Page 6 of The Kingdom of Eternal Ice (Under the Werewolf Crown #1)

six

Secret Powers

*AZADEH*

T he inn we stay in is a cute and comfortable little place. It’s nothing like the palace I grew up in; there is no luxury, but it feels much more homely. The innkeepers, an elderly couple, and their adult daughter with her mate keep it cozy, warm and welcoming.

Ita looks at me and Simin worriedly, while the old lady rushes off to retrieve some warm clothes and blankets. “Had I known you would come dressed like this, I would have brought clothes for you.”

“Unfortunately, we don’t have thick clothes in the Everlasting Desert,” I tell her.

She blinks. “Does it never get cold… at all?”

“It’s always hot,” I smile.

“Why am I even surprised?” Ita grins. “After all, it’s called the Everlasting Desert. Here, on the contrary, it’s always cold.”

“Speaking of cold.” The male innkeeper approaches Simin and me and offers both of us a huge bowl of soup. “Have something warm to eat, you two. You must be freezing.”

He is right. Now that I have something warm to eat and am covered in a blanket, I realize how cold I truly felt outside.

Being surrounded by food and warmth makes me wonder about someone else, though.

“What about Royan?” I ask Ita. “He has been in his wolf form all this time. Won’t he be hungry?”

“I will bring him some food later,” she promises.

“I can do that,” I offer. “I haven’t met him yet, despite the fact he was sent here to protect me. It doesn’t feel right not to introduce myself.”

I expect Shayan and Ita to be against it, but to my surprise they just look at me like I grew a second head. Shayan seems honestly flabbergasted, while Ita smiles brightly. “The triplet princes will be crazy about you,” she grins.

“Sorry?” I blink.

“Nothing,” she smiles. “I think Royan would love it if the princess came in person to greet him! He is staying away because he fears he might scare you.”

“I’m going to live with wolves,” I tell her. “I may as well start to get used to them now.”

Before I can go anywhere, though, they pack me into a warm jacket and a thick scarf until I feel like a puffed-up pillow. “Tynan and I will come with you, of course,” Ita says.

“I will come too,” Shayan says and gets up. “Simin is safe here. We don’t need to worry.”

I nod, actually feeling relieved that I have company and, together with my little group, I make my way out of the inn and back through town. As usual, my own warriors ignore me, but this time, I don’t really mind. I have my eyes set on a new goal, namely, a dark gray wolf pacing around the town.

Much to my surprise, Royan seems to be expecting us. He is sitting close to a tent, hidden behind a few huge rocks.

“How did he know?” I whisper toward Ita.

“I mind linked him,” she explains. “The three of us are part of the royal guards, which is the same as being from the same pack.”

“Right, I’ve read about this. It’s fascinating that you can communicate that way.”

“You read about us?” Tynan beams.

“Of course, I wanted to be prepared,” I admit.

“I bet you thought we would be all creepy barbarians,” Tynan grins, and he is closer to the truth than he probably realizes he is. “If you want me to, I could introduce you to a few friends. I’m sure they-“

“Tynan,” Ita warns. “King Gilleon said our guest is to be treated with the utmost respect.”

I’m surprised to hear that. Aren’t I more a prisoner than a guest? Maybe the king just wants to be polite. We don’t talk much more until we reach the enormous wolf waiting for us. Close up, he looks… gigantic. From the distance, I might have mistaken him for a normal wolf, but close up, it’s evident that there is more to him.

When he sees me, he stands up and lowers his head as if to bow in front of me. I’m spellbound, not able to move or say anything, until I can feel his wet tongue on my hand, slobbering all over it. It makes me squeal.

“Royan, stop trying to make out with her!” Tynan chastises.

“I can’t believe you.” Ita glares at Tynan and takes my hand in hers. “He is the first werewolf you ever saw in wolf form, right?”

I nod, still mesmerized but more curious now.

“He is here to protect you, not hurt you,” she soothes me. “You are safe.”

“Can I touch him?”

Royan jumps up and down at my suggestion and pushes his huge head against my palm.

“Alright, I guess that’s a yes.” I smile, getting down on my knees to gently brush his fur. “Is it true that there is a wolf spirit in you?” I ask Ita. “Like, another person?”

She nods. “Yes, we share our body with our wolves, and we can let them take over, both in human and wolf form. In general, our human selves take the lead. Wolves of higher rank learn early to reign in their baser instincts and control their wolves. Royan’s wolf spirit is a strong warrior, but he is gentle with those he swore to protect.”

As if on cue, Royan, or rather his wolf, pokes me with his nose, and I make sure to scratch him behind his ears. I try not to think about how I’m actually petting a man right now, trying to tell myself that in his wolf form, he is a wolf, just like Ita said.

“Princess,” she smiles. “Royan will shift back to his human form now. You might want to turn around, though something tells me he wouldn’t mind you watching him.”

Something about these werewolves and their way of talking about their sexuality is truly new to me. They seem to be so comfortable with their bodies but also with their flirting. Like right before we arrived in town, some men and women flirted with Ita and Tynan.

I’m not sure how to handle it yet, but at least they are trying to explain everything to me and giving me time to prepare. “Thank you for the warning.” I get up and turn around, giving Royan the privacy to shift back. Behind me, I can hear some cracking sounds and then some shuffling.

“I’m dressed now, Princess Azadeh.”

I turn around, my eyes landing on Royan’s naked chest. When he said he was dressed, he probably meant he just covered the bare minimum. These people are kind of funny in their own way.

“Hello, Royan.”

Royan gets down on one knee to take my hand. “I was assigned as your protector.”

“Ita told me already.“

He smiles. “I will be your bodyguard for as long as you allow me to. It’s going to be an honor to protect you and to work together with the renowned General Shayan.”

“King Gillean assigned Royan to you personally,” Ita explains. “He won the last tournament of the royal warriors.”

“Thank you, Royan,” I whisper, not sure why the king would assign me an actual protector. My books said that wolves had an honorable nature, meaning that a promise such as this means a lot to them. “I don’t know how I deserve all of this, and I certainly don’t understand everything yet, but I appreciate you watching out for me.”

“Princess Azadeh brought something to eat for you,” Shayan reminds me, trying to be subtle about it but failing miserably. Subtly was never his strength.

“Not just me,” I say. “We all came to make sure you had something to eat.”

Royan smiles happily at me. He is a tall and broad man with a few scars on his chest. He has wild dark-blonde hair and an equally wild beard. I think Simin would quite like his looks.

Ita wraps me into yet another blanket while she makes sure I can sit down on one of the boxes. It seems Royan has his own little den here to retreat to occasionally while circling the town. Royan is still eating as Ita tells me a few facts about this area. Meanwhile, Tynan chats with Shayan and tries to compliment him on his knowledge and reputation. It’s a little funny because Shayan is completely oblivious to Tynan’s unsubtle flirting, making Tynan look like a lost puppy.

I let my gaze roam over the landscape. The sun has set by now, and it’s getting darker and darker with every passing minute. Nights in my home aren’t normally that dark, it’s new to me and oddly fascinating.

It's when I look towards the forest that I see a figure standing there. I can barely see her at first, but once my eyes adapt to the evening dawn, I can make out her white hair and white dress, and it looks like she is wearing a veil. I frown. “Who-”

My voice gets stuck in my throat at the sudden thunder growling around us.

Shayan jumps up. “Is this a blizzard?”

“Yes, and it’s approaching fast,” Tynan says, and all the silliness is wiped off his face. He looks focused all of a sudden. “We need to return.”

“Yes, fast,” Shayan agrees.

“No,” Royan bellows, and I can feel how the air around him changes. As if his entire aura gets more domineering. “It’s approaching too fast.” He takes my arm. “Princess, allow me.”

I nod, dumbfounded. I’m not sure why I even trust him, but an unknown force - an instinct - draws me to him. It’s not love or lust; it’s more like… how I feel towards Shayan.

“We can’t remain here,” Shayan comments.

“We have to,” Royan says shortly, and tugs me closer, into his den. “The sky is darkening, and it’s not because it’s night. Everyone, surround the princess and make sure she is protected.”

“What about the woman?” I breathe out.

“The woman?” Ita asks, alarmed.

“Yes, out there, close to the forest,” I pause, realizing how dumb I sound. “Maybe it was a hallucination. There certainly couldn’t be someone standing out there.”

Ita and Royan exchange a gaze. “Did she wear a veil?” Ita asks.

“Yes, I think so.” I look at them with a frown. “Why?”

“Together, everyone,” Royan commands. “The snowstorm will approach fast! She was there.”

“ She ?” Shayan asks.

Tynan pales but doesn’t say anything, instead, he follows Royan’s orders.

Royan looks at Shayan insistently. “General Shayan, I need your help.”

The two silently exchange a glance. “Of course.”

I’m pressed to the ground, with everyone surrounding me and covering me with their bodies. I can feel the wind pick up, and the first snowflakes surrounding us. She… she… who is she? Is the veiled woman responsible for this? Right as my thoughts begin to run wild, my eyes meet Royan’s. “It’s going to be alright, Princess,” he says gently. “Don’t worry.”

Like a flashback, I’m transported back in time.

“It’s going to be alright, Azadeh,” Shayan said when he had to rush into battle to defend the palace. The battle in which he lost his arm and eye. “Don’t worry, my princess.”

And years later… “It’s going to be alright, Azadeh,” my brother Kiyan exclaimed as he rushed towards me when the palace was under attack from rebels. “Don’t worry, dear sister,” he said right when he threw himself between me and the attackers who were out for my head. He fended them off but got wounded badly and stayed in a coma for months.

It’s going to be alright.

Don’t worry.

All said with this gentle voice, when they were ready to die.

I’ve known these people for half a day, and yet they are ready to put their lives at risk to protect me. It can’t happen. I can’t allow this to happen, not to the first people who have been nice to me after such a long time. Not on my first day in this new country. Not to someone I care for.

I open my eyes, feeling my emotions overwhelm me. No one is going to die!