Chapter 19: Chapter 19

For two days, Ivy was gone, and when Clarice told me she was on her way back, I remained by the front door for over an hour. I needed to ensure she was okay. I was excitedly bursting at the seams when I saw the limo pull in. The King said something to her before she rushed over and hugged me. I squeezed her tight, relieved she was okay.

Grabbing their luggage Ivy helped me haul it to the laundry room. “Abbie, I have something to tell you,”

Ivy says, nudging me as we walk down the corridor. She had a guard following closely behind her.

“What?” I ask, glancing nervously at her. I see her lips tug up in the corners slightly before she leans into me. “The king wants me to be his mate,” she whispers, and I stop dead in my tracks.

“Mate, as in his mate, he wants to make you his Queen?” I asked her, and I blinked back tears.

“Means we will be free, we won’t have to go back, Abbie, we can stay here for good,’ she tells me.

“We can stay?” I ask as she grabs my arm, tugging me along. She smiles and nods, leaning her head on my shoulder as we walk through the kitchens.

“We can stay, we will have a home, and the King said he would get Gannon to change you. If you want to be turned, then we will be together forever, forever Abbie, we will have a home, a real one.” Ivy tells me, and I feel the warmth spread through my cheeks at the mention of Gannon.

“What’s wrong?” she asks as we load the clothes into the washers.

“Nothing, but are you sure Gannon will want to change me?”

Ivy shrugs, “If not once the king changes me, I will ask him how to change you and do it myself, but I think Gannon will change you” Ivy tells me.

I dump the detergent in the washer when she leans in next to me. “I think Gannon likes you,’ she giggles.

“What makes you say that?” I laugh.

“Just something the King said, he said that Gannon has never shown interest in anyone that he also asked Damian and him if he could have you as his personal servant; he doesn’t want you working as a servant,” Ivy shrugs.

“We would be safe here, Abbie. I think the King is a good man, don’t you think?” I nibbled my lip but had to agree. He had done nothing that caused us harm, although he was a little intimidating. However, before I could agree, Clarice walked in.

Clarice smiles warmly at me, Ivy, and me, and we tell Clarice the good news. I couldn’t help my excitement that I could stay with Ivy and that she would become the King’s mate. This was the best news we had received in eight years, and it was like all our missed Christmases came at once.

“You have your chores, Abbie,” Clarice tells me, and I almost forgot with my excitement, and I rush to grab my cleaning supplies, and Ivy comes to help me.

“Ivy, the King, has told me you are no longer his servant,” Clarice says, making us stop.

“But I want to help Abbie with her chores,” Ivy tells her. Clarice looked at Ivy’s guard, who also didn’t know what to say. He only frowned. Ivy introduced him as Dustin, and he was silent. I already knew who he was; I had seen him sneaking into Liam’s room and Liam his a few times.

“I’m sorry, Ivy, but unless the King allows it, I can’t let you put on that uniform. Those here would treat you like a servant in that uniform, and I don’t want any staff killed for that mistake,” Clarice explains. Ivy looks at me, and her shoulders sag.

“It’s fine; I can just wear this, I guess; I will speak with the King later,” Ivy tells her. Clarice glances at the guard nervously, thinking she will get in trouble. Dustin shrugs, and Clarice sighs, wiping a hand down her face.

“Very well, but you make sure you tell the King you wanted to help. I don’t want to be scolded for making you work.” Clarice tells her, and Ivy rocks on her heels excitedly. My heart soared, knowing I could spend the day with her.

“But what else is there to do if not work?” Ivy asked, and she was right. It would be bloody boring sitting in my room all day. I would rather work, and I knew Ivy would feel the same.

“Live,” Clarice answers, squeezing her shoulder gently and walking off.

For hours, Ivy followed and helped me. When it became later, the guard stepped away from the wall in the room we were cleaning, “Ivy, the King, is looking for you; he wants you back to your chambers,” he says. Ivy’s shoulders drop, and she presses her lips together, wanting to stay, but I shoo her away.

“Go, maybe the King will let you hang out with me while I work tomorrow,” I tell her, and she sighs.

“I will ask. Hopefully, he will say yes. He did say he had to go away tomorrow, so I don’t see the harm in it,” she says, hopefully, while looking at her guard.

“Well, you can ask when I take you back. He is quite insistent you turn to your chambers now,” Dustin tells her. Ivy quickly hugs me and pecks my cheek.

“I’ll convince him and see you tomorrow,” she tells me, and I giggle, watching her go. I was nearly finished with my chores when I saw Gannon stick his head in the sitting room where I was dusting.

l’Abbie?” he says, making me turn to face him. He waggles his finger at me to come to him, and I wander over, wondering if I did something wrong or if he wanted me to clean something. He grabs my hand and takes the duster from me, setting it aside.

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