7

Why does he looks so irritated? Maybe he doesn’t like seeing my face.

“I just came to tell you not to kick up a fuss over this.”

I blink slowly, trying to follow what he’s saying. “Over what?”

“The separate bedrooms.” He sounds impatient.

“I have no problem with it,” I murmur. When he looks angry, I wonder what I did now.

“And I don’t want to hear any complaining about the mating ceremony.”

“I understand.”

Why does he look even more irked now?

“You are a stand-in for the real princess,” he says harshly. “Don’t expect the same treatment that Vivian would have received. And don’t think you will get the same privileges. You are simply a substitute, so know your place. Don’t let your position go to your head. This room was designed for the real princess. You are not her.”

My wolf flinches, the harsh and vicious rejection making it whimper in bewilderment. How do I explain to an animal who only understands instincts that our mate doesn’t want us? This isn’t a fairytale where the king rescues us from the evil princess and we get to live happily ever after. The king did rescue us, but he wanted the evil princess, and I’m just a cheap replacement.

“I understand,” I reply quietly.

Does he expect me to argue with him over my rights? What rights? I never assumed I had any.

He stares at me for a few seconds and then snaps, “Change that outfit and stop eating all the time. The servants aren’t here to accommodate your every whim.”

With that, he slams the door shut and leaves.

I gaze at the door, trying to calm my wolf. “It’s fine,” I whisper softly. “You’re alive, aren’t you? That matters.”

But I don’t know if I entirely believe it even as the words leave my mouth.

 

  

The Northern Kingdom’s castle is massive.

The gray, stone walls are depressing, and as Harriet guides me around, I find myself asking, “Why isn’t there anything colorful in this place?”

The question comes out before I can stop myself.

Harriet gives me a small smile. “The North has always been this way. None of the previous queens cared much about decorating the castle. His Majesty’s parents were never concerned about appearances, either. As I’m sure you know, the Northern Kingdom is responsible for protecting the Veil between the human world and ours. The Veil has incredibly strong magic, and it affects the wildlife in that area, causing those creatures to mutate. The royal family is tasked with ensuring the resulting monsters don’t cross into the human world, so they are kept very busy with protecting the Veil. They simply don’t think about things like having color in the castle. But if you wish to decorate, I can talk to the king about a budget—”

I shake my head. “I don’t want to change anything. I was just asking.”

I can feel her eyes on me, but she doesn’t press the issue. Instead, she says, “Miss Asher should be in her office right now. We can take her along with us while we look at the grounds and do a quick tour of the local villages.”

As we head to her office, I think about the Veil.

While the human world and the wolf kingdoms exist on the same Earth, a magic barrier was cast centuries ago, separating the two species. The humans craved development, while the wolves wished to stay true to their traditions and their kind. Animosity had already begun to spread between the humans and the wolves, and the witches of that time decided to separate them to prevent any escalation. It is not easy for a human to cross the Veil, but for beings with magical energy, such as us wolves, it is not hard.

Princess Vivian hated history lessons, and I was often forced to double for her when she wanted to play truant. While our education was mostly the same, the king didn’t want to give me too much advantage, but his daughter didn’t care. She wanted to use me in whatever way she saw fit. So, I attended plenty of her lessons in her place, which is why I have so much knowledge about the placement of the various kingdoms. I also know about the existence of the wolf kingdom in the human world. Unlike us, they have fully embraced the humans’ modern development, and they don’t live in castles. I visited them once, in the princess’s place. The world of the humans fascinated me. There was no discrimination among classes. At least, none that I saw. They didn’t whip those beneath them. They had their own problems, but from my point of view, those problems were trivial compared to what I faced on a daily basis.

The education systems were different. Several thousand students would learn in one building. In the wolf kingdoms, children are taught individually by a select few, and most receive that education at home. And even that schooling is limited to their requirements. I had to meet the king there, Erik, and he must have sensed my fascination with the human education system because he gifted me several books on various subjects. Princess Vivian, when she saw the gifts on my return, was disgusted and tossed them aside. I kept those books and read them all. There were subjects like finance and economy and botany. Things that the princess considered boring but I found interesting.

Bella Asher’s office is in a corner of the castle, and when we enter, I see towers and towers of books stacked from the ground upward. There’s a desk near the window, and a man is standing by it, his back to me. His physique is slim, his hair a soft blonde and tied in a long, flowing ponytail. When he turns around, I’m startled. It’s not a man but a woman. She’s wearing rimless spectacles, a plain white dress shirt, and dark pants—usually a man’s attire. Bella is strikingly attractive, though, and I know in a heartbeat that Princess Vivian would never have allowed such an individual anywhere near her husband.

Harriet introduces us. “This is Bella Asher, Your Majesty.”

Bella’s voice is cool, reminding me of my mate. “Is this the queen?”

I’m used to disrespect, and I can sense it in her tone. She’s not addressing me, simply confirming my identity.

“This is Queen Vivian,” Harriet says, her voice sharp. “I’m giving her a tour of the castle and the villages—”

“Why?” Bella asks abruptly, snapping closed the book in her hands. “She’s not the real princess. She’s just a lowly maid of the actual—”

“Bella!” Harriet’s tone is harsh, and the woman stops talking. “She is the queen. If you can’t show her the respect her status demands, then perhaps I should seek out another individual who will be more willing to look past their bias.”

Bella stiffens, and I look at Harriet in wonder. I thought she was just the head maid. I didn’t know she had so much authority to make even the royal assistant look flustered. The latter looks at me. “My apologies.”

She doesn’t sound sorry, nor do I care.

“Now, will you accompany us on the tour?” Harriet asks, her voice hard.

Bella nods. “Let me grab my coat.”

“That reminds me.” Harriet glances at me. “I should get you something heavier to wear. The castle is warm inside, but—”

“This is warm?” I blurt the words, and Harriet studies me in concern.

“Are you feeling chilly?”

I look down at the simple green dress I’m wearing. The fabric isn’t very thick, but I thought I wasn’t allowed to wear anything on top of it, so I never asked.

When I don’t answer, Harriet reaches out and touches my hand. Her expression grows horrified. “Why didn’t you tell me you were so cold?!”

“I didn’t notice,” I lie.

“I’ll get you a coat. Stay here.”

She hurries off, leaving me alone with Bella.

The woman stares at me and finally says, “Don’t expect me to treat you like royalty. Cedric has informed me about you. I am among his most loyal people.”