, but without the right competent king, she doesn’t stand a chance in protecting this kingdom."

My eyes narrowed. I knew he was baiting me to spill something important, but I was done with him, or so I thought.

"So you intend to marry her off to one of your royal lapdogs and hope he steadies her?" He shook his head. "If that is your plan, Lunaria will meet its early fall." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

I held his gaze, letting my next words settle before I spoke. "Why would she need one," I said calmly, "when she is mated to all three sons of my Gamma?"

For the first time since he entered my study, Azriel stilled.

Shock flickered across his face before it was masked by something darker.

I leaned back in my chair. "As for who will rule after me, I suggest you keep that concern to yourself. The kingdom will remain in proper hands after I am gone, dearest brother."

And for once, my brother had no immediate retort.

Azriel rose slowly from his seat, smoothing invisible creases from his dark sleeve as though the conversation had bored him rather than unsettled him.

"Well," he said lightly, "it is quite obvious my presence as your Regent is unnecessary here. Nor, it seems, is my advice."

His tone carried that familiar edge of sophistication and danger.

I did not rise.

"Then do not trouble yourself further," I replied calmly. "And do not bother standing on ceremony. I will not be seeing you out."

For a fleeting second, something flickered in his eyes. Annoyance, calculation, and perhaps even the faintest bruise to his pride.

He smirked. "As you wish, brother."

He turned and strode toward the doors with unhurried confidence. Just as he pulled one open, another figure stood on the other side.

Davion.

My Beta halted immediately and bowed his head respectfully. "Your Highness."

Azriel’s gaze swept over him in open disdain. He scoffed under his breath, and stepped past him without another word.

The door shut. Davion straightened and entered fully, closing it behind him before offering me a bow of his head. "Your Majesty."

I gestured toward the seat Azriel had vacated, though Davion remained standing.

"What was that about with Prince Azriel?" he asked carefully.

I exhaled, the tension of the exchange finally settling into my bones. "Nothing much," I said. "Just the joyful news that my daughter has found her mate."

Davion froze. The reaction was subtle, but I did not miss it. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second before discipline smoothed his expression. He cleared his throat.

"Who is the lucky guy, Your Majesty?"

I lifted a brow at him, allowing a hint of amusement to slip through. "Should you not know already, considering they are your sons?"

This time, he could not hide the shock as quickly.

His hand rose to scratch the back of his head, gaze shifting briefly to the side as realization dawned. "I should not say I am surprised," he admitted slowly, "but why did you or your sons not tell me?"

—

~Azriel’s POV~

I did not bother masking my irritation as I left Asherion’s study.

The guards straightened the moment I stepped into the corridor, but none dared to meet my eyes. The torches lining the palace walls flickered as I passed, shadows bending unnaturally toward me, as though even the darkness recognised its master.

Mated.

To all three sons of his Gamma.

I let out a humourless laugh under my breath. My brother had always been bold, but this was reckless. Entrusting Lunaria’s future to three unstable triplets bound by a curse and a girl who had grown up ignorant of her own bloodline.

Foolish.

"Drea," I called sharply as I descended the grand staircase.

She emerged from the shadows before I reached the last step, dressed entirely in black as always. She stopped a step behind me and bowed her head.

"Your Highness."

Her voice was calm, cold, and observant. Just as she was the first day I brought her to that school and watched Jade Snow from afar.

"Walk with me," I ordered.

We moved through the dim corridor that led toward the eastern wing, far from curious ears. "You have been digging as instructed?" I asked without looking at her. "Eighteen years ago. The night the Queen died."

"I have," Drea replied evenly.

"And?"

She did not hesitate. "The official record states the Queen perished in the fire that consumed the southern tower. The child was declared dead shortly after birth due to complications."

I stopped walking.

"And yet," I said quietly, "the child lives."

Drea’s silence confirmed she understood the weight of that statement.

"How did she survive?" I demanded. "How does an infant escape a burning tower guarded by royal sentries?"

"There are inconsistencies," she admitted. "A guard assigned to the Queen’s wing disappeared that same night. His body was never recovered. The midwife who attended the birth vanished days later. No record of burial. No trace of exile."

Interesting.

Very interesting.

I turned to face her fully. "So someone orchestrated it."

"It would seem so, Your Highness."

My jaw tightened. For eighteen years, we had all accepted a convenient tragedy.

"I highly doubt that the Queen died in this palace. It may yet be another convenient story we’ve been told. Find out everything," I ordered coldly. "Who had moved the child, altered the records and dared to deceive the Crown?"

Drea’s expression did not change, but her eyes sharpened. "And if the Queen herself planned it?"

There was a possibility that was true. "If she did," I replied slowly, "then her death may not have been as simple as we were led to believe."

I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "I want names, Drea. I want proof. And if someone stole a royal heir from under our noses..." My lips curved faintly. "They will learn exactly why that was a mistake."

—

~Dean’s POV~

Kai stood across from my desk, arms folded, expression unusually serious for someone who normally treated everything like background noise.

"So it is confirmed?" I asked him.

He nodded once. "Jade Snow is a Lycan."

A lycan. This wasn’t even a rumour or a speculation. It was fact. Kai himself was a half Lycan, half-werewolf hybrid. If anyone would know, he would.

I leaned back slowly in my chair, processing it. "That explains the sudden shifts in campus energy," I muttered. "Power like that does not stay hidden for long."

"And it explains why certain... individuals have been circling her," Kai added carefully.

Before I could respond, the door to the Student Council office opened without ceremony.

Ivy walked in first, composed as always, her Secretary General council badge gleaming against her blazer. Dominica the treasurer and Ryland, the Social Rep, followed behind her, their expressions curious.

"We need to reassess," Ivy said immediately. It was obvious they overheard our conversation. "We all agreed Jade was a potential problem when we suspected she was hiding something. But after that nude was leaked..." She paused, her brows drawing together slightly. "I am no longer certain our focus should be on her."

Kai exhaled through his nose. "I agree. The behaviour of students has been worse than anything she has done."

Dominica shut the door behind them and leaned against it, folding her arms. "It is almost funny," she said lightly. "A quiet pea suddenly blossoms into a dragon flower."

Ryland smirked faintly. "She went from invisible to infamous overnight."

I did not smile, but couldn’t help the thought of something interesting going on.

"Interesting," I voiced instead. "Very interesting."