Replacement Bride for the Alpha of the North - Chapter 39

Chapter 39: THE KING’S CONDITION GOT WORSE
The memories came trickling down in Zenith’s mind. At first, it was only a sad face of Dawn that he saw, the resentment and pain in her eyes haunted him before the strong feeling of remorse hit him, without him knowing what actually he had done to feel such regret.

However, as days went by and the closer he got to her, it was almost like the barrier that clouded his mind finally lifted and the memories came rushing back.

After that night, more awful memories hit him.

No one knew about this.

No one could understand his dreams.

“Zenith, I don’t think it is appropriate for you to bring me here,” Dawn said, her expression worried. She glanced at the closed door.

For other people, Zenith was the king and for him to pull her into an empty room when all the people knew she was here with Zenith to have their ceremony, would create a rumor. Dawn didn’t want that.

However, Dawn didn’t understand what was in Zenith’s mind right now. He looked distraught. But then, she couldn’t look at his face with this stupid golden mask in her way.

“What happened?” Dawn’s voice softened when Zenith just stood there, staring at her. He pressed her against the door, but he didn’t do anything else, or say something to explain his actions. “Zenith, I don’t understand you.” Dawn shook her head. “I can’t read your mind and if you want me to be your mate, I don’t want to deal with this confusion.”

Dawn was willing to give their relationship a try, once she learned this alpha from the north was not as bad as people portrayed him. In fact, he was rather overprotective, but then, Dawn couldn’t understand his erratic behavior and his weird dreams.

She had put up with his brother’s attempt to murder her, but Zenith’s actions made it more difficult.

“What’s going on? That dream again?” Dawn tilted her head. She wanted to scream at him to stop hanging onto those dreams, but she didn’t have a heart to say so when Zenith was very serious about it. “What did you dream about this time?”

Dawn stretched out her hands to take off his mask and just like before, he didn’t avoid her and let her take it off.

“Can I kiss you?”

Dawn raised her brows. Well, the question came out of nowhere.

She wanted an explanation alright, but why did she end up with this request? And now, he even asked for permission when before he claimed he didn’t need one to do whatever he wanted.

Could you call that an improvement?

“Only if you explain to me what’s going on with your weird behavior.” Dawn didn’t want to be taken advantage of without getting any benefit in return. She was still upset with him because of how scary it was to be held down by him.

“You told me to leave you alone.”

The answer was very simple.

Dawn was speechless. “Do you know how scary it was for me when you held me down and I can’t do anything to fight you back?”

“I am sorry. That will never happen again.”

The apology sounded genuine, though it was very short and this actually made Dawn feel bad. Was Zenith out of his mind for a moment that night? He indeed snapped out of it in time and did what she told him to do.

“Do the dreams still come?”

“Yes.” Zenith rested his forehead against hers, he looked lethargic. “More vivid than ever.”

Dawn still couldn’t grasp the reasoning behind these dreams, but from the looks of it, it bothered Zenith immensely.

“Am I forgiven?”

Dawn thought about it for a while. “For now, yes. But, if you do that again, I can only remind you that I have rejected my destined mate and I don’t have any qualms to reject you too.”

Dawn felt so bold to even give the alpha a warning. If it was weeks ago, when she knew him for the first time, she wouldn’t have the courage to talk back to him.

“Okay.” Zenith nodded and then tilted his head to look her straight in the eyes. “Can I have my kiss now?”

“Are you really that cruel alpha from the north?” Dawn narrowed her eyes, but she tiptoed and kissed him on the lips, it was only a peck, as if she was teasing him, but when Zenith leaned over to get more, Dawn stopped him. “No.”

This time, he obliged and stopped.

Wow. Dawn was truly amazed. She felt like this cruel alpha had turned into a big puppy now.

Days passed and Zenith still played the role of the king. He was occupied with the matters in the palace and Dawn didn’t have anything better to do aside from preparing her ceremony.

Since that day, she had not met with Zander again and she didn’t know how his condition was right now. More so, she had not yet discussed the matter about the poison in the warriors’ quarters.

Zenith said she could discuss it with Zander later. He wouldn’t take care of that matter and it was enough for him to sit on the throne and pretend to be him, he was not going to do more than that.

“Don’t you worry about your brother’s condition?” Dawn asked, she was in the king’s study room. Darius sneaked her in after she met with the seamstress to make her gown for the ceremony. “He looked so bad the last time I saw him.”

“He is still alive,” Zenith replied.

Dawn couldn’t understand the essence of her being there when Zenith had a lot of reports that he had to read and Dawn couldn’t stop asking a thing or two out of boredom.

But, even so, Zenith would answer all of her questions, though he had buried his face in the parchment.

“Good to hear that.” Dawn shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t you worry about him?”

“He chose to believe in that healer.” Zenith put down the parchment and then looked at Dawn. “If he died, it’s on him. You said it yourself that he had a week or two. He still has plenty of time.”

Dawn had explained about what kind of poison that Zander came in contact with and based on the examination that she did the last time they met, he had limited time before the poison flared and it could kill him.

“You can’t help someone who refuses to be helped.”

“Hey, that’s what I always thought.”

Zenith smiled. “I know.” He stretched out his hand and caressed her hair. “You said it all the time.”

Dawn frowned. “I did?” She didn’t remember she had ever mentioned anything like that before, but maybe she just remembered it incorrectly.

Zenith pulled her to sit on his lap, as he explained a few important reports in his hands, some of them even carried secrets that no one should know.

“Is it okay for me to read all of this?”

“I want you to understand this, you never know when it will be useful to you.”

And another day passed.

And today was the sixth day when Darius knocked on her door very early in the morning, he woke her up anxiously and this startled Dawn. Thankfully, he didn’t walk into the room directly.

“What is it?” Dawn asked hoarsely when she finally opened the door and saw Darius’ worried expression.

“Zander is unconscious, you need to see him,” he said in a low voice, so no one would hear this, since all the people still thought that Zenith was the king.

“A minute,” Dawn said. She needed to change her dress because she couldn’t go out in her nightgown.

A minute later, Dawn went out with Darius, she had her hair tied into a simple bun on top of her head, she didn’t wear any accessories and her bareface was beautiful, though it was laced with anxiety.

If Zander fell unconscious it meant the poison had spread too far in his body. It shouldn’t be that bad, since it was only the sixth day since the last time Dawn saw him.

“What happened?” Dawn asked when she entered the room and made a beeline toward the bed. Zenith was also there, standing next to his unconscious brother, while Aurel looked pale, as she checked on Zander’s condition.

“What is she doing here?!” Aurel freaked out when she saw Dawn.

“The Alpha called her to come here,” Darius explained briefly and Aurel was not happy about it.

“I told you I can handle this!” Aurel looked at Pyro, who was standing on the other side of the bed. “Take her out, her presence only hinders my thought process.”

“I don’t take an order from you, Aurel.” The royal beta reminded her again and then approached Dawn. “Are you sure you know what to do about this poison?”

Dawn was certain. “Yes.”

“No way.” Aurel hissed.

“Shut up, Aurel!” Pyro snapped at her. “This is not the right time for your petty jealousy! Get up and let her check the king!”

Aurel wanted to retort, but Lance shook his head. “Get up now, Aurel,” the royal gamma said darkly.

Left with no other choice, Aurel stood up, but she warned Dawn before she started to check on the king.

“I just want to warn you that you could be punished with the death sentence if the King’s condition gets worse.” The hostility was very thick in Aurel’s voice.

Dawn scoffed. “Shouldn’t you get the death sentence now, since the King’s condition got worse under your care?”