2. The Triplet Princes
two
The Triplet Princes
*CAELAN*
T he moment we reach the huge dining hall where we usually host parties and festivals, cheers erupt. The place is crowded with the villagers we just saved and townspeople whose houses were on risky terrain; close to a river or a mountain. I’m proud of our sister Alana for having evacuated everyone who needed it. She also made sure those that stayed in their houses had everything to ensure their safety and health for a few days, in case the blizzard hit us with full force.
Last time we were caught in a snowstorm, it took hours for it to pass. The snow was so high it was impossible to reach any of the surrounding houses, let alone the close by villages.
Endellion and I literally had to dig our way through the snow to reach those in need of help.
“Caelan.” Small arms snuggle around me. Eibhlin, my youngest sister and youngest of us siblings in general, tickles my side.
I take her hands to stop her assault. “Is this the way a princess is supposed to greet her older brother?”
She pouts, looking at me through her huge, innocent doe eyes. “Dunno, don’t care.” She turned sixteen recently, but she looks so much younger with her long blonde locks and her big blue eyes. I guess we all dote on her a bit.
I sigh. “Alana,” I beg.
She rolls her eyes at me. “Really, Caelan? She isn’t a toddler anymore!”
“I’m almost an adult,” Eibhlin giggles and twirls around. She looks more like a child than ever. “I even had a boy in school interested in me.”
I freeze. “What?” I say. My voice is just a rumble. I can feel my wolf clawing inside me to get to the surface and punish the unworthy creature who laid eyes on my baby sister.
“A 14-year-old boy told her she is cute and borrowed her pen,” Alana says dryly. “No reason for a blood bath.”
“It always starts with a pen,” Flinn says with a sly grin. He had approached us without us noticing.
“Goddess,” Alana groans. “You almost gave me a heart attack.”
He laughs. “As if that’s possible!” He pretends to be all touched and teary-eyed all of a sudden. “Our baby had her pen borrowed. Oh, I remember like it was yesterday when I borrowed Ceci’s pen, and then it led to-”
“If you don’t want me to punch you, you will stop here,” I threaten.
Flinn grins, but wisely keeps his mouth shut.
I notice our other two siblings are missing, and so is our father. “Where are Kilah, Nevyn and Dad?”
“They are checking on the castle servants to see if they and their families are all safe,” Alana explains.
I nod. Dad’s trying to involve our younger brother, Nevyn, in more of the work too. He just recently turned eighteen and is eager to prove himself. Kilah is nineteen and loves all the representative princess work. Where Alana is trying to stay away from it, Kilah is ready to jump in. Sometimes, I feel like she is a little envious of Alana’s position and popularity with the townspeople, but since she hasn’t said anything, I’m not going to comment on it.
Meanwhile, Endellion has been roaming the room and checking on the villagers we saved. “Everyone is well,” he tells us. “Tired with a few scratches, but mostly well. Some will need more medical attention, though. One of the men broke his leg during the attack. It’s a miracle that he was able to ride the whole way.”
“These are determined people,” I point out. “All packs and villages in the mountain, and close to the borders to no-man’s land, are tough.”
Endellion is about to answer when a young woman approaches us. I instantly recognize her as one of the female survivors, the woman with the baby.
“Prince Endellion,” she says, turning to Endellion, maybe because he is the kindest of us three and the most approachable. People usually think I’m cold and distant, and Flinn too cunning and a prankster. “I wanted to thank you for making sure my baby and I arrived safely.”
The woman’s face is wearing several healed scars, one of them going through her left eye, leaving her blind in it. She radiates a calm fierceness though, a certain dignity. Endellion feels it, too, because he raises his brows in surprise. “You are the luna.”
She nods.
“I’m very sorry for your loss,” he says. “I can’t imagine what you are going through right now.”
For a split second, she looks sad before the determined look returns to her eyes. “There will be time to grieve,” she says. “But today, my people, the very few that remain, need their luna.”
“That’s true,” Endellion nods. “Is your baby well?”
“She is a bit cold, but other than that, she is fine.” The luna smiles slightly. “She is strong. She has to be because now that my mate and my firstborn have died, she has to take over one day. A difficult task for more than half of our pack was killed.”
“We’ll make sure to find the attackers who did this,” Endellion says earnestly.
“He is right,” I chime in with a frown. “We can’t allow them to terrorize the villages at the borders!”
Her pack is situated high in the mountains, close to the borders leading into no-man’s land. For months now, the more secluded villages and packs have been attacked by an unknown force. Ever since the attacks began, we started to be prepared for the signs; mostly an attack happens when a blizzard approaches. Endellion has claimed several times that he was able to see a beast within the snowstorm, but I’m not sure if I can believe that.
Well, we’ll see. One foot in front of the other.
Alana makes sure everyone, including us, gets something warm to drink and eat, and soon, everyone is chatting and trying to shake off the terrors of today. We stay with the townspeople and rescued villagers for a while, before retiring to bed.
Tomorrow, Dad has called us to an important meeting. Just between him, his beta and advisor and the three of us.
*ENDELLION*
My body was so exhausted from the long day, that I dropped into my bed and slept for hours without waking up once. My sleep is rather light normally, but I assume I was just too drained. The moment we had heard from our witch that a blizzard was approaching we headed out, arriving at the village to see half of the people already dead. Whatever attacked them had retreated before we came.
I wonder what it is that attacks these villages. Is it an attack on our kingdom or does their goal lie somewhere else?
Caspian stirs slightly in my mind. There is no use breaking our minds over it , he grumbles. I just know something is out there.
And that’s supposed to put my mind at ease? I mutter while climbing out of my bed and heading to the small adjacent room, where there is a tub and a sink. Ever since Mom befriended a witch and brought her to the royal pack, we have a lot more luxury in the castle. Magic is truly something else. Washing ourselves got so much easier.
Caspian doesn’t answer; I assume he just doesn’t have anything to say. I’m a bit late today, so I skip breakfast and head directly to the meeting room. We have several of these in the castle, the big one next to the throne room is mostly for strategic discussion. I’m surprised Dad wants to see us there.
On my way, I bump into Flinn. “Good morning, sunshine,” he grins.
“Good morning, psycho,” I greet back.
He laughs. “Why am I a psycho?”
“Only someone with true darkness in them can be so happy early in the morning.”
He laughs lightly at my words before his eyes turn serious. “Do you know what this is about?”
“I have no clue,” I admit. “But we’ll know in a minute.”
When Flinn and I reach the meeting room, Dad, his beta and Caelan are already there.
“Good morning,” I greet them politely, noticing that our father has had a bottle of wine and some slices of cake brought from the kitchen.
Caelan and I exchange a gaze, and he shrugs, probably equally as confused as I am.
“Sit down, boys,” Dad says with a bright smile. He waits for us to sit down and for his beta to close the door before he continues. “Finally, the day has come!”
“I can’t believe it,” Flinn exclaims. “Are you going to announce one of us as your heir?”
“If only,” Beta Quinn grumbles. He is an older man, his hair a touch of gray already, yet he’s still attractive. At least, that’s what Alana claims. Not sure what she sees in him; might be that silver-fox look of his. Flinn always jokes about Alana’s taste in men and women. The both of them share a lot, and while Flinn is mostly attracted to men, Alana says she likes all genders.
“This here is new,” Quinn continues, annoyed. “Believe me, not even Prince Flinn could have expected it.”
“Are you finished with making fun of me?” Dad grumbles.
“I wasn’t making fun of you, King Gillean,” he retorts.
Dad just frowns and puffs his cheeks in annoyance. He and Quinn have been friends ever since they were toddlers. Our father is a good ruler, but he is a bit quirky at times. Only Quinn and Mom know how to handle him. It’s funny, sometimes, because to the outside world, Dad looks imposing: tall, muscular, with wild blonde hair and blue eyes, and he has this domineering aura.
“The thing is,” Dad continues. “I’m done sitting here being king,” he growls.
“But Dad,” Caelan blinks. “You can’t just… quit.”
“Watch me do it!” he threatens. “I’m so over it. And the worst part is that Sine is on her research expedition instead of being here with me.” He is right, it sucks that our mother isn’t here, but it’s not the first time she went on one of her trips. She is an academic, after all, and needs these months of travel to gather new knowledge. “But I have made up my mind! I’ll tell you what I’m going to do; I will quit and join my beautiful mate, then cherish her body over and over again
“Maybe another pup will be born then,” Quinn says dryly.
Dad stares at him with a glare. “Don’t jinx it, asshole! I have enough pups!”
“So, what’s the plan?” I push him. If it’s true that he doesn’t want to announce one of us as his heir… what’s he going to do, and why is Quinn so fed up?
“The plan is,” he smiles proudly, as if he truly has an awesome idea, while Quinn looks like he is about to quit his job. “The first one of you to melt a maiden’s heart within a year shall become king!”