Chapter 5 : Bereaved but Unafraid

Constance

A maid ushered me through the castle, the ancient stone walls looking cold despite the summer’s warmth. I shivered in spite of myself, hugging my arms around my body to keep them from moving.

The woman who led me, a slight, slender girl around my age, spoke little as she guided me through the halls, each one marked with a different portrait of past royalty.

When I asked what her name was, she answered simply, “Harriet,” and said nothing more. She kept her hands in front of her the entire time, never once casting her anywhere but at her feet. This was the obedient act of those lower in status than their company.

As a servant and maid of the royal household, she was never to look her employers in the eye. To do so would state she was of equal status. In a royal house such as this, pretending to be something you were not, such as a servant acting as nobility, would be severely punished.

Even in my own house, this rule was respected above all. While it was comforting to see something I could recognize in a place that was so foreign, I still hated to see this well-defined line between two people.

We went up a steep flight of stairs that coiled around the base of a tower. The landing filtered into a long corridor, which ended with a single door.

“These are the guest chambers, milady,” Harriet said to me, bowing into a curtsey. She then stepped forward and opened the door. Dank and dust air met me as I stepped inside.

The guest chambers were composed of three joined rooms. One room acted as the sitting room, another the bedroom, and the third the bath chamber. It looked the same as any other of such fashion I had seen, and yet I could feel how alien it truly was.

“Thank you,” I told her as she stood in the doorway. Behind her were two guards, each with a hand on the pommel of a sword.

Harriet looked at me, or rather at the floor, with surprise. Perhaps she was unused to the gratitude of those whom she served.

“It is no problem, milady. Is there anything else you require assistance with? If not, simply ring the bell by your bedside whenever you need me.”

“Actually, I could use something to eat,” I replied. “I can’t remember the last I ate something.”

“Very well. I will return shortly.”

With that, she curtsied again and closed the door. I could hear her retreating footsteps echoing down the hall.

My heart seemed to grow heavy then, much too heavy to bear. I walked through the sitting room and through the double doors leading to the bedroom. The room was lined with lush carpets and tapestries, making the place feel warm and cozy.

But all this did was make me feel the burden of my loss. My own room had looked much like this, and yet so different. Even the bed, a four-poster with thick curtains draped around it, reminded me so much of the bed I had slept in.

But that was burned up in the fire, an explosion that tore through the remainders of my soul. I didn’t know who I was without my family, my parents to guide me. For the first time in my life, I was completely alone.

It was a terrifying thought to realize that there was no one else out there who cared about you. I was so frightened to know that I was the only person left in my family, the sole heir to a throne that no longer existed.

What was to become of me? What was I to do? I hated the idea of cowering, of hiding in this castle. I wanted to do something, to strike back. But how? What could I do against an army so strong? How could I ever hope of defeating the Alpha King in the South? Who was I?

I didn’t have any answers. I think that alone is what made me sink into that bed and simply cry. The tears I wept were for more than the loss I felt. They were for the hopelessness of my situation, for the uncertainty of the future. I was in a strange land surrounded by strange people.

I felt like I was in the eye of a storm, and around me, I could see the life I had lived being swept away into a dark void that was death. It felt as though a part of me had died along with my parents. So much was gone in a matter of a few hours. I was no longer the person I had been.

Then, an idea occurred to me. It was such an outlandish idea, I thought for sure I was going mad.

If I, in a sense, had died, then who I became would be entirely different than who I was. Was that such a bad thing? Part of me thought that it was. I would be dishonoring the woman my parents raised me to be. But that also wasn’t true.

Growing up, my parents instilled in me a sense of strength and courage, especially when facing danger. They encouraged me to become a leader and to be a helpful resource for our community. In order to fulfill this role, I knew I would have to make some changes to better serve those around me.

I sat up in the bed, wiping away the tears that stung my scraped face. I would be different. I had to be.

I stood up and straightened out my clothes, grimacing at how torn and dirty they had become in the few hours I had worn them. They were nothing like what I was accustomed to wearing, but they did their job well enough.

Whatever the case, I would be meeting with the King soon, and I wanted to be presentable. So, I went into the bath chamber and thought about calling up Harriet to draw a bath, but then reconsidered.

Only a princess would beg for others to do everything for her. I would do that no longer. If I was going to change, I would need to change even at the smallest level.

After lighting a fire, I utilized the pump in the bath chamber to fill numerous buckets with water. I then boiled the water and poured it into the copper tub until it was full. Carefully, I removed my worn clothes and eased my body into the steaming hot water.

After spending a long time outside, it felt incredibly refreshing to take a bath. I thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned myself, feeling renewed and refreshed as I stepped out of the tub.

After returning to the bedroom, I noticed a wardrobe next to a tall window. Upon opening it, I was delighted to find a collection of simple gowns in various colors, most of which fit me perfectly. It only took me a few minutes to choose an outfit, and I felt a sense of accomplishment in doing so independently, which I rarely had the chance to do before.

I looked in the mirror, astonished at my appearance. Though the dress was a plain, pale blue cotton thing, it looked splendid on me, highlighting the curves I wasn’t aware I had. The dresses I usually wore were loose around the hips, forming into a large, puffed skirt that hid any appearance of my true form.

On the contrary, this dress lacked any embellishments, with no frills, lace, or other adornments, and instead showcased the pure elegance of its simplicity.

A knock at the door shook me from my thoughts. I smoothed out any noticeable wrinkles in the dress and walked into the sitting room and opened the main door. There stood Harriet, looking the same as before.

She took one look at the dress and frowned. “Milady, if I had known you wanted a change, I would have helped you. Please forgive me for not assisting…”

“It’s okay,” I told her. “I enjoyed doing it myself.”

Looking slightly confused, she bowed and then said, “King Declan awaits you in the Council Chamber. Are you ready?”

I nodded to her and then she led me back the way we had come.

When we arrived at the Chamber doors, she bowed again, leaving me alone with the two guards. They opened the doors, and I heard someone announce me, which they hadn’t done before.

When I entered the vast space, I was relieved to see only the King sitting at the head of the table. He smiled when he saw me, and I bowed in response.

“Enough of that,” he waved away with a smile. He gestured to the seat beside him. “Please, sit. We have much to discuss.”

Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself and proceeded to move forward. As per his guidance, I settled into the comfortable seat and allowed my body to relax.

“Now,” he began. “Tell me exactly what happened. And please, don’t leave out any details.”

I recounted every detail I knew to him, beginning with the Alpha of the Moon Pack's arrival. I proceeded to describe the explosions that echoed outside, the screams, and the desperate pleas for mercy. I shared how my father courageously fought against the invading wolves, allowing my mother and me to flee to safety.

I also told him how she was struck down by the very man who had begun the attack, the King of the Southern Territories.

“I have no doubt they intend on coming here,” I finished, hoping he didn’t hear the tremble in my voice.

King Declan’s face looked at me darkly, shadows forming on his face. “I thank you for coming to me with this news. This is most unfortunate, indeed. I am very sorry this has happened to you and for your losses. I will have to discuss this with my advisors. For now, I ask that you rest. I take it that you are plenty tired after your long journey.”

Just then, the doors open, and a tall, broad-shouldered man, barreled through. His glowering face first struck me as odd, and then…it hit me. As quick as a flash and as heavy as an earthquake, I felt a rush of emotions that left me frozen in shock.

Now…after everything that’s happened…after having witnessed the murder of both my parents…

This was wrong. This shouldn’t be happening. Not now! I wanted to jump up and run from the room, unwilling to accept what was happening. This was too much. I didn’t know if I could handle it. My stomach lurched violently inside me. How could this be?

But there he was—standing upright with rigid authority and staring right at me…was my fated mate.