Bedding My Vampire Mate

"That is because His Majesty had the entire quarters redecorated a year ago, Miss Joanna," Gideon responded when he realised that she was lost.

"He had the Queen's quarter redecorated when he had no Queen?" Joanna narrowed her eyes as she brought back her attention to the guy in front of her.

"But why would he do that?" Joanna demanded, still unable to understand the logic of what Gideon said.

"I remembered that he told us that this quarter would welcome its owner back then," Gideon explained concisely. 

Instead of clarity, Gideon ended up confusing Joanna more than she already was.

Seeing her unbelieving expression, Gideon decided to continue from where he stopped.

"At first we didn't dare to believe His Majesty's words, not until he ordered the royal planners to prepare for the royal wedding..."

"A royal what!" Joanna cut in like a habit. The revelation was so shocking to the point that she had a hard time assimilating even though Gideon had said those words in the simplest terms.

"And you were supposed to be the bride, Miss Joanna. The quarter was redecorated putting your taste into consideration. I guess that is why you found it familiar at first glance," Gideon concluded and moved two steps backwards from her.

"I was supposed to be the bride?" Joanna repeated as if Gideon's sentence wasn't clear enough.

For the third time, Joanna took a careful look at the house once again. The tone of the sitting room was warm and yet vibrant at the same time.

One glance at the decors and she can tell that they were the best of their kind but they weren't vulgar.

To be precise the combination of the sitting room was nothing less than perfection.

[Although Kay and I were friends a year ago but as far as I can recall, I was still trying to avoid him. We weren't in any sort of romantic relationship so why did he...]

Joanna paused walking and looked upward as if she had recalled something.

"Don't tell me he was serious about that proposal back then?" Joanna covered her mouth in shock when it dawned on her that she committed a terrible mistake.

"Miss Joanna, are you alright?" Gideon asked when he saw her stumble on her feet and almost fall.

"I... I... I am fine," She managed to reply as she moved and lowered her weak body on the milky colour couch arranged around a centre table.

[In the past I never took what he said seriously. In fact, ninety per cent of everything he told me, especially about his feelings for me, was a joke to me. I believed he said those words to make me feel better. Never did it cross my mind that he might have been telling the truth. How badly can one hurt another person more than this?]

Joanna guided her right hand to her aching chest and clutched it. Her eyes which had turned misty coupled with her painful expression caught the attention of a maid.

"Are you ok Miss?" The maid with shoulder-length brown hair asked.

Slowly, Joanna lifted her head and stared at the maid who hadn't moved from the position she met earlier.

Thanks to her system notification screen which popped up on time she was able to identify the lady as a human.

[Aren't the palace dominated by vampires and werewolves so what is a human doing amid these beastly beings?]

Joanna wondered. She was even more astounded when she looked around and realised that she wasn't the only human there.

Joanna found out that in the sitting room alone they were three humans including the girl who asked about her wellbeing.

"From what I know, all the palace employees had always been vampires and werewolves so why are there humans in the Queen's quarter?" Joanna asked while settling her eyeballs on Gideon.

"His Majesty was afraid that you would be overwhelmed being surrounded by vampires and werewolves. To make sure that the Queen attained absolute comfortability, he made the arrangements for humans to be employed in the palace," Gideon explained in a gentle tone.

"My best friend is a vampire and my household is full of werewolves, so why would I ever be uncomfortable around them?" Joanna grumbled.

Although Gideon and others heard her words, none uttered a word.

At the Queen Mother's quarter, a miserable looking Tracy whose uniform had been stripped was seen entering the sitting room.

"How dare you show your face to me after the embarrassment you put me through?" Queen Mother Theresa jerked to her feet as if she had been waiting for the insolent lady to show herself.

"I know that was wrong. I am also aware of the fact that I don't deserve to bid you farewell since I failed in my duty as your chief maiden..."

"It's good that you know that," Queen Mother Theresa lashed out at the kneeling Tracy.

"Although I hated to admit that I lost my power as the most powerful being in the palace, I remembered warning you to be cautious with whatever you do. I told you that the King was searching for ways to further suppress me but you just wouldn't listen," Queen Mother Theresa reprimanded, her index finger pointed at Tracy.

"Your Highness, believe me, I just wanted to embarrass her and have her thrown out of the palace disgracefully by the guards. I knew she was the reason His Majesty had been treating you coldly. All I wanted was to avenge your grievances..."

"And now look at what you did. Instead of avenging me, you ended up making me more aggrieved," The Queen Mother retorted, her right hand balled into a fist.

Queen Mother Theresa walked forward and turned her back to Tracy.

"Since I took on this position I have never lowered myself before anyone, not even to the king but because of you, I had to bow my head before His Majesty and everyone present," Queen Mother Theresa relayed her grief as she pointed accusing fingers at Tracy.