Page 3 of The Silent Mountain (Under the Werewolf Crown #2)

three

Distrust

*FAVIAN*

M y advisor, Stefan, has spread a few maps over the huge table in my office, covering it completely. For the last couple of months, he has been working on plans on how to rehabilitate the kingdom and how to rebuild the homes.

“Medical aid?” I ask.

“We have a nurse and a retired doctor,” Stefan says. He is a tall, athletic man, and his temples are graying already, giving away his age and experience. “They are currently working for the clan.”

“The doctor’s name?”

“Frederick,” he says.

I nod. “I know him, but he is already of an older age. I’m grateful he agreed to jump in until we find someone else, so let’s not overdo it and exhaust him. Can he mentor someone to take over?”

“That’s certainly an option,” Stefan says. “I will see if we can find someone.” He pauses. “I was thinking. If we could invite a witch to live with us, it would probably solve a lot of our problems. Don’t you think so, my king?”

Although I have known him ever since I was a kid, he still addresses me formally. Stefan was a friend and advisor of my father, originally, and one of the very few dragon shifters of my father’s guards who survived. He is very skilled and intelligent, and I am glad I have him as my support, although I don’t like him much. I don’t have an explanation for my dislike; he has always been loyal to my father and now me, and I truly need his advice. But certain things of his past, certain decisions, don’t sit right with me.

Besides, he annoys me. Maybe it’s the patronizing way he talks. Maybe the many question marks surrounding his survival.

Now, however, his suggestion makes my skin crawl.

“A witch?” I say, not able to hide my displeasure at his suggestion. “After what happened? After what the last one did to us?”

Stefan looks at me, raising his hand as if he wants to squeeze my shoulder, but then he drops it again. “I know it’s not what you wanted to hear,” he says. “But I am your advisor. It’s my task to give advice.”

“And you think a witch would solve our problems without raising new ones?” I ask bitterly.

“No,” he says. “I think it will be terrifying for many of us to have a witch around, which is why I wouldn’t suggest just anyone. We don’t even need a powerful witch, just someone who can use witchcraft, a healer.” He pauses. “The dragons look up to their king,” he says, repeating what Alana said before. “They will follow your lead because you saved them and brought their kingdom back. If you hate the idea, they will too.”

“It’s not fair,” I mutter, not minding that I sound like a petulant child.

“It isn’t,” Stefan agrees.

Silence engulfs us for a while. Stefan doesn’t talk; he doesn’t even seem to breathe too loudly, so that I can think things through. It was a witch who led to the downfall of the dragons and to the destruction of the kingdom. It was a witch who had my family killed and who almost killed me. It was a witch who imprisoned me and tortured my mind for years.

But it was also the werewolf kingdom, with a witch at their side, who saved me.

Part of me wants to set out and destroy every witch I meet, but then I remember that I am also indebted to one. Do I really want to be the type of leader who condemns a whole group just because of one rotten apple?

“I am not happy,” I say shortly.

Stefan looks at me, his wise eyes looking at me with a hint of nervosity now.

“I want someone who will not remind me of the witch who destroyed us. I’m not looking for strength in her, I am looking for empathy and the ability to heal.” I look at him now. “If you find a witch like that, and she is willing to pledge her loyalty to me, I will consider giving her a chance. But if this fails, it will be on you, and you will carry the responsibility for it!”

Stefan looks stunned.

“Why are you so surprised?” I ask. “You are not agreeing with my decision?”

“I am,” Stefan says, a smile curling his lips. “I just didn’t expect you to…to…”

“To see the bigger picture?” I want to know. I sometimes feel like I am giving him a hard time, but Stefan was my father’s advisor once, and I need to know if he can put that aside and be mine. While he was very young back then and none of my father’s other advisors listened to him, he was the one who had the best intuition. He was also the first to see the approaching danger. It’s the reason I respect him and his opinion, but we don’t have a close bond yet, and I don’t trust him fully yet. I know he survived by hiding while other shifters like Ludwig and Barbara risked their lives, and I’m not sure how I feel about that.

Maybe distrust became part of my nature after everything my kind went through.

“No,” Stefan says. “Since I started to work for you, I knew you were able to see the bigger picture.”

“But you think I am immature.”

Again, he shakes his head.

“Then what do you think?” I ask. “You can be honest. You are the only advisor I currently have. It’s not like I can kill you for your opinion.”

My words draw a smile from him before he grows serious again. “I didn’t believe you would be able to shove your trauma aside—not so soon—and agree on inviting a witch.”

“It’s not like I enjoy doing it,” I say.

“I know.”

“My kingdom needs a good healer. That’s more important than my own feelings.”

Stefan glances at me first before scanning my office. His attention halts at a drawing of my family. A drawing from when we had better times and everyone was still alive. “Nothing like this should have happened,” he says. “You didn’t deserve it, your family didn’t deserve it, and the other shifters didn’t either.” He turns to look at me. “For what it’s worth, my king, you were always bright and very intelligent, even as a child. Your father had high hopes for you, and not just because you were a golden dragon.”

That’s news to me. “Did he really?”

“He constantly praised you,” Stefan says. “And believed that you would lead the kingdom back to prosperity. And when the witch began to destroy us, and he finally understood what was happening, he tried everything to secure the future of the kingdom.” He pauses. “I know he wasn’t always nice to you.”

That’s an understatement. I believe my father loved me in his own way, and he raised me the way he was raised. He didn’t know better.

“But when he died, his last thoughts were with you and Prince Elio. At the end of the day, he wanted to save his children. That’s why I won’t leave your side. I am here to fulfil his dying wish.”

His words sadden me.

I loved my father and looked up to him, although he wasn’t a particularly good leader. He was still my father. But I didn’t lie to Alana when I told her royal dragons have a hands-on approach with their kids. My father had a rod he would use whenever he thought I had disobeyed, which is why a part of me feared him, and another part felt insufficient at times. To be fair, he did show me kindness too.

But he wasn’t the best ruler, unfortunately.

Maybe that’s the reason he pushed me to study and train so much, even at an early age. Maybe he knew he lacked potential. He was not blessed like I was. He was not a golden dragon, and as such, he did not have a deity bound to him like I do with Favia.

I sigh, rubbing my temples. “I wish he had listened to you, Stefan. I know you saw the threat before anyone else did.” I pause. “That’s the reason why I am working with you.”

“He didn’t want to see it,” Stefan says quietly. “The truth.”

Because it would have meant to admit failure.

“Sometimes, it’s not about what we want,” I mutter, turning my gaze back to Stefan. “That’s why I agreed to find a witch.”

I feel drained after I wrap things up with Stefan. There is still so much to do to rebuild this kingdom. Whenever I take a step, I find new tasks and problems ahead of me. It’s like I can never reach my goal.

Well, it was to be expected that it’s tough work.

I glance outside, noticing that it’s pitch-black already. There are clouds covering the night sky, letting no light through. It’s not a particularly beautiful night. On my way through the castle, I stop by the guards to talk a bit to them. I want them to know that I am here and present, and that I respect the work they do.

We still aren’t many in number, but we are enough to run this clan.

Most of the staff of the castle sleep at their own houses. They all want a sense of normality back in their lives, and I didn’t want to force them to live here in the castle. However, a few maids and guards chose to reside here. It makes it feel less empty.

Now that Alana lives here too, it’s like a fresh wind blows through the corridors. She is waking everyone up from their depression with her fiery hair and fierce attitude. She was the one who brought horses here, and while it might not look like something special, it is something new for us, something exciting.

Dragon shifters were never keen on mingling with other shifters, but I can see that their attitude has changed. They appreciate Alana’s presence here because she is a distraction to them, something interesting and fascinating.

Silence lingers around the lands now as most of us are sleeping. I walk towards my own chambers on the top floor of the castle. Only Elio, Alana, and I have our chambers here. I made sure Alana got the most beautiful room we had to offer with lots of space, so she has a safe space to retreat to. I want her to be able to truly feel at home here.

Elio stays in a single room, but he prefers it that way. A guard is stationed in front of it. He was the man who made sure Elio could flee and survive. He protected him all those years while they hid away.

“My king,” he whispers.

“Theodor,” I smile at him. “We are not in danger anymore; you can rest too.”

“I got used to it,” he admits. “To watch over him at night and make sure no one harms him.”

“I appreciate that,” I say. “He was able to survive thanks to you.”

Theodor blushes at my words, the praise making his eyes light up. He is a fairly young man. He was only seventeen when I sent him away, together with Elio and Elio’s nanny, to hide until it was safe to return. A difficult task, especially for someone so young. It went without saying that he was made a royal guard the moment they returned. I don’t care if he is of royal blood or not; it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that he saved my little brother.

I take the moment to peek into Elio’s room, noting his small frame beneath the blanket. He is sleeping, but it’s a restless sleep. He keeps tossing around, a frown on his face, while his hands are tightened around the blanket. I wonder what kind of nightmares are haunting him and if they are similar to my own. I quietly sit down at the edge of his bed, putting my hand onto his. Favia and I don’t interact a lot. Most of the time, she spends in the spirit realm and only appears when I ask her to or when she truly needs to. Now she is here, though, and I can feel her power seeping through my touch.

“You are safe,” I whisper to my brother. “You are safe.”

The tight grip of his hand loosens slightly, and the frown disappears. Maybe he will sleep a little better tonight.

I leave his room again, nodding at Theodor, before walking through the corridor to my own chambers, which are at the end of the corridor right before the tower. There is a separate staircase that leads from my room up into the tower, in case I want to shift and rest in my dragon form. It’s the highest point of this area and allows me to see my surroundings from all sides.

I just briefly wash myself and dress in more comfortable clothes for the night before I eye my bed. I try it every night—to lie down and close my eyes and allow sleep to carry me away. But I never succeed. The only times I sleep are when I have over-exhausted myself so much that I drop unconscious. I could use a potion, but I don’t want to cloud my mind with magic.

A small fire flickers in the fireplace, and I sit down on the carpet in front of it. I close my eyes, steadying my breath and allowing my mind to wander.

Favian, Favia turns around when I enter her realm. It’s a beautiful room, made out of white marble and with light blue carpets and curtains. She has built this place in my mind, and while she is her own entity, we are connected. It’s hard for anyone else to understand what we are to each other. In a way, she is part of me, like a wolf spirit is part of a wolf shifter. But she is also her own person, and she is also me .

She is my best friend and also a part of my soul.

You should sleep, she says while approaching me. She is looking so much better now. Back then, when we were held captive, she almost died due to being weakened.

I can’t, I tell her.

She turns away from me. I know, she says. Then let’s talk for a bit.

What do you want to talk about? I ask her.

Maybe the woman who is bound to you and by that also to me, she says with a smile. The Warrior Princess.

I don’t think I am a particularly good mate at the moment, I say. I would have made her happier if we’d met at a later point.

No, she says. Because the princess was hurt too. We are giving her time to heal, which is what she needs. She wouldn’t be here if she didn’t like you. She pauses. Do you like her?

I do, I say.

Favia smirks. Because she is your mate?

I think I would have liked her even without a bond between us. I can’t help but smile. Everything about her is likable.

Favia tosses her head back and laughs, but she doesn’t enlighten me on what she finds so funny. She stops abruptly, though, furrowing her brows. You need to return, she says, a certain urgency in her voice. Now. She needs you.

I don’t hesitate even for a second. Normally, I take my time when I meditate because hasty movements might give me a migraine, but there is no time for a gentle retreat when Alana needs me. I find myself back in my room, jumping up instantly and hurrying out of my chambers. My senses pick up footsteps and a ragged breath.

It’s coming from her! What happened? Who hurt her?