A princess?

SILVER

I froze mid-step, my eyes widening at the towering figure. Compared to him, I was an ant, one he could squash. I staggered back, my fists balled. It was next to impossible to win against him, but I would die trying.

"Let me go, or else—"

He dropped to his knees, his head lowered, and I flinched back. "Greetings, Princess."

"Huh?"

"You are not feeling well. Please return to your bed and—"

"Princess?" The word left my lips before I could stop it.

"Yes, Princess," he answered calmly.

The realization hit me. It was just a case of misunderstanding, though I didn't know which kingdom would be happy to have an oversized wolf as a princess.

"You got the wrong person," I muttered, stepping away. "It must have been dark and you grabbed the wrong person. Your princess must still be in that forest. I am truly sorry, the—"

"I didn't grab the wrong person. You are our princess."

My face twisted in confusion.

"I am Prince Cassian Vale, the eldest son of the Lycan King." He raised his head, his blue eyes steady on mine. "And this is your home."

I shook my head. "You got the wrong person. I am no princess. My father is a warrior and—"

"Princess Silver, they are not your parents."

"Huh?" The words fell through my lips.

"You are the last surviving heir of the royal bloodline. You disappeared as a baby after the royal palace was attacked. The official story claims the princess was killed during the massacre, but she wasn't. You're alive."

"There must be a misunderstanding," I tried to explain. "I am just Silver."

"The truth is far more complicated. The night you were born, someone inside the royal family betrayed the King and Queen. The newborn princess was secretly taken away by a loyal royal guard trying to save her life. Sadly, the guard never reached his destination. He was killed before he could return her to the royal family." 

His voice stayed soft, his eyes on me, waiting to see me unravel. "You were eventually raised by ordinary wolves who had no idea the child they found was the lost Lycan princess. For years, the royal family believed their lost princess was dead. Now we have found her."

I shook my head. "Your story is really sad. I feel for the poor king and queen, but you have the wrong person. I am no princess. I am barely a wolf."

"The royals are never wrong. You have the blood and power of the King and Queen."

"I don't, and, stand up, please," I said.

"I can't. My place is at your feet."

I blinked.

"Please have your rest, Princess. We will talk about it later."

"No." My voice came out hoarse. "I am not your princess. I do agree your King and Queen suffered, and I hope you find the real princess, but I am not her."

I resisted the urge to yell at him, to tell him he was staring at a disaster, a fat, dejected wolf. How could he possibly believe I was a princess?

"You are the princess."

"I—"

"And I can prove it."

That got my attention. "You can?" I whispered, and he nodded.

"Have your rest, and after, we will conduct a bloodline test. If the test proves my claim wrong, I will personally apologize and return you to where you came from.”

I bit down on my lower lip, my eyes searching frantically. I didn't have a choice. He seemed genuine, and there was nothing else to lose. I glanced down at my trembling hands, then back to his eyes.

I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe that somewhere in this cruel world, I had belonged to something. But hope had hurt me before, and I was afraid to reach for it again.

I nodded. "I agree."

I expected the worst. I expected him to toss me out after giving it more thought. He didn't. Instead he led me to the bed, then stepped away. Soon the door pulled open and the physician walked in and bowed. He had a professional smile, his gaze warm. I expected disgust, shame, or silent taunting. He gave me none of it. He examined me and said I was fine, just weak.

He left, and the maid walked in.

I showered in what I could only call the biggest bathroom I had ever seen, then wore the red royal attire that clung to my body, revealing every curve I usually tried to hide.

"You look beautiful, Princess," the maid gushed. I listened for the disgust I expected to find underneath it. I found none.

My gaze landed on my reflection. I looked different. I was still the same person I had spent years avoiding in the mirror, but for the first time, I noticed something else. I was beautiful.

A soft knock thudded against the door. It creaked open, scraping across the tile, and he walked in. Cassian.

His blue eyes met mine, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe. Unlike every other person who looked at me with disgust, there was no judgment in his gaze. My breath hitched.

"Princess, it's time for the test."

I swallowed hard, my hands clutching the gown.

I nodded. "Let's go.”