a Path to walk

Malory’s POV:

Two full weeks had slipped by, and my body had completely recovered.

I owed every bit of this miraculous recovery to my true inheritance. Had I genuinely been the ordinary human I always believed myself to be, I would have already found my final resting place beneath the soil.

Instead, my anatomy was undergoing a profound, rapid evolution. Having crossed the threshold of my eighteenth year, my inner wolf was slowly starting to stir from her deep slumber. It was this burgeoning royal biology that had shielded me from a fatal impact when I plunged into the chasm, allowing me to fully heal in a mere fourteen days.

This was the ultimate proof that I belonged to a world of claws and fangs. After spending eighteen years convinced I was fundamentally fragile, suddenly discovering I was a Lycan was a truth my mind still struggled to fully digest. Yet, regardless of the shock, I had to keep moving forward.

I rarely permitted my thoughts to wander back to Oliver’s cruel rejection on the night of the festival; this year was entirely too critical to waste on heartbreak. I had to focus every ounce of my energy on preparing for my impending transformation.

Thankfully, my parents never left my side. My Mum, Queen Elara doted on me as if I were a newborn, constantly feeding me endless lore regarding our kind. In truth, having grown up in a pack, I already understood the foundational dynamics of our species, but I kept quiet. I simply basked in the warmth of their presence, knowing we were both desperately trying to weave together the threads of the eighteen years we had lost.

Every single day, they set aside their immense royal duties just to be near me, leaving the palace attendants looking far more frantic than the monarchs themselves. They carried themselves with an effortless, joyous warmth that made it easy to forget they ruled an empire. Secretly, I found myself eager to see how my father commanded himself when he wasn't playing the doting patriarch.

Fortunately, I had completed my basic high school curriculum long before my fall, so I wasn't lagging behind academically. This left my mother and me free to spend our afternoons curled up by the high arched windows, diving into historical texts and listening to her recount tales of the ancient realms.

I progressed through the grueling lectures on courtly etiquette with remarkable speed. Elara frequently beamed with pride, declaring that because the royal Lycan blood flowed through my veins, I absorbed the complex protocols far faster than any ordinary courtier.

While the absolute truth of her motherly bias was up for debate, her constant encouragement filled me with an unfamiliar, blooming confidence.

The day the royal physicians finally granted me permission to leave my quarters for a stroll, I nearly cheered out loud. Being confined to a single bedchamber for weeks was a special kind of torment—one almost as agonizing as memorizing the dry, endless volumes of the ancient legal codes.

Once outside, Elara led me on a grand exploration of the sprawling palace grounds. The estate was every bit as breathtaking as the grand structures I had read about. Soaring vaulted ceilings were traced with delicate filigrees of spun gold, and massive floor-to-ceiling windows were framed by heavy crimson drapes. Every corridor boasted exquisite craftsmanship, dotted with vibrant porcelain vases bursting with fresh, fragrant blossoms. Courtiers and guards drifted through the halls, pausing instantly to offer deep, reverent bows the moment my mother and I passed.

I bit my lip to keep from letting out a breathless gasp. As a princess, I had to master the art of royal composure; throwing an unrefined tantrum of excitement would be utterly unbecoming, and I refused to embarrass my bloodline.

Once we had mapped out the interior of the palace, we transitioned our walks to the bustling public streets of the royal territory. The moment the citizens caught sight of my parents, an outpouring of enthusiastic reverence swept through the crowds. Observing their reactions made me truly realize the depth of the sacrifices King Aldrich and Queen Elara had made for their people, and the genuine adoration the kingdom held for them.

For the time being, however, my true identity remained a tightly guarded secret. Beyond a select few high-ranking officials within the inner sanctum of the palace, the public remained completely unaware that the lost princess had returned. The decision was born out of stark necessity; I was still entirely untrained and lacked the strength to defend myself. If a traitor had managed to rip me from my cradle eighteen years ago to threaten my father’s crown, there were undoubtedly dark forces waiting to exploit my vulnerability today.

“Your combat and strategy instruction will begin immediately. I have already secured the finest tutor in the realm for you,” Elara noted softly as we walked. “Heavy lies the head that wears the crown, my love. Inheriting a throne requires absolute mastery.”

“Indeed, especially when you are a young woman stepping into a historically male lineage,” Aldrich added, reaching over to affectionately ruffle my hair.

I shot him a playful look. “And why should that matter? Women are fully capable of being extraordinary leaders.”

“Of course they are,” Aldrich agreed, his eyes flashing with a sharp, fiercely proud light. “But there will always be traditionalist fools who think otherwise. That is exactly why you must prove your supremacy to them. Force those who dare to look down on you to swallow their pride.”

His words struck a powerful chord within me. I quietly curled my fingers into a tight fist, swearing a silent oath to the moon that I would never allow myself to be viewed as an inferior liability again. I had spent a lifetime enduring the suffocating pity of the Knox pack. From this moment on, I would forge myself into someone stronger, fiercer, and undeniably qualified to reign as the Lycan Queen Regent.

Unaware of the fierce war drums beating in my chest, Elara let out a gentle, contented sigh.

“I cannot recall the last time my heart felt this light and unburdened.”

“We owe this joy entirely to our greatest treasure,” Aldrich murmured, taking my hand in his broad palm as if holding a priceless gem. “She is destined to become a monarch whose legacy will completely eclipse my own.”

Elara gave him a teasingly critical look.

“Do not fill our daughter’s head with your dramatic exaggerations, Aldrich. She possesses far too much grace to adopt your shameless vanity.”

Aldrich merely chuckled, sweeping his arm around Elara’s waist to pull her flush against his side before pressing a firm, affectionate kiss to her lips.

“Admit it, my love—you wouldn't have me any other way.”

Feeling distinctly like a third wheel to their public display of affection, I deliberately slowed my pace to grant them some space. Neither of them seemed to mind; they drifted toward a stone bench beneath the shade of a massive willow tree. Aldrich even threw a playful, dismissing wave in my direction, jokingly gesturing for me to find my own entertainment while he doted on his mate.