The Crown's Entrapment



Bella, together with King Amon, Queen Mother Mona, and Casimir, all shared a knowing look with one another as Lera and Jayra began sobbing and hugging each other. From then on, they decided to silently walk out of the tent so that the two newly reunited siblings could have their private moment together.

Once they were outside, the Queen Mother turned to Bella with a smile. "They would need some time alone. They have a bit of catching up to do. It may take them some time, so I'm sure you'll get bored waiting for them," she stated. "How about some tea with me, Lady Bella?" She then turned to Amon and added, "Come and join us, Son."

Amon simply nodded to his mother. The older woman then looked at Casimir, but the royal physician simply waved his hands in refusal. "Ah, no… I'll pass on this invitation, Queen Mother. I still have a lot of pending work to do."

Mona chuckled. "Alright then. You can go ahead and leave now, Casimir."

The older man curtly bowed before quickly excusing himself from the scene. By the sidelines, Bella's gaze followed the man as she mused to herself. 

"King Amon's announcement about the families looking for the children they sent away was such a good act," she remarked. "I hope many will be reunited with each of their families like how my sister-in-law got reunited with her older sister. Who would've thought that she had a beautiful and outstanding older sister all this time?"

"Lera is in bliss right now," Mona beamed. "She finally found her sister. This calls for a celebration!" 

"I will arrange that then, Mother," Amon quickly seconded. "We can also invite Jayra's extended family and friends that are with her here while we're at it."

"That will be great, Son," Mona excitedly nodded. "Let's ask Jayra's opinion later." 

Bella simply smiled as she listened to the Queen Mother and Amon talk about the simple celebration they were planning for Jayra and Lera. With nothing better to do, she walked with them to another tent. 

Once they were inside, the Queen Mother signaled for her to sit on a chair. To her surprise, Amon pulled up a chair for her, and she couldn't help but feel great since she remembered how his previous self Osman would always do that for her. He was such a gentleman, and he would always pamper her whenever possible. 

"Thank you, Your Majesty," she hummed with her sweetest smile. 

Sitting down, she then watched as Queen Mother Mona personally prepared some tea for them. Bella wasn't fond of tea, and she was about to refuse when an idea came to her.

"Do you have Os coffee here, Queen Mother?" she curiously asked.

"Oh, that. Yes, we have that," the Queen Mother nodded. "It's something new that Casimir asked Rendon to bring with him. I heard that it originated from Cordon…"

"Yes, and I'm the seller of it. That's Osman's coffee. I discovered it from him," Bella proudly declared. "You see, Amon here has so many talents… He loved that brew coffee before, and he introduced it to me back then. So, when he went missing, I focused on doing business and handling where he left off at Cordon so that once he comes back, it's-"

"But I will not come back because Helion is my home and my kingdom," Amon interrupted with a firm voice.

"Right… I apologize. Maybe someday when you plan to visit then, at least you'll be proud of how I kept everything nice and successful," Bella muttered with a frown. 

He was being so annoying, and she couldn't afford to dish it back with how the Mate Pull was affecting her. "It's not like I'm saying that you should return and stay there for good. I know you belong in Helion, and nothing will change that."

"I for one will be glad to hear more about Amon's past," the Queen Mother interrupted. "Maybe you can visit our camp from time to time so that you can tell me more about Osman, Lady Bella."

Immediately, Bella's crumpled face lit up as she stretched her lips wide. "I'll do that then, Queen Mother."

"Splending," Mona smiled as she began serving tea. "For now, how about you tell me some more things about Amon?"

"Where do you want me to start? You see, Osman told me all about his adventures out at sea while he was a pirate," Bella excitedly stated. "Then he became a Lycan before then becoming the Great Admiral of Cordon… Personally, I came to know Osman just a year ago."

"Tell us everything right from the start then," Mona stated as she took her seat. "What have you heard of him from when he was a child? Maybe you have something more to share other than that too."

Bella smiled as she obliged. It was a long story, and she started her tell from where it all started when Osman was found in the river of Os.

"Osman said that Captain Hans named him after that river Os," she began with a grin. "And because he wants him to grow up as a man, he added 'man' at the end of it, making it Osman." 

She then went ahead with how Osman grew up the hard way by living in a pirate ship.

"Oh, my poor son. I never thought he'd end up in the hands of pirates. I'm a mermaid, and I sent him on the Dead Sea knowing that my kind would somehow recognize him since he also has my blood in him," Mona sighed. "It's not as strong as his demon blood, but it's enough for him to live underwater without any problems. As much as I wanted to send him to the Miran Ocean where my family was… I can't because Devon knew that place…"

"Osman is a broad-minded person. I still remember what he told of how he interpreted the ways of Captain Hans with his upbringing…," Bella remarked. "He said that Captain Hans intentionally let him grow up in the harsh reality of this world. That it was the captain's way of molding him into become a stronger person."

"Well, I guess he's right seeing how my son handled everything before and how he's persevering right now…" the Queen Mother stated with a wide smile. "I'm truly proud of what he has become despite how I wasn't there by his side as he grew up." 

Bella smiled back, but she hesitated as she noticed how tears started reflecting from the older woman's eyes.

"That's true, Queen Mother. Osman also appreciated Captain Hans's methods," Bella added, the smile on her face never faltering as she recalled the good memories she had with Osman. "He himself is proud of how strong he has become not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well." 

Bella was so engrossed with her story that she didn't notice how Amon was staring at her unblinking. The Queen Mother, on the other hand, quickly noticed her son's behavior.

"Looks like you really have much to tell, Lady Bella," Mona complimented. "You knew Osman well." 

The Queen Mother adored Lady Bella, and she could feel how much Bella had genuine feelings for her son. 

Meanwhile, Amon was keeping his emotions to himself, but she could still sense the tension between the two. If her son ever acknowledged his feelings for Bella, then she was more than ready to pull some strings to bypass the competition so that these two could be together as soon as possible. 

However, her dear son still looked confused at the moment. As such, she decided to wait and observe some more.

"Osman told me a lot, Your Grace," Bella graciously hummed. "He had a lot of experiences in his more than thirty years of life…"

"I see. Oh, by the way. I received the official reply from Cordon regarding my announcement for the Selection for the Queen's throne at Helion," Mona stated while keenly eyeing Bella. "I thought they'd only send you, but there's another maiden on the list; Lady Lena Grant from the Midnight Pack."

She blinked as she looked at the younger woman. From the looks of things, it seemed that Bella was already aware of it.

"Yes, she decided to participate as well," Bella replied. Her gaze then turned to Amon as she added, "Looks like it'll be a tough competition. Many seem to be eyeing our King Amon here."

"You can still back down, Lady Bella," Mona jested with a grin.

Bella blinked at her and humorously said, "Maybe I should just do that?"

"I'll be going ahead now. I still have some things to attend to." 

To the surprise of all, Amon suddenly said his piece. Without further words, he stood up and turned away from the table to leave.

Queen Mother Mona leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "That's his way of saying you shouldn't back down…"

Bella chuckled and said, "I definitely won't down back Queen Mother. I will never lose him again this time around."

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