Genevieve

Chapter 38: Announcement

The kings went back to their respective kingdoms, and they knew they had a lot in store for them. They did have a council and people who could overlook the running of the kingdom, but the king was still the king. Their absence impacted their pack, and no one could take their place or replace them. A wave of relief and joy washed over the lands at the news of their king's arrival. But the kings weren't coming alone. They were coming with an extra set of hands.

The kings were apologetic to Bella when they decided to reject her as their mate, and they were also grateful that she respected their decision. In reality, she was just freeing the kings from being obligated to her just because she was their mate. But they were still affected by the decision. It was not that Bella lacked in any way, but the kings couldn't connect with her the way they did with Gen. They also felt bad for Bella since she was a good person, and the kings gave her false hope when they revealed that she was their mate. But some things were just not meant to be.

The kings were skeptical whether Genevieve would take up their offer or not. It was a bizarre request since she wasn't their mate, and she didn't have any business in the werewolf kingdoms anymore. But the kings wanted her to remain by their side. They wanted another chance, and they had to redeem themselves.

Gen had all the facts laid down in front of her. She was not their mate, and she accepted that. She was not obliged to do anything, and she could back out if she wanted to. But there was something in her which irked her. It was not sympathy for the kings, and neither did she wish to have power. Gen was happy in the place where she was, but she wanted to explore and do something different.

She knew that she was born to do great things.

She knew that her decision was risky, and it could backfire on her. She had the fear of acceptance and being able to settle in a new place with different species. She knew that there were going to be a lot of hurdles along the way. But she was willing to learn, unlearn and grow. She didn't wish to miss such an opportunity just because of her ego. She knew that the journey was not going to be easy. But she was not alone.

She felt a sense of comfort knowing that the kings were going to be with her. They had a terrible incident that grew them apart, but Gen knew that there was still a possibility for them to work things out. She hadn't given up hope, and she was excited to see what life had in store for her.

The first thing they had to figure out was the living situation. Since there were four kingdoms, it was impossible for Gen to be in four places at the same time. The kings considered the idea of combining all the kingdoms into one, but they were all very different from each other when it came to the lifestyle, the people, and the backgrounds. So, they decided to drop this idea. The next best alternative was for Gen to stay for a week at each kingdom, and she would spend the 1st, 30th, and 31st of every month with all four kings at the Central Kingdom.

The kings bickered again about whose kingdom Gen would go to first, but Markus ended up being the lucky one, and Gen said that she would follow the same sequence as the one she had the previous time around.

"These are the maps of the kingdom. These books are about werewolf history. These are the important files, and here is a list of some FAQs. Feel free to ask us more questions," The kings spoke, and Gen nodded. Last time she didn't take anything too seriously since she was unaware that such a day would come. But this time Gen absorbed everything.

When she reached Markus' kingdom, she was greeted by a storm of werewolves. As far as she could see, she saw werewolves and the kings clarified that they had invited everyone from all the four kingdoms for this special day. They looked at her and inspected her. She felt uneasy under their gaze. She was afraid of being judged and criticized. But these were a part and parcel of being a human. For them, she was an abomination.

She knew that she would have to win over the people, and it would be tough to have them accept her. But some people came up to her on their own, and she recognized that they were familiar faces. They were people from different kingdoms who she met when she came the last time.

"Is it you? Yes, yes it is!" The old woman cheered when she recognized Gen. She was the one from the Southern Kingdom who lost her son in the accident, and then Markus and Gen went to visit her.

"It is so nice to see you, how have you been?" Gen inquired, and she replied, "I am fine, Markus takes great care of me and made all the arrangements for me."

Markus felt bashful when he heard the words, and Gen was also comforted to know.

"I am so glad that you are the queen. I don't think that there would be anyone better suited to be our queen. In fact, I told Markus before he left to the Central Kingdom that he better come back with you or he shouldn't come back at all," The woman revealed, and Gen was astounded by her revelation. She gave Gen her blessings, and Gen felt giddy.

Next, she was greeted by a little girl who she remembered was from the Eastern Kingdom. The little girl squealed in excitement, "You are so pretty. I told my mom that you're a princess. No, wait. You're a queen, like Elsa. It is my first time meeting a real queen, I am so honored!" Gen blushed at the comment, and it was her who felt honored.

"Genevieve! No, now we should call you Queen Genevieve," The women from the North came to meet her, and they had a very special bond.

"How have you all been?" Gen asked, and they replied, "We are all fine, and we are glad that you are back. We have so many things to tell you and show you!" Gen never expected to receive such a warm welcome, and she was touched by all the kind words. She did feel good to be called the queen, but she had to burst the bubble and tell everyone the truth.

The kings were delighted, but they also had to be cautious. Gen was putting a lot on the line for them. She left her home, work, family, and friends to be with the kings. They had to safeguard her position and make sure that they don't let her down again. Therefore, they made all necessary arrangements, and the pack members were gathered for the announcement.

"Welcome everyone. It feels great to be back in our kingdoms and to reunite with our people. We thank you all for managing everything in our absence and being patient. We promise to devote ourselves to our kingdoms, and do the best for our people," They spoke, and the werewolves howled in happiness and pride.

"We have brought with us a special guest from the Central Kingdom. She is a human, and most of you may already know her," They uttered, and all eyes were on Genevieve. She almost had a stage-fright, but she tried to calm her nerves. The kings held her hand and brought her forward. "We present to you, Genevieve."

Gen didn't expect such a positive response, but everyone welcomed her warmly. But soon, people started to murmur, and Gen grew tense.

"Is she the queen?" "We heard that she is the king's mate!" "Finally, our kingdom has a queen!" "We have been blessed!"

Rumors began to spread, and as much as the kings wished the rumors were true, they had to be transparent with their people.

"Genevieve... is not our mate," The kings spoke with a heavy heart. The people were unhappy to find out that she wasn't the queen, and their hopes had been crushed.

"We are a pack, so we shall not deceive you or keep you in the dark. In return, we request you to extend your support and accept our decision..." They took a deep breath and then continued. "It is true that we were all blessed with one mate, and she is a human...

But... we decided to reject her."

Everyone gasped at the last line, and there was an uproar in the room. It was a reaction that the kings had expected, but they had to do something that they couldn't turn back from. It was unheard of for kings to leave their mate and the queen was a vital part of the werewolf kingdoms.

"But our kingdoms need a queen!" Someone voiced out, and the kings looked at each other to affirm their answer.

"Our kingdoms will have a queen...even if she isn't our mate."