Chapter 161 Crown

Eliyah

Two weeks. It has been two weeks since Nikolai rejected Avalyn as his mate. And two weeks since Avalyn hasn't come out of this room.

Every single day, she will wake up crying, cry the whole day and then cry herself to sleep.

I had volunteered to make sure that she eats every day. Because god knows she needs it. She has lost about eight kilos in fourteen days. She looked sick, especially since she was already skinny. And now, she was all skin and bones.

Nat and Dimitri would take over sometimes to give me a break. But I never stayed away for long. I'd come back after I had some sleep and blood.

Max, Nat, Dimitri and Mikhail had thankfully decided to permanently move back to the palace. And Nikolai... let's just say that people feared him more now than ever.

It was dangerous to leave the two alone.

Max, Nat and Dimitri were the only ones who had had a conversation with him. All he did was train, train the pack, rule, snap at people for the smallest of the mistakes. His punishments had gotten worse. I swear the crime rate in the pack has reduced so much because of this.

But the one thing common between both Avalyn and Nikolai was that they were miserable.

Viktoria and Niklaus had been staying with Max, Nat and Kol. Viktoria would go spend some time with Nikolai every day before he got 'busy with pack business' and sent her away.

The truth was that he couldn't stand to look at his own daughter because she looked like the replica of her mother.

Klaus had completely given up on him. He always referred to his father as 'Alpha' or 'Alpha King' and Nik had pretty much stopped trying to build any sort of bond with the kid.

There were times when the kids would come to meet Avalyn. She would try hard to smile and look happy for them but that lasted not even for an hour and burst into tears. Because Klaus looked too much like Nikolai and both of them had parts of his personality. She couldn't stand to look at her kids either.

We had told the kids that their mother was sick. They were worried all the time, they thought that she was dying. Convincing them that she wasn't was by far the hardest thing I've done in my entire life.

Klaus started hating his father more each day—as the condition of his mother worsened. I think, deep down, both of them knew what was happening.

But, like cowards, we pretended that they were normal instead of telling the twins what was really happening. Yes, they were kids, but they were really mature for their age. And they would remember this for the rest of their lives. But it wasn't our place to decide what and how to tell them.

So again, we pretended everything was okay.

I heard a sob and was brought out of my thoughts. Avalyn was awake.

"You're awake." I pointed out the obvious before I pressed the slave bell.

"What are you doing here?" She snapped but her voice was thick and grating, as opposed to the normal feminine voice.

This is getting ridiculous now.

"Making sure you don't die." I folded my arms behind my head as I watched her try to sit up and fail.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. For being a bother. For needing help. For needing to be looked after. I knew her enough to hear her unsaid words.

"Don't be." I said, meaning it. "Nikolai rejected you a two weeks ago."

She flinched, more tears leaking out of her eyes.

"What are you going to do now?" I asked.

Her body shuddered as she suppressed sobs. She covered her face with her hands, shaking her head. And she burst into tears.

"I'm a horrible mate." She cried, her voice filled with so much pain, so much heartbreak that it hurt me. "To N— Ni— to him." She heaved a breath, unable to even say Nikolai's name. "And to Gabriel." She whispered. "And an awful mother to my kids. And an awful Queen."

"Shut up. You're not." I said softly. "You kick ass Avalyn. Yes, you made your fair share of mistakes with Nikolai and Gabriel. But you're not horrible. And I've never met a mother that's more loving and dedicated to her kids than you. And you ruled Soare- Luna for seven years all on your own, even though everyone made it hard for you." I told her, meaning each and every word. "And with what you have told me about your past, achieving the things you have in life, it's a feat it itself. You are the strongest woman I know."

"But on my path to become strong, I became cold. So cold. To all of you too." She cried. "Goddess, I was such a bitch to everybody."

"No, Avalyn." I sighed. "You were in pain. There is a difference."

The room opened and Tessa walked in, rolling the food cart in front of her.

She looked at me with worry. I just shook my head, telling her I'll handle it. She nodded and handed me a glass of blood. And sat in front of Avalyn, her plate in her lap. The plate held mangoes, bananas and chocolate covered strawberries along with an omelette. Tessa used the fork to feed Avalyn the Nutella strawberry.

But Avalyn didn't even open her mouth. She looked at the strawberry that was held in front of her mouth and burst into tears again.

I guess she was reminded of Nikolai again. I don't know how a strawberry could do that. But then, I've never been in love. Thank fuck. I have no intentions of meeting my 'mate' for a very, very long time.

"I miss him." Avalyn's voice shook. "I miss him so much it hurts. Will he ever even come back?"

"Not if you spend the rest of your life in this room, crying. You want to get him back, then go get him back." Those two belonged together. I have never seen any couple who complimented each other better than them. They are perfect for each other. There is no one better for Avalyn than Nikolai just like there is no one better for Nikolai than Avalyn.

"How will I do that?" She whispered after a while, a spark of hope in her voice.

"First, by taking a bath so you don't stink." I scrunched my nose and gagged. "Seriously. It's like someone died in here."

Avalyn was about to get up but I caught her hand. "First breakfast."

She sighed and nodded.

She finally had a at least half of everything on her plate before claiming she was full.

Tessa looked at me in question and I nodded. This much was enough. This was more than what she had in the last entire week. Her appetite had reduced drastically.

Avalyn got up from the bed before I saw her knees buckle. Tessa tried to catch her but she wasn't strong enough to hold her up. I zipped to her and caught Avalyn in my arms.

Her eyes were squeezed closed before she opened them and clutched her forehead. "I'm sorry I got a little dizzy." She stood on her feet again and slowly walked into the bathroom.

I followed closely behind her, not wanting her to fall and crack her head open again.

Avalyn took off her top and then sighed when she saw herself in the mirror.

Tessa gasped.

I couldn't stop staring.

I could see most of her ribs. Her stomach was caved in and her hip bones were too prominent. Her arms had gotten way too thin which make her elbows pop out. Her legs were thinner than they had ever been. They could barely hold her up. I could even see each and every bone of her spinal cord. I mean I knew she had lost a lot of weight but I had no idea it was this bad.

Avalyn looked sick. Like she would die if she's not fed right about now kind of sick.

"Mistress..." Tessa was about to cry.

"It's fine." Avalyn let out a breath. "At least I look better than I did when he had bought me. Can you help me shower, Tess?"

"Of course, Mistress." Tessa fretted about the bathroom before she finally helped Avalyn undress and they both jumped in the shower.

I sat on the bench, keeping my ears open to make sure everything was okay. The last thing I wanted was for Avalyn to collapse.

I took out my phone and texted Dimitri. 'She's showering.'

He replied instantly. 'Congratulations on getting her out of bed. He is in the court room. The court just started an hour ago and he has already punished two people. One of them got silver collared for two days for only shoplifting a fucking lipstick.'

This means the court will go on for another hour.

My eyes flickered up. Avalyn was sitting on a bench and Tessa was washing her hair.

I texted Dimitri. 'It will take us forty five minutes at the least.'

'Perfect. I don't want him to see her in front of other people. I have no idea how he will react. At least she won't be embarrassed in front of other people if it doesn't go well.'

'Fine. Text me five minutes before the court is about to end."

He didn't respond to that so I assumed he got my message and started playing a game on my phone.

Avalyn

Tessa helped me get dressed. I didn't even have the energy to do it myself.

In the last two weeks, I didn't have the energy to do anything at all. But now, I finally felt like I had the motivation to something. Anything.

The first place I went to was our bedroom. The door was locked so, hesitantly, I placed my hand on the red and gold circle, hoping that it will open.

Would the palace's magic know that I'm not Nik's mate anymore? Could Nik lock me out now? Would Nik lock me out?

Fortunately, the door unlocked and I pushed it open.

Tears blurred my eyes as I walked inside. The entire room was burnt to the ground. Every single thing was destroyed, leaving behind heaps of ashes.

The room smelled of ashes, despondence and Nik. I located a mattress where the bed used to be. But it was too dark here. The window was closed shut and so were the drapes. And the fire had caused the walls of the room to blacken too.

But the scent of Nik made me realise that he still stayed here. Or maybe just sleep here.

Did Nik do all of this?

The room that once held beautiful memories was gone, leaving behind only a mocking residue of nothingness and a gaping hole in my chest.

Did he hate me so much that he had to destroy everything in the room? I saw that the door of my closet wasn't here anymore. I walked inside. He had burned all of my stuff too.

Or maybe it got burned along with the room?

I walked in his closet. All his clothes and belongings were here. I trailed my hands through his clothes that were hanging in their shelves. They were all old. So this place wasn't burned.

He did in fact burn my belongings deliberately.

I chewed on my lip.

He wants nothing to do with me.

I can't fault him for that. I was the first one to move out. Even though it was because it hurt me to be in a room where everything reminded me of him, I should have cherished those moments instead of trying to forget them. And I was the one who refused to come back to this room even when he returned.

Eli found me standing in the middle of the room, lost in my thoughts

"He's in the court room." He simply told me and then followed me as I headed there.

My heart was left cold as I exited the room.

Maybe, the name Ice Queen wasn't so misplaced after all.

Who in their right minds kept their mate, the love of their life at arm's length just to teach them a lesson?

I did it for more than a month.

And for weeks, Nik begged me for my love. How selfish had I grown?

All the while, I played with my faye mate too. Sure, I wasn't mated to him, I didn't feel for him as much as I did for Nik—I always knew that, but I cared for that man. Deeply.

But not nearly as much as I had cared for Nik. We shared so much history together and it all happened in such a short span of time, the feelings that I have for him, I can't have for anybody. I won't have for anybody.

The guards opened the door when I arrived.

I saw a couple of pack members exit. The bowed before they did so.

My heart stuttered when I saw Nik sitting on his throne, his back straight and his head held high with his mighty crown on top of it.

It appeared that our separation hadn't affected him at all, if you ignore his beard and shoulder length hair. One could easily say that he was trying out a new style because he definitely still looked hot. He had also grown even more in these couple of weeks. He's been working out a lot.

But I knew him.

I knew that the hair and the beard wasn't style. The working out wasn't just training. The bags under his eyes weren't just from working late hours. I saw the way that the light had dimmed from his eyes, I saw the way his shoulders hunched just a little bit down, I saw the way his lips remained upside down, the usual playful haughty tilt not in its place.

It had taken a toll on him too.

But unlike me, Nikolai is strong.

He didn't let anything deter him from doing what needed to be done.

He didn't allow himself to be anything less than perfect. Not perfect to others, but to himself. He always strived to be perfect in his own eyes.

'Rulers can't afford to make mistakes. It affects the lives of many people whose lives depend on their single decision.' He had once told me. Viktoria had told him that when he was young and it had stuck.

His eyes bored into mine as I walked inside. I could feel his eyes roam all over me but his expression remained unchanged.

He remained silent, waiting.

Everyone in the room remained silent, unsure about what to expect.

My throat closed and my tongue felt thick. I couldn't speak. My lips wouldn't move.

Tears gathered in my eyes again and my chin quivered.

Nik stood up from his throne. I noticed there was only one now. Mine was absent.

He took large steps with his long legs and stalked towards me.

My heart stopped. My breath hitched.

My eyes stayed glued to his dark ones as he planted his huge frame in front of me. I felt small in front of him, so small.

"I think you haven't gotten the memo." He said, his voice rough. "You are not my mate." He said, breaking my heart. "And you are not my Queen." He snatched the crown from the top of my head and dropped it on the ground. "You are not the Queen." And he crushed the crown with his foot, twisting it for good measure.

I saw the crown get crushed under his feet as tears flowed silently down my cheeks.

He side stepped me and began walking out. He began walking away.

I heard his footsteps as he walked further away from me. I didn't turn around. I felt like I'll die or something if I watch him walk away from me.

Was that possible? Was it possible to die from a broken heart? Because it hurt too much. I'm sure that people die from pain.

I didn't want him to walk away though. I wanted him to stay. Even for a moment longer. Even if he will walk away later. I wanted to hear his voice, even if his words were cruel.

"I'm sorry." I managed to whisper.

His footsteps stopped.

"Mistakes won't be tolerated under my rule. Next time, you will be punished." What kind of punishment? Maybe I should make a mistake. If there is any hope... then he will fuck me. I just want to feel him again.

I heard three small footsteps and I instantly knew who it was.

"Mama! Dadda!" Tori.

"Mama!" Klaus.

"Aunt Avalyn!" Kol.

I wiped my tears before I turned and forced a smile on my face to greet my three little munchkins.

Tori, Klaus and Kol came running towards me and I braced myself, ready for their attack.

They jumped and dashed against my waist, hugging me.

I hadn't expected so much force in their little hugs so I stumbled and was about to fall back but Eli, who was standing beside me caught me.

Giving him a grateful look, I hugged the kids back.

"We heard you were out of the room, Mama." Klaus told me, his big grey eyes looked at me with sadness. "We thought you weren't sick anymore. But you look so sick. Why?"

"Yes Mama, you look sick." Tori nodded. "I can take you to the doctor. Dadda will take us." And then she turned to Nik who was looking at us. "Dadda!" Tori beckoned him over. "Let's take Mama to the doctor. It's been two weeks since she is sick and she hasn't been getting well."

"I don't have time. Ask Eliyah." Nikolai replied, his voice devoid of emotions.

"Are you going to die?" Kol asked, his voice small. "Are you going to become a star soon?"

"Shut up." Klaus whacked his head. "She isn't dying." He hissed and then looked at me with fear in his eyes. "You aren't dying, right, Mama?"

"No." I replied softly. "I'll get better now, we don't need to go to the doctor."

"What's this?" Klaus picked up the remnants of my crown. "Why is your crown on the floor?" He looked at me with question.

I held in my tears. "It fell down, sweetie."

"Why is it crushed?" He is too smart for his own good.

His eyes followed something on the floor until they reached where Nik was standing.

That's when I realised that when Nik crushed the crown, the stones had shattered and some of it must have stuck to the bottom of his shoe. And as he walked, he left some minute pieces of it on the floor.

And Klaus, ever the perceptive one, caught it.

"You crushed Mama's crown." He stated, his voice cold with an undertone of anger.

He looked at me. "You are not sick are you? You haven't taken any medicine. You haven't visited a doctor. If you were sick, you would have healed yourself. Tori has been trying to heal you every day. But you weren't sick so there is nothing to heal."

Oh, Goddess.

"Niklaus." Max stood up from his sear. "Don't concern yourself with the matters of adults. Let's go out kids." He walked towards us but Klaus held his hand up towards Max, stopping him.

This little kid had that much strength in him.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Max but I will concern myself when the adult is my mother." He said politely but firmly.

Max had no answer.

Klaus then looked at Nikolai, eyes full of hatred and fury. His small frame vibrated as he got furious.

"I know Mama is like this because of you. I don't know what you did but I know it's your fault. It always is." Klaus spoke.

I looked at Nik and I instantly knew he was bracing himself to get hurt by his own son.

"I am going to be the King when I grow up. When I grow up, I'll become stronger than you and then I will kill you." Klaus gritted, his voice dripping with contempt. "Start counting your days. I know I am."

A gasp left my mouth. Where is this coming from? Where did he learn all of this?

Then, I did something that I knew I would regret. But enough was enough.

I slapped Niklaus.

I didn't care what anyone else thought. I didn't care how my family reacted.

No child of mine will disrespect their father. Not anymore.

He looked at me as a tear splashed down his cheek. He covered his cheek with his hand and looked at me with hurt filled eyes.

"Apologise."

He pressed his lips together.

"Apologise to your father, Niklaus." I said in anger.

He took a couple of steps away from me.

My heart twisted with hurt but I maintained the angry expression on my face. He needed to know it was not okay.

"I don't have a father. As any pack member, I am allowed to challenge the Alpha when I want to." His voice shook as he kept his tear filled eyes on mine. "You will regret taking his side, Mother." And then he ran out.

"Is it true?" Tori asked. Her eyes were filled with tears as she looked at Nik, her voice heartbreakingly sad. In her eyes, Nik couldn't do anything wrong. "Did you do this to Mama?" Her breath hitched.

Nik opened his mouth but no voice came out.

She shook her head, as if she couldn't understand, as if she couldn't believe it. I'm not even sure if her little mind could process what was going on. But my kids were smart. And maybe they have an idea...

"Klaus, wait!" She yelled after he brother and ran out too.

Kol looked at me and then Nikolai before he too dashed out.

Nik stalked out of the room in fury. The temperature of the room felt so hot. Almost like it we were in a desert.

Everyone was silent.

I wanted to disappear.

Everything would have been so much better if I disappeared. Everyone would be happy. Klaus wouldn't hate Nik, Tori wouldn't be disappointed in Nik, Nik would be happy too.

"Avalyn." Nat came and hugged me but I felt numb.

I didn't need her hug.

I wanted Nik's hug. His arms are the only arms that can glue my broken pieces together. His arms are the only arms that could do that.

"I'm sorry but I think I'm going to go now. Sorry for the drama." I looked at the faces of my family members. They all looked at me with pity and sympathy.

I didn't need it.

"Go where?" Dimitri asked.

"I —I'm going to go for a walk."