CHAPTER 439: AFTER THIS, WHAT THEN?

FIONNA’S POV

"Today I came to complain and rant about a certain someone and how much work they put me through," Fionna said, "but seeing how much you have to do, my mouth is almost ashamed to say the words that now sound shameless in my head."

Zina chuckled. "How can the Delta of the NorthSteed Pack complain so much?"

"That is the thing," she stressed, "I bargained to be the Delta of a Pack, and not a whole nation. The NorthSteed’s are just three million in population. But the entire North? We are looking at well over thirty million. Both big packs and tiny packs alike. I just wanted a home... and now it feels too big."

Zina sighed, staring at the distance in a manner almost like she was seeing something no one else could see.

"He is working so hard for peace to be assured now, but the far future when we will be all gone is uncertain."

Fionna eyed her. "I do not believe the generations to come will appreciate you foreseeing their path. They might be forced to nickname you something far beyond the Great Seer. The nosy seer perhaps?"

That earned her one of Zina’s rare laughter. "Mmm... I suppose I am being nosy. But ever since I came back from death, my powers have not been the same, Fionna."

She perked up at that. Truly, she was not interested in spiritualities and stuff. But when it came to Zina after everything that happened, she could no longer disregard the supernatural world as she once did.

"Tell me perhaps that you’ve seen that Daemon NorthSteed will start becoming less of an arse sometime soon?"

Zina stiffened at that while Fionna was almost ashamed. Calling his name at that point was an underhanded trick she could not resist. Every other person skimmed over the matter—whether it was Yaren, Zelkvok, Caspian, and Marcus. But Fionna was not the same.

She knew their separation contributed to ninety-nine percent of his grumpiness which now directly affected her as well. So she would rather they stayed together than stay apart.

Not to mention, she could take anyone pretending that nothing had changed. But she simply couldn’t stomach Zina, acting like some righteous Theta who was not suffering from heartache. Everyone lauded her as some selfless, filial, kind, figure. A woman who left her marriage to mourn her mother, went above and beyond to build an orphanage and adopt other children that were once like the both of them.

But Fionna didn’t believe that. Not that she doubted the kindness of Zina’s heart... but she simply didn’t believe that Zina was selfless even if she had managed to make the entire world believe it.

"Is he really making your work hard?" Zina asked in that even tone she used on other people.

Fionna glared at her. "As if you can’t feel my current despair."

Zina smirked. "I was of the opinion that a certain Marcus was partly responsible for that."

She groaned. "You’re so far away from the castle, and yet you know about that?! Which means you have been keeping tabs on him. So tell me, when are you coming back as Luna Queen."

Zina turned somber. "I told him I have to mourn my mother for the required one year." She simply said.

Fionna nodded rabidly. "That makes sense. Your mother suffered what can be called a violent death and her life before that was in shackles. It’s truly dutiful of you to attempt to free her spirit by devoting to her everyday while avoiding worldly affiliations. But what about you? Have you freed your own spirit?"

Zina smiled. "My spirit is freed if hers is."

Fionna sat up. "What next when you’re done mourning her? Tell me. Do not feed me those lies other people believe in. After this,what is it next? Do you plan on spending the rest of your life as a spiritual figure? Or will you come back to Daemon’s side."

"Naturally, I wish to be back with Daemon. As his wife, and as his confidante. As his queen and his mate."

How upfront she was kind of startled Fionna who had long become used to her running away from everything. But she could see it now that perhaps Zina wasn’t running away, but was rather rebuilding herself.

She smirked. "That is quite unfortunate for the women who have been throwing themselves at him, and the Alphas who have been tossing their certainly not reluctant daughters his ways."

Zina’s eyes glittered with malicious vengeance. "And what have you been doing? Surely, you must know that I have trusted you with the job of keeping an eye on him."

"Careful now before you stain your mourning garment," Fionna said gleefully, "the gods will not accept your jealousy in their temple."

She rolled her eyes, breathing steadily. "You’re right, I have no right to show any jealousy as it is. I was the one who left him after all."

"Why sound so petulant? Naturally, they were tossed out by Yaren. Can you believe it? That Yaren NorthSteed actually declared before them that the Alpha King already has a wife? The first time I heard it, I thought he must have been mind possessed."

Zina stared at her suspiciously. "Seriously? Yaren did that?"

"Beats me. That grumpy thing has finally acknowledged you after wearing such a long face for such a long time," she said, crossing her legs, "Although rumors have it that Daemon is using the remainder of his energy to find a spouse for him. Marcus and the rest wouldn’t stop teasing him about it."

Zina scoffed lightly. "You’re quite up to date with gossip. I can see you do not have enough work to do just yet."

She glared at her. "I did not want to hear such unsavoury gossip but I was somehow forced into hearing them. Men are such creative creatures though, you wouldn’t believe how much that Caspian gossips to I and Zelkov."

Zina guffawed at her. "Even Zelkov?"

She frowned. "He comes here all the time, didn’t he tell you?"

"As if he would tell me about such things." Zina grumbled.

"That’s fine. I shall have to visit you often and keep you up to date."

Zina waved at her dismissively. "Forget about it. All I wish to know is... is Daemon really doing well?"

Fionna was not one to lie about such things, so she simply leaned back and said. "He will survive."

And as expected, Zina’s expression only grew graver as the response didn’t assuage her one bit.