Chapter 4 #2
She looks at me for a second in stunned silence, then says, “I’m sorry—I keep forgetting you weren’t raised in the courts. Ivan told us that you had a ‘normal’ childhood, but I wasn’t expecting it to be that normal.”
I tilt my head. “What do you mean?”
She glances at my antlers. “Mae, do you not know what my antlers mean? Or yours, for that matter?”
“I know that they’re rare. You’re the only other female I’ve ever seen with them. My aunt just told me that it’s a rare genetic condition.” I grab the bread from the table and tear a piece off. The bread is still hot from the ovens, but it tastes delectable.
I offer the loaf to Elle. She takes it and rips a piece off.
“Well, she’s right, but that’s not all. Female deer—not deer hybrids but actual deer—are sometimes born with antlers, and they’re an abnormality.
But when a female deer hybrid is born with them, it’s a sign of immense power.
Ivan didn’t need to send you with any extra members of the Royal Guard.
You’re plenty safe with me,” she says with a smug smile.
No, Willa definitely didn’t tell me that.
“I had no idea. So, my antlers mean that I’m more powerful than other female hybrids?”
She smirks. “Yeah, you could say that. The royal line itself is powerful, and it hasn’t diminished over the years. Plus, you have your mother’s High Fae blood in you.” She raises her eyebrows. “Did your aunt really not tell you about all of this?”
I shake my head. “I’m learning most of this for the first time today. We lived in a human town far from the court. Magic was frowned upon, so she taught me basic things.”
“I can’t wait to see what you can do,” she says, then pops a piece of bread in her mouth.
“What do you mean?” I ask as I reach for the butter.
As I do, Elle reaches down and pulls a jewel-studded dagger from her boot and offers it to me. I stare at her in confusion, not making a single move for the dagger.
“For the butter,” she explains.
Did she just pull a dagger from her boot? And expects me to use it for my food?
“It’s clean, I promise,” she says.
Oh, what the hell. Worse things have been in my mouth. I take the dagger, dip it in the creamy butter, and spread it on the still-warm bread.
“All of the High Kings and Queens have been powerful, so it only makes sense that you will be, too. We’ll just need to work on training you to come to terms with your power and to discover how much of it you have.
There hasn’t been a High Queen with antlers in hundreds of years.
The kingdom is going to be expecting you to have a lot. ”
My eyes widen in shock.
She hurriedly adds, “Relax. Nobody is expecting you to step on the throne and start doing tricks.”
“Thank the Mother,” I mutter.
A comfortable silence lapses between us as we eat. With it, my thoughts race. None of this feels real. I can’t help but feel like I’m watching myself from above as I eat lunch, Elle seated across from me, her vibrant red hair illuminated by the sun.
Just yesterday, I was reading about the High Family’s deaths, completely oblivious to the fact that I’m the only member of the High Family left.
Now, I feel like I’m watching someone else live through this gargantuan, life-changing day.
Like it’s not me that has to leave behind the life she built for herself to rule a kingdom and get married to a stranger.
“How are you feeling about everything else?” Elle interrupts my thoughts.
I take a deep breath and admit, “Even though I just learned I’m about to rule an entire kingdom, I think I’m most nervous about having to get married in a few months.”
“I can’t even imagine. I’ve only met some of the princes. I know they’re all very handsome, though,” she says with a wink before ripping off a huge chunk of bread from the loaf with her teeth.
I offer her the dagger back, but she shakes her head as she chews.
Maybe Elle would be a better fit to be the female they’re all fighting for.
Although I’ve been called pretty, Elle is infinitely more so.
Where I lack color, she shines. Her red hair is a stunning contrast to my white.
Her sharp collarbones only accentuate her delicate long neck, a hallmark feature of deer hybrids.
Although she’s lean, muscle lines her frame, whereas I’m just lean. Skinny, even.
Our eyes are the same color: warm amber. But again, her smattering of dark freckles across her cheeks is a stark contrast to the white freckles that line mine.
“Who’s the most handsome High Prince?” I ask, copying her and using my teeth to rip another piece of bread off. I must admit, it is more time-efficient than a knife.
“Prince Asmo, for sure. He’s one of the two princes from the Serpent House.
But he’s got kind of a mean reputation. His brother, Marik, is sweet and almost as handsome.
Honestly, I’m not sure if there’s anyone as beautiful as Asmo now that I think about it.
I can’t wait for you to meet them at your coronation dinner,” she says with a wicked grin.
The idea of the coronation dinner and being surrounded by the princes only makes my stomach churn.
“Where do you live?” I ask her, changing the subject.
“On the grounds,” she says, thankfully without acknowledging the shift in conversation. “The Herd meets every morning to discuss matters of the court, so it makes it easier.”
“That makes sense. I guess this will be my home for the near future.”
She gives me a closed-lip smile, the apples of her cheeks appearing. “I can show you your wing if you’d like,” she offers.
I nod eagerly. “I’d love that. Ivan mentioned that my father lived off the grounds. How does that work?”
“Yes, the High Family lived in a private estate, but they used portal magic and funneling to travel to and from their house safely and quickly. If that’s the route you’d like to go, Ivan will make it happen.
Just let him know, and he’ll arrange the purchase.
” She stands and looks in the direction of the castle. “Shall we?”
I nod eagerly and help her gather the uneaten food. We toss it into the basket and start walking toward the castle.
When we get back to the front doors, Elle smiles and nods at the two guards in front of the staircases. “Hello, gentlemen. I’m just giving your new High Princess a tour if you don’t mind.”
They both bow before stepping aside to let us pass.
Elle heads up the stairs. “Right this way, Your Highness.” I smile and follow her.
“The entire second floor is closed off to anyone who’s not residing within the castle.
The princes won’t be staying in the castle.
There’s another house on the grounds that is used as guest quarters.
It has six bedrooms and is used for other Houses when they visit.
This floor is primarily reserved for the Herd, healers, and the royal family.
The second floor has two separate wings.
One wing is for you, and the other wing is for everyone else. ”
When we get to the top of the stairs, there’s a hallway to the right lined with wooden doors. On the left, there’s a set of large wooden French doors. I point to them and ask, “What’s in there?”
“That’s the entrance to your wing. The hallway to the right is the secondary wing,” she says.
I nod toward the double doors and say, “I guess I should see where I’ll be staying for the foreseeable future.”
“Go right ahead. It’s spelled to only let you in. All you need to do is place your palm flat on the door, and the magic will recognize your print,” she says.
“That happened when I first opened the door to the castle when Ivan and I arrived earlier,” I said.
She nods in understanding before saying, “The magic recognizes you then. When it’s locked, the front door only opens for members of the court or direct descendants of the ruling High Queen’s or King’s bloodline.”
The door unlocks as soon as I place my palm on it, revealing a beautiful living room filled with plush white couches and oversized chairs facing a magnificent stone fireplace. The hardwood floors carry throughout the living room and down a hallway.
We continue through the wing, passing a kitchen, bathroom, and a small training center fitted with free weights. There’s also a small office, the bookshelves filled with books on the art of war, the history of our government, and a variety of novels.
Elle sees me eyeing the spines and says, “I’m going to assume your father’s reading interests are a little different from yours. Just give Ivan a list of whatever you need, and our librarian will collect them for you.”
In addition to the primary bedroom, there’s a guest bedroom with an attached bathroom.
The primary bedroom is beautiful, of course.
White trim contrasts against the dark hardwood floors and the deep royal blue paint on the walls.
It’s dark but tranquil. The natural light filtering in through the window keeps the room light.
The attached bathroom is the bathroom of my dreams, complete with indoor plumbing that connects to a claw-foot tub and a waterfall spout attached to the ceiling.
Both the tub and shower face an open wall, and leafy branches extend over the bathtub like a canopy.
Just like the library downstairs, it feels like the bathroom is an extension of the forest.
“This is…wow,” I say. “Won’t people be able to see me in the shower?”
She shakes her head. “The barrier is spelled so that you can see out, but nobody can see in.”
Despite her words, I can’t help but shake the eerie feeling that someone can see inside, that someone is out there watching me, ready to strike, just like they did with my father and my sister.