Chapter 208
That evening, at the grand reception, Amelie finally had the chance to meet many of the influential guests she had missed during the wedding ceremony.
All the prominent Alpha and Beta families who resided in the capital had been invited. Talking to them, Amelie found out one thing: They looked too proud for maintaining their legacy.
Amelie stood gracefully by the Queen’s side, offering polite smiles and soft greetings as introductions flowed one after another. But beneath the layers of silk and grace, a sharp sting throbbed at the base of her heel from the prolonged standing.
Still, she said nothing, unwilling to show discomfort in front of the Queen, who was proudly presenting her to a group of old friends and their elegantly dressed daughters.
Though Gabriel stood among his father and brothers, deep in political discussions with the kingdom’s elders, his gaze never strayed far from Amelie.
’She’s been standing for over twenty minutes… Can’t Mom let her sit?’ he thought as he watched her politely smiling through the fatigue.
“Gabriel, do you know—” the Alpha King began, but before he could finish, Gabriel had already excused himself, murmuring a quick apology as he stepped away from the group.
He made his way across the hall, ignoring the curious glances from nobles and the flurry of attention around Amelie. Without a word to the Queen’s guests, Gabriel slipped beside her, wrapping a protective arm around her lower back.
“You need to sit,” he said gently, his voice laced with concern. “You’ve been standing far too long p>
Mabel finally turned toward them, noticing the subtle strain on Amelie’s face. “Amelie, dear, are you tired?” she asked, glancing toward a nearby servant.
“Of course she is,” Gabriel answered before Amelie could. She shook her head lightly, about to respond, but he spoke again, firmer this time. “Please excuse us. My mate needs to rest first p>
Without waiting for a reply, Gabriel guided her away, his hand never leaving her back. As he made her sit, he stopped a servant and took a glass of water from him.
“Why didn’t you ask Mom that you wanted to sit?” Gabriel questioned, placing the glass in front of her.
“But I was fine,” Amelie said, looking around. Almost all the eyes were on them. “If I had been feeling discomfort, I would’ve told Her Majesty p>
“I know you,” Gabriel said as he handed her a glass of water. “You would’ve kept standing there until Mother was done talking. Never mind that now and drink the water p>
Amelie took the glass with a faint smile, sipping slowly.
Across the hall, a group of young women stood near one of the marble columns, their eyes fixed on the couple.
“What’s so special about that omega?” Millie, the daughter of a powerful Alpha family, scoffed under her breath, just loud enough for her companions to hear.
“I’ve heard she’s wolfless,” Zahra chimed in, her voice laced with disdain. “And the pup she’s carrying? It’s not even Prince Gabriel’s p>
“Zahra’s right,” added Sonia with a knowing smirk. “The Alpha who fathered the child is dead, and his entire family’s estate collapsed into ruins p>
“Somehow, she’s still lucky,” Zahra muttered, then turned her sharp gaze toward Millie. “Didn’t your father send a proposal to Prince Gabriel two years ago p>
Millie’s eyes narrowed, her posture stiffening. “What exactly are you trying to imply p>
“Don’t take it to heart,” Zahra said, flicking a dismissive glance at Millie. “Prince Gabriel was never serious about anyone. He dated casually, at best p>
She leaned in a little, lowering her voice to a murmur. “Did you know Jodie tried to harm Amelie p>
“Jodie?” Sonia blinked. “I remember her. Wasn’t she the one bragging last time that Prince Gabriel would marry her p>
“Exactly,” Zahra nodded. “But what no one expected was how far she’d go. She tipped off Amelie’s ex and planned something behind the scenes to hurt her. Gabriel found out. It didn’t end well p>
“What did he do?” Millie asked, her curiosity outweighing her pride.
“From what I heard,” Zahra said in a low voice, “Jodie’s wolf was forcefully taken, stripped from her. She was exiled to some remote region, far from the Kingdom. No one’s heard from her since p>
A hush fell over the group, the weight of Gabriel’s wrath settling in their minds.
“It’s clear now,” Sonia murmured, casting a subtle glance toward Millie. “Prince Gabriel is only soft when it comes to Amelie. It’s better to not even speak against her p>
“Yeah,” Zehra agreed.
Millie quietly excused herself from the group, her slender fingers curling around a champagne flute. She finished the drink in one elegant sip, then placed the empty glass on the tray of a passing waiter without a word.
“Where’s she going now?” Sonia murmured, narrowing her eyes.
“No idea,” Zahra replied with a casual shrug, though her gaze didn’t leave Millie’s figure.
They watched as Millie made her way through the crowd and stopped beside Katelyn, who was surrounded by a small circle of noblewomen.
“Greetings to Your Highness,” Millie said with a graceful bow.
Katelyn turned away from her friends, a warm smile spreading across her face. “Hi, Millie! You don’t need to be so formal p>
“I was wondering,” Millie began, lowering her voice just enough to sound sincere, “if Her Highness might help me speak with Princess Amelie. I’d like to offer her my warm greetings personally p>
Katelyn tilted her head slightly, studying Millie’s expression. “You don’t need me for that. You can go straight to Amelie. She’s kind. She won’t mind talking to you p>
Millie nodded with a pleasant smile, showing her hesitation.
“I can take you to my sister,” Flora said, who earlier had heard the conversation among Millie, Zehra and Sonia.
“Yeah, go with Flora! They are sisters!” Katelyn said, hiding the disdain she carried toward Flora.
Millie hummed and walked along with Flora. “Before talking to my sister, I’d like to tell you not to say anything bad to her,” she clarified.