Surrogate for the Alpha Prince in a Coma novel Chapter 297

Chapter 297

+15 Bonus

Lillian’s POV

I stayed with Josephine for the rest of the banquet, but for the remaining two hours, the bears did not return. Whispers began, turning into full-fledge gossip before long, with some saying the servants told them that the bears had taken their caravan and left the palace grounds.

“A bad omen for any alliance,” whispered one.

“Good riddance,” said another. “Did you hear the way they talked about our Princess? Those bears are brutes and fiends. They lack dignity, decorum, and respect. Likely they wouldn’t have even honored an alliance.”

“The war will continue then,” said someone else.

“I have no doubt we can fight these oafs,” said another.

I wasn’t so sure, but if it meant Josie would be safe from that man, I couldn’t argue. I too would fight if it came to that. Josie shouldn’t have been asked to sacrifice herself at all.

We waited until the Queen returned before we accepted any rumors as fact, though. She moved, with Odette behind her, through the crowd, until she came to Josie. Then she opened her arms. Like a little girl, Josie pushed away from me and flung herself at her mother, holding on tightly.

The Queen combed her fingers through Josie’s hair. “It’s alright. You are safe now. I sent them away. I’m sorry that I ever made you face them at all. I thought you might have found love with him. I had no idea he could be so deplorable.”

A braver soul stepped forward. “Are they truly gone, your majesty?”

“They are,” the Queen answered. “None of us will be forced to endure them any longer.”

“And the war, my Queen? Will this make things worse for us?”

“It will not,” the Queen said. “Those bears saw today in me, in all of us, a grand force that would not tolerate their behavior. They learned that decorum and diplomacy will conquer any day. Their brute force is nothing compared to our intellect and courtly manners.”

That sounded like bullshit to me, but I wasn’t going to call her out on it, especially here and now, in front of so many people.

Finding my own courage though, I stepped forward. “Prince Grayson wished to speak with them. Was he able to?”

“Yes,” the Queen replied. “He is the one who saw them to their vehicles. He should be back soon.”

I nodded, accepting that.

The crowd, satisfied, slowly started to disperse. The Queen, still holding Josephine, led her from the room. Josie looked back at me a few times, and even gave me a small thank you smile.

She didn’t need to have done so. Helping her stay away from that brute was thanks enough. I was so glad they were gone.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify