Page 9 of The Silent Mountain (Under the Werewolf Crown #2)

nine

A Day Full of Work

*ALANA*

F or the remainder of the day, I help Barbara and Stefan with their tasks. While the first is happy to let me in, the latter is a bit reluctant. He is older than I am, and I think it’s just his pride that gets in the way of accepting help from me.

Well, at least that’s what I hope it is.

I hope it’s not because he disapproves of me.

“I’m set, Princess Alana,” he tells me politely.

“Still,” I say. “Having to organize the warriors to guard the shore has to be a lot of work. If you need me, I can lend you a hand.”

“Please don’t worry,” he says. “The king assigned me this task because he knows it’s difficult.”

Dragons and their pride. Of course, it’s important to receive such a task from their king, but they make it sound like the smallest ounce of help would diminish their work. I know they view Favian as their savior, and all their hope rests on him, which brings a whole lot of other problems, but they are so stubborn.

“Do the guards have something to eat?” I ask.

“Food?” Stefan looks surprised. He is a handsome man with dark hair and brown eyes. Like most dragons, he lost a lot during the last couple of years. None of them trust easily. Still, they are all very polite to me, and some are actually friendly. They know I am their king’s mate and probably don’t want to cross me. But I want to be more to them than just his mate.

“Yes, although they can arrive at the shore by flying, it’s still quite the distance between the shore and the clan,” I say.

Stefan furrows his brows. “Having food with them, at least a ration for two to three days, might be beneficial.”

I don’t say anything, not wanting to upset him by being too proud of my idea. “Allow me to go to the kitchen,” I offer instead. “The staff are already preparing dinner.”

“They are understaffed enough,” he says.

“I can help them.”

For a moment, we stare at each other. “Is this about me being a werewolf?” I finally ask, never one to beat around the bush.

Stefan looks a little embarrassed, then he looks to the side. “No,” he says. “I couldn’t care less about who or what you are. You help, and that’s all that matters.”

“But?”

“I saw Favian grow up,” he says. “I saw what the witch did to him and Elio, to his family. I know what he battled with and what he lost.”

“And you think I will just be another point on that list?” I ask.

“I don’t think you will be an easy prey to kill,” he says. “I’m not worried about you dying.”

I look at him, my heart clenching slightly when I realize what he is truly talking about. “I… I wish I could tell you I won’t hurt him,” I say. “But I can’t give that promise.”

“Do you like him?” Stefan asks.

“Yes.”

“Do you love him?”

“Love doesn’t come easily to me,” I admit. “But I am on the path to it.”

“That’s not exactly the answer I was hoping for,” he says. “But also, not the answer I feared.”

“I’ve made up my mind and will be staying here,” I say. “As his mate. But I can’t promise you to carry his mark immediately.”

“Alright,” he says with a smile. “Food, you said?”

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “Yes, I shall inform the kitchen staff.”

“Please,” he says. “But if they are going to overwork themselves, we’ll find another solution.”

“As I said, I can-“

“-help,” he finishes and chuckles. “Don’t let my king hear that. He won’t be happy if I allow that to happen.”

“Let me handle the king,” I say.

Stefan looks amused. “Well, if you say so, I will obviously let you do whatever you want.”

I feel like both of us finally worked through our issue, and it makes my motivation rise instantly. So, I hurry back to the castle to talk with the kitchen staff. The kitchen itself is huge, like our kitchen in the royal pack, but as Stefan said, they are understaffed. They are still happy to help their warriors. For the dragons, any new task is taken as a step forward, and it means a step into their future.

While we are still planning, the door to the kitchen opens, and Maggie comes in. She is walking with her walking stick in her hand, slowly and carefully, her eyes lightening up when she sees the kitchen staff and me. “I heard so much laughter here and needed to see what’s going on.”

“Madame Margarete,” the head of the kitchen staff hurries to bring her a chair. “Please, you-“

“Oh, sweetheart,” Maggie smiles. “There is no need for that much courtesy. I just wanted to mingle with the young folks here.”

“We are preparing food for the warriors who are going to guard the shore,” I explain.

“Then let me help,” she says.

The maids and chefs look at me nervously. “But we can’t possibly,” they mutter. “It’s bad enough that the princess is here, but-”

“Don’t worry,” I reassure them. “Maggie and I for sure will be able to handle the king if he is upset.”

Maggie’s wrinkled face is illuminated by a broad smile. “I have no doubts about that.”

With her and I putting our feet down, the staff have no other choice but to oblige. They are soon starting to chat and giggle again, actually happy about the company and help. We put together a simple menu for the guards, mostly food that can stay fresh for a couple of days. The ice and snow truly benefit us, keeping the food cool.

“They can make a small bonfire,” I say while I cut onions together with Maggie.

“Hm,” she hums.

We work in silence before I eye her curiously. “You know Favian and Elio well, don’t you?”

Maggie gently taps her chest where her heart is located. “Elio is like my own,” she admits. “When the king, back then, the young crown prince, asked me to flee with his little brother, I didn’t question if I could do it or not; I knew I had to. So, Theodor and I did it, ready to give our lives for the child.” She lowers her gaze, her eyes pinned to the knife in her hands while she is peeling potatoes. “He was so sad, crying for his family for days, maybe weeks. Theo and I told him stories and tried to distract him. My poor Elio. So much time that he lost, and so much family. He should have been able to be here and play with other little dragons, spend time with his siblings, to learn and flourish. It was all taken from him.”

“But he also gained something within this sadness,” I say. “He had you and Theodor, and he survived and became strong, thanks to you. He was crucial in saving the kingdom, and he was only able to do it because of you.”

“I know what you want to say,” Maggie smiles. “There is no going back; we can only march forward. Oh-“ She drops the knife. “Silly, clumsy me,” she mutters.

I bend down to pick it up for her, but when I want to put it back into her hand, I notice her right hand shaking. She clasps it with her left hand, biting down on her lip as if she can make the shaking stop. Eventually, it does, and she takes the knife back. For a moment, our eyes meet. “Don’t tell them,” she pleads.

“But-“

“My body is giving in, every day a little more,” she says. “But as long as I can, I want to help and be with my two boys. Being confined to the bed won’t help me anymore, my young Warrior Princess.”

I swallow hard before I nod, deciding to respect her wish, though my heart is filled with sadness. Ludwig and Barbara hinted that her health was deteriorating, but she is so close to Elio. I’m not sure how he will handle losing her.

We continue our work in silence, both of us following our own trail of thought, when the door opens once more. I know instantly who it is, as his aura calls to me like no other could, my wolf longing for his presence. I feel the hair on my skin stand up in anticipation when I see his shadow approaching. “Hello,” he says in his velvety voice.

All hell breaks loose in the kitchen when the staff realize they have been too preoccupied to notice that their king in person was so close.

“Calm down, ladies,” Maggie chastises, not without amusement bleeding into her voice though.

“Listen to the old lady,” Favian says seriously. “Or she will grab one of the kitchen spoons and make you listen.”

Maggie looks seriously scandalized at Favian, suggesting she would hit anyone with a spoon. “I never raised my hand against anyone,” she grumbles. “Not even against your little brother when he put himself into unnecessary danger.”

The maids giggle at her words and her annoyed expression while Favian smirks. He bends down, peeking over my shoulder, his close proximity sending a shiver down my spine. I’m almost a bit shocked. It’s the first time my body has reacted to him this way.

After Ita, I thought my body would never long for anyone, and that my heart would be frozen, but it seems the Dragon King has his very own charms.

“We…” the head of the kitchen staff clears her throat. “We are preparing food for the brave warriors who are going to guard the shore,” she mutters nervously.

“I know,” Favian reassures her. “Stefan told me about it and said it was Princess Alana’s very own idea. I just didn’t expect to find these two ladies here, although Stefan warned me that my princess is unpredictable.”

“Actually, I am very predictable,” I argue.

Favian smiles. “Not always,” he says.

I look up at him, surprised, smiling when I meet his gaze. Only when the others around me giggle softly do I remember that we are not alone. My cheeks flush when I turn back to the task at hand, feeling embarrassed by how they all look at me like they witnessed an intimate moment.

Maggie, meanwhile, gently nudges them to go back to their work.

“Well, if you are all busy, I guess I will attend to my little brother,” Favian says quietly when the others are distracted.

“Is something wrong?” Maggie asks, instantly worried.

“No, but he struggles with some of his studies,” Favian says.

“Please be patient with him, my king,” Maggie begs.

Favian’s expression instantly softens at her words. “My little brother doesn’t need to fear me,” he reassures her.

“I will finish this and then come and help you,” I say.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he answers, grabbing my onion-stinking hand and kissing it.

How he doesn’t grimace or gag is beyond me, yet I can’t help but relish the tingling his touch leaves.

I spend two more hours with Maggie and the other women, preparing everything for the warriors, before I can make true my promise to join Favian and Elio. I clean up swiftly, not wanting to reek of oil and food when I join them, before following the mate pull to my mate and his younger brother.

Theodor guards the private dining room of the royal family, a clear indication that I will find what I am looking for here.

“Princess,” he greets me politely.

“Good evening, Theodor,” I greet him. “Is everything alright?”

“It is,” he says, just to get interrupted by a frustrated groan and something being tossed to the ground. “At least, mostly.”

“I will check on them,” I reassure him, opening the door and slipping inside the room. I’m greeted by the most domestic scene I can imagine. Elio is bending forward to pick up his pen again, with Favian sitting next to him, looking as regal and calm as usual. Elio looks clearly upset, though. He scribbles something on a paper, before groaning again, ripping the paper into pieces and tossing the pen away.

Favian gets the pen without commenting on his brother’s rare emotional outbursts. “I know it’s frustrating,” Favian says. “But it’s not going to help you to lose your temper over this.”

“It’s just… why don’t I get it!?” Elio groans. “I’m so stupid.”

“You are not stupid,” Favian reassures him. “You just never had the chance to study properly.”

“Neither had you,” Elio argues.

“I had Favia,” Favian explains. “She is the spirit of a deity with never-ending knowledge. She taught me a lot.”

“I bet you never had issues,” Elio pouts.

“I bet that Favia would disagree with that,” Favian says. “Let’s try to solve it again. Or do you want a break?”

“No,” Elio grumbles, grabbing the pen once more.

Favian raises his gaze, meeting mine and smiling at me, acknowledging my presence. Not wanting to disturb the two guys, I silently walk closer and sit down on the armchair, picking up one of the books there. It’s about the dragon’s history, and I start skimming it while glancing at Favian and Elio occasionally.

With seemingly never-ending patience, Favian keeps explaining things to Elio, and it strikes me then that he probably would be a great father. I never thought of myself as a motherly type, so the thought catches me off guard.

He would be amazing.

Favian keeps tutoring Elio for another hour before calling it quits, although Elio tries to push him for more. “It’s enough for today,” Favian says. “You did very well.”

“I am sorry for my outburst earlier,” Elio mutters, looking a bit flustered.

“You were frustrated,” Favian says. “It’s okay, you got it together. As long as you don’t throw your pen at me, we are okay.”

Elio and I both scrunch our noses at the thought of someone throwing anything at Favian. He is a patient and kind man, but I doubt he would truly accept such behavior.

“It’s late,” I say.

“Yes,” Favian nods. “We should all retire to bed.” He stands up, opening the door and talking briefly to Theodor.

Elio wishes us both a good night before following Theodor to his chambers.

I wait for them to be out of my sight before turning to my mate. “You are so patient, Favian. I’m actually surprised.”

“Why?” he chuckles.

“You are a shifter with a dominant beast,” I say. “I’m just surprised because most alphas–and as the king, your dragon spirit certainly resembles what I describe as an alpha king–aren’t particularly patient.”

“The truth is, I wasn’t always like that,” he admits. “I had a very short fuse.”

“What happened?”

“The war happened,” he says quietly. “And when you are locked into your mind for so many years, your priorities shift. I learned to be patient. Looking back now, patience is something every leader should have.”

“I agree,” I say. “My brother Endellion, who just became king, is a patient man too. As was my father. Sorry,” I brush through my hair, feeling flustered. “I shouldn’t have commented on your patience; not all alphas are like that.”

“Why are you apologizing?” he chuckles. “It’s not like you were wrong. Dragon leaders aren’t known for their patience, usually. I think it’s part of the reason why Elio always thinks I’m going to hit him. The person I was before the war, maybe, would have. I was happy and go-lucky back then, a bit reckless, but also impatient. However, that guy doesn’t exist anymore.”

“I like the person you are now,” I say.

Favian looks at me before turning his head away. I could swear that he looks flustered.

“Shall we leave too?” I ask. “I am very tired.”

“It was a very long day,” Favian agrees. He holds the door open for me, following me out into the corridor before we walk next to each other towards our chambers. When we pass mine, I ask him to wait for a moment, hurrying inside and grabbing my necessities for the night. Then, I rejoin him.

He looks at me, surprised.

“The kingdom needs you at your best,” I say, as if that explains anything, while walking towards his chambers.

Favian follows me without saying anything.

“You need to sleep,” I add.

He still doesn’t say anything but opens the door for me to enter. I’ve bathed before, so I don’t take a long time to change. I use the time that Favian is cleaning up and changing to slip into his bed. Goddess, what am I even doing here?!

If it weren’t for Ros, I’d already have chickened out. Ros, however, is head over heels for my new idea, cheering me on and claiming it’s the best idea I’ve ever had!

When Favian returns to his bedroom, he looks so handsome. His long hair is hanging loose, and he is clad in a pair of silky pajama pants and an unbuttoned top, revealing his chiseled chest. He looks like a sculpture.

His gaze goes from me to his bed, the anxiety suddenly radiating off him.

I allow my instincts to take over. “It’s alright,” I say, reaching out my hand. My heart skips a beat when he steps closer. It feels like a small victory when he allows me to pull him into his bed.

“Alana,” he says. “Not that I don’t love and appreciate this, but I…” His voice trails off.

“I know,” I say quietly, pulling him down next to me and making sure he lies on his back. I curl up against his side. “If something happens, I’m here. I’ll make sure you wake up again.”