Chapter Chapter Twenty: Royalty Sucks

“Why in the hell is there such a thing as an Oyster fork!” Mackenzie stated in puzzlement. “Just use the salad fork! They both look the same!”

Daisy sighed, recrossing her legs before placing her face in her hand. “There is a clear difference between the two, your majesty. All thirty types of forks are in front of you, it is visually obvious that they are different.”

“It is not visually obvious!” Mack snapped out of frustration. Throwing the fork back onto the table before she threw her head back with a loud groan. “I will never get any of this. There are sixty-one different kinds of spoons, and twelve different kinds of dinner knives and that doesn’t include the ones used in a kitchen and now I am looking at thirty forks! Why are there so many!?”

“I cannot say,” Daisy spoke before sitting up and brushing her dress off. “This has become more difficult than I originally thought. How were you like during schooling?”

Mack frowned. “Schooling?”

“Yes,” Daisy nodded. “I am assuming the Land of Humans provided an education for the children.”

Mack felt her mouth open and close a couple of times as she tried to think of a response. Her home never provided any schooling of any sort. Once you were born, you were expected to know how to survive and if you didn’t learn fast, you died. “We were taught how to survive, the men were taught to hunt and the women were told how to look after their husbands but that was about it.”

The maid seemed taken aback by her words as she sat back and stared at Mackenzie in shock. “This is grave news, your majesty. A woman’s duty is more than child baring and housework. We need to survive, hunt, and build with our community so our children have a better future.”

Mack shrugged. “It is how it is there.” She then turned her attention away from the forks to look into Daisy’s grey eyes. “Tell me, why do you address me as ‘your majesty?’ Is there no other title?”

Daisy shook her head. “There is. I could call you, your grace or Princess.”

“Then why don’t you?”

She bit her lip and looked down. Her natural rose-coloured cheeks had darkened before she spoke. “It is… it is just that you are not graceful and calling you, your grace would be an insult to the name.”

Mack was taken aback for a miller second before she started laughing. Her stomach hurt from how hard she had curled over and almost couldn’t breathe as the girl sat in her spot with a shocked and almost fearful look. “Oh, that is funny!” Mack breathed out as she sat up and tried to take deep breaths to calm herself. “You have been watching me a little too closely.”

Daisy bowed her head. “If I could speak out of term, his majesty requested that I watch you so that he could understand you a little more. I cannot speak any further than this but… he… he is planning to-”

“Assign me to teach you how to dance.” August interrupted. Mack knew that was not the end of Daisy’s sentence; however, the sight of August caused her to beam a bright smile as he came towards them. “Learning the ways of manners is a little more complex than simply learning the difference between thirty forks.”

Mack raised an eyebrow. “Let me guess, you know all thirty forks off by heart?”

August gave her a curt nod. “Yes. I have been meaning to try and teach you the ways of being a royal however certain issues have prevented me from doing so.”

Her eyebrows couldn’t be raised any further up as she eyed her two teachers. She wanted to ask what was going on but at the same time, she didn’t care to know. This castle was always filled with mystery and sudden surprises and finding how willing Daisy was to be her teacher and now August. Mack knew something was amiss. “So, dancing is your choice?”

“You can barely walk straight nor can you stand without a hunch,” August stated bluntly. She couldn’t disagree, her posture was atrocious and her lower back could do with some help. “Prince Lucas and Prince Raphael would be in attendance; however, the arrival of the King and Queen has stalled them. I think learning how to dance will help you with learning correct posture and movements.”

Mack hummed. “Okay, let us go then, I am getting tired of this anyway.”

“What the hell!”

“You are impossible to teach!” August snapped, throwing his hands up in defeat before turning his back on her and walking away.

Daisy, August, and Mack relocated to the grand ballroom. She found it quite entertaining that every room starts with the word ‘grand’ when in reality each room could fit three thousand people. Although the grand dining hall would be lucky to house three hundred people, Mack still liked to think that maybe the room had hidden doorways or passages.

They have spent the last three hours trying to teach her how to do the Watlz and each time, she kept stepping on August’s feet. It wasn’t her fault, he kept saying left and she couldn’t figure out whether or not he meant his left or her left.

“I already gave up after five minutes anyway.” Mack yawned. Daisy had almost fallen asleep watching them as she was also tired of demonstrating. Mack realised that this simple dance was easier than what they are trying to say but her feet refuse to cooperate and that is what is annoying her the most.

“We need a different tactic,” Daisy spoke to herself before her eyes suddenly beamed. “Wait here, I have an idea.”

With that said, she stood from her spot on the marble floor and ran out of the room. Mack went to question her but she moved too fast for words to come out. She couldn’t help but pierce her lips and turn to a tired-looking August.

“Did you want to do this or are you trying to distract yourself?”

Her words seemed to have struck true as he avoided eye contact. “I think she is leaving.”

“You think?”

He nodded. “Her scent is getting more distant. I want to follow her but I am afraid.”

She felt her eyes soften. Seeing this defeated man in front of her, broke her heart. Mack knew how important mates are to the supernatural world and she knew about how painful it is to be away from them but she couldn’t imagine the pain he was in knowing that his mate wanted nothing to do with him.

Her mind then went to Zack, she was in the same position not that long ago and she knows exactly what this girl is mentality going through, to an extent. She didn’t know this girl, nor did she know her past but they did share one thing in common.

“I could come with you and help track her down. Maybe if I could talk to her, I could change her mind.”

August’s head snapped up, his silver eyes glowing with hope. “I didn’t think you would be willing to help me.”

Mack shrugged. “I have decided to give Zack and this whole royal thing a chance and that means giving everyone a chance. You haven’t given me a reason to mistrust you and all you want is your mate so I want to help. I have an idea of what is going through her mind, I was there myself once.”

The relief on his face almost made her walk up to him and wrap her arms around his neck but the sweetest smell hit her nose. Her demon blood had slowly been triggered and the longer she was here the stronger it was getting.

Mack had noticed a few days ago that she had been picking up on Zack’s scent whenever he was around and the sparks, whenever they touched, whenever they touched had gotten stronger. Sometimes when she touched her mark, she would physically see what looked to be lightning coming out of her fingertips, connecting to the mark.

Little things like that have been happening and she couldn’t help but wonder if it was all from Zack and the mate bond.

To her surprise, Zack and Daisy entered the room. The girl was smiling from ear to ear as Zack stood beside her with a confused look. “I was just informed that I am needed?”

Mack tossed her eyes between the three of them before answering. “I apparently suck at being a student.”

He rolled his eyes and turned his attention to August. “What have you taught her so far?”

“Where to place your hands.”

Mack wanted to slap the amused look that crossed Zack’s face as he came towards her with confidence. “May I have this dance and show these peasants how it is really done?”

She bit her lip and eyed his hand. “Do all of you know how to do everything around here?”

“We were born talented.”

The toning of how he said that caused a shiver to run down her back. She knew the hidden meaning in seconds and couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him as she took his hand. “Fine, but don’t complain if I stand on your feet.”

“Trust me, I won’t be the one complaining.”