Chapter 6
The next day, Holly arrives at the door to my wing. She smiles as I open the door, her light green eyes framed by loose tendrils of honey hair that have escaped the bun at the nape of her neck. Her oversized, butter-yellow jacket looks cozy and perfect for the chilly weather we’ve been having.
“Ready to begin your lessons?” she asks, too chipper for this early in the morning.
Even so, I’m happy to see her in a better mood than she was yesterday.
I grab my own coat, black and drab compared to Holly’s, and shrug it over my shoulders. “Let’s go,” I say, fighting a yawn.
Holly leads us to a small garden overflowing with greenery.
The garden is filled with pink roses, hydrangeas, peonies, and carnations, all in shades of pink and white.
A fountain trickles softly in the center while a soft breeze carries the sweet scent of the flowers.
White stone benches are stationed on each side of the garden, facing the matching-white stone fountain.
“Welcome to the rose garden,” Holly says. “It’s one of the many gardens on the grounds, but it was one of Etta’s favorites.” She looks around the garden reminiscently, a sad expression replacing her earlier smile.
“I heard you two were close,” I say softly.
She leans down and picks a light pink rose from a rose bush. “Yes. We were good friends. It’s been hard.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” I say quietly.
Holly is silent. I swear I see a tear run down her cheek before she steps forward, making her way to one of the stone benches.
“I thought we’d work here today,” she says, looking around the garden once more.
“It’s beautiful,” I say. “Better than any classroom I ever had growing up. Which isn’t saying much because my classroom was my aunt’s living room.”
It was a joke, but Holly doesn’t laugh.
We sit on one of the benches, which I immediately regret. As soon as I make contact, I jump back up. Holly waves her hand toward the bench and then toward my pants; they’re both dry instantly.
“Sorry, I should have checked before you sat. It did rain a bit last night. That was my fault,” she says.
“No, no, it’s fine. Thank you for drying my pants. I didn’t even think to use magic to dry them. I was about to ask you if we could go back to the castle so I could change.”
Her answering stare is one that I’m used to.
Cally has stared at me like that plenty of times whenever I’ve opted not to use magic.
Before she can speak, I explain, “We used magic very minimally growing up. It’s never been a huge part of my life, so my first instinct is to not use magic if there’s another way. ”
She nods politely like she understands, but I imagine she doesn’t. Cally still doesn’t understand the way Willa and I lived.
“So,” I say as I sit on the now-dry bench, “what exactly will these lessons entail?”
Holly joins me, her yellow coat popping against the bench as she sits.
“Ivan wants me to get you up-to-speed on the things you need to know before you meet the other High Houses, especially the princes. Today, we’ll focus on the basics, but over the next few days, we’ll dive into court histories and the less important lessons on court etiquette,” she says matter-of-factly.
“Got it.”
“Let’s start with our High House. We’ve been the reigning house since…
well, I think since the beginning of time.
We rule the kingdom because of our honesty, compassion, and empathy, making us the natural peacekeepers between the Houses.
It’s also what makes us good rulers. Deer hybrids are historically pursuers of justice and actively work to keep things fair. ”
This is the most I’ve heard her talk since I’ve been here.
“Not to mention, some High Queens have the power to detect lies, which is another reason we’ve always been the reigning House.”
Now, that’s cool. “Is that something you think I can do?”
Holly shakes her head. “I’m not sure. Elle has the ability. She can work with you on that in her lessons.”
I didn’t even know that was something that hybrids could do.
I don’t recall ever being able to tell if someone was lying, but my intuition has always been pretty spot-on.
I’ve always been able to tell if someone has good or bad intentions.
Maybe that has something to do with being able to detect lies, and I just never knew it.
“On the other hand,” she continues, gesturing with her left hand.
“Members of House Panthera tend to be neurotic and impulsive. But they’re also incredibly outgoing.
Honestly, it just depends on who you’re dealing with.
They’re also all very beautiful but vain.
Princess Cassia is probably the most beautiful princess in the kingdom right now—”
I place my hand on my chest, feigning hurt. She notices and immediately apologizes, her cheeks instantly turning pink. I drop my hand back to my lap and say, “Holly, I’m joking. I’ve seen her, and you’re right. She’s breathtaking. I’m sorry.”
She takes a deep breath and says, “No, I’m just on edge lately.”
I don’t blame her. Someone—or something—just murdered the most powerful and most protected family in the kingdom. I apologize, then encourage her to keep telling me about the Houses. She gives me a shaky smile before jumping back into House Panthera.
“So, the Panthera members are all incredibly vain. If you ever want to gain a favor from them or get them on your good side, appeal to their looks. Even though their vanity can become annoying, their impulsivity and gregarious nature make them the life of the party. Prince Koa is older than Cassia, and he’s a bit of a party boy. ”
She takes a breath before continuing. “House Serpent is probably the most powerful in the kingdom right now, mostly due to Princes Marik and Asmo. If our High King and Queen were chosen based on power alone, House Serpent would be the reining house.”
“Why aren’t they then? I mean, being nice is great, but that’s not enough to rule a kingdom,” I say.
Holly tilts her head as if she’s considering the point.
“Power alone isn’t enough to rule a kingdom either.
They’re too deceptive to maintain peace within the kingdom.
That is their most infamous trait. Not to mention, they’re skilled in using the art of seduction to manipulate, and they do it well. ”
“Yikes,” I say with a grimace. “They don’t sound too appealing right now,” I say, but I’m thinking about how spot-on that description of Killan was. Although he was gorgeous, he knew it, and he used that fact well to gain favors from others.
She chuckles. “They’re difficult to stomach at times, but they do have some redeeming qualities.
They share their sense of loyalty with House Canis.
Their ambition is also unparalleled. If a Serpent hybrid was on the High Throne, they would stop at nothing to achieve world domination, at least in my opinion.
But they can also use their ambition for good.
They’re also great lovers,” she adds with a wink, hesitantly waiting for my reaction.
A smile spreads across my face when I realize what she said. “Holly, you dirty dog, you! Are you saying I should bed one of the Serpent Princes, then?”
She holds her hands up, “Now, I didn’t say that! But if you did, I’m sure you’d have a great time.”
I give her a playful nudge with my elbow. “I’m totally telling Ivan that these are what your lessons covered today.”
“I’ll deny it until the day I die,” she says, her expression now sober.
I stare at her, but her expression doesn’t change. “Wait, were you lying? I didn’t feel anything. How does that work?”
Her sober expression breaks as a smile graces her face.
“Yes, I was lying. Of course, I’d fold if he asked me.
Catching a lie isn’t something that happens naturally.
It’s more like…casting a magical net and seeing if the net snags on anything.
That’s the best description I can give you.
Teaching magical skills is not my best asset. That’s Elle’s domain.”
“I had no idea I could do that. That will be useful as High Queen,” I say with a sense of relief.
This stone bench is killing me, and I’m ready to be done with these lessons already. “What about Houses Canis and Ursidae?” I shift on the bench, trying to get more comfortable.
She smiles at the question, her light eyes brightening. I immediately feel guilty about wanting to hurry through the lessons.
“Canis and Ursidae are probably my favorite Houses—other than our own, of course. The Canis hybrids are beautiful, but they’re not vain about it.
The Canis are the dog hybrids of our world as you probably already know.
That includes wolves, coyotes, and foxes.
They’re usually loners and hesitant to accept outsiders in.
But they make incredible partners. They’re also very intelligent.
I should note that I’m rooting for Prince August to win you over.
He’s gorgeous and I’ve heard that he’s very kind. ”
“Noted. We love kind.”
“And gorgeous,” she quips.
“Especially gorgeous.” I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face.
She chuckles before continuing, “Finally, House Ursidae is home to the bear hybrids. They’re probably the kindest House of us all.”
“My friend is Ursine. She’s the best person I’ve ever met,” I say with a smile.
“That’s their reputation. They’re kind, compassionate, and fiercely protective. Like Canis, they also make great partners. They’re also known for their mercy, just as the deer are.”
A sharp breeze whips through the garden, sending rose petals scattering in the wind. I pull my coat tighter, relishing the warmth it provides.
Holly offers me a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry, it’s chillier than I thought today. Sometimes I wish we had the sunshine of the Court of Sand.”
“I’ve never visited the other courts,” I admit. “Is that something I’ll be able to do in the near future?”
She beams. “I think that would be a great idea. Your father did that when he was first sworn in as High King. Not to mention, you’ll be expected to visit the court of whatever prince you end up marrying. Plus, traveling is easy with portal magic.”
That sparks something in my brain.
“My father didn’t live on the grounds, right?” I ask, even though I know the answer.
She tilts her head at me, brow furrowed. “Right. Why?”
“Well, I heard he was murdered at his private residence. Do you think it’s possible someone portaled there? What’s to stop anyone from portaling here right now and killing me?”
She winces, and I regret asking her. I should have saved this question for Ivan.
“It’s possible but unlikely. There are spells in place to prevent people from doing that. That’s why the castle is so safe. You can’t just portal onto the grounds.”
“Well, how does anyone get here? How will the princes get here?” I counter.
“We have approved portal locations throughout the grounds. That’s how Ivan was able to bring you here. We can also lift the spell in certain areas for small periods of time for special events like your coronation dinner.”
Something in the back of my mind perks up at this. What if my father lifted the spell the night they were murdered? What if they knew their killers?
I table the questions for now.
“And how am I expected to act for this dinner?” I ask, shifting the conversation away from the murders.
“Honestly, Mae, I would just be yourself. It doesn’t matter how you act as long as you’re not rude or unpleasant. Just be yourself.”
I feel the weight lifting off my shoulders. “Good,” I say, exhaling a sigh of relief. “I have been so stressed about what fork to use for what kind of food.”
She tilts her head back and lets out a laugh.
“You’re joking. Of all the things, that’s what was stressing you out?
Don’t worry about that stuff. Nobody’s going to be paying attention.
If anything, the princes will find it more endearing.
Well, maybe House Panthera will find it unappealing, but they could use a lesson in humility if you ask me. ”
As we walk back to the castle, Holly and I pass a small herd of fawns grazing in the grass. They don’t run when we approach. Instead, they flick their gazes at us before resuming their late-morning snack.
“They can sense your deer lineage,” Holly says. “They feel peaceful around you, so they don’t feel the need to run.”
“Is it like that with every member of the Deer Court?” I ask.
“Yes and no. We’re able to approach deer more easily than members of other courts, but they’re still weary of us.
They usually trot off when I come down the path.
It’s always been different for people belonging to the royal line, though.
They used to approach Etta all the time,” she says reminiscently.
My sister and I had something else in common then. Willa always called me a deer whisperer because of how often they approached me. One fawn looks up, its brown eyes locking onto mine.
“Kings and queens ride powerful animals of their houses into battle in times of war. I’ve never actually seen it in person, but the paintings of it are incredible. Kings and queens riding atop huge bucks, snakes, massive bears, and wolves so big they’re the size of horses.”
I imagine myself astride a buck, sword in one hand, as we charge forward. Maybe if I could do something like that, I would finally feel worthy of my new title.