บททั้งหมดของ House of the Wolves: บทที่ 51 - บทที่ 60

The palace walls were cold. Not merely because they were anticipating an attack, but because they were also in the middle of a war—a civil war. Among the Princesses. The entire palace is aware of the competition between Princesses Akira and Clara over the throne. For the past few weeks, they have been constantly one-upping each other in hopes of becoming the next crown princess. They are currently at a stalemate, and the entire palace waits anxiously for what will happen next.They started their own war within the palace walls.Clara and Akira are fairly even in all aspects. Elegance, class, intelligence, brilliance—everywhere. Even the King is visibly having a hard time choosing from both of them. Hence, four weeks after Deyanira’s death, the crown heiress chair remains vacant. The older sister, Clara, looked out her chamber’s window as she puffed a lungful from the tobacco pipe, clad in her thin robe while drowning in her thoughts. She’s determined to outperform Akira, regardless of

We trekked the mountain the whole day. Though we had to take a few stops to eat and for me to rest my legs, we eventually reached what Fenrir called Xiao’s territory in the mountain range. It was by a valley, with a frozen lake and a small cabin with a busy chimney. It was on the complete opposite path from our cabin.Nevertheless, the scenery almost looks the same. All the same white snow on top of the pine trees, the long frozen lake that runs along the mountain range’s valleys, and the never-ending fog due to the cold.“He must be awake, guessing his chimney is busy with all the smoke.”My companion shrugs and huffs out a large puff of air. His nose and cheeks are tinged with pink, the color all the more vivid with his pale face. I wanted to laugh at his appearance, but I knew I did not look any better. My fingers are numb and my nose is no longer functioning properly. I had been breathing through my mouth for quite a while.“Let’s see,” he says and trudges closer to the cabin. “I

It had been days after we climbed down the northern mountain range.We left with a plan formulated with Xiao and it has since made me feel secure. However, the palace seems to be walking on eggshells around me. Has the rumor spread already? They must be afraid of me because they no longer know what I am. Humans are afraid of what they do not know. But this was better than before. I’d rather people avoid me out of fear than out of just. . .uninterest.Because I returned before Clara, I ought to talk with my Father freely without thinking of her eavesdropping on us. So I went out early and made my way to his throne hall without any time to waste. I curtsied while he observed me carefully.I know what I must say.I am confident. Xiao has advised me to be if I want to show my Father I can handle the pressure of eventually sitting on the throne.Before, it was among my wildest dreams. It was perfectly impossible and I was perfectly content not to even think about it being possible because

I am a sister and a daughter. I am a lady in mourning. That was all I was...but some voices that kept whispering things in my ears. That I am a monarch—a Queen.It was ridiculous.I am anything but.I lost track of time as I let the veil of misery blind me and engulf me in my own grief, completely blocking out any outside intervention. How does the world expect me to survive such a painful life? Why must they make me suffer and slowly take my family?Hundreds of questions lingered in my mind, my heart swelling after feeling so many heavy emotions for hours—or has it been days?Father. . come back, please. Come home to us. Wake me from this long, frightening dream.—My gaze was fixed on a spot in the courtyard.I did not know where else to look, thanks to the thousand or more townspeople crowding the courtyard. I ought to meet their eyes from the palace’s grand balcony, but I could not. I could not yet grasp the thought of being the ruler of such a kingdom. My memory was hazy on how t

“Very good. The enemy has bitten the bait,” Xiao muttered beside me.We observed the fight on the borders in one of the watchtowers, our hands on our backs as the fight turned completely in our favor the moment Fenrir joined the battle. I eyed the carriage at the back of the rebels’ army, thinking the one in charge must be inside, and how flustered he must be seeing the current state of the army he led to their deaths. As Fenrir swooped the battlefield clean of the trolls, a human soldier on horseback ran to the carriage. It was too far to see, but they were talking to the person inside.A few moments later, the soldier runs to the front and screams one word. The word we knew we’d hear soon enough.“Retreat!”Xiao and I turned to each other.“They’re leaving,” I say meaningfully, before turning to the other Generals in the watchtower. They were filed in a line behind me, awaiting my orders. “Tail them.”One of the three Generals was quick to curtsy and leave the watchtower. I turned ba