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Leanna Avery

My body aches as awareness flickers through me.

I’m pressed against something hard, and I feel warm and comfortable. I don’t want to wake up. I snuggle deeper, not willing to relinquish this source of heat. My wolf is comfortably curled inside the recesses of my mind, content for a change.

It’s the quiet growl that makes my eyes fly open. I am instantly looking into a pair of mildly annoyed, amber eyes set in a face that has been chiseled by the gods themselves. A startled “eek” slips from my mouth as I scramble backward, get tangled in the sheets, and fall off the side of the bed onto the hard floor.

Groaning, I try to sit up but fail, my lower back hurting.

The bed creaks, and the owner of the face, the king of the Northern Kingdom, walks around the foot of the bed toward me.

“I’m sorry!” Petrified, I try to move away from him, but he just ignores me, lifting me—sheets and all—and dumping me back on the bed.

“You sleep like the dead.” His voice is cool and unaffected, those sharp, amber eyes studying me.

“I–I’m sorry.”

A flash of irritation crosses his face. “Stop apologizing.”

I clamp my mouth shut, not knowing what else to do.

He’s wearing nothing but a pair of dark pajama pants, his upper body bare. The hardness I felt was his bulging muscles. His hair is jet black, with messy curls that make him look dangerously handsome. I tamp down the flare of attraction within me, horrified that I can think of something like that at a time like this.

King Cedric stares at me for a long moment before dragging over one of the chairs and settling down in it, facing me.

“Do you know why I’ve brought you here?”

“To execute me?” I venture slowly.

He gives me a look as if he considers me incredibly stupid. “You think I bathe and feed all prisoners who are to be executed?”

My body tenses. This is it. This is where he’s going to tell me he plans on torturing me. Just like—

“You are a political prisoner of sorts. I don’t wish to rule the Eastern Kingdom. You, Princess Vivian, have offered to marry me to keep the peace between the two kingdoms.”

My eyes widen in shock. “What?”

“The mating ceremony is in a couple of hours. Harriet will—”

“I can’t do it!” I burst out, terrified. It would be so easy to keep my mouth shut and go along with this, but if he finds out the truth down the line, it will be so much worse for me. I can’t live in fear of him discovering my true identity.

The king has fallen silent, so I continue, lowering my head. “I’m not—I’m not the real Princess Vivian. I just look like her.”

“I’m aware.”

His words throw me for a loop. Shocked, I lift my eyes to meet his. “You are?”

“You don’t have the mark of the royal family of the East.”

I gape at him. “If—If you know, then why—”

“My reasons are not your concern. The real Princess Vivian was found dead, her corpse mangled almost beyond recognition.”

My eyes widen in horror. I was sure she would make it out. She knew all the secret passageways. She was being guided by her most trusted maids.

“I want to know how long you’ve been a stand-in for the princess.”

I twist my fingers, trying to absorb this bombshell news. “Ever since I was five. She found me on the street. I was an orphan, and she brought me to the palace. I have studied under the royal tutors in place of her, taken etiquette classes alongside her—”

“She trained you as a duplicate,” Cedric recognizes.

I nod. “It was her father’s idea. If she were ever in danger, they could use me.”

At least, that’s what Vivian told me: that the purpose of my entire existence was to live under her shadow.

“So, you received the same training as her, the same education?”

I nod hesitantly.

“Then you can be used as a substitute for the princess.”

His words stun me, my heart tightening in my chest.

A substitute for the princess? Is that really all I’m good for?

I know I should be grateful that I get to live, but at this moment, I feel small and worthless. Does no one care about Leanna Avery? Does no one care about her existence?

“Given that you’re my fated mate—”

“I’m sorry, what?” The words explode from me, my body jerking in shock.

He gives me a vaguely exasperated look. “You must have sensed it upon our meeting. We are fated mates. I was already planning to tie the princess to me since I need heirs of royal blood, but now I have no choice but to use you. The Northern Kingdom values its pure bloodline—”

Numbly, I stare at the man before me. “But I can’t give you pure-blooded heirs. I’m not Princess Vivian. I’m—”

“I don’t care what your name is,” he says, clearly disinterested. “As long as you can bear me heirs that can be passed off as having royal blood, I have no interest in you, your likes, or your wants. You are a substitute, nothing more.”

Suddenly, the world feels colder. He’s my fated mate. Shouldn’t he care a little bit?

He gets to his feet. “Since you have all the necessary training, I expect you to act like the queen of the North. You will have certain responsibilities, and a royal assistant will be appointed to guide you. Don’t overstep your bounds, Vivian. As long as you remember your place and don’t cross any lines, you can live in comfort here. Do you understand?”

I stare at him, my heart turning to ice as the last ember of hope dies within me. This is my fated mate in front of me, and even in his eyes, the only value I have is that of a substitute. The one individual in the whole world who is supposed to want me for me, doesn’t.

The emptiness that fills me makes me go limp, all the fight finally leaving me.

“I understand.” My words are quiet, lifeless.

He called me Vivian. My name is Vivian now.

Leanna Avery is dead.

Harriet dresses me for the mating ceremony. I once attended a noble’s mating ceremony, and I still remember how flamboyant the event was. Mine is not even remotely the same.

Mating ceremonies are considered marriages in the shifter world. The final step is for the male to give the female his mating mark. This is something that ties them together for eternity. The mark can be given immediately after the ceremony or in private. For royal matings, the mark is usually given in public, but today, when the officiant carries out the ceremony and asks Cedric to give me the mark, the king refuses.

I stare at his chest, a hollow feeling in my own.

Why am I not surprised?

“Princess Vivian.” The officiant, an older man, glances at me, his gaze filled with contempt. “You are now queen of the Northern Wolf Kingdom. Please lower your head so that I may place the crown upon it.”

Asking a queen or a princess to lower her head in front of anybody, even an officiant, is an insult. I’m very aware of that. But I’m also aware of the fact that I may now be the queen, but I am also a political prisoner. So, when King Cedric does not intervene, I lower my head. Aside from a handful of people, there is no one in attendance; the few that are, I hear them snicker at my action.

I stare blindly at the floor. They consider this humiliation? They should ask me what humiliation truly is. It’s to have your clothes stripped off in front of soldiers, to be whipped in front of them in your private areas. It’s being asked to perform degrading acts for the spectators. It is to be forced to eat off the floor after the food has been tainted. It is to thank your tormentor for being allowed to live.

It is to have your dignity stripped from you in every way.

Asking me to lower my head? That’s nothing.

I feel the crown placed upon me, and just as it is, Cedric says abruptly, “Alright. This is done. I have work to do. Derrick, have the announcements sent out, and let’s review the damages from the battle.”

He walks away, leaving me standing at the altar with the officiant. I feel my face burn as I stare at the ground. Everybody else is leaving, as well.

“Pity,” I hear someone murmur. “She was supposed to be so prideful and arrogant. Look at her now. She’s nothing now.”

Nothing indeed.

“Come along, Your Majesty.” A kind voice speaks softly, and I feel Harriet’s hands on my arms as she guides me down from the altar. “You should change and eat. Then we’ll arrange for some suitable dresses for you. We have a busy day ahead of us.”

“Yes.” As I let her lead me through the doors, I hazily wonder how long I’ll have to carry out this charade. Maybe once I give Cedric his heirs, he will get rid of me. A small, weary smile crosses my lips.

I hope that happens soon.

“You and the king will not share a bedchamber. Yours will be next to his, however.” Harriet opens the door of the room that will be mine. It is almost bare. I look toward the fireplace.

“Am I allowed to have a fire in here?”

Her eyes widen. “Of course, ma’am!”

She hurries to start a fire, and I wander over to the bed and sit down on it. I can see myself in the vanity mirror from here, and the white dress I’m wearing makes me want to tear it off. If it were easy to switch off one’s emotions, I would have done so long ago.

I wipe my eyes and fold my hands in front of me.

Once Harriet has started the fire, she approaches me. “Would you like something to eat?”

“I’m not hungry, but thank you.”

“You have to eat,” she insists. “You have to take this, as well.”

I eye the small vial in her hand with some tired interest. “Is that poison for me?”

She frowns, displeased. “Of course not. It’s an antidote for the poison in your system. You were being fed poison in the East, Your Majesty.”

“Ah.” A glimmer of understanding. “I’m afraid that antidote won’t work on me.”

Harriet blinks. “I beg your pardon?”

I shrug, keeping my tone nonchalant. “I was fed that poison from a very young age. The king doesn’t have to worry; it hasn’t taken away my ability to bear children. Nor will I die from it. It was meant for an altogether different purpose. You shouldn’t waste the antidote on me. I’ve taken it a couple of times. It has no effect on me anymore.”

Harriet’s hand tightens around the vial. “Ma’am, who gave you the poison?”

I give her a small smile. “It’s not important anymore.”

I take off my crown, and as I do, I hear her ask, “Was it Princess Vivian?”

My body freezes at her question.

When I look at her, her voice is gentle. “I’m aware that you’re not the princess. King Cedric has appraised me of the situation.”

“I see.” My heart is thudding in my chest. “Then”—I glance at her, confused—“why are you treating me with so much respect? I don’t expect you to—”

“You are still a person, Your Majesty. And you’re the queen of this kingdom now, as well as the king’s fated mate. You are the strongest person in this kingdom after the king.”

Strongest, huh? I want to laugh. Instead, I look away. “Okay.”

“Would you mind telling me your name?”

“Vivian.”

She chuckles softly before kneeling by my side. “Your real name.”

I look at her, my heart aching as I whisper, “I don’t think I’m supposed to tell you that.”

“I am to be your most trusted maid, Your Majesty. Unless you give me a reason to, I will not betray you.”

I stare at her. I might get into trouble for this, but the idea of having my identity completely stripped from me is suddenly unbearable. A tear slips down my cheek as I answer hoarsely, “Leanna. Leanna Avery.”

“That’s a lovely name,” Harriet says kindly, and I nearly sob.

“I—Thank you.”

“Would you like to eat something, Miss Leanna?” My head jerks up at her use of my name, and she smiles. “When it’s just the two of us, would you like me to call you Miss Leanna?”

“Are you sure you won’t get in trouble?” I ask hesitantly.

Her smile broadens. “Of course not. Why don’t I fetch you something to eat, and then I will show you around the castle and the nearby villages?”

I nod.

“Bella Asher is going to be your royal assistant. Every queen has a personal maid and an assistant. Bella has been managing the affairs of the castle, but she is going to hand them over to you over time.”

I nod again.

Harriet gets up and pours me a glass of water. “I know King Cedric seems a little harsh, but he’ll come around eventually.”

I concentrate on the water. Come around to what? I remember the way he looked at me, the unconcealed disdain in his eyes. I know enough about the Northern Wolf Kingdom to know that they value the purity of blood. The royal family has never mated with commoners. I may have been taught everything Princess Vivian knew, but at the end of the day, my blood is not royal, and I am nothing but a mere substitute.

The fact that I am his fated mate means nothing to him.

Sometimes it’s best to simply appease the people around you. Does Harriet really expect me to argue with her? She could tell me the sky is green, and I’d go along with it. A doll and a puppet. Those have always been my roles. Why should this time be any different?

My hands tighten around the glass in my hand. “I understand.”

She leaves to find me some food, and I wander over to the window. The room overlooks the garden. It’s a bare landscape. None of the warmth of the East here. At least back home, the gardens were always a lush green, a variety of flowers blooming in every corner. The chirping of the birds a constant background. When I would hide out in those gardens, seeking the solitude, I learned to differentiate between the different bird calls. It used to be my favorite pastime, one that allowed me to relax. However, there are no birds here, the gray skies and frostbitten trees painting the picture of a dreary wasteland.

The door of my bedroom opens, and I turn around, expecting to see Harriet. To my surprise, it is the king.

He stares at me. “Why haven’t you changed?”

My wolf, who had perked up on seeing him, lets out a confused whine.

“Harriet wanted me to eat first.”

King Cedric tightens his jaw. “Fine.”

Why does he looks so irritated? Maybe he doesn’t like seeing my face.

“I just came to tell you not to kick up a fuss over this.”

I blink slowly, trying to follow what he’s saying. “Over what?”

“The separate bedrooms.” He sounds impatient.

“I have no problem with it,” I murmur. When he looks angry, I wonder what I did now.

“And I don’t want to hear any complaining about the mating ceremony.”

“I understand.”

Why does he look even more irked now?

“You are a stand-in for the real princess,” he says harshly. “Don’t expect the same treatment that Vivian would have received. And don’t think you will get the same privileges. You are simply a substitute, so know your place. Don’t let your position go to your head. This room was designed for the real princess. You are not her.”

My wolf flinches, the harsh and vicious rejection making it whimper in bewilderment. How do I explain to an animal who only understands instincts that our mate doesn’t want us? This isn’t a fairytale where the king rescues us from the evil princess and we get to live happily ever after. The king did rescue us, but he wanted the evil princess, and I’m just a cheap replacement.

“I understand,” I reply quietly.

Does he expect me to argue with him over my rights? What rights? I never assumed I had any.

He stares at me for a few seconds and then snaps, “Change that outfit and stop eating all the time. The servants aren’t here to accommodate your every whim.”

With that, he slams the door shut and leaves.

I gaze at the door, trying to calm my wolf. “It’s fine,” I whisper softly. “You’re alive, aren’t you? That matters.”

But I don’t know if I entirely believe it even as the words leave my mouth.

The Northern Kingdom’s castle is massive.

The gray, stone walls are depressing, and as Harriet guides me around, I find myself asking, “Why isn’t there anything colorful in this place?”

The question comes out before I can stop myself.

Harriet gives me a small smile. “The North has always been this way. None of the previous queens cared much about decorating the castle. His Majesty’s parents were never concerned about appearances, either. As I’m sure you know, the Northern Kingdom is responsible for protecting the Veil between the human world and ours. The Veil has incredibly strong magic, and it affects the wildlife in that area, causing those creatures to mutate. The royal family is tasked with ensuring the resulting monsters don’t cross into the human world, so they are kept very busy with protecting the Veil. They simply don’t think about things like having color in the castle. But if you wish to decorate, I can talk to the king about a budget—”

I shake my head. “I don’t want to change anything. I was just asking.”

I can feel her eyes on me, but she doesn’t press the issue. Instead, she says, “Miss Asher should be in her office right now. We can take her along with us while we look at the grounds and do a quick tour of the local villages.”

As we head to her office, I think about the Veil.

While the human world and the wolf kingdoms exist on the same Earth, a magic barrier was cast centuries ago, separating the two species. The humans craved development, while the wolves wished to stay true to their traditions and their kind. Animosity had already begun to spread between the humans and the wolves, and the witches of that time decided to separate them to prevent any escalation. It is not easy for a human to cross the Veil, but for beings with magical energy, such as us wolves, it is not hard.

Princess Vivian hated history lessons, and I was often forced to double for her when she wanted to play truant. While our education was mostly the same, the king didn’t want to give me too much advantage, but his daughter didn’t care. She wanted to use me in whatever way she saw fit. So, I attended plenty of her lessons in her place, which is why I have so much knowledge about the placement of the various kingdoms. I also know about the existence of the wolf kingdom in the human world. Unlike us, they have fully embraced the humans’ modern development, and they don’t live in castles. I visited them once, in the princess’s place. The world of the humans fascinated me. There was no discrimination among classes. At least, none that I saw. They didn’t whip those beneath them. They had their own problems, but from my point of view, those problems were trivial compared to what I faced on a daily basis.

The education systems were different. Several thousand students would learn in one building. In the wolf kingdoms, children are taught individually by a select few, and most receive that education at home. And even that schooling is limited to their requirements. I had to meet the king there, Erik, and he must have sensed my fascination with the human education system because he gifted me several books on various subjects. Princess Vivian, when she saw the gifts on my return, was disgusted and tossed them aside. I kept those books and read them all. There were subjects like finance and economy and botany. Things that the princess considered boring but I found interesting.

Bella Asher’s office is in a corner of the castle, and when we enter, I see towers and towers of books stacked from the ground upward. There’s a desk near the window, and a man is standing by it, his back to me. His physique is slim, his hair a soft blonde and tied in a long, flowing ponytail. When he turns around, I’m startled. It’s not a man but a woman. She’s wearing rimless spectacles, a plain white dress shirt, and dark pants—usually a man’s attire. Bella is strikingly attractive, though, and I know in a heartbeat that Princess Vivian would never have allowed such an individual anywhere near her husband.

Harriet introduces us. “This is Bella Asher, Your Majesty.”

Bella’s voice is cool, reminding me of my mate. “Is this the queen?”

I’m used to disrespect, and I can sense it in her tone. She’s not addressing me, simply confirming my identity.

“This is Queen Vivian,” Harriet says, her voice sharp. “I’m giving her a tour of the castle and the villages—”

“Why?” Bella asks abruptly, snapping closed the book in her hands. “She’s not the real princess. She’s just a lowly maid of the actual—”

“Bella!” Harriet’s tone is harsh, and the woman stops talking. “She is the queen. If you can’t show her the respect her status demands, then perhaps I should seek out another individual who will be more willing to look past their bias.”

Bella stiffens, and I look at Harriet in wonder. I thought she was just the head maid. I didn’t know she had so much authority to make even the royal assistant look flustered. The latter looks at me. “My apologies.”

She doesn’t sound sorry, nor do I care.

“Now, will you accompany us on the tour?” Harriet asks, her voice hard.

Bella nods. “Let me grab my coat.”

“That reminds me.” Harriet glances at me. “I should get you something heavier to wear. The castle is warm inside, but—”

“This is warm?” I blurt the words, and Harriet studies me in concern.

“Are you feeling chilly?”

I look down at the simple green dress I’m wearing. The fabric isn’t very thick, but I thought I wasn’t allowed to wear anything on top of it, so I never asked.

When I don’t answer, Harriet reaches out and touches my hand. Her expression grows horrified. “Why didn’t you tell me you were so cold?!”

“I didn’t notice,” I lie.

“I’ll get you a coat. Stay here.”

She hurries off, leaving me alone with Bella.

The woman stares at me and finally says, “Don’t expect me to treat you like royalty. Cedric has informed me about you. I am among his most loyal people.”

I study her. The possessive way she’s talking about my mate makes me wonder if there’s more between them than just loyalty. Not that I’m going to voice my concerns.

When I don’t react, she frowns. “What, you’re not going to say anything?”

“You’ve made your position clear. Would you like me to say something?” I ask politely.

She walks over to me, grabs my chin, and lifts my head. “I’ve met the real Princess Vivian, you know. You don’t do her justice.”

This makes me smile, amusement a flitting emotion. I gently remove her hand. “There were several occasions when I stood in front of the king of the East and he was not able to distinguish between his daughter and me. You don’t like me, and I understand that. You don’t need to say anything further. I understand my position in this kingdom quite well, Miss Asher. I’m not here to make enemies. I am simply trying to survive.”

Bella gives me a mocking smile. “Sure.”

I meet her gaze and realize that I’m tired. I’m just so tired of it all. Of this constant battle for survival. Is this existence even worth fighting for?

“I’m going to wait outside, if it’s quite alright with you.” I turn around and head toward the door.

“If you think you will win Cedric’s heart by acting all meek and shy, you don’t know the first thing about him,” Bella calls after me.

“Are you his lover?” I ask bluntly, pausing to look back over my shoulder at her.

Her eyes widen at my question, and then a small smile forms on her lips. “And what if I am?”

I stare at her, feeling my wolf howl in misery inside me.

Hush, I comfort it. You’ve got me, don’t you?

No wonder the king is so cold to me.

He already has a woman he loves.