The Crown's Entrapment

At the Cordon Castle
Freya sat in front of her own reflection inside her bedchamber. What happened back on the stairs kept on replaying itself right before her. From her own memories, she clearly felt some form of electric shock as soon as Lord Gideon caught her and held her by the waist last night.
“It could’ve been part of the Mate Pull,” she murmured out with a pout. Lord Gideon clearly felt it too. Honestly, she was surprised by how vocal he was being to her.
Last night, he also confessed to her that he felt the Mate Pull towards her, but she didn’t bother to say a word. She had assumed that her dear brother already informed Lord Gideon of how she recognized him as her mate, so she didn’t think she needed to mention it again to him last night.
“Milady,” the chamberlain greeted as entered her bedroom, approaching her with a beautiful freesia in her hand. She was blushing hard as she then added, “Lord Gideon had asked me to give this to you. He is currently waiting outside, asking if it would be possible for you two to have breakfast together.”
Taking the freesia off the woman’s hands, Freya brought it up to her face and took a whiff. A smile crept up on her face as she smelled its fragrance.
“How did he know that freesia is my favorite flower?” she unknowingly muttered. Standing up, she ended up pacing across her bedchamber while taking in the flower’s scent. “Tell him that I’ll be eating breakfast with my mother, but he is free to join if he wants to.”
Letting the woman do her orders, Freya returned her attention back to her newly-acquired flower, her mind whirring as she muttered aloud.
“So he’s indeed being serious in courting me, huh?” she murmured with lifted brows, a mischievous grin flashing across her face. “Should I go easy on him? Or maybe go hard…”
Walking outside of her bedchamber, she put away her grin as she saw Lord Gideon about to turn and walk towards her chamberlain.
“Lord Gideon,” Freya called out, making him stop midstep. Turning to her, she kept a blank expression on her face when she saw his radiating smile for her.
“Milady, good morning,” he politely greeted. “I was just on my way to the dining hall since your chamberlain told me to head there…”
“Right, we should walk together then,” Freya commented. “Really, it’s so thoughtful of you to bring me these lovely flowers so early in the morning. As such, walking with you like this is the least I can do to show you my gratitude.”
Gideon smiled. “You loved freesias when you were young, so I thought you would love to see them since Mount Sorel didn’t have any of those specific flowers around,” he confessed. “I also made sure you receive those flowers every year.”
Freya’s eyes widened as she halted in her steps. Her eyes wide, she exclaimed, “You were the one sending them to me?”
Her heart quickening under her chest, and her lips parted as she stared at Gideon in disbelief. Back in Mount Sorel, she would receive those specific flowers every late winter to early spring when they would usually bloom. They were a welcome gift, and the anticipation of them arriving always made her so happy.
Gideon was blushing as he gave her a timid smile as he replied, “Aye, milady. I didn’t want to creep you out, so I make sure they’re delivered to you from an anonymous sender. You left when you were sixteen, and I wasn’t sure if you would also be able to feel the Mate Pull upon reaching the right age.”
Freya inwardly nodded. Right, the Mate Pull wasn’t something typical in their kind in the current era. Not all werewolves were blessed to feel it, and not all would even have a mutual Mate Pull like her and Lord Gideon.
The worst-case scenario she could have would be that she was feeling it while Lord Gideon was unable to, or perhaps it would turn out to be the other way around. Still, there were occasionally destined mates popping up in one way or another, and ignoring such a calling would bring misfortune to those who do so.
Taking in a timid breath, Freya finally managed to compose herself as she whispered, “Thank you. Those flowers honestly lifted my mood up, especially whenever I felt homesick.”
She smiled as she confessed, “Honestly, I thought it was my mother who was sending them before. I didn’t even ask or mention them to my mother, so it was no wonder that I got the wrong idea about them till now.”
“It’s alright, milady,” Gideon reassured her with a nod. “As I said, I didn’t have any intentions of telling you it was me who was sending them before. You might’ve felt awkward, so I did my best to be anonymous.”
Freya felt her mouth suddenly dry up when her eyes darted to Gideon’s lips. They were so full, and…
Her eyes rounded out at the lewd thoughts that suddenly came into her mind. Upon that realization, she quickly turned around and began walking past him.
“Lady Freya, wait,” Gideon called out as he reached for her. But before he could stop her, she was already walking so fast that she failed to notice the sturdy chest she was about to bump into.
“Lady Freya!”
The familiar voice made her raise her head. Looking up, it was Lord Gilas that had greeted her, someone who always had those bright smiles up and ready for her.
“Lord Gilas,” she politely greeted with a curt bow and a nod.
“Hmm, it’s been a while,” he hummed in his sweet voice. “Are you headed to have breakfast with the Queen Mother?”
Freya was about to go back into her old way, but she quickly caught herself by schooling her features. She still couldn’t believe that Lord Gilas would involve himself in the crime that his father committed. He didn’t seem to like the act, however. Plus, the fact that he would also contradict his own father more often than most during court meetings according to her mother and brother, which allowed her to give him some benefit of the doubt.
However, that didn’t prove his involvement with the murder of her father was far from nonexistent. For all they knew, it was only Lord Gilas’s facade to contradict his own father to step up their game. Just thinking about such a scenario made Freya’s blood boil. It would be hard, but she tried her best to calm herself.
All of a sudden, Freya felt herself stiffen as she felt a warm hand securing hers. Turning around, she saw that Lord Gideon was now standing beside her with the sweetest smile flashing on his lips.
“Lord Gilas,” Gideon politely greeted him, the latter’s eyes following their hands as they currently held each other.
Trailing his gaze, Freya noticed the frown on Gilas’s face. It further deepened when Gideon suddenly announced, “We’re mates.”
“I see…” Gilas casually nodded.
At that, Freya finally managed to relax, slowly letting Gideon lead the way.
“We should go. It’s best that we not keep the Queen Mother waiting,” Gideon politely stated. “If you will excuse us, Great Constable…”
Gilas nodded, and Freya managed to give him her usual smile as she slightly let out a curt nod before finally walking away with Gideon.