The White Wolf Chapter 100: War of Flowers

The palace was in a buzz of activity with the preparations for the Prince Dristan of the Eastern Kingdom's arrival. Servants polished and repolished every surface till one could see their reflection. Alexia felt as if she were walking in a house of mirrors constantly.

Deliveries were being made constantly, and the doors to the palace seemed to be open constantly as people went in and out.

Harley seemed to thrive on the lack of sleep and immense amounts of caffeine as she oversaw the preparations. The prince arrived tomorrow in the afternoon and everyone was busy preparing for his arrival.

"Daisies? Daises with the roses! What could they possibly be thinking!" Harley muttered to herself as she pulled flowers from the bouquets the maids had put together.

Alexia quirked an eyebrow at her but went back to the list in her hand. It was imperative that everything get done perfectly, therefore she wrote a list to make sure she would not forget.

Leaning back in her chair, she surveyed the room. An empty space was hard to come by.

The Queen's study had become the center for the preparations. Her study was full of flowers awaiting approval, each one serving as an example for their purpose. Some for table settings, some in the foyer, and others in different places in the palace.

Mockups of place settings and name cards as far as the eye could see.

"Did the maids press the linens on the prince's bed?" She asked Harley ignoring her battle with the flower arrangements. Brand new linens had been prepared of the finest material, to provide maximum comfort.

Stopping her muttering she replied to the Queen. "Yes Your Majesty, yesterday."

Nodding she moved on to the next item on her list.

"Roses are the flower of the royals. Why would they even think of putting daises in the arrangements? I have half a mind to tell them what I think and teach them a lesson." Harley angrily finished her assault on the flowers.

"When do the fresh oysters arrive for the reception?" The prince's reception at the palace would need to make a good first impression. The entire visit would need to be spectacular but they only had one shot at a first impression.

"In the morning, Your Majesty," Harley confirmed. If they did not arrive, Harley would go out to sea herself if need be.

"Is the chef comfortable with the menu?" She asked as she leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs.

"Yes, the practice trial went off without a hitch." Harley had represented the queen in making sure everything was to her expectation during the rehearsal.

"And my dress? Is it ready?" She knew the answer and was mostly talking to herself.

"It is absolutely beautiful and waiting for you in your chambers."

A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips, she wondered what her mate would think of the gown. She missed him. He was far too busy and they had barely had any time together during the preparations. Each working long hours. She sighed before she leaned forward and returned to her tasks.

A knock at the door had the females looking up from their work. Harley strolled across the room in a suit to open the door. Straightening her blazer, Alexia readjusted herself as the door clicked open unsure of who was about to enter.

The door opened to reveal Enzo. Seeing the gamma, Harley let go of the handle and went back to her tasks.

“Was there a war of flowers I need to know about? Is the palace under attack from floral arrangements?” Enzo took in the sight of daises littering the floor. “What happened here?”

“Don’t.” Alexia held up her finger. “Don’t talk about the flowers.”

“Alrighty then but It smells like a funeral in here," Enzo said as he strolled in curling a lip at the flowers.

Harley angering picked up the discarded flowers and threw them away still in angst.

"Not helping," Alexia said not bothering to look up as her patience was running thin. She was tired of talk of flowers as Harley had effectively channeled all of her stress onto the plants.

"My apologies, I just brought the latest revisions to the Prince's entourage." He said placing a piece of paper on to the desk.

"Revisions? Who else could he be bringing?"

"Some people of his court. Gabe is working on a background check."

"Last minute too, I see. Interesting." She clicked her tongue in irritation.

"Interesting indeed but I will not monopolize anymore of your time, Your Majesty." He said with a bow. As he reached the door he called out to Harley. "Lay off the caffeine." Before strolling through the door.

Through the weeks of preparations, the interactions between the two had increased significantly. His reserved demeanor seemed to clash with her hyped up on caffeine causing him to give her a wide berth.

Harley scoffed at the gamma but when she opened to throw out a barbed remark, he was already out the door. Grumbling in frustration, she moved onto the reception guest list.

Her eyes scanned the list. "The guests from our kingdom will arrive in the morning before the prince."

"Good that gives everyone plenty of time to be prepared for his royal arrival. Has everyone responded to the invitations?" The Queen asked as she picked up the seating chart.

"On our part, yes but anyone the prince is bringing is a mystery. What if he brings someone without informing us first?" A look of horror passed through Harley's eyes. "The seating chart would be a complete mess and the arrangements would be off."

As her breathing increased she started to hyperventilate. Aleia stared at her as if she had lost her mind. It was evident the warrior life had definitely not been her calling.

"Settle down, we can always adjust and if the numbers are wrong, I'll place my sister somewhere to even it out. She's not old enough to be expected to be there but old enough to be there without raising eyebrows." Morgan would be arriving with her parents in a few hours. When Alexia had told her about the royal visit she was absolutely giddy.

The queen's family as well as other important members of the kingdom were to be inattendance. The Silver name had gained a reputation through all kingdoms, so their presence would be expected.

Finally, her breathing returned to normal. "You are right." She responded before adding. "As always Your Majesty." Alexia rolled her eyes but offered no words. If this continued, she would need to send her on an errand so she could have some peace.

"Do you know anyone the prince is bringing with him?" Harley perked with interest as she retrieved and took a drink of her coffee.

It was as if Alexia did not hear her as she stared at the cup in hand. She would need to brace herself for another war that would brew. Perhaps she would fight with the linens or make her to the garden to take hedge clippers to the bushes. Finally pulling herself from her thoughts, she answered. "Very doubtful but I will have a look." Her voice lacked emotion.

Alexia looked at the piece of paper Enzo had placed on her desk and picked it up. Her eyebrows furrowed as she studied it.