Page 23 of Unwilling Queen (Kingdoms #1)
Chapter
Twenty-Three
Colbie
V iolet ushers me into the bathroom and turns on the light. Unlike the bedroom, which I really didn’t get a chance to gawk at, the bathroom is fully on display in the bright light.
“Wow,” Violet mutters as the two of us gape at the opulence. The bathroom is made of pink veined marble tiles with gold accents. There’s a large, sunken tub in the middle of the room big enough to swim in, as well as a huge shower area behind a glass wall with four separate showerheads. There’s a separate toilet, fluffy towels hanging from the towel bars, and shelves filled with all manners of luxurious bath products.
“I’m afraid to touch anything,” I tell her, and she giggles nervously.
“I don’t blame you, but I have a feeling the other two won’t wait, so I would hurry up if I were you. Do you want me to wait in case you’re still unsteady?”
I shake my head and remove my top and unbutton my jeans. “No, I think I’m good,” I tell her, but her attention is not on my face. It’s farther down, and she’s frowning.
“Didn’t you take that off before you stepped into the palace?” She points at my neck, and when I look down, my eyebrows jump in surprise. The pendant Nox gave me to hide the marks is back around my neck.
“Yes, I shoved it in my pocket. I don’t remember putting it back on.”
“Then how is it around your neck again?” she asks, sounding mystified and a little excited.
“I have no idea.”
“Do you think that’s why we can’t feel your animal? It hid the marks, so who’s to say it isn’t masking the fact that you’re a shifter.”
“I don’t know, we can give it a try though.” I lift my hand to remove it, but Violet stops me.
“How about you take a shower and get ready first in case it is masking your animal, and when you remove it, you pass out again? Feeling your animal for the first time, especially if it’s a mythical creature, can be very draining. It’s going to fight with you to shift.”
I drop my hand. “That’s probably a good idea. I don’t need to pass out half naked and have to have someone carry me back to my bed.” I think about Brodie, who I’m almost certain caught me the first time. He was standing beside me when the magic hit me. I would be mortified if they had to come back again and I was half naked.
“Alright, I’ll leave you to it. There’s a robe over there to put on when you’re finished.” She points out a hook hanging on the wall near the vanity. A big fluffy white robe hangs from it with a pair of fuzzy slippers sitting below it. “Come out when you’re done. I’ll make sure the princesses don’t go too crazy with the outfit.”
They were both wearing dresses fit for royalty, and Archie was dressed in slacks and a nice shirt, so I guess the dress code here at the palace is way more formal than I’m used to.
Violet doesn’t wait for a response and leaves me alone for the first time since I woke up. I heave out a huge breath. I’m glad she’s here, but I’m also glad to be able to have a moment to lose my shit quietly without anyone to see.
I strip off all my clothes, leaving the pendant on, and climb under the spray of water, groaning with how good the hot water feels against my aching body. I let my head hang, and tears fall as everything that happened so far catches up with me. God, I hope Violet is right and the pendant is just blocking the power. I have no idea how it got back around my neck. I don’t think any of the others put it there, so I’m assuming the magic itself did, but why? Is it to make me seem powerless so people underestimate me, or is it to protect me from the huge influx of power and the possible animal inside me?
I’m anxious to finish up and try to take it off. I’ll be devastated if the magic has gone wrong and I’m a dud. Although I didn’t choose this or want it, it will be even worse if I was found unworthy. I’ll be mortified, and there is no way I could ever face my mom again. She would be so ashamed. If it turns out I don’t have magic, I’ll give up my life in the neutral zone and move to the human one. Maybe Nox and I could live happily there together.
As much as I want to stand here and drown out the world, I wash and get out, not willing to risk the two princesses barging in and bossing me around. I’m pretty sure neither of them knows the meaning of boundaries.
Drying off, I wrap the robe around my body, tie it off, and walk out to my fate. The three of them don’t mess around, and soon, I’m polished and coiffed into perfection, with the help of two ladies’ maids who dry and do my hair and makeup.
They are dismissed, and I stare at myself in the mirror, awed with the result. “Holy cow.” I can’t believe what I’m seeing. They put me in a gorgeous long dress that is as simple as it is beautiful. It’s a stunning lavender color with black and silver accents embroidered on the bodice. It has a full skirt and long sleeves, with a scooped neckline showing off the pendant on my neck.
Violet has also been polished and scrubbed, Gretchin shoving her into the shower after me and finding her an appropriate outfit as the queen’s chief advisor, which is just a fancy name for the queen’s best friend and confidant, which suits her perfectly. Despite only knowing her for a week, I’m clinging to her familiarity like a barnacle on a ship. Her dress is not as full and has short sleeves with a scooped neckline, and it’s a lovely emerald green, which looks great with her blonde hair.
“Violet said that pendant was masking your marks.” Gracelin points at the cord around my neck. “And it might be the reason we can’t feel your animal.”
My eyes drift to the missing marks on my wrists. The pendant is still doing its job.
“Yeah, a friend gave it to me so I could have a couple of extra days to get my affairs in order,” I admit, and Gretchin purses her lips.
“Why don’t you take it off, and we’ll see if it’s the reason we can’t feel your animal?” she suggests.
It’s just the four of us now. Gracelin sent Archie off when he got bored and restless as we were doing my makeover. He made me promise to sit next to him at dinner, which is where we are headed next—a meal with the king and queens. I freaked out, but the princesses promised me it was just going to be family tonight so I wouldn’t be overwhelmed. Tomorrow night, it will be a more formal meal, which will include advisors and their families so I can meet them and decide if I want to retain the same council the king used or create my own. It will also include any mates who have appeared with marks from the goddess.
I grimace when I hear this, but I am resigned to my fate. Maybe I’ll feel instant attraction to them like Gracelin told me her dad did with their moms.
I brace myself for devastation but lift the pendant over my head and pass it to Gretchin, who’s waiting with her hand outstretched. She winces when the pendant hits her hand.
“Fuck, that is powerful. It instantly deadens my connection with my panther,” she mutters. “It’s awful.” She tosses it on the vanity, but I’m too busy dealing with the influx of power inside my chest. It isn’t excruciating like the first time, but it’s heavy and intrusive and feels like it’s clawing to get out of my body. I double over and grunt in pain, trying to breathe through the sensation. Eventually, it calms down, though its presence remains very much there.
When I get my breathing under control and open my eyes, which I slammed shut, I’m speechless to find all three girls on their knees in front of me with their heads bowed.
“What the hell?” I ask, and Gracelin raises her head and looks at me without meeting my eyes.
“Your power is unlike anything I’ve ever felt. It forced the three of us to our knees. It’s a little easier now, but I think you’re going to have to command us to rise,” she tells me, sounding awed.
“Please get up,” I beg and hold out a hand to help Violet rise.
“Fuck me, you pack a punch,” Gretchin says, smoothing out her dress. “I can’t wait to see what your animal is. I bet it’s a beast.”
“I don’t know how to control it,” I tell them, rubbing a spot on my chest.
“That will come easier. You will learn to contain it when you don’t need it and let it out on command, but for now, I think wearing the pendant would be smart. Having the element of surprise is a good idea. If people don’t know how powerful you are, they might underestimate you. We can see who really supports you and who has ambitions beyond their station,” Gracelin suggests, and Gretchin nods enthusiastically, so I do as they ask, picking up the pendant and placing it over my head. The heavy weight of the power is smothered, but I can still feel a remnant of it pushing to break free.
All three women sigh with relief. “Oh, that helps. We can feel your animal, but the immense power has been dimmed,” Violet tells me when I look at her for confirmation.
“This is exciting.” Gretchin claps her hands, sounding gleeful. “Challenge day might actually be interesting.”
“Challenge day?” I start to feel a rush of panic, and Violet takes pity on me.
“Although the queen is chosen by the goddess, she allows her people some autonomy. Challenge days let people challenge the chosen to fight for their position to prove they have what it takes to rule over shifters. We’re a violent, aggressive bunch, and you need to be able to bring them to their knees on command, which you obviously have no problem doing.” Gretchin waves at where they were all just kneeling. “But if nobody knows that, then challenge day could be fun. Normally no one bothers because they can feel how powerful the king or queen is. You are an anomaly, and I wonder if there is a reason for that.”
“Right? I bet it’s to weed out the loyal and not so loyal. Nobody who was loyal would dare dream of challenging the goddess’s decision, but there are always a few who dare to think they know better,” Gracelin muses.
“I don’t know the first thing about fighting in human form, let alone as a shifter.” I feel sick and put a hand over my chest where the power inside me throbs with aggression, like they need me to hand over the reins and they will take care of everything.
“Then it’s lucky we have two weeks. The two of us and a team of experienced night watch shifters will get you up to speed.” Gracelin tucks her arm into mine and leads me across the room. Gretchin hurries ahead and opens the door, while Violet trails behind. She chews on her lip with worry, but she stays quiet, happy to defer to the two experienced princesses.
“Don’t worry, we have your back no matter what,” Gretchin assures me as she leads us through the palace at a pace that doesn’t allow me to look around all that much. “We will make sure you come out on top and take out all those who oppose you. It’s going to be a blast.”
Her idea of fun and mine vary greatly, but it feels good to have the three of them supporting me. I feel like maybe this isn’t going to be as bad as I thought it would be.
D inner isn’t as small as I hoped. When we get to the dining room, I am announced.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Her Majesty, Queen Colbie Karridge, accompanied by Princesses Gracelin and Gretchin and Lady Violet,” a man standing in the doorway of the dining room says loudly, causing everyone at the table to stand and watch as we enter the room.
The king and three queens are there, as well as Archie and a man who I assume is his father when Gracelin joins him and kisses him passionately. Also standing at the table are Brodie and Hunter, as well as the two other men I recognize from Night Watch One. There’s also another large man who looks very much like Hunter with a petite woman by his side, and two young adults.
Violet stiffens next to me, and I can practically feel her distress. Before I can ask her what’s wrong, Lucas hurries over and offers me his arm.
“Please allow me to escort you,” he says kindly and walks me to the head of the table next to his seat, and he pulls out the chair. I sit, and he pushes it in before returning to his seat, which is next to mine. Violet and Gretchin both take seats next to one another farther down the table.
“Please let me formally introduce ourselves. I believe you know my wives, but I’m Lucas. It is very lovely to finally meet you, Colbie.” The king inclines his head gracefully, and I feel like he means what he is saying.
The three queens also murmur their greetings. Layla, who is on my other side, grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze of encouragement.
“Oh, I can feel your animal now,” Mia murmurs quietly, “but there’s still something that’s slightly different about it.”
“None of that now. Let’s enjoy dinner first, and we can talk about official stuff later. I’m sure Colbie is starving. She slept right through lunch.” Evie frowns at her co-wife, who apologizes.
Lucas continues his introduction. “Sitting next to Gracelin is her mate, Adam.” The big, brawny man gives me a wave. Next to him, Archie bounces up and down on his chair. “And I believe you’ve met our grandson, Archer, before.”
I smile at my young friend who waves enthusiastically and then tugs on his dad’s shirt. “Didn’t I tell you how pretty she is, Papa? She and I are going to get married. She agreed to wait until I finish high school. Colbie, you promised to sit next to me.” Unfortunately for him, Adam was taking a drink when Archie announced this, and he chokes on it in surprise.
“Archie, honey, Queen Colbie’s mates are chosen for her by the goddess,” Gracelin says gently, and he stops bouncing, crosses his arms, and pouts his bottom lip.
“But I love her,” he argues plaintively.
“And I love you,” I assure him, seeing he’s close to tears. “You don’t need to be my husband for me to love you,” I tell him, and I can see him thinking.
“Fine, I will be your sidepiece.”
The table explodes into laughter and surprise at his announcement. I’m slightly bemused at a child knowing that kind of term and using it correctly.
Mia frowns. “Where on earth did you hear that?” she questions her grandson who leans in conspiratorially.
“I heard Councilor Mason telling one of the maids that she was his sidepiece before they cuddled and kissed in the supply closet down the hall from Grandpa’s office. I don’t want to kiss Colbie, but cuddles are nice, and she said we could play Shifter Quest together.”
I said nothing of the sort, but the mischievous little kiddo is resourceful.
The laughter cuts off, and there are looks of surprise all around the table and a number of rumbled growls, which sound slightly aggressive.
“Councilor Mason is a mated man,” Lucas tells me quietly.
“Mated vows are sacred to shifters, so being in a relationship outside of them is taboo,” Layla adds. “It’s the ultimate insult. It’s disgusting, and it marks a shifter as untrustworthy. I would suggest that Councilor Mason not make the cut for your new council.”
I make a mental note. I hate cheaters anyway, but it sounds like it’s worse as a shifter.
Lucas clears his throat, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere.
“I know you know Brodie and Hunter, but what about the other two rascals, Liam and Gem?” He points to both men who incline their heads. Gem gives me a wink, and I can see Liam is trying and failing to contain his scowl.
“We’ve met before,” I tell the king who continues.
“Our son is a part of their team, but he couldn’t be here for this dinner,” he says through slightly clenched teeth, and I get the feeling he’s not impressed. “The five of them will be your security until you are crowned. They will also help you with shifter 101. They are going to be your go-to for any questions you might have, and of course you can come to any of us as well.” He gestures to himself and his wives. “I will be giving you lessons on the politics of ruling, and the girls will be teaching you all the etiquette. It’s exhausting, and a lot of it is mind-numbingly boring, but it’s all essential.
“Lastly, let me introduce General Bryson, his wife Sable, and his son and daughter, Talon and Ember. He is the night watch and shifter army general and one of your advisors if you choose to keep him. I can’t give him a reference worthy enough to encompass how helpful he has been, and despite the fact that he’s my best friend and confidant, he’s also very good at his job. You can also go to him for advice.”
“He is also Hunter’s father,” Layla murmurs quietly so I have that important information. “They are all dragons and extremely loyal and protective. They are a good family to have as your support system.”
I give a small nod of acknowledgement for her recommendation before smiling at the family.
“It’s lovely to meet you all, and I look forward to getting to know you over the coming weeks,” I say, hoping I’m not portraying how nervous I am. The four of them give me polite but genuine welcomes, and the food starts to come out, servers placing plates in front of us and offering a range of drinks.
Nothing official is discussed over dinner, and instead, we enjoy the meal, the conversation light and flowing authentically. I thought I’d be uncomfortable around all these strangers, but I almost feel a kinship with them, like we’ve known each other for years instead of only just a few hours. There’s laughter and teasing, and I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a meal quite so much.