The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate novel Chapter 138

Chapter 138: Tiberon Got His Ass Audited

Three days became seven.

Serena and Elara cleared the table. And every time they finished, Tiberon brought more.

Serena went through every ledger from the past fiscal year. She cross-referenced tax receipts with census data and flagged twelve discrepancies that had gone unnoticed for months.

Tiberon returned with the farmer’s almanac for the entire kingdom. All seven regions. Going back three years.

On the fourth day, she completed a full audit of the castle’s candle inventory.

He returned with the architectural survey of every staircase in Drakenfell.

On the fifth day, Serena reviewed the annual chimney inspection reports.

Tiberon returned with the complete minutes from every council meeting for the past decade and a thirty-year analysis of the royal kitchens’ spice consumption, organized by season and occasion.

On the sixth day, she catalogued the royal wine cellar’s inventory. She reviewed the linen rotation schedule, and analyzed the historical rainfall patterns for the Thornwood region.

Every time Tiberon entered the room, Serena and Elara asked the same question.

"Any word?"

And every time, Tiberon gave the same answer.

"Not yet."

On the seventh day, Tiberon entered the war room with Bellatrix at his side.

The table was empty. Every pile had been completed, organized, and stacked neatly along the wall for distribution.

Serena and Elara sat in their usual chairs, waiting.

Tiberon stopped in the center of the room and studied the cleared table. Then he studied the two women who had cleared it.

"The northern garrison supply reserves," he said without preamble.

"Sufficient for eight weeks at current consumption," Serena answered. "Nine weeks if we implement the rationing protocol. Outlined in my recommendations."

Tiberon’s eye twitched.

"The chimney inspection reports."

"The east wing draft problem originates from a structural crack in the third-floor flue that was improperly patched during the renovation eight years ago. Full repair will cost approximately three hundred marks. Continued patching will cost more over time and presents a fire risk."

"The rainfall correlation analysis."

"Thornwood grain yields decrease by approximately twelve percent for every inch of rainfall below the seasonal average. The past three years have been below average, which explains the increased reliance on imported grain and the corresponding price increases."

The room was silent. Bellatrix stared at her. Elara was trying very hard not to snort.

Tiberon pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a slow breath.

"The candle inventory," he said, and there was a note of desperation in his voice that hadn’t been there before.

"Four thousand, two hundred and seventeen tapers. Eight hundred and ninety-three beeswax pillars. Three hundred and twelve emergency torches. The east wing uses approximately twenty percent more candles than the other wings due to fewer windows. In the long term, I recommend installing additional skylights in the interior corridors to reduce consumption."

Tiberon closed his eyes.

Bellatrix made a sound that might have been a laugh, quickly suppressed.

"The wine cellar," Tiberon tried.

"Six hundred and forty-two bottles of red, four hundred and eighteen bottles of white, two hundred and three bottles of sparkling, and one very old bottle of Nightspire’s favorite brand of whiskey that I suspect was a gift from him because it’s been untouched for twelve years."

Tiberon opened his eyes.

He looked at Bellatrix.

Bellatrix looked back at him with an expression that clearly said, I told you this wouldn’t work.

Tiberon turned back to Serena.

"Any word?" Serena asked before he could speak.

His jaw tightened. "Not yet."

"Then we’ll need more work to do," Elara said sweetly.

He pinched the bridge of his nose again. He held the pose for a long moment, breathing slowly, like a man trying very hard not to say something he would regret.

"I’ve run out of paperwork." He said it like a confession. "In thirty years of ruling, I have never run out of paperwork. I didn’t know it was possible."

He shook his head.

"Training with the warriors then," he finally said.

Serena straightened in her chair. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Don’t thank me." Tiberon gave her a pointed look. "When Dexmon and Hale ask why their mates are covered in bruises, I am blaming both of you."

"We accept full responsibility," Elara said, and she didn’t bother hiding her smile this time.

Tiberon shook his head and walked toward the door, Bellatrix behind him.

Elara turned to Serena with a grin. "Did we just win?"

"I think we exhausted him into surrender." Serena stood and stretched. "Training with the warriors. That’s actually useful."

✦✦✦

When she and Elara arrived at the training field that day, every member of the Draken Forces turned to face them.

And then they bowed.

All of them. In unison. Two hundred warriors dropping to one knee with their fists pressed to their chests.

Serena’s breath caught.

When would she get used to that?

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify