Isabeau's POV"Another Leo situation, just what we need." Aello mutters within me with an eye roll. Tell me something I don't know. I don't care whatever this woman's deal is, the only thing I know is I won't let myself get insulted. I would love to give her a taste of her own medicine but for Stellan's sake, I'll opt for peace first."I know it may be hard to believe, but I simply want a friendly competition. We don’t actually need to be enemies or hate each other. I believe it's the best way to test our abilities and determine who's the most suitable to marry King Stellan." I reply, forcing on a smile.Allegra bursts into laughter, her amusement apparent. "Friendly competition? Does this look like a joke to you?" she mocks, clearly unimpressed."This is a battle for a position that I've painstakingly trained for all my life," she continues, her tone cutting. "So please don’t insult me by asking for something so trivial. If you want a friendly competition, then go back to that unciv

Isabeau's POV“What? No!” Loic quickly rebuffs.“That’s fine Loic, I don’t want you to feel pressured or anything. I’ll still teach you if you want, you just seem like the perfect model.” Bastien says with a smile."I'm not making any promises but I'll consider it." Loic replies with a sigh and Bastien beams up at him. At least it wasn’t a no.I smile to myself as I shoot my last round of arrows. Bastien. What a character he is.As Loic and I bid farewell to Bastien and make our way back to the palace, I realize that I’ve been very fortunate indeed.All my training has been quite fun and interesting, plus I’m even more grateful for the opportunity to train with someone as skilled as Bastien. With King Stellan's guidance on the Kingdom's history and culture and Bastien's expertise in archery, I feel more confident and prepared for the upcoming competition.And with Loic by my side, supporting and cheering me on, I know that I'm not alone in this journey. Together, we'll face whatever

Isabeau's POV“Remember Loic’s words, trust yourself.” Aello reminds me.I take a deep breath, and try to muster up as much courage as I can. I'm going to need it if I want to go through with this.The kitchen was refurbished for this specific event, it's been partitioned into two. One side for Allegra, complete with all the appliances she might need and the same for me. This was done probably to prevent us from getting in each other's way. Something I'm really grateful for. I move to my side of the kitchen.Loic stands at the side of my table and offers me his famous reassuring smile, ready to taste whatever I finally put out.I stand nervously in front of the ingredients, and I try to recall all the different Lycan dishes Lyric taught me. However, none of them feel quite right for this competition. “Trust your instincts.” Aello repeats again. “Okay..” I murmur.Suddenly a thought pops into my head.Arlo said we could cook anything. Meaning it doesn't have to be a Lycan dish.It d

Isabeau's POVHow is this even possible? When did this happen? I thought I had been careful!As if the shock wasn't enough, Arlo drops his spoon and pulls out some strands of hair from his food as well. My knees suddenly grow weak."I see what's going on here. You did this on purpose didn't you, little SheWolf? You're trying to poison us, yes?" Arlo turns to me and asks calmly, his words carrying as much effect as a boulder."No, no, I swear! I wasn’t —I didn't try to poison you!" I stammer, my heart pounding in my chest. "I don't know how the hair got into the food! I thought I was careful…. I’m so sorry!”Arlo's eyes narrow with unbelief and suspicion as he continues to accuse me further, "You lying, manipulative wretch! You're trying to poison us because we don’t support you. Speak now and you'll be granted a merciful death. What else did you add in this? What type of poison accompanied the hair?”The accusation dealt me a huge blow, so much so that I was finding it difficult to fo

Isabeau's POVI stare at Allegra with a mix of shock and anger. She isn't even bothering to deny that she cheated?Her stupid smug face and her lack of remorse infuriates me. “Will you ever stop being so hateful and bitter? Is marrying the King really worth losing your respect and integrity?" I ask, my voice dripping with frustration.Allegra just smirks at me confidently. "Marrying the King is worth anything and everything it takes. Stellan will be mine." She replies, her tone cold and patronizing."It really didn't have to come to this Allegra," I say, trying to reason with her. "I was offering you a friendly competition, but you chose to sabotage me instead."Allegra scoffs dismissively. "You still can’t get it through your thick skull, can you? This is not just a mere competition to me, Isabeau," she retorts. "This is war! And if you're not going to fight for the King like your life depends on it, then you should stop wasting everyone's time. Just go back to your stupid Pack and