Chapter 205
Agnesâs body trembled on the ground,
She stared at Janet as though she was some sort of a monster.
âAgnes!â
Westin rushed to help Agnes up. He touched her shoulder to make sure that she didnât have a broken bone and then cried out to the others, âGet Lady Agnes to the medical room!â
Servants rushed over, along with the maid that Janet met in Blood Moon Pack, Fatima.
Together they supported Agnesâs delicate body.
âLetâs go, my lady,â said Fatima as she cast a resentful look at Janet. âLetâs go, my la
âDonât blame Janet, Westin.â
Agnes tucked at Westinâs sleeves before being taken away. There were tears in her
eyes.
âShe didnât know about our traditionâ¦I should have warned her before I poured the waterâ¦it was entirely my fault,â she sobbed.
Westin comforted her and promised her that he would come over and check on her later.
When Agnes was gone, he finally turned to Janet with a cold face.
âWe welcome our guests by sprinkling water onto them. It is part of tradition,â he said.
Janet snorted, âShe didnât sprinkle. She poured. An entire jug of water. Or is insulting
your guest part of your tradition?â
Westin frowned.
Just then, a greyâcloaked man stepped out of the crowd and said in a booming voice,
âThe Lycanâs castle is a sacred place. We splash water onto the outsiders to cleanse their bodies and souls and to prepare them before entering the sacred land. Your behavior was disgraceful, Miss Manning, and it was all because of your ignorance.â
Cleansing her soul?
And her ignorance?
Janet let out a sarcastic laugh.
These Lycans were even more arrogant than she imagined!
âYour King chose me, a werewolf, to be your Queen. So I am not an outsider. You all are my subject,â she said in a freezing tone. âAnd to be perfectly clearâmy soul DOES NOT need cleansing.â
âIt is just a tradition-â
âIf you want me to respect your tradition, you will first learn to respect me, your future Queen.â
The muttering crowd lapsed into silence.
The greyâcloaked man paused for a while before turning to Westin and said, âYour mate needs a good lesson on curtsey, my King. We canât present her to the people. like this at the moment.â
âI am aware,â agreed Westin a little crossly.
He took Janetâs wrist and yanked her forward.
The crowd of cloaked people parted and made a way for them to come through, bowing as they walked past.
âYou are dismissed!â Westin snapped.
Janet was dragged into the castle forcefully. She could hardly keep up with Westinâs long strides.
They crossed the front yard, into the vast foyer, through the corridors, and took several turnsâ¦
The castle was like a fancily decorated maze. Janet could hardly remember the way that they came from.
The inside of the castle was even more grandiose than its outside.
Janet caught a glimpse of the delicate tracery on the balconies, the stainedâglass windows that sparkled like gems, and the glided mirrors and artworks that adorned the walls.
Yet before she could get a closer look, she was shoved into a room.
Westin closed the door behind him.
âI thought we had a deal,â he gritted.
âYes, a deal.â
Janet crossed her arms, raising her chin proudly, âYou asked me to play your mate, which is exactly what I did.â
âWhat you did to Agnes-â
âBeing nice to your mistress is not part of our deal.â
Embarrassment flickered across Westinâs eyes, âAgnes is not my mistress.
Janet shrugged
She was not going to argue that with him.
He could deny all he wanted. But she already sensed something wrong between these
LWO.
And you really should learn to respect the elders.â Westin said, âThe elders hold a really high position in our society. If you offend them, even I canât protect you.ââ
âI donât want them to think that I am a pushover. Being tough is my way of survival. If you want a puppet that allows you to pull the strings however you want, you should release me and find another more submissive werewolf.â
She really hoped that he could change his mind and realize that she was not a good
choice for him.
Yet Westin simply raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile on his lips.
âToo bad. I want you. Only you,â he sneered.
Janet let out a sign internally.
You donât want my instruction. Fine. Go out there and see how many days you can last in this castle. You will come back and beg for my advice in the end,â he said in a rather condescending tone.
Janet rolled her eyes, âAre we finished here? Where is the dining hall? I am hungry.â
âAsk the maids,â he said impatiently and walked towards the door.
âYou are not coming with me?â
With one hand on the doorknob, he turned around, smiling coolly, âYou said you didnât want a chaperone. I respect that. Go to the dining hall and make yourself acquaintedâ¦Oh, there will be lots of elders at dinner. Good luck
He walked out and closed the door.
Janet snorted.
He thought a couple of elders could intimidate her.
He couldnât be more wrong.
She took a little walk around the room.
There were clothes in the closet, all of which were flimsy long dresses like the one that Agnes wore. And they were all in her size.
Whoever prepared these clothes wanted her to dress like a Lycan.
Yet Janet simply took a casual look at those clothes and closed the closet.
Still wearing her leggings and sneakers, Janet opened the bedroom door and left the
room.
She stopped a maid in the hallway and asked for the way to the dining hall.
The maid took a critical look at her and asked, âArenât you going to get changed first, my lady?â
Janet kept her hands in her pocket casually, âNo. Something wrong with how I
âIt is going to be a formal dinner so maybe you should dress up
âLam perfectly happy with the clothes t have on right now. Show me the wayâ
The maid pressed her tips into a thin line
But she chose not to comment and led the way for lauet.
The dining hall was full of people when lanet att ved
There were three tong tables set in the room, lined up parallel to each other. All the seats by the table had been titled
Isople turned the tests in unison the second latet stepped in Many frowned at ence, looking critically at lanetâs sportswest.
âEvening.â Tanel said calmly.
Nobody responded to her greeting
Janet looked around the room. There was no open seat for her by the long table.
And no one not even servants and maids standing in the corner wanted to point to her seat for her.
âCan someone show me my seat?ââ Janet asked.
Her voice echoed in the large hall.
The large crowd responded to her with deathly silence.
Yet there was a raised platform located at the front of the hall, overseeing the entire
×××
The seats on the raised platform were still empty.
Janet stopped asking the others and started walking directly towards that raised plattor.
She was hallway through when a servant rushed over and blocked her way.
âMiss, I am going to have to ask you to leave,â he said in a polite yet arrogant tone. âWhy?â Janet crossed her arms.
âThere is a dress code. You are not dressed accordingly.â
âThere is a dress code for dinner in your own house?â
âYes That is the upperâclass etiquette, and how the Lycans behave. You are not qualified to eat in this place, miss,â the servant replied.
There were some light snickers from behind.
Janet chuckled telly, âGood to know. But starting today, I am abolishing this stupid rule.â
The servantâs face changed abruptly, âYou donât have the right-â
âI have every right. And you will start to address me as Lady or Queen, instead of Missâ Janet looked at him with disdainful eyes. âNow move. It is against the upperâclass etiquette for a servant like you to block my way.â
She walked around the servant and marched up that raised platform.
There were two chairs arranged on that platform.
Janet pulled out one chair and calmly took her seat.
Now she could see everyone beneath her clearly. They were all gazing at her with a mixed expression of contempt and shock
âThat is where the King sits!â cried someone in the crowd.
Janet smiled, âThe King is not present today. As his future Queen, I am taking his seat instead. Is there a problem?â