The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate
Chapter 223: Message Received

Chapter 223: Message Received

"Wait— what?"

Esme barely processed the rest of Emily’s words. The only thing that stuck was the claim that the king was unavailable, hence, her expression was clouded with confusion.

"What do you mean the king is unavailable? That’s impossible," Esme said, her voice laced with skepticism as she shook her head. The meeting had been scheduled for today, and the king’s letter had explicitly stated that her presence was required, ensuring she would attend.

Emily’s words didn’t add up, and Esme’s instincts screamed that something was definitely amiss here. She locked eyes with Emily, her determination unwavering. "There has to be some sort of mistake. Let me speak with the council, then. I know for a fact that they’re in there, so order your guards to open the gates for me.

Folding her arms, Emily’s response was a cold, condescending smile. "And why would I do that?" She countered, turning to the guards. "If she enters, your lives in this kingdom will be forfeit. Remove this treacherous woman from my sight immediately!"

The guards hesitated for a moment, exchanging uncertain glances. Esme saw it— the briefest moment of doubt— they were torn between their duty to the queen and their own moral compass. However, with Emily’s implicit threat of punishment hanging over them, they reluctantly stepped forward to obey her orders.

But before they could lay a hand on Esme, Atticus and Orion intervened, positioning themselves as a protective barrier between her and the guards. It was as if a silent command had passed between them, and Esme was glad she had them to stick by her side in situations like this.

"No one lays a fuckin’ hand on our Luna," Atticus growled, his fingers brushing the hilt of his sword in a promise of violence. The warning was clear in his stance– he and Orion didn’t give a care in the world about the queen in front of them, because if anyone twitched in Esme’s direction, they’d draw it without hesitation.

The guards immediately stiffened, their gazes hardening. Emily, sensing the guards not doing anything, pressed her lips into a thin line, irritation darkening her expression. She hadn’t expected Esme to have this kind of protection, nor could she tell if they were cursed ones, as they lacked any visible mark like their leader. If she were to kill an innocent being, Lennox would never forgive her for it.

Before Atticus and Orion could act, Esmeray placed a firm hand on both their shoulders, a silent command they instantly understood. She then stepped past them, slipping effortlessly past their protective stance.

Her icy-blue eyes locked onto the royal guards, a storm brewing behind her eyes. The tension in the air sharpened as she took a single step closer.

"Open the gates."

A subtle flicker of gold flared in her irises, flashing through like a silent warning. "Now."

But the guards held their ground. "Leave, now—"

Before their hands could even reach her, Esme moved before they could blink. Lifting her skirts just enough for freedom, she sidestepped their grasps, the hem of her dress swishing with effortless elegance. Then she struck. In a blur, her hands shot out, seizing their wrists with a strength that sent shock rippling through her bones, but she had no time to question what just happened.

With brutal precision, she twisted their armored arms behind their backs, their armors scraping as she wrenched them around, mercilessly smashing their faces against the cold iron of the gates.

"I wasn’t asking," she murmured, pressing down harder till she had them struggling. She was most certainly done playing nice.

"Open the gates."

The usual sweetness in Esme’s voice had suddenly vanished, replaced with an edge sharp enough to cut steel. The guards could hardly believe it, their hands twitching in their attempt to break free from her merciless grasp.

Revana, who had stepped down from the carriage to monitor the progress, froze mid-step, and her pupils went wide in pure disbelief. It was jarring, seeing Esme, who was always composed, always restrained, now delivering violence with the precision of someone who had done it multiple times. The aura around her was unlike anything Revana had sensed, and she wondered if it had something to do with the wolf Esme told her about.

For once, Revana felt she had no reason to intervene this time.

"W–what are you–" One guard tried to protest, but Esme twisted his wrist behind his back. It forced a pained grunt out of him, and Emily was immediately rendered speechless by what she was witnessing.

"Keys," Esme ordered the guards, her voice ice-cold. "Worry about your lives now, cause if I don’t get those keys, your faces will be coming out through these bars like sliced sausages, got it??"

The guards didn’t hesitate this time. Trembling, the one with the keys immediately fumbled for the ring at his belt and unlocked the gate, his cheek still mashed against the bars.

Esme simply shoved them aside like discarded rags and strode in, smoothing her dress with a casual flick of her wrists as if she hadn’t just left two grown, failed men groaning on the ground. It felt somewhat foreign watching Esme be the violent one.

"I knew she had some insanity in her," Atticus mused, his admiring eyes locked on her retreating figure. Then, under his breath. "Why is that so damn hot?"

"Say that again," Orion warned with a simple reminder, already following Esme inside, "and the Alpha will make sure you never speak another word."

Snapping back to his senses, Atticus immediately shook whatever thought had registered in his mind. He turned to the rest of the warriors who had been waiting for his signal, and with a sharp motion, he raised his hand, knowing it was the only command they needed before they surged forward, going through the gates.

As Esme approached Emily, with her gaze locking onto the woman like a predator approaching its prey, Emily, clearly rattled, couldn’t resist calling out orders for reinforcements.

Guards rushed in from all corners, forming a shield around her within seconds. Of course, Esme already saw that coming, so she stopped short just out their reach, and for some unknown reason, she chuckled, as though the situation before her had turned somewhat funny.

The sheer absurdity of it all gnawed at her, and the anger boiling within her had overshadowed whatever fear she once had for these people. She had journeyed this far, endured the cost in blood and sacrifice, only to be met with cowardice by the same people who told her to come over, the same people who were meant to do what was best for everyone and the kingdom. To top it all off, the king himself was nowhere to be found.

Before she could say anything, the palace doors swung open. "What is all the ruckus??" a voice demanded. The council at last stepped forward, and they were exactly who Esme had been waiting for. Ignoring Emily’s existence, she approached the council instead. A single deliberate clap was all it took, before one of Esme’s warriors rushed over to hand her the letter she had brought with her.

Esme didn’t bother announcing herself. Instead, she collected the papers and flung them at the council faces, the boundaries she had created finally being overstepped. She didn’t wait for the councils to gather their wits, as she had no patience left for cowards anymore.

"Do you seriously take me for a joke?" Her voice cut through the air like a blade. "Do you have any idea what we endured to get here? How many lives were lost for this so-called peace you so carelessly mock????"

Despite having the urge to cry, Esme refused to let them see her waver. These spineless men, and women, with their hollow words and selfish ambitions, were not worthy of her grief at all. Not one bit of it.

One of the council, unable to bear the insult, raised his voice. "HOW DARE YOU—"

"Oh shut up," Eve immediately silenced whatever backlash he had to say, her response stunning Emily who had to wipe her eyes repeatedly. She continued. "If the king was truly indisposed, why summon me at all?" She demanded, her eyes blazing as she pointed at the papers on the ground. "He sent a letter, it had his seal, his orders, and yet here I stand before them, ridiculed and dismissed for keeping to my side of the deal we had."

A cold realization soon settled over her. "I see it now. You were... never serious about this. Donovan had mentioned this before, he never trusted it, but I was a complete fool to believe that we could actually work together against the true bearer. But I have my answer now."

Her gaze locked onto Emily who stood safe behind her guards, seething but unable to utter a word. Emily’s fist clenched at her side, and her heart drummed. She knew she had power here, but for some reason, she never dared to implement that power in the face of Esme. Was it fear? Emily refused to take it as that.

Straightening herself up, Esme approached Emily once again and said, "Clearly, we do not need each other. Tell the king I received his message loud and clear. We’ll fight this war on our own– just as he wants. May the Moon Goddess watch over us, because I’ll see this through to the end. And when the dust settles, we’ll see who truly needed whom."

With that, Esme turned on her heels and strode out of the palace, leaving the entire council in stunned silence. Not one of them had dared to interrupt her, and at the same time, no one was courageous enough to call her back and question the animosity she just pulled in front of them.

Was this truly the helpless Esme they thought they could easily dismiss?

**************

Hello, my wonderful readers!

As this novel approaches its conclusion soon, which should be next month, I’d love for you to add my WSA work to your libraries and share your thoughts through comments! Your support means the world to me and is truly appreciated.

Title: Caged in Moonlight: The Courtesan’s Bargain

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