Fated and knocked up by the Alpha King (Elara) novel Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen-Toddler Opinions

The boutique smelled like roses and silk, and I was already sweating. Cassia had insisted this place was “the only acceptable option” for my wedding-guest dress. The racks of gowns glittered like a dragon’s hoard, and the sheer size of the fitting rooms screamed money pit.

“Pick something subtle,” I begged her as she shoved three armfuls of gowns

into my arms.

“Subtle is for funerals, cousin,” Cassia said cheerfully. “You’re going to a wedding where the Alpha King is marrying the Ashthorne princess. We are not doing subtle.”

Caius muttered from the corner, arms crossed. “Translation: she’s going to spend all your money.”

Cassia shot him a glare. “Correction: I’m spending her money, because her dress will be photographed by half the continent’s nobility. You think I’d let my cousin go viral for being boring?”

Aeron popped up from behind a rack, holding something that looked like five pounds of ruffled pink disaster. “Mama wear THIS!” His little hands shook with the effort of lifting it.

I blinked at the explosion of tulle. “That’s… enormous.”

“Princess!” Aeron squealed, puffing up his chest. “Mama sparkle!”

I groaned. “Cassia, control your nephew.”

“Why would I?” she said, swooping in to examine the gown. “He clearly inherited my taste.”

“Inherited your chaos, maybe,” Caius muttered, plucking the dress from Aeron and hanging it back.

Aeron pouted, stamping his tiny boot. “Noooooo! Sparkle, sparkle!” His voice carried, and two other shoppers turned to grin at us.

“See?” Cassia said smugly. “Even strangers agree with him.”

“Pretty sure they’re laughing at you,” Caius said.

“Jealous,” Cassia shot back.

I ducked into the fitting room with the pile Cassia had chosen. The first dress was a nightmare of sequins. I stepped out, and Cassia’s eyes lit up like

Christmas.

“Yes,” she declared. “That’s it.”

“No,” Caius said at the same time, flat as a wall.

I twisted in the mirror, wincing as the sequins scratched. “I look like a disco ball.”

“You look like royalty,” Cassia corrected. “Which is exactly the vibe.”

“Royalty doesn’t itch this much,” I muttered, retreating to change again.

The second dress was emerald silk, slinky and scandalous. Cassia squealed, clapping her hands. Aeron clapped too, though I suspected he was just copying her.

Caius groaned. “That’s not a dress, that’s a declaration of war.”

Cassia beamed. “Exactly!”

Aeron tugged on my hand. “Mama pretty,” he said solemnly, like he’d just passed judgment from the toddler high court.

My chest squeezed. “Thanks, baby.”

The third gown was deep midnight blue, fitted at the waist, elegant without screaming for attention. I stepped out, and for once, Cassia went still.

Her mouth opened, closed. Then she let out a low whistle. “Oh, cousin. That’s

the one.”

Even Caius hesitated, his sharp gray eyes softening a fraction. “You don’t look like you’re trying. You just… look like you.”

Aeron beamed, clapping again. “Mama princess!”

I touched the skirt, heart squeezing. For the first time, I didn’t feel like I was trying to fill a role. I just felt… right.

“Fine,” I said softly. “This one.”

Cassia squealed loud enough to make the clerk drop her pen. “Operation Wedding Glow-Up 2025 is officially a success!”

Caius groaned. “I need a drink.”

Aeron tugged on his uncle’s leg, sticky hands leaving faint prints on his trousers. “Unca Caius drink juice!” he commanded.

Cassia cackled, Caius groaned louder, and I buried my face in my hands.

This family was going to be the death of me.

Just as Cassia was snapping celebratory selfies of me in the midnight-blue gown and Caius was muttering about needing whiskey at noon, I realized something.

The boutique had gone… suspiciously quiet.

“Aeron?” I called.

No answer.

Cassia waved a hand. “He’s probably under the chair or playing with a bow.”

Caius pushed off the wall, scanning the floor. “He was right by my leg a second ago.”

“Which means he’s definitely gone,” I said, panic creeping in.

Then a voice shrieked from somewhere deep in the racks: “MAMA! I A

CASTLE!”

Cassia slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle a snort. “Oh no.”

We dove into the rows of gowns, fabric swishing around us like a jungle of overpriced tulle. Sure enough, Aeron had burrowed inside a circular rack of ball gowns, the layers of satin and lace draping around him like fortress walls. His golden-flecked eyes peeked out between them, wide and triumphant.

“Dis my castle,” he announced. “I king now!”

Cassia immediately bowed low. “All hail King Aeron of the Boutique!”

Caius groaned. “This is why he’s spoiled.”

Aeron pointed at him with royal authority. “Unca Caius in dungeon!”

Cassia collapsed into giggles. I tried to look stern, but when Aeron peeked out again, crown of tulle wobbling on his curls, my heart melted.

“Aeron,” I said carefully. “Kings don’t run away from their queens.”

He blinked, then gasped dramatically. “Sowwy, Mama Queen!” He scrambled out of the rack and into my arms, burying his face against my neck. “Love you.”

I kissed his hair, my throat tight. “Love you too, troublemaker.”

Cassia snapped another photo. “That one’s going on the wedding glow-up scrapbook.”

Caius muttered, “More like blackmail album,” but he was smiling, too.

As we finally checked out, Aeron perched proudly on my hip, still declaring himself “King Aeron,” Cassia prancing beside us like his herald, and Caius trailing

behind like a bodyguard already exhausted by court politics.

Somehow, between the chaos, the laughter, and the ridiculous amount of

tulle, I thought-maybe we’d survive this wedding after all.

米米米

Back at Valemont, our shopping spoils were barely through the door before chaos resumed.

Cassia dumped her bags on the couch with a dramatic flourish. “Behold! Dresses, shoes, accessories-and receipts that could make kingdoms fall.”

Alpha Darius leaned out of his office doorway, one eyebrow arched, gray eyes sharp. “How much did you spend?”

Cassia froze, then smiled sweetly. “Define… spend?”

“Cassia,” he warned, in full Alpha mode.

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