Our caravan had been travelling for close to a day now, only stopping when someone needed to relieve themselves. Valen and Von and most of the guards had taken one SUV, while the King and Queen, a couple of other guards, and I rode in the other.
So far, it had been a rather quiet ride and I was getting restless. Sienna was also on edge and it made my urge to flee even worse. I sighed and looked out the window. Picking up on my unease, King Ruben turned to look at me. He regarded me with curiosity for a moment before clearing his throat.
"I know we have a reputation to our kingdom, one that was not gained in vain. However, I want you to know that we are not savages. We will not kill you unless you deserve it." I nodded my head and uttered a small thanks.
"That being said," he continued, "I wanted to tell you that you will be expected to prove yourself. You'll be staying in the palace for the foreseeable future, but that could change at anytime. We expect you to participate in training, learn of our culture and history, and we expect you to help where you are needed. If you are destined to be one of our sons' mates, it means you are destined to be a future ruler of our kingdom. You need to understand this and not take it lightly. If you are not one of their mates, then all the testing you have done will not have been in vain. We'll be able to place you somewhere that you can prove your worth to the pack."
"What do these tests consist of?" I asked.
"You will see, young one. I cannot give out all of the information right now, can I?" He said with a grin on his face. I smiled back. Queen Stella turned to me as well.
"We will also have someone take you out shopping, so you can get outfits appropriate for any event at the palace. I will help you personally to learn our histories and rules. I hope that it will be to your liking."
I was shocked to say the least. Queen Stella herself would be helping me?
"Thank you, ma'am. It's such an honor," I told her. She gave me a small smile.
She seemed shy for a Queen, but I could tell there was a depth to her that made her a perfect wolf to take on the responsibilities that came with it.
"Also, you will be working with Valen and Von. Valen will work with you on combat, both in human and wolf form, while Von will teach you etiquette and war strategy," she said as she turned back around.
I tensed the muscles in my hands to stop from growling. I knew I was supposed to try and get along with them for my sake, but the way they had been acting just mere hours ago made me less than excited to get close with them.
"Excuse me, how much longer now?" I asked the driver.
"Not long, only about a half hour," he replied. I looked out the windows and noticed the rolling hills covered in trees to my each of my sides. Wolves began to run with the cars, and occasionally you would see one weave through the trees.
"Are these wolves from your pack?" I asked.
"They are. They stay close to the territory line the majority of the time, but they run forward to escort us when they know we are coming home," King Ruben told me. I nodded.
"Do they know about me and the treaty? Will I have to be initiated as a member?"
He chuckled. "A curious one, aren't you? Yes, they do know of you. I do not keep secrets from my pack. As for being initiated, in time it will happen. As long as you have proven yourself. The councilmen of the pack will take a vote when it becomes time and it will be decided then." I was silent as I looked back out the window.
True to the guard's word, we arrived at the palace gate about thirty minutes later. As we pulled up in front of it, I couldn't help but gasp in amazement.
This place was stunning.
It was enormous and crafted of white marble. Windows of varying sizes littered almost every wall I could see and ivy was climbing the sides on elegant wooden trellises. Farther off in the distance, I could see a small pond with a white gazebo that had flowers littering the bank and around the building. I didn't know what that place was, but I was taken over with an inexplicable urge to explore it.
The worry that had been clouding my mind seemed to melt away and was replaced with excitement. I truly didn't think I'd ever be excited to live here, but seeing the palace already had me changing my mind. I had expected a stereotypical vampire-esque castle; one that was cloaked in darkness with stakes in front and bats every where. I had never been more glad to be wrong in all my life.
I exited the car and went to get my luggage but King Ruben held out his hand to stop me.
"Our staff will get your things, you do not have to act like a servant here," he told me. I bowed and thanked him.
"Come, we'll meet with Valen and Von in the throne room and then show you to your room."
I followed him up the stairs and through the large wooden doors that led down a long hallway before finally entering the throne room. Valen and Von were already perched in their seats and the King and Queen went to join them. I stopped just before the steps leading to the thrones and waited.
"Valen, Von, our arrangement is now settled with the Moonlight pack. I expect both of you to do your best to train Indigo well and help her integrate into pack life. Von, you will teach her royal etiquette and strategies, while Valen will teach her all forms of combat," King Ruben told his sons.
I had assumed they already knew this, but they looked surprised. Valen' expression quickly morphed into anger, but he muttered "Yes, sir," before glaring at the ground. Von smiled and nodded but said nothing.
"Good, then we will meet again in an hour for dinner and you will begin her training tomorrow. Valen, I want you to start with Indigo first thing in the morning. Von, you will show her to her chambers now so she can get changed," he commanded.
Valen jumped to his feet and exited the room, while Von sauntered over to me. He did a half bow, and held out his hand. "My lady," he said.
I eyed his hand but took it to be polite. He tucked my hand into the crook of his elbow and led me out. We turned down a new hallway and began to climb a long staircase.
"It should be fairly easy to get back here when you need to. As long as you can find the main doors, take a left, then a right, and you should find yourself at these steps. Your room is the only one at the top," he said while glancing at me.
"Thank you, I believe I'll be able to find my way," I replied stiffly.
He abruptly stopped us on the stairs and turned to face me. "You don't have to be so polite with me, and you can lose the the tension in your body. I'm not as on edge all the time as my brother and as long as your here, I'd like to actually get to know you," he said while looking me in the eyes.
I felt a blush rise to my cheeks and I looked down. Sienna was regarding him appreciatively.
"I appreciate it, really. I'm not totally comfortable yet, but I hope to change that. And I'd like to get to know you, too," I whispered.
He was silent for moment, so I took a chance and glanced back up at him. Von was looking down at me already with a warm smile on his face and I noticed an adorable dimple on his left cheek. My heart flopped in my chest and butterflies pooled in my stomach, but I returned his smile and we continued up the steps.
"Here we are," he told me as he gestured to a dark, wooden door with a large brass handle. I creaked it open and peeked in.
Directly in front of me was a large bay window with a reading bench nestled into it. There was a small bookshelf built into the bottom part of the bench and it was stocked full. Gossamer curtains that were blowing with the slight breeze decorated the window, and my nose was tickled with the scent of lavender.
I went over and looked out and realized I was right above the pond I had spotted earlier. I smiled to myself and turned back around, only to be startled as Von was a lot closer to me than I expected.
"Do you like the view?" he asked. I nodded.
"It's beautiful, I can't believe I get to see this every day," I stuttered out. He chuckled and backed up a little, while sweeping his hand toward the rest of the room. "And what do you think about all of this?"
On one side of the room was a fire place that had a small white table and beige vintage couches in front of it. Next to the fireplace was a large white vanity with a circular mirror and a smaller writing desk. On the other side was the largest bed I had ever seen in my life.
It was a king size, four poster bed, with a beige comforter and a mountain of pillows. There was also a gossamer cover over the bed that had been tied back to each bed post. I eyed the door to the left of the bed, before doing the same to the door on the right.
Sensing my confusion, Von said, "The door on the left leads to the bathroom, while the one on the right is your closet. The staff put your clothes and things in there already." An even bigger smile stretched onto my face.
"Thank you, thank you so much. This is amazing, it's so much bigger than any room I've ever seen, and it's got everything I could ever need. I really appreciate it," I told him as I threw my arms around him. I froze, as realization hit me like a ton of bricks, then quickly jumped back from him. He looked stunned that I had hugged him, but not mad.
"You haven't spent a lot of time with royalty, have you?"
"No, I haven't." I looked down with shame.
"It's okay, I don't mind. I enjoyed it, actually. Most people are too formal with me. Just don't do it with Valen or my parents unless you want a death wish," he said while laughing. I giggled back.
"Noted."
"Alright, well I'll let you get settled in and I'll see you at dinner. Do whatever you need to, but I recommend you wear something formal for your first night."
"Got it, formal. Thank you again, Prince Von." He just smiled in return and walked out, closing the door behind him.
I quickly walked into the largest closet I had ever seen and began to assemble my outfit. I settled on some dark, tight fitting pants, black heeled boots, and a royal blue v-neck cashmere style sweater. It wasn't the fanciest, but it would have to do.
I laid it out on my new bed, along with my undergarments and went into the bathroom. There was a beautiful claw foot tub in the corner and a large, glass- walled shower next to it. I looked at the bathtub longingly, but decided a shower would be faster.
I quickly scrubbed my hair and body down and wrapped up in a towel I found hanging on a rack. I walked up to the sink and brushed the tangles from my damp hair, squirted a little product in my hands and ran it through. That way it would hold it's natural waves when it dried.
I opted for minimal makeup, and just swiped a little concealer beneath my tired eyes and put on a coat of black mascara. I added a clear gloss to my lips and decided that would do. I walked back to my bed and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. I only had about five minutes left, so I quickly dressed and was just finished when a knock sounded at my door. A small girl with blonde pigtail braids peeked her head in.
"Dinner is ready, I'm here to escort escort you down."
"Thank you," I said as I followed her out and down the stairs.
After a brief walk, we arrived at the dining hall. The royal family was seated at the head of a long wooden table with a silver and black table cloth. There was already food being piled on the table and it looked heavenly. My stomach decided at that moment to let out an unruly growl, and my cheeks flushed in embarrassment. I noticed the only open seat was next to Valen, across from Von, and I internally groaned.
The girl from before grabbed my hand and led me forward and waited until I was seated before asking me if I wanted anything to drink.
"Water is fine, thank you," I replied. She smiled and dashed away.
The silence was a little awkward, but once every one had their drinks, it was quickly overwhelmed by the sounds of cutlery scraping against dishes. I picked up my fork and helped myself to some roast chicken and fresh salad, along with a steaming roll. I glanced to my side and noticed Valen watching me carefully.
Catching my glance out of the corner of his eye, he said to me "Better fuel up now. I will not be going easy on you tomorrow." I turned away and rolled my eyes before I dug in.
The food tasted amazing and I was too focused on filling my belly to share in conversation. I helped myself to another roll when Von said my name.
"Yes?" I replied.
"You eat like your starved. Were they not feeding you well in your pack?"
"Oh, well.. To be honest, I didn't always have a proper meal. Aunt Maddie and I didn't have a lot, and she was sick, so I made sure she had enough to eat to keep up her strength."
The room was silent for a minute.
"Well, that's very noble of you," Von said. Valen snorted.
"Or stupid," he replied. I clenched my teeth in anger.
"Stupid? To repay the care and love to the one person in my life who decided I was worth it? I don't think so, your highness," I spit back.
He stopped eating and stared directly in my eyes, but I was too angry to look away. "I was simply stating my opinion. It's not my fault if your fragile feelings were damaged in the process. If you can't even handle a difference of opinion, how will you ever handle being a part of this pack?" he bit back at me. I narrowed my eyes.
"It's not wise to speak of which you do not know," I said. He let out a warning growl.
"Valen, that's enough," King Ruben snapped. I averted my eyes finally and went back to my food. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence and I was escorted back to my room at the end of it. Before I could make my way up the stairs, Valen appeared before me.
"Can I help you?" I asked, trying to keep the sass to a minimum. He raised his eyebrows at my tone but didn't comment.
"Look, I may not be happy that you're hear," he said, and I turned my back to him. "But I apologize for antagonizing you like that. It's not my place to speak about your family when I know nothing about them, or you." I looked back to assess whether he was telling the truth or not. Seeing no deception I turned back to face him.
"I accept your apology. I think we're starting off on the wrong foot. Maybe tomorrow at training we can also work on communicating better." He looked surprised.
"Yeah, I'd like that," he said. Something about the tone of his voice made my insides squirm. Or maybe it was those icy eyes that seemed to be staring into my soul.
Sienna made a purring noise in my head and my eyes widened in shock. Valen's face went hard again as he backed away from me.
"Good night," he said over his shoulder, as he all but ran down the hallway.
I made my way up the stairs and stripped down; before plunging onto the most comfortable bed I had ever laid on. My mind was racing and I was so confused about the two princes. They seemed so different, but Sienna had approved of both of them. Could one really be my mate? I pondered the question until I finally drifted off to a restless sleep.
Author's Note:
Okay, she's at the castle! Now we can really get into it! Let me know what you think and please vote or comment! Love you all!
Xoxo
CrimsynIris