by Kat Zaccard
Princess Saanvi looked at me suavely, and I knew she picked up on my subtle hint. “Yes, I can see how that would be an unwelcome surprise.”
I was surprised her tone didn’t sound disapproving, in fact, there might have been a note of sympathy. “Well, I was raised to think I could choose my partner. It’s a shock to learn my birth parents chose one for me.”
“Hmm, it’s important to respect our elders, of course.”
My hope fizzled. I looked down. “Of course,” I agreed, defeated.
“But it’s also important to allow a monarch to make her own choices,” added Saanvi.
I looked up, daring to hope. “Does that mean you’ll support the annulment?” I hadn’t meant to ask so boldly. Nadia was going to be furious.
Saanvi patted my hand. “My dear, I was a young daughter once; betrothed to a man I didn’t know. He is my husband now, and we get on very well. It is possible to make an arranged marriage work, easy even. We’ve grown to love each other very deeply.”
I tried not to frown, but my mutinous face could not hold a fake smile.
Saanvi continued, “Yes, it can work, and it can even grow into love. But it’s not the same as choosing love. That is a joy I hope my own daughter will know. That is a joy I wish for my queen as well.”
I grasped her hands, tears brimming in my eyes, too overwhelmed to speak. She patted my hand in a motherly way, then released me as the gong signaled the next course.
Blinking furiously, I dabbed my eyes before I turned to my other dinner companion. I greeted Prince Kwento of the Royal Clan Balewa formally. He was tall, dark, and handsome. He looked younger than most of the council, but I couldn’t guess his age. His green eyes were electric, intelligent, and penetrating.
“My dear, I do hope I survive our discourse without bringing you to tears?”
I smiled and wiped away an errant drop. “Pardon me, Your Highness. I was particularly moved by the Princess Saanvi’s show of support.”
“Alas, I hope I don’t have to withdraw mine to spare you further distress?”
“I’m afraid withdrawing your support might lead to much worse consequences than tears.” I raised an eyebrow.
“Then we must prevent that at all cost,” he vowed.
“Humor aside,” I added seriously, “I am hoping to win your favor and support. I hope a few tears won’t dissuade you from giving me a chance to show my strength.”
“Even a warrior sheds a tear,” Prince Kwento replied sincerely.
“Yes, and I intend to be a warrior queen, Your Highness. I’m concerned about this growing threat from the north and its effect on the Great Pack.” Nadia had warned me not to mention the upyr by name, but to talk around the subject. She cautioned me to let others name them first.
“Please tell me the latest news of Nigerian pack territory? I understand you have accepted many refugees from Ukraine?”
“Yes, we have taken in many of the young pups who have yet to shift. They needed the most protection and the upyr have not yet traveled to our lands. Our people are thriving and happy to help our brothers in the north.” Apparently, Kwento missed the memo about taking around the threat. I was happy enough to drop pretenses.
“It’s a relief to know that reports are accurate. We haven’t heard of upyr further south than Ukraine at present.”
Kwento turned a shrewd eye on me. “Is that so, Your Highness? I understand there was an attack at Mount Henley?”
Kwento was new to the High Council and was not present when I briefed the council members about the Canadian attacks in May. The current regime was keeping things quiet from the public, but my understanding was that any new members had all been briefed about Kulani’s death.
I looked somberly at Kwento. “I lost a friend in that attack. I’m responsible for her death, and I must do all I can to protect the pack.”
Kwento nodded in respect. “I agree, and that means being honest with them.”
“I share your concerns. I voted against hiding the truth from the public at the last council meeting. I hope we can reconsider the issue at this one.”
“I’m pleased to hear you don’t wish to keep the truth from your people,” commented Kwento.
“I believe transparency will better serve our people.”
Kwento nodded his approval. “So let’s be transparent, Your Highness. What do you wish to ask me?”
“Are you precognicient, Kwento?” I smiled a delay.
Kwento smiled back. “No, but if I may be so bold as to recommend that you never take up poker.”
I grinned broadly. I was really glad Nadia wasn’t within earshot to critique my spectacular failure at diplomatic discretion. I outlined the issue of my betrothal and my desire to annul the contract. Kwento stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I’m not my father’s son, though I’m proud of him and his memory.” He kissed his fingers and raised his eyes up in respect. “I hope he will not mind that I intend to rule my people in my own way. We represent the shifting tides, Princess Alice. The younger generation may just have a few new ideas to contribute. I will support your annulment, Princess. And I’ll expect your support in the future.”
I was pleased to gain another supporter, but uncertain if I could commit to blind allegiance. “I would happily support you in any cause that furthers the Great Pack and harms none. However, I too, am my own wolf. Our alliance is not absolute and honor must win the day.”
I feared his reaction, but Kwento nodded. “I respect that you will not bargain away your support to an unknown cause, but I trust my case will be as noble. I believe you will make a fair and thoughtful leader.”
I was speechless and relieved of embarrassment as the gong rang and the next course served.
The palace’s idea of an informal dinner had me dreading the formal dinner for tomorrow. Still, after a dozen courses, we were allowed to leave. Shea and I tried to look dignified as we speed-walked away from the great hall and headed to our rooms to change for the run.
We met up with Nadia, and palace staff escorted us to the changing stables. Shifting easily into our wolves, we raced out of building and chased each other around the grounds. We played games, though I had an unfair advantage or two. Nadia’s white fur shone in the moonlight, whereas my russet color and darker forelegs helped me hide in the shadows. Shea’s golden wolf was almost as bright in the moonlight as Nadia, and I pondered the random thought that they’d have to roll in mud to be effective at hide-and-seek. With my alpha telepathy, I could also pick out their brain signatures, so really there was no point in me being it.
Partway across the great lawn, a few more wolves joined us. I tried to catalog their brain signatures and sort out who was who. My alpha telepathy helped me almost see other wolves’ brain waves like colorful clouds that floated off their minds. Shea had a pinkish-gold feeling about her, whereas Nadia was a rigid blue-black. The new wolves were all projecting feelings of excitement and happiness. I couldn’t hear their thoughts like words, at least not unless someone was practicing the equivalent of mentally screaming at me. I could project a thought or command to other wolves, but I tried to shield myself since everyone who’d experienced it had pretty much freaked out about it.
We greeted the newcomers in the usual way with sniffs and wagging tails. Then we chased each other into the woods beyond the walled-in area of the Winter Palace grounds. I remembered that this was near where I’d first spotted Sloane as well as encountered Duke Aleksandr as a wolf.
We chased each other through the trees and found a small clearing in the meadow. We shifted into our human selves and introduced ourselves to the group. Shea knew two of the wolves who had sat next to her at dinner.
“Guys, these are some of the exchange students. Nadia and Alice, please meet Casimir Tichy and Damka Sokol.” Shea pointed to a brown-haired boy with a medium build and wide grin, and a girl with blonde hair, blue eyes, and sharp features that made her seem austere at first. She smiled readily, though, breaking the illusion. I smiled and
said hello to each of them.
Casimir bowed formally to me. He rose, brushing his brown bangs out of his eyes, and waved a hand to introduce the rest of the group. “This is Jaro Nokto,” he said, nodding to a boy with black hair, dark skin, and thick eyebrows. We shook hands and a smile broke through his serious expression. Nadia cut me a look. Oh right, werewolves don’t really shake hands, especially royal ones.
Casimir pointed next to a tall, slender girl with thick red hair and bright green eyes. “Her Royal Highness, Princess Fanya of the Royal Clan Baron.” She bobbed a graceful curtsy. “And,” Casimir added with extreme sarcasm, “His Royal Highness, Anatoly of the Royal Clan Ivanov.”
I blushed at the name, though I’d already spotted his dark blond locks and rakish good looks. Jeez Louise, I kept describing him like he was on the cover of a romance novel. He certainly could be. I felt my cheeks grow warm remembering my earlier embarrassment.
Nadia, ever the diplomat, greeted everyone formally. She curtsied to Fanya and Anatoly, which he returned with a bow.
He rose with a grin and said, “Now there’s no need to be so formal. Alice practically proposed to me already this evening!”
The girls guffawed, and the guys groaned. I declared my position firmly. “That’s so not true, Anatoly! You obviously don’t know much about Americans.”
He waggled his eyebrows at me. “But you will teach me, yes?”
Jaro punched him in the arm. “Dude, remember, she’s the next queen.” He smiled an apology at me. I returned the smile gratefully.
“Thanks, Jaro, but maybe I too am a rising star?” Anatoly was all swagger.
Nadia looked pained. “Doubtful, Anatoly. Let’s remember that Alice wants to annul her betrothal, not trade in for a new one.”
“Ugh! Let’s change the subject!” I complained, breaking the tension and returning us all into our natural form of teenagers.
“I know, tell us about the upyr attack,” asked Anatoly. “Is it true you have an upyr killer among your royal guards?”
I was startled by the question.
Nadia jumped in, “Prince Anatoly, where did you hear these rumors?”
Anatoly turned his charm towards Nadia. “Come now, Nadia, you can’t contain a story like that! It’s all over the palace.”
“And what is the story?” I asked, trying to regain composure by taking a leaf out of Nadia’s book.
“Well, rumor has it half a dozen upyr attacked you out of the blue and your personal bodyguard ripped their heads off,” Anatoly finished succinctly.
I narrowed my eyes. “That’s far from the truth.”
“He had help,” chimed in Shea. “There were six other wolves there, eight if you count Sara and Lola, but…” Shea trailed off. She didn’t want to tell our new friends that two of our friends had run off during the attack.
“You were there too?” Casimir said to Shea, looking impressed.
“We all fought, but the Slivers did most of the work.” Shea looked over at me. We were both uncomfortable with the topic.
“But one of your guards finished them off, right?” Jaro asked.
“Diego is not a Royal Guard yet. He runs patrols at Mount Henley,” Nadia stated.
“Ah! Then we will meet the famous upyr killer for ourselves!” exclaimed Fanya with a clap of her dainty hands.
“You’re all coming to Mount Henley?” I asked.
Anatoly grinned. “Absolutely. That’s apparently where all the action is!”
Jaro rolled his eyes at Anatoly, but Casimir laughed. I hoped they were only talking about upyr.
Damka, who had been quiet, suddenly said, “Yeah right, Anatoly, like you need more action.”
Anatoly guffawed while the rest of us burst out laughing at his expense. Damka seemed a little startled we’d all overheard her snipe. She blushed pink but smiled at the positive reception. Anatoly got over his embarrassment quickly and joined in the laughter.
We laughed and joked some more then decided to race back to the palace. It was fun running in a pack and getting to know new wolves. Anatoly had a steely gray brain signature that seemed strong and impenetrable. Casimir’s was an excited light blue. Fanya had a light spring green about her, and she had buoyancy to her gait that made me think she was part fairy. Jaro had dark skin in his human form yet was golden bronze as a wolf. He was handsome either way. I couldn’t help wondering if all werewolves were good-looking. I’d yet to meet one without startling eyes or strong features. Jaro’s lightning bright brain signature was easy to pick out of the pack. I noticed that he responded instinctively to pack communications. He was observant and picked up on the slightest tail twitch. If Anatoly stepped in the mud, Jaro was sure to miss it. But if Casimir signaled a treacherous trail, Jaro echoed his movements precisely, down to the amount of weight balanced on each paw. I was excited to show my new friends around Mt. Henley, and felt sure we all could learn from each other.
We said goodbye and went to change into humans and clothes. Heading back to the palace, I felt hopeful that tomorrow’s dinner would introduce me to more new allies. If I was lucky, I was but two days away from freedom.
Chapter 8
The following day went by in a flash and it was soon time to attend the formal dinner. Shea and I dressed in evening gowns and had our hair twisted into elaborate plaits by an exclusive hairdresser sent via Nadia. Monica was scowling outside our rooms waiting to lead us to the dining hall. We greeted our new friends from the night before and chatted pleasantly before dinner. As the gong sounded, Nadia came up to me looking constipated.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“It’s the seating arrangements. They’ve been altered at the last minute. The Queen Regent’s doing, no doubt.”
“Well, she completely ignored me last night, so maybe she’s making up for lost time?”
“No time for jokes, Alice. Be on guard. You’re between Prince Ulric Dolph and Prince Liam O’Cleirigh.”
I was pleased to see Liam again, a long-time supporter of the Luna Clan. I was less pleased to see my potential father-in-law. He grinned wolfishly at me and bowed as I took my seat.
“Your Royal Highness,” he said formally.
“Your Grace,” I murmured. The first course was served, and I inquired after the Dolph family’s health.
“All is well, my dear, thank you for asking. Two new Dolphs were born over the summer. Twins run in the family, you know. Of course, Logan has been intolerable this summer. I am hoping marriage will settle him down.” He smiled wickedly at me.
I ground my teeth and managed a cubist impression of a smile. “Well, he certainly has taken a shine to Jillian Reynolds.” I hadn’t realized my barb would cut, but his smile faltered and his eyes hardened.
“Oh, that dalliance is mere gossip. Logan will be a faithful husband and father, I assure you.” His threat was directed more at Logan than me, which was an oddly pleasant twist from my American cultural norm.
I dropped the pretenses. “You must know he doesn’t want to marry me?”
“Of course he does! He knows his child will be the next heir to the throne. What more could he hope for?”
I wanted to say “love” but didn’t feel like being laughed at again.
“Is there nothing that would dissuade you?” I inquired, a little too meekly.
“So long as you’re next in line for the throne, I expect a wedding will follow your coronation.”
I realized there was another threat veiled beneath the first. The Dolph Clan supported my claim to the throne so long as I remained betrothed to Logan. Annul the betrothal and they might very well support Queen Christina instead. Worse still, if Logan wanted to be with Jillian, perhaps they’d withdraw support anyway. No, love was not the answer here.
The gong signaled the next course and I turned my attention to Liam O’Cleirigh.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Liam.” I smiled, grateful for a friendly face.
“And you, Your Royal Highness. Tell me
, how are you enjoying your stay at the Winter Palace?”
We talked for a bit about the palace architecture and grounds. We agreed that the woods were more fun to run in than manicured lawns. I stuck to Nadia’s advice and kept politics off the table. As dinner wore on, I felt less certain of my chances in court tomorrow. I was confident that I held majority support for my ascension to the throne, but less sure of my chances for annulment.
◆◆◆
The next day dawned and I entered the council chambers with time to spare. I greeted Saanvi and Kwento warmly and smiled at the council members I had yet to meet. Most of the diplomats returned my smile with a nod or a formal bow. One woman glared daggers at me. I recognized her from my last meeting as the woman I’d dubbed Grouchy. She was an older woman with dark skin and greying hair, her stature was imposing despite being only about five and a half feet tall. I didn’t have time to ponder the metric conversion since Grouchy was making a beeline for me.
“Your Royal Highness,” she said formally with a swift curtsy. “I am Lady Hanna of the Royal Clan Lewis, Duchess of America. I wanted to formally introduce myself before the meeting begins.”
“It’s an honor to meet you, Lady Hanna. Forgive me for not formally greeting you at the last meeting.”
Having dispensed her own pleasantries, she waved mine away. “I am concerned by these on-going reports of upyr. Until two months ago, I was convinced they were nothing but a fairytale. Now that we know they’re in Canada, I fear they may travel south. Of course, I agreed not to incite panic. However, we cannot issue warnings or enforce curfews if we can’t tell the clans what’s going on.”
I was impressed by her self-awareness and willingness to not only change her mind, but admit she’d been wrong. “Thank you for speaking to me. I share your concerns. I regret that I wasn’t more convincing at the last meeting when the increased threat was revealed.” I swallowed a lump in my throat as I remembered Kulani. “I agree that it’s time the public must be warned.”