Mated to A Rival Alpha-Chapter 120: Altunia, The Richest Land in The Realm

[ALTUNIA]

Seeing Dalrae at the Altunia gates was a shocker for Oshita. He had never imagined that there would come a day when one of the strongest women in the realm would ever come to the land of the rogues.

Granted Altunia was a pretty name for a pretty kingdom, but nothing would change the fact that the inhabitants were not agreeable to the local realm. They were outcasts in every way and even Altunia couldn’t cover up for that.

"You know it too well. Come along, lead the way, Oshita," Dalrae said to Oshita who was more than willing to follow her.

On most occasions, this was a sight that could easily be frowned upon, and yet as they walked side by side through the Altunia gates, into a land that was covered by many, Oshita could only hope that the world would be a better place now.

He knew that Dalrae would never have crossed to come this far if it wasn’t important, because that was the pride of a woman who believed in justice, and who lived in a nation that unfortunately never valued justice.

For them, there were secrets that cowered between them, the whispers of a kingdom so lost and one that shouldn’t have made some decisions, and yet even then, with everything out there in the clear, they had maintained what they had wanted to do and say.

The decision to paralyze one of their best warriors. Funny how that had been the ultimate decision of a forlorn council, a council scared of a woman, a council worried that she would burn down the kingdom at best.

Then again, even if she brought down the kingdom, wouldn’t she rebuild it back up?

’This place is a beauty,’ Dalrae said to herself as she walked the long highway to the queen’s palace.

All the rumors about Altunia were true and many who came to this land had never really wanted to leave. Then again, they had been the undead, a community that never had a use of the lands, and therefore never once considered the beauty that was within their reach.

They always thought of it as just another piece of land in the supernatural realm, one they didn’t even have to pay too much attention to, and somehow had managed to make it into whatever it was today.

An absolute beauty.

Dalrae wanted to run her fingers along the flower garden that was rightly planted along the long highway, but she stopped herself, lest she becomes too comfortable in a community of savages.

Altunia may have been a beauty, but the people who lived there were nothing close to the beauty they needed. Life had proven different for them and the unluckiest lost of them all had gotten a little too lucky, something that would in turn make everyone question the fairness of the realm.

Then again, wasn’t that the right justice for them who had been bashed without thinking? Those who had been pushed out of their home just because it was possible?

Was there justice in a home that ever worried for its people and a home that was divided because of their races, a thing common and ideals so parsed?

"Careful, alpha, you might fall in love with Altunia," Oshita said and Dalrae let out a lonely laugh. There were things that Rania herself could have said and hearing that from Oshita, gave her a sense of hope, one that she hadn’t had in over months.

Dalrae loved it here, but maybe it was because this was her first time across these borders.

Maybe because this was her first time leaving Obren to come to the forbidden lands. This was rich, and she knew she would most likely fall to the charm that was staring at her. But would it be a crime even then?

Would it make any difference?

Oh, but Dalrae considered staying a rogue here with them, but then she had a duty to make sure Rania went back home, no matter what happened and how long things did happen.

She didn’t have to follow everything this time because she had her target this time, and that was Rania’s peace.

"It’s tempting, but every palace is a shell without my sister. No matter how beautiful Altunia may be. Without Rani, it’s just another home to the people that made sure my sister was banished. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Chaos may have ensued over the years, but none of that has ever made it any easier on me and her loyalists. But we stand in hope and want to fight for the day that she will need us.

"Maybe that is too much for a people like us, but if we didn’t have hope, then what do we have? If we can’t think of a tomorrow with her, what kind of a world would we aspire to be in?" Dalrae said sincerely and Oshita just listened.

Hell, even Kylian who had been with her had gone silent.

They both knew how much Rania meant to her and they could only hope that whatever she had come for here would give her the answer she was seeking, because only Rani could get Dalrae to cross the impossible borders.

"That I understand, Dalrae. I can only hope that you find what you’re looking for," Oshita said before going silent.

The rest of the long walk to the Altunia palace was spent in silence. They didn’t have much to say to each other and Dalrae, she was busy thinking about how Rania and Jihoon had been mates for years and she didn’t know.

She was wondering if that made her a bad friend or if it made her the dumbest sister in all of history. Then again, with the magic involved and Yanna too, there was just no way that Dlarae could have known that Rania and Jihoon were mates.

And clearly whatever magic Yanna had used on Jihoon Had worked because right even to this day, Jihoon didn’t know that he was fighting his true mate. He didn’t know that the woman beyond the borders was the love of his life and the woman he should have defended.

Maybe that made him a loser but damn, the idea was strange in so many ways that Dalrae had never thought possible. She wondered if Jihoon would have stepped up and defended Rani if he knew that Yanna had fucked them up.

Well, that would be an answer for another day, because Dalrae’s line of thoughts was interrupted by Oshita, again.

"We’re here, Dalrae," the rogue warrior pointed out, and Dalrae paused for a moment She hadn’t expected that she would ever enter the rogue queen’s palace, but then desperate times sure did need desperate measures, and hers wasn’t just desperation.

She needed it like her lifeline.

"Alright," Dalrae said, before she and Kylian followed Oshita through the doors.

The hallways are dark and anyone without the supersight could have easily been frightened. Dalrae knew that this was probably set up to make sure that vampires who had been working here had to be more attentive, but damn, it was scary.

"Alpha, may I present to you Alpha Lim Dalrae, of Incision. With her in an envoy, Kylian who also serves as her warrior," Oshita announced before the candles flickered on, revealing the beauty that was the queen’s palace.

She hadn’t even realized it, but they were currently in the queen’s throne room. The room was huge, just like every throne room for every kingdom, but this was prettier and covered in gold.

The lighting in the room made it even prettier, because it shone bright, probably a little too brighter than Dalrae had anticipated.

"What brings her here?" Queen Paloma asked not even bothering to look in Dalrae’s direction.

Her voice was loud enough for Dalrae to hear, and the spite in her voice was clear, just as was expected of any rogue to a legitimate alpha. Even though the rogues had their own kingdom, it never changed the fact that they had the stench of ferals wherever they went.

"To talk about Rani. And before you tell me you won’t give me an audience, I suggest you didn’t bother denying me the chance, because I won’t leave, even if I have to be a rogue myself," Dalrae said and gasps were heard around the throne room.

The Incayon alpha had finally gone insane.

"You’re her in so many ways, Lim Lim."