Chapter 6 : Caught Alone with Another Man

"There you go, your Highness. You're all cleaned up. There's no damage at all," Reina, Hoarfrost's resident nurse, reassured.

I nodded my appreciation, a gesture it seemed Reina was not accustomed to.

After that, Dylan walked me to my room. The early morning sky was a pinkish hue and pierced strongly into the white palace hall.

"The sun is beautiful here," Dylan pointed out, adding, "Up north, everyone's just a bit more tense and cool towards each other. You've been a great ambassador for your pack, your Highness."

Dylan looked down shyly towards the marble tile as his cheeks flushed the color of the evening sky. I didn't want him to get the wrong idea and I added, "Thank you, Dylan. I appreciate your acquaintanceship."

"Oh, so that's what we're calling it now?" Dylan released a light laugh. "Up north we just call it the friendzone." This time he rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head as he exhaled.

"I-I'm sorry but I don't under–"

Before I could finish my thought Dylan interjected, "Well, if you know any beautiful Sablestone royals who'd fancy a dashing, bald-headed Beta…let them know, I'm accepting offers!"

That seemed to be who Dylan was: a bit self-deprecating, a bit playful, and a bit innocently charming.

"I will keep that in mind," I slightly curved my lips into a smile as I twisted the brass doorknob into my room.

Dylan stood outside and bid farewell, "Try to get some rest, your Highness. And don't think too much about how the prince reacted. That's just…him."

I returned the greeting, "Thank you, Beta Dylan," and I closed the door tight.

Today was a terrible first encounter with the prince, and somehow it seemed I managed to make things even worse between us. Something I didn't think was possible.

***

The Luna Queen left me relatively unbothered for the next couple of days, which I was thankful for. Each morning, I continued gathering flowers as soon as I woke up and I left them outside Prince Leonardo's room because ever since our first encounter, I was wary of disturbing him.

I'd place the flowers down and make a hasty walk back to my room before he could come to the door. The flowers were always gone by the next morning so either he brought them inside or had the palace servants throw them away.

However, the queen must have known I wasn't making much progress because the door to my room slammed open.

I stood up immediately. "My queen."

Queen Regina's piercing emerald eyes caught my shocked gaze. Her face was perfectly powdered, her outfit immaculately regal, and she elicited an air of irrefutable power.

It was just the two of us in Princess Iris's massive room, but I was feeling claustrophobic.

She took a few strides closer to me, smirked, and sarcastically questioned, "How's my princess doing?"

Queen Regina pushed her face forward, her nose connecting with mine, her eyes glowing with rage as she mocked me.

I gulped, unable to speak.

The Luna Queen lifted her hand and cupped my cheek, a blistering wave of ice debilitating my muscles.

Her voice hardened, "Stuck in a rut? How about stop wasting time and use these!" She pointed to my breasts before continuing, "No man, not even that monster, would refuse sex with a beautiful virgin."

Her breath was frosty as I could feel the sweat pooling on my face freeze as if they were now icicles.

"I couldn't, your Majesty," I confessed solemnly, my gaze pointed towards the ground.

She lifted my chin with her long fingernail and forced my attention to her. "Oh, but you will!"

The queen cackled and glided out of the room. She slammed the door and I flinched at the loud slam.

I couldn't think of other viable options at the moment, but I also wasn't ready to seduce him as the queen proposed either.

I had to figure out a way to approach him in person again and make progress fast if I wanted to spare my body.

The next morning, before even the queen's attendant, had even arrived to do my makeup, I ran down to the garden to pick more Monadiko and then made my way to the prince's room.

With the flowers in my hand, I nervously tapped on the door, a risky move considering that if the prince was still sleeping, I'd be a dead woman.

This time I softly called out to him, "Prince Leonardo?" There was no movement or response.

I twisted the brass handle, noticing it was unlocked, and quickly made my way inside the prince's room.

He wasn't here.

Now that I was inside, alone, I hoped that I'd be able to find something in here that would give me a hint as to who this man was and what his interests were, other than cold, silent, and brooding.

To my surprise, I found a big flower vase with the Monadiko placed on the coffee table in the center of the room! The flowers added color in the otherwise drab room where the curtains were shut and the walls were a muted gray.

So, he did in fact keep the flowers!

I continued searching the premises. The room was immaculately maintained. The bed was tucked perfectly, his extra pair of boots resting neatly beside the doorway and his canvas coat hung on the metallic coat rack near the light switch. Nothing looked out of place.

A winter hat, something he probably would never need here in Sablestone, was coated in a light-colored fur. I got a whiff of cedarwood with a surprising note of tangy citrus. It smelled like a royal cologne, something exotic and imported from overseas.

As I was gracing my hand against the silky fur, I heard a heavy pair of footsteps in the hallway. A spike of adrenaline shot through me and I cowered in the corner hoping the approaching subject wasn't going to open the door.

I bit on my bottom lip and held my breath, trying not to emit even the slightest utterance of noise. The door swung open and the light flicked on. "So, Alpha Leo, about the military exercise later tod–"

The man's words ceased as he turned his head towards the corner and immediately I was spotted, caught red-handed in the prince's room. Even disguised as the princess didn't give me the right to do that.

I had nearly slid down the wall in my silken, lacy nightgown, not expecting to encounter anyone at this hour. My eyes were startled ajar by the bright, unnatural light in the room.

"Hello, your Highness. So, we meet again," a light-hearted voice spoke. It was the prince's Beta, Dylan. I was relieved to see him and not the prince, but I feared the repercussions if Prince Leonardo walked in and saw me in this skimpy outfit talking with his Beta.

"Good morning, Beta," I muttered. I self-consciously covered my chest with my arms.

"I'm a bit shocked to see you in the prince's room. He isn't too keen on hosting guests," Dylan added, his eyes wide.

"Beta Dylan–" I called out before I was corrected by him.

"Please, your Highness, just call me Dylan." He smiled gently.

I continued with my alibi, "Dylan, I was here to check on the prince's flowers. I worried they weren't getting properly watered and it'd break my heart to see them wither away."

It was a bit overly dramatic, but it sounded alright coming off my lips.

"No need to worry, Your Highness. They're well taken care of." Dylan let out a quick, nervous laugh.

"I was surprised they were still here, to be honest," I admitted.

"Well, you know…" the Beta trailed off as he started scratching his neck, seemingly nervous.

Now, after just a few quick exchanges, it was clear to me Dylan kept the flowers maintained.

"It's fine, as long as they're doing well." I spared Dylan from having to tell a white lie.

So, the reason the flowers were still here was because of his Beta, not because of my persistence? I guess I didn't succeed at all.

Dylan waved his hand haphazardly in front of his face, noticing my skepticism. "You have to understand, the prince doesn't like…hmm…color?"

That much was already clear. But, I'm surprised his Beta could convince him as much to keep them here.

The prince just seemed so rigid, so meticulous, and so leveled. The Monadiko petals in the room were such a contrast.

Dylan interrupted my thoughts. "So, you don't need to worry about the flowers anymore, your Highness. I can assure you they're well-taken care of. And plus, I think he has enough already." He chuckled again, a light-pitched laugh, as he pointed to the vase displayed on the table.

But, what else could I do to approach the prince again? It felt like I was just going back to square one.

"Understood," I responded and Dylan seemed to notice my unease.

"If there's one thing I know about the prince, it's that he loves consistency. I know I shouldn't be saying this as a member of the enemy pack, but I'm rooting for you." Dylan winked.

"Rooting for who?" a deep voice with a calm cadence chimed in from the background. A waft of sandalwood and evergreen rushed in.

Prince Leonardo's sharp golden eyes bore into mine. Instead of feeling warm like the sun, they felt more like the bright yellow leaves of fall. Sure, they were beautiful, and bewitching, but the coldness of death and winter resided in them.

I felt like I was frozen in an ice chamber, unable to speak one word.

He spoke again.

"I asked you a question."

"Alpha, please forgive me. I came into your room looking for you and the princess knocked to deliver more flowers. She asked to see how the previous batch was doing. I let her in to take a look. I know I shouldn't have, but her intentions were honest."

My eyes widened. Did Dylan just defend me? Even despite his fearsome Alpha staring him down?

It seemed Dylan didn't live in fear around Prince Leonardo the same way the rest of us did.

"I was asking her." Prince Leonardo didn't even refer to me with honorifics or 'princess," and he shifted his gaze back to me, like his eyes emitted laser beams.

Sweat trickled down my forehead and I pierced my fingernails into my sides. Feeling the silky nightgown reminded me how bad this situation looked.

I didn't want Dylan to get in trouble for covering for me, so I had to come up with something. "We were talking about the Monadiko roots…" I said. "Your Beta mentioned how the Sablestone delicacies were rooted in me, not rooting for me."

I felt a knot in my stomach as I told my lie, but it was the only choice. It was quick thinking and Dylan gave a coy wink of approval.

The prince narrowed his eyes. "Is that so?"

His hands were at his sides, slightly muddied, presumably from an early morning hunt. He was alternating between clenching them and opening them. The mere length of his fingers was daunting.

"That's precisely what happened, Alpha. You're not used to listening to people so it makes sense your ears may have fooled you," Dylan joked.

I couldn't believe it! How did the menacing, ruthless, bloodthirsty Alpha of Hoarfrost have such a light-hearted, cordial, friendly second-in-command?

Prince Leonardo's expression remained sterile, his lips even and his eyes level. It was impossible to know how he was feeling, or if he was feeling anything at all.

He commanded, "Leave," his tone calm, but brisk.

I nodded but tried my best to act as dignified as I could wearing this racy nightgown. I stepped past him, but I could feel his penetrating eyes on me as if he could see right through this sheet of fabric. I crossed my arms over my breasts uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

"Alpha, I'll call one of the maids to bring you breakfast. You haven't had a proper meal in days. You're a bit…irritable these days." I heard Dylan mention food on the way out of the room.

"The food here is disgusting," I heard Prince Leonardo mutter as I closed the door shut behind me.

I walked hurriedly back to the princess' room so I could change out of this nightgown.

A smile formed across my face as a new idea came to my mind.