Mated To The Barbarian King Who Is My Ex-husband's Father.

​"How did you find out about the engagement?" Aunt Freya asked, her brow furrowed in a deep, furious scowl. She was utterly livid that her daughter’s foolish interference was the very reason they had ended up in this catastrophic mess.

​"I didn’t know you had written it in a letter, so I mistakenly brought it to the king’s tent," Samantha answered, keeping her voice low. She was just relieved that the family members finally dispersed, leaving the two of them isolated in the quiet pavilion.

​"And what was my letter doing in Kane’s tent in the first place?"

​"I-I was curious to know what was going on between the king and Arianna!"

​"You crazy girl!" Aunt Freya hissed. Losing her temper entirely, she snatched up an empty plate from the table and hurled it straight at her daughter’s head.

​Samantha dodged just in time, ducking low as the wooden dish flew over her shoulder and hitting against the floor.

"Mother, are you trying to injure me?" Samantha gasped, shocked by the violent outburst.

​"I will do worse than that if you keep testing me! If it were possible, I wish I could wring your neck right now!" Aunt Freya shouted back, her chest heaving. "Do you have any idea what your recklessness cost us? The Silver Pack was the only strong alliance we had left!"

​"It doesn’t matter, Mother! You didn’t even bother telling anyone about this arrangement... not even me," Samantha argued, placing a hand over her heart in offense. "Admit it...you were wrong this time."

​Her mother narrowed her eyes, her gaze turning lethal. "Are you actually trying to make me feel guilty for securing your and your brother’s futures? Have I suddenly become the villain here?"

​"Forcing him into a marriage wasn’t the right step!"

​Aunt Freya drew in a long, shuddering breath, a bitter, cold smile touching her lips as she looked at her daughter’s sheer foolishness.

​"Well... I suppose both of you are old enough to decide your own fates now. Good luck becoming Kane’s queen without my help."

​Samantha’s face fell as she realized she had pushed her mother too far. "Mother... wait—"

​Ignoring her, Aunt Freya turned on her heel and stormed out of the pavilion. But just as she made her way toward her tent, her steps faltered.

Not far off, she spotted the king walking purposefully toward Arianna.

​"Just wait and see what happens, Arianna," Aunt Freya chuckled darkly. Samantha joined in, a cruel grin spreading across her face as they watched from afar.

​However, their high expectations crumbled instantly. Instead of exploding in rage, the king swept the queen off her feet, spinning her around in a joyful circle before carrying her tenderly into his tent.

​Aunt Freya was shocked to the core. She stood utterly frozen, unable to move or speak. Was she dreaming, or were her eyes playing some cruel, twisted trick on her in her old age?

​She turned around and caught the horror painted across Samantha’s face, who was equally paralyzed by disbelief.

​Aunt Freya forced a mocking smile. "I guess your opponent is getting stronger by the minute. Soon enough, it will be completely impossible to get rid of her."

​"M-Mother... what am I supposed to do now?"

​"I shall do nothing, unfortunately, my daughter. As a mother, I apparently have no right to decide my children’s futures," Aunt Freya said, shaking her head in a bitter, dramatic display of self-pity. "Deal with your own troubles."

​"Are you actually being serious right now?" Samantha asked, her voice cracking as tears brimmed in her eyes.

​"Do whatever you want, child," Aunt Freya sighed coldly, turning her back and walking away.

​Her priority had shifted...she needed to speak with Ragnar and demand answers about his travels, but when she glanced back at the open field, he was already gone.

​She flagged down one of the pack guards, who directed her toward the royal stables. Increasing her pace, Aunt Freya hurried over to catch him before he disappeared again.

​When she arrived, she found Ragnar standing in the soft hay, speaking softly to his mare. Only the Goddess herself truly understood why he doted on that horse so much.

​"I wish it were a girl you loved this much," Aunt Freya remarked as she approached, catching his attention.

​"Mother..." Ragnar turned around, dropping the reins. The mare stood still for a quiet moment before wandering off to graze. "You came looking for me."

​"Why wouldn’t I, my son?" Aunt Freya said, opening her arms wide for a hug.

​He stepped directly into her embrace, wrapping his long arms around her back. "I missed your face and your voice."

"I was gone for a moment."

​"’A moment,’ you say?" Aunt Freya chided gently, pulling back to look at him. "I could barely breathe without you near. You are my life, my son, and my only hope."

​"Mother, I..." Ragnar chuckled, shaking his head. He knew his mother well enough to recognize that whenever she laid the affection on this thick, she wanted something from him. "Just tell me—what is it you want to know?"

​Aunt Freya blinked, momentarily caught off guard by his bluntness, though she made no attempt to deny it. "What did you learn about the princess and Ethan?"

​"I knew it!" Ragnar said, slapping his thighs as he took a step back. "You didn’t miss me at all... you just wanted to extract information."

​"Forgive me, son, but I am simply curious. And trust me, I did miss you..."

​"I found nothing. They never even crossed paths," Ragnar lied smoothly, placing both hands on his hips. He watched the eager light in her eyes instantly vanish, replaced by sharp disappointment.

​"How is that even possible?"

​"Arianna was always kept locked away inside the royal palace. The common folk barely ever saw her, except on rare ceremonial occasions. I conducted a thorough investigation and the sources confirmed that the princess came here without any political motives whatsoever."

​"Hmm... well, that was certainly unexpected," Aunt Freya managed to say, nervously rubbing the back of her neck.

​"Now that you know the truth, I hope you won’t invent any more excuses to mistreat the queen."

​"That is none of your business," Aunt Freya snapped, turning on her heel to leave. The morning had started on the wrong foot, and ever since, not a single thing had gone her way.

​"Mother..." Ragnar called out, stopping her in her tracks.

​She froze, though she refused to turn around and face him.

​"Samantha must not become queen," he continued firmly. "You can marry her off to any of the neighboring Alphas instead of our cousin. Kane is in love with Arianna, and we must respect that."

​Aunt Freya drew in a long, deep breath and slowly exhaled. If she spent one more second around her children today, she was going to lose her mind.

They were all acting completely out of character—and now Ragnar, who felt like a child only yesterday, was lecturing her about love? Imagine that!

​Without another word, she marched back to her tent. Barking orders at her servants, she chased them all out before sinking onto the edge of her bed, her mind racing.

Just as she tried to gather her thoughts, a tiny glint of light near her foot caught her attention.

​She leaned down to see what it was and was stunned to pick up one of her most precious gold earrings.

​Aunt Freya was certain she hadn’t worn it recently. Ever since the day Ragnar left, she had locked all her jewelry safely inside her chest. So how on earth had this piece ended up on the floor?

​Dread seeping into her chest, she rushed over to the heavy chest and threw open the lid. Inside, her carefully arranged boxes were in total disarray.

She reached directly for the velvet box she kept hidden at the very bottom, flipping the latch open.

​It was completely empty.

​Her eyes widened in absolute horror. panicking, she grabbed the next box and forced it open...empty as well.

​A wave of paralyzing terror washed over her. She threw the wooden boxes aside, the hollow clatter echoing through the tent before a blood-curdling scream ripped from her throat.

​Both her prized ring and her priceless necklace were gone.

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