Page 41 of The Silent Mountain (Under the Werewolf Crown #2)

*ALANA*

F avian and I try to make as much time for each other as possible. Even with the threat looming over us, we decided to make the best out of our time and not despair. I know Endellion said something similar before he returned home to his kingdom. We have time to plan our next steps, and we shouldn’t rush into any decisions without proper planning. We don’t really know our enemy yet, or what he is after. Important information is still missing, and we have our allies to support and to gather them around us.

I throw myself into preparing for the first ball, while Favian has begun to up the training of our warriors. There have been no more incidents, no creepy creatures, no birds, no spells. The clan is finally able to rebuild itself and regain its strength, slowly but steadily.

Favian has gone to a very early training session today, while I take the opportunity to sleep a bit longer. I have quite some appointments ahead of me and need my strength. That is, until I hear some rustling next to me, startling me awake.

An unknown scent hits me all of a sudden. It’s subtle and clearly covered, but now that I am awake, I can sense it. With a growl, I jump up, ready to attack.

“Please, don’t, Queen of the Dragons,” a calm voice stops me. “I am not here to threaten you.”

My gaze falls on a tall, athletic man in a long tunic that accentuates his body’s frame. He is sitting on a chair, one leg over the other, with his hands folded. He looks ageless with long cheekbones and overall beautiful features. His hair is brown and long, and he wears it down. My gaze wanders to his ears. They are pointed.

A Fae?

“Why again am I not supposed to attack you when you come here and watch me sleep like a creep?”

He smiles at me. “The handsome general or, rather now, beta didn’t disappoint me. He said, you are worth a visit.”

General? He is talking about Shayan!

“How did you even manage to enter?”

“Your mate allowed me into the castle.”

“And did he also allow you into the bedroom?” I ask blandly, very much aware that Favian would have never let anyone come into our most private chambers.

“Did he?” The man taps his finger against his lips and smirks. “Or didn’t he? The young Dragon King is very alluring too. Such a lovely trip for me to make.”

I sit down at the edge of my bed, too speechless to remain upset. Instead, I keep glaring at my visitor. “I didn’t catch your name,” I finally say.

He just chuckles in an unnerving way. “Oh, I didn’t tell you.” He cocks his head to look me over again. “The Warrior Princess with the fiery hair,” he muses. “I have heard about you. The dragons love you, and you melted the frozen heart of their king. Intriguing indeed.”

“You make it sound like I did something special,” I say shortly, finally deciding I have had enough of this talk. I leave the Fae visitor for a moment to walk into the bathroom and change into more proper clothes to greet a guest.

By now, it has pretty much dawned on me that this, for sure, is not a simple Fae who is visiting us. Shayan reached out to him, and Favian let him inside the castle easily. I decide to take a wild guess when I step into my room again. “Lord Ellanher?” I ask.

He raises his eyebrows. “My,” he smirks. “You are sharper than I thought you would be.”

“I am not sure I can see this as a compliment.”

“Hm,” he hums. “You are the Warrior Princess with good instincts, with a sense for the unknown and mythical beings. Such a pity you are mated.”

I sit down at the edge of the bed again. “Why are you really here, Lord Ellanher? The king of the Fae is not visiting without a reason.”

He reaches out his hand. “May I?” he asks, gesturing towards my arm.

I have stopped feeling awkward with how my arm looks, but I would lie if I said it doesn’t make me feel flustered when someone pays it too much attention. Only Favian can touch it and look at it without making me feel uncomfortable.

Lord Ellanher doesn’t seem disgusted, though. Instead, he looks intrigued while he inspects my arm. “To cut your own hand off… that’s nerves of steel. For us Fae, that’s fascinating to say the least. A long time ago, I helped General Shayan with his arm by offering him a prosthesis only we Fae can make, because I owed his king a favor and because the man himself was interesting enough.”

“And why would you help me?”

“Hm, maybe I just want to help the queen of the dragons,” he says, putting one leg on his other again, and smiling at me. There is a glint in his eyes that alerts me instantly.

“Somehow I doubt that.”

“I told you I found you intriguing.”

“That might be true, but is it all?”

Lord Ellanher looks at me, the playful expression making way for a serious one. “Then how about: I want to be on good terms with your family.”

“And why is that?”

“Let that be my secret,” he says. “I told you enough, didn’t I? So, Queen Alana of the Silent Mountain, do you accept my help?”

*FAVIAN*

Each day seems to be busier than the one before, but it’s so much more fulfilling than my life before I met Alana. The days are calm and sunny, and maybe it’s the calm before a storm, but for now, I will take whatever I can get.

Like fire against the snow, I can see Alana’s hair blow in the wind. She is handling the horses, eager to do it on her own. Since the Fae lord gifted her a prosthesis, she has trained hard to get used to it. She claims it’s not the same as before; she doesn’t have her full mobility, not like it was when she had her own hand, but the prosthesis gives her better balance and strength, though it’s not a complete replacement.

Alana is strong, however, much stronger than anyone else I have ever met. Each day, I am reminded of how lucky I am to be mated to her, to have her in my life.

“Favian?” I turn around to look at my brother.

“Elio, did you finish your studies?”

“For today at least,” he says. He has matured so much over the last couple of months.

“I am proud of you for how seriously you take your education,” I say.

He blushes slightly. “Of course I am taking it seriously. It’s what I wanted to do. I can’t disappoint you, not since I am not going to walk the path of a warrior.”

“You don’t need to be constantly afraid of disappointing me,” I assure him. “You have nothing to prove.”

“I am still trying to wrap my mind around that,” he admits. “Sometimes, I feel like everyone expects big things from me, and it makes me anxious.”

I squeeze his shoulder gently. “We talked about this, Elio. Are you still feeling so much pressure?”

“Not always,” he admits quietly. “Just sometimes.”

“Everyone loves you here, and I, for one, am glad you found your calling. You might not become an elite warrior, but you will for sure become a fantastic healer.”

“I won’t neglect my training though,” he promises. “I know as a prince it’s important for me to be able to defend myself and my kingdom.” He pauses, gazing at me with a hint of anxiety. “But I don’t think I will be able to ever catch up to you or Alana, or Ludwig, or even Stefan.”

“You have your strengths and I have mine,” I say. “There is nothing wrong with that.”

“You really don’t mind?” he asks quietly.

I look at Elio thoughtfully. He has settled down on one of the sofas that I had recently purchased to make the living room more comfortable. Grabbing a chair, I pull it closer to sit down next to him. “What’s this really about?” I ask him.

“I feel like I let you down,” he admits. “Not just now, but ever since we returned to the kingdom.”

“Why would you think that?”

“I was so reckless,” he says quietly. “You were right when you said I was just running from my responsibilities.”

“I am pretty sure that’s not how I said it,” I say tentatively, trying to recall the several talks we had about Elio spiraling because of his anxiety of not being enough. “Never once did I think you were running from your responsibilities. I know how heavy they weigh on us, and how it’s not always fair that we have to abide by the expectations of those around us.”

He sighs. “I know, but I do feel that way.”

“The clan loves you, I love you, Alana loves you,” I reassure him. “But I know more than anyone else, how suffocating the pressure we are under can be. You were on the run and hiding for so long you barely had any childhood. People will always try to tell you what you should do and who you should be, but remember that these decisions are yours to make, not theirs. The path you choose is solely on you. We have a responsibility to ourselves, too, not just to the clan.”

Elio doesn’t say anything for a while, then he takes a deep breath and nods. “I will try to remember that,” he says.

The door opens, pulling us out of our thoughts, and Stefan and Ludwig enter. “We are finished with the last preparations for the ball,” Ludwig says. He has become much more reserved since Barbara passed on, but he is slowly returning to his old strength. Sometimes, I even see him smile. I think his friendship with Alana is helping him, and some of the other warriors are looking after him also, always including him in their plans.

It will take some time for him to be able to move on.

“I can’t quite believe the Fae King is attending as well,” Stefan says.

I nod my agreement. “Yes, I was surprised. I thought that after helping Alana, he would completely ignore us.”

“He said he wants to remain close to my family and not upset us,” Alana’s voice reaches me from the door. Done with my training, she links me.

“Well, it’s weird, but we shouldn’t complain too much,” Stefan points out. “The Fae are strong allies, probably the strongest, together with the wolves.”

“Will I be attending the ball?” Elio asks.

“Do you want to?” Alana asks him in return.

“Of course, that is if you want me there. I do want to support you.”

“I think it’s a good idea if you join us,” I say. “Our allies should know who you are and that you are a full-fledged member of the royal family.”

Elio’s eyes light up at my words. He is still struggling with his confidence, that much is evident now, but he is working so hard. I am sure he will get there and find that nothing is wrong with how he is or with the goals he’s chosen.

Later that evening, Alana and I retire to our chambers. Wrapped in a thick blanket, we are sitting outside on the balcony, looking into the abyss below us and the vast mountain chain ahead of us. “This view is still so magical,” Alana says, snuggling against me. “It’s humbling and also truly breathtaking.”

“It is. That reminds me, I need to take you out again.”

“True, Ros and I haven’t been flying since forever,” she chuckles. “I can’t believe it, but even Ros is enjoying it now.”

“I got the only werewolf mate who loves to fly,” I grin. “That’s why I love you and Ros.”

Alana’s eyes flash momentarily, her wolf coming to the surface. Ros doesn’t hesitate and leans forward to kiss me. She never talks much; she is more one for action, but she is what makes Alana complete, her second half. I cup her face and nuzzle our noses together. “I got really lucky,” I say. “To be mated to both of you. Thank you for returning to me and fighting when things looked grim.”

“We will return to you anytime,” Ros says. “Nothing can stop us!”

She retreats to let Alana come forward again. Alana smiles. “I agree with what Ros said.”

I wrap my arms around her tightly. With her, even the icy cold night doesn’t feel so cold, and the view in front of us is even more magnificent because I am sharing it with her.

I don’t know what the future will bring. I can’t tell if we will be fighting a war against a deity, or if we have a chance of winning. Soon, our allies will arrive for the ball, and we’ll need to plan our next steps and make sure we all stay united.

But tonight, I don’t want to worry. I want to enjoy the moment.

Beside my Warrior Princess with the fiery hair… and the fiery personality.