Chapter 5

“What do you mean, he’s not there?”

Everyone could hear the distraught in my voice, but I didn’t care. I was already cranky, tired, hungry, sweaty, my head hurt, and the mesh fabric of the lacy dress I was wearing was already clinging to my skin, making me itch all over. They don’t look like it, but I’m sure both Becca and Helena felt the same way.

“For their own protection, we separate the royal family during this time of the month,” Mitchell answered. “Once the full moon lockdown is in effect—”

“Full moon lockdown?” Becca piped up. “What is that?”

I casted a sidelong glance at the other girl for interjecting in our chat, but I couldn’t blame her; lockdowns weren’t as common in Rozenberg as they were in Volfenheim.

“It’s a safety precaution implemented during the full moon to prohibit people from leaving or entering the kingdom or other locations, Your Grace.” The pilot looked uncomfortable, pulling on his collar. “We’ve been doing this since the Occults came ten years ago. You were the only exception. We set up lockdowns to allow them to roam freely without restraints three evenings a month to bask in the moonlight.”

“And kill humans?” I gasped dramatically. “Unbelievable.”

“Fortunately, no one has ever been attacked in all these years.”

“Except I was.”

As expected, they do not have an answer to that. I looked at the window to roll my eyes. “Where is Henry now? Wherever he is, that’s where I want to go.”

“No one knows,” Mitchell said. “Only the Empress Regent and His Majesty’s Royal Guards know.”

“Are you kidding me? He knows I’m coming, right?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And he will not meet me?”

“For the duration of the full moon lockdown, yes.”

“I don’t understand,” Helena chipped in. “Our kingdom supplies you with enough RHBP to control the occult population. You can wipe them out completely if you want to.”

I couldn’t help but admire the queen’s quick wit, playing perplexity while, in fact, she was gathering information.

“I agree. That’s what we do in our kingdom.” Becca leaned forward, clearly interested. “That’s why we have no pests or problems like that.”

“Well—I’m sure you know that Her Imperial Majesty opened the empire’s doors to Occults ten years ago...”

“Who doesn’t?” I huffed. I wanted to kick off my shoes because they were sticky and felt toasty on my feet, but I couldn’t because it would be unbecoming for someone of my stature to do so. It added to my aggravation. “The entire world mocked the empire for that. Fraternizing with monsters... have they forgotten our history? Our ancestors fought those Occults and now they welcome those pests with open arms.”

“I had no idea the empire had grown into such a fascinating place,” Queen Helena chimed in, lightly tapping the back of my hand. Confused, I turned to her, and she attempted to communicate with me through her eyes. I ignored her though, since I couldn’t understand what she was trying to say.

If she wants to say something, she has to do it with words.

“Thank goodness you brought your firearm with you,” Becca said. Everyone glanced at the gun on my lap. “Kill them on sight, Your Royal Highness!”

 “You can’t do that!” the pilot blurted out, horrified. “His Majesty declared a mandate to protect all Occults. You can’t kill them, or harm them in any way, except to defend yourself if they attack you.”

“That’s preposterous!”

“It’s the law.”

“Well, Princess Selina is here now,” Becca smugly stated. “Things are about to change around here.”

Because of what she said, a warm feeling spread across my chest. It felt fantastic.

“Becca!” my stepmother exclaimed. “Don’t be rude.”

I scowled at the older woman. What was she doing?

Helena pressed her own phone into my hand. How she still had it after all that chaos was beyond me, because I had lost mine. I looked and there was a message written on the screen:

‘Be careful of what you say to them about their monarch or empire. These people clearly adore and support the Royal Family and their decisions. Sooner or later, someone will undoubtedly share your words with others. Some may also twist them to fit their narrative. I know you have a different view. I share your sentiment. But openly criticizing Camilla or Henry this early will only harm your standing with the commoners. And you will be needing their support more than the nobles.’

“But Your Majesty…” Becca tried to reason.

“You’re humiliating your princess royal in front of her future subjects,” Helena added pointedly.

As much as I hate her, I realized she was right. However, it was too late to take back what I said.

The pilots exchanged another gaze before clearing their throats. They remained silent for the rest of the ride, responding with brief replies and very little else until they announced our arrival at Aldervolf, the Imperial City.

“Are public hangings still practiced here?” I remarked as we passed by the town square and noticed that they had placed gallows in the heart of a market.

“That’s for the traders and sellers, Your Royal Highness,” Mitchell said. When he noticed my confusion, he added, “For weighing their stuff...”

“Oh…”

“... most of the time.”

“I see...” I mumbled, no longer interested.

“What, digital scales don’t exist here?” joked Becca. “Why are you using such an archaic, morbid instrument... and I thought our kingdom was stuck in the Dark Ages.”

“Becca,” I warned quietly. “Be silent!”

“It’s true though.”

“Rebecca Eibisch, know your place!”

I had no idea what possessed Becca to insult Volfenheim, our own realm, and respond to me in this manner. She was usually a brazen girl. That’s why I keep her around; she doesn’t get in my way like the other ladies-in-waiting. But she was not stupid…

Helena shook her head in displeasure, “Becca, sooner or later, your loud mouth will be the death of you.”

The lady-in-waiting stopped smiling and lowered her head. Another few minutes of awkward silence passed before the pilot successfully landed the helicopter on the ground.

“We’re here,” Mitchell said, taking off his helmet and his headset.

We followed suit, exiting the vehicle, and soon found ourselves in the vast grasslands in front of Lyall Palace, the home of the Imperial Family. The pilot parked the helicopter near the entrance, where ten female servants and at least twenty royal soldiers were waiting for us. They all bowed low as a way of greeting.

“Wow,” Becca said. “Their future queen has arrived; is this the best they can do?”

“Shut up, Becca.”

“Welcome, Your Royal Highness,” a man greeted me as I approached. He handed me a bouquet of beautiful pink roses. “This is from His Majesty, ma’am.”

“Thank you.” I took them, breathing in on the scent. Henry really knew how to pull on my heart strings.

I studied the man in front of me. He was young-looking and was wearing a turquoise and gold suit with a white shirt and a black cross bow tie. There was a Volfenheim Royal Household Office insignia on the blue sash of his left arm. I could tell it surprised him to see my stepmother behind me.

“Queen Helena, we weren’t expecting you…”

“It’s a long story,” Helena replied pleasantly. “I hope I wasn’t too much of a bother.”

“Not at all.” He bowed slightly to the pregnant woman, eyeing her belly anxiously for a second. “My name is Clifford, and I am your butler for the rest of your stay in Her Imperial Majesty’s home.”

“Thank you,” I responded distractedly, looking expectantly at the palace’s entrance, knowing full well that Henry wasn’t there to meet me.

“Please follow me.” We climbed up the steps to the palace while the pilots took off again to who knows where. “The empress has already retired to her chambers to pray and has asked not to be disturbed until morning.”

“We understand,” Helena said again. “We know it’s already late.”

“Wow. They weren’t joking when they said he’s not here,” Becca said in a stage whisper, and I clenched my fist to contain my temper. It seemed the girl was keen on humiliating me in front of the servants.

“I beg your pardon?”

“King Henry,” Becca clarified. “The pilots said he’s not here.”

“His Majesty is in a meeting with the nobles as of the moment,” the butler explained apologetically. “We are not sure when it will be over. These meetings can last for days…”

My heart sank, but I didn’t let it show. My father’s meetings were the same, so I kind of understood. I just wished he had scheduled his meetings around my arrival.

“You will be staying in the west wing, while the mistress of the castle will be in the east,” Clifford explained, business-like again. “Dinner will be served in your chambers. We will supply everything you will ever need. In exchange, you may not roam the halls or the gardens for the next three nights. You are not permitted to open the drapes, windows, or step out onto the balconies. Please do not, under any circumstances, violate this. It’s the only rule of the house.”

Becca, Helena, and I looked at each other. It was strange and excessive, but we assumed it was related to their full moon lockdowns. We all nodded in agreement because he was waiting for a response.

The servants escorted us to guest chambers, where we would spend the rest of our stay in the castle. Physicians also attended to each of us, especially Queen Helena, because of her sensitive condition.

As I was preparing to retire for the night, a servant came to my room, carrying a silver tray with a tiny velvet box. Inside, there were a couple of tiny, rose-shaped earbuds. I took them and put them on while the servant pressed a button on a remote control she was carrying on her apron. A flat-screen TV appeared in place of the oil painting in front of my bed.

When the TV switched on, a boy appeared on the screen. With his tousled curly, jet-black hair, porcelain skin peppered with freckles, chiseled jawline, and soft blue eyes, he looked like a 17-year-old cherub. It was the young king; my betrothed. Dressed in his gray jacket, white shirt, and a blue tie, he was looking directly at me and smiling fondly.

“Hi, Selina,” Henry said, his voice loud and clear through the buds. It made a familiar jolt in my stomach.

“Hi, Henry!”

“—If you’re watching this, it means I am not there to personally welcome you to Volfenheim, and I apologize for that.”

“Oh.”

“I’m swamped with work today, and the nobles refused to reschedule the meetings. We have pressing issues to deal with, and I cannot afford to take a break. I’m afraid this will take the rest of the weekend and I will be unable to call or text you. They have signal jammers here along with many other things to secure the place. I’ve instructed my staff to attend to your every need, so I hope you’re at least comfortable. Did you get the roses I picked out for you? Given what you’ve been through today, you deserve better than that, and I sincerely apologize. I hope this did not dampen your decision to come here.”

I smiled as I noticed the king’s cheeks flushed slightly and his eyes averted, as if embarrassed.

“When you told me you’d like to attend university with me…” Henry continued. I frowned a little when he looked over ahead, somewhere behind the camera, and he instantly looked distracted. When he spoke again, it was clear in his voice that he was rushing his words. “I’m glad you’re finally here. Anyway, as soon as my meetings adjourn, I’ll meet you in Lyall palace for lunch. I’ll see you soon. Bye.”

With that, the screen went blank and switched off on its own. I sighed. I went to bed after talking to my father on the phone. I could hear eerie howls of the wolves. It somehow lulled me to sleep. 

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