Rejected and Pregnant: Claimed By The Dark Alpha Prince-Chapter 89: Struggling with the betrayal

Mabel glared at her husband, King Raidan, who held a wedding invitation delicately between his fingers.

"Look, darling," Raidan said, unable to hide the joy in his voice. "Gabriel sent us the first wedding card. Isn’t that wonderful?"

Mabel’s expression darkened, her lips pressing into a thin line. "Wonderful?" she scoffed. "There’s nothing wonderful about it. I will never accept Amelie as the daughter-in-law of this family."

Raidan’s smile faded as he exhaled heavily, his shoulders sagging. "Mabel, please. You’re only hurting yourself, and Gabriel. I’ve told you before, you shouldn’t place your trust in baseless fears. We have no proof of what the late high priestess said."

Mabel crossed her arms tightly. "And yet we believe in the Moon Goddess without ever seeing her," she snapped back. "Believe what you want, Raidan. Attend their wedding if you wish, but I will not be a part of it." Without waiting for a reply, she rose from the couch and left the room.

Left alone, Raidan stared at the invitation in his hand, a deep frown etching his face. "This isn’t right," he muttered under his breath.

At that moment, Butler Lester stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Your Majesty, if I may," he began cautiously. "Perhaps you should consider seeking the help of a witch. I understand you have always been wary of superstitions, but... Her Majesty has been consumed by the same fear for years. Consulting a witch might offer reassurance. If a witch confirms that these worries are unfounded, it may finally soothe the Queen’s heart."

Raidan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It’s not a bad suggestion," he admitted. His mind drifted back to the day Gabriel was born, the day a powerful witch, the High Priestess herself, had delivered a prophecy. It was that prophecy Mabel had clung to ever since.

"But would Mabel even believe the words of a witch I bring?" Raidan asked, more to himself than to Lester. "It won’t be easy to change her mind after all these years."

Lester gave a silent, understanding nod and retreated, leaving Raidan alone with his troubled thoughts.

~~~~

"Amelie, I have a friend here who personally invited me for lunch," Katelyn said warmly, gently taking both of Amelie’s hands in hers. "I’d love for you to come with me."

Amelie glanced over at Gabriel, who was busy scrolling through his phone, unsure if she should agree.

Noticing her hesitation, Katelyn smiled and reassured her, "Gabriel isn’t going to stop you from going out."

Then, walking over to her brother, she tapped his shoulder and cleared her throat to get his attention.

Gabriel looked up, first at Katelyn, then at Amelie, before putting his phone down.

"I’m taking Amelie out with me," Katelyn informed him. "My friend invited me for lunch, and I think it would be nice if Amelie joined us. Please don’t refuse," she added in a gentle, almost pleading tone.

Gabriel’s eyes softened as he turned to Amelie.

"You should go," he said simply. "Denzel will accompany you both," he added firmly, ensuring their safety.

Katelyn beamed. "Perfect. Amelie, I’ll see you later. Make sure you dress up nicely," she said, giving her an excited wink before leaving the dining hall.

As Amelie and Gabriel walked out together, she glanced sideways at him. "Honestly, I thought you would say you wanted me to stay here," she said with a small smile.

Gabriel chuckled under his breath. "I do want you here," he admitted. "But I also want you to meet a few of the women around here. Katelyn has some good friends, it’ll be good for you. Just make sure don’t go alone anywhere."

"Hmm. By the way, I have something to tell you," Amelie said, her tone growing a bit more serious.

"Go ahead," Gabriel encouraged.

"Prince Casaio... he’s not in a good state," Amelie said carefully. "I think you should talk to him, Gabriel."

Gabriel sighed. "Albus told me this morning. The servants cleaned his room and found a lot of... concerning things," he replied. "He rejected Zilia. He’s probably struggling with the betrayal. If I approach him now, I’ll only make it worse. Sometimes it’s better to give someone space."

"Wait, what happened between them?" Amelie asked in confusion. As far as she knew they both had been with each other for a long time.

Suddenly, a sharp smell hit her nose, making her stomach churn violently.

She instinctively covered her mouth and nose, her eyes searching for the source. A servant nearby was sprinkling a strong-smelling cleanser over the furniture, what might have been faint to others felt overpowering to her heightened senses.

Feeling the nausea rise rapidly, Amelie turned on her heel, heading toward the staircase to escape. Gabriel noticed immediately that she was no longer beside him.

"Amelie?" he called out, his voice laced with concern as he hurried after her.

Seeing her hunched slightly, still covering her mouth, he quickly closed the distance between them and gently guided her upstairs.

After throwing up, Amelie returned to the bedroom, dabbing a cool towel across her mouth. Gabriel was right beside her, one hand tenderly stroking her back in slow, comforting circles.

"I’m calling Skye," Gabriel said, already reaching for his phone.

"No, Gabriel," Amelie stopped him, her voice still a little hoarse. "It’s normal in pregnancy."

Gabriel frowned, clearly unconvinced. "Are you sure? You threw up... I don’t think that’s fine," he said while panicking.

"It’s normal. Skye told me this before," Amelie said with a small smile, trying to reassure him. "I’m not sick, Gabriel. So, don’t worry."

Gabriel, however, didn’t look convinced. "I’m still going to talk to Skye. I need to make sure everything stays fine. You and Noa have to stay safe until the delivery," he insisted, already dialing Skye’s number.

As the call connected, he pressed the phone to his ear, pacing slightly as he waited. After a few rings, Skye finally picked up.

"Gabriel, why are you calling me?" she mumbled.

"Were you sleeping?" Gabriel asked.

"I was," Skye said, letting out a sleepy stretch on the other end.

"Amelie threw up," Gabriel said immediately, the worry clear in his voice. "There’s nothing serious to worry about, right?"

"It’s normal in pregnancy. Don’t fret too much," Skye assured him casually.

"Okay... but what can we do to ease the nausea?"

"You can’t do much," Skye replied. "Just make sure Amelie avoids strong scents. That’s the best thing for now."

"Hmm. Got it. Thanks, Skye. You can go back to sleep," Gabriel said, ending the call quickly.

On the other side, Skye chuckled to herself as she tossed her phone back onto the bed. "Seriously?" she muttered with a sleepy smile, pulling the duvet back over herself and snuggling in to continue her interrupted nap.