Chapter 23 - My name is Cecile

EMMA

The room echoes with the sound of my footsteps. I’ve managed to find my way back to the bedroom of the prince with the box of daggers under my arm. I couldn’t help but feel like there was a giant neon arrow flashing above me and everyone in a distance of a hundred yards could see it.

*I need to hide them.*

Silver is forbidden in the kingdom. My necklace is the exception, that much was clear. I have to hide them in a place where nobody can find them. At least until I need them again.

I’ve walked the same ten feet at least fifty times. The box with the daggers lies on the bed. Justin wants me to kill the prince. I don’t even know if I can kill anyone. I've never killed anything in my life.

I’m lucky that the prince hasn’t returned, but I can’t help feeling anxious. The wait for his return is stressing me out. He could walk in at any moment and I don’t want him to find the daggers.

I cannot hide them under the bed, that would be too obvious. I could hide them in plain sight, but I don’t want him to stumble upon them. I don’t want to hide them anywhere else, because I don’t want one of the maids to accidentally find them.

A soft knock comes from the door and I freeze mid-step. I wasn’t ready for this. My heart is racing, but the door stays closed.

“Yes?”

“Uhm, excuse me, Princess Emma. The kitchen was wondering if you wanted to have lunch now. Since you haven’t had breakfast either.” The timid voice of Paulina travels softly through the door.

“I’m not hungry," I say and my stomach gives a disapproving growl.

“O-of course, Princess Emma.”

I grown. *I really need her to stop calling me princess.*

I wait until enough time has passed for Paulina to walk away. I release a deep breath and turn back to the daggers on the bed. This is ridiculous. It shouldn’t be so hard to hide this. I take the box in my hand and walk around the room. Inspecting each one for the first time. There is the bedroom of course. The bathroom is big enough for a small stone pool that could fit at least ten people. There is Hadrian's office, so definitely a no to that. Then there is the dressing room where Paulina did my hair this morning. The room is split into two sides and one side is completely filled with women’s clothes. *Would anyone look under the vanity? Would Paulina notice?*

The mirror is made of bronze and the black lacquered table is made of wood. I sink down to the floor to check if there is space under the surface of the vanity. I place the box on the ground and lean with my other hand on the floorboards so that I can look under the vanity.

The floorboard creaks under my fingers. I look down and notice that the wooden plank isn’t attached properly to the floor. I pull it off and there is space beneath it.

*Perfect.*

——————

My stomach grumbles again when I exit the dressing room. Reminding me that I have neglected it and deprived it of nutrition.

“Yeah, Yeah. We’ll find some food.” I mumble.

*I think I know how to get to the kitchen.* I open the door of the bedroom and freeze when I notice two figures in front of me. They turn and I recognize the two guards from earlier. One smiles at me, while the other scowls and scrunches his nose like I smell bad or something.

“How long have you been here?” I ask.

“Too long.” The grumpy one says.

The other one hits him in the shoulder. “Twenty minutes, Princess. Don’t mind my brother.”

*Not again.*

“Please, just call me Emma.”

The grumpy guard rolls his eyes and turns his back at me. “This is ridiculous.” He mutters.

I ignore him and focus on the kind one. “What’s your name?”

He straightens and places a hand on his chest. “My name is Miles. I'm a lieutenant of the royal guard. At your service.” He says as he bows.

*All right.*

Miles straightens and gestures to his brother. “And my lovely brother over here is Lieutenant Callum.”

“Right…” My stomach grumbles again, trying to get my attention and in the process catching the attention of Miles. My face flushes.

“Are you hungry? I could ask the kitchen to bring you something.” He offers.

Callum scoffs. “We’re not servants.”

“Thanks, but I prefer to go there myself anyway,” I say as I swallow down an insulting remark. Insulting a werewolf seems like a bad idea.

I walk away from them, but they step closely behind me. I ignore them at first. *Maybe they’re just going in the same direction.* But when I turn towards the kitchens on the ground floor, they are still walking behind me. “Are you guys following me?” I say as I turn to look at them.

“That is our job. We are here to protect you.” Miles says.

I raise my eyebrows. “Protect me?” What kind of alternative universe have I landed in?

“You are the mate of Crown Prince Hadrian. Someone might not like that idea.” Miles explains and Callum scoffs.

I fold my arms over each other. “Like your brother?”

Miles rubs the back of his neck. “Well…”

Callum narrows his eyes at me. “I just really don’t get why Prince Hadrian would make you his mate.”

“Callum,” Miles warns.

“Well, get in line, because I don’t either. But I’m here, so you either suck it up or leave me alone!” I say as I grit my teeth. I really don’t want to deal with this. It’s not like I even want to be here.

Cackling laughter sounds behind me. “I like you already.”

I turn around and find a girl watching me. She’s carrying a basket with lemons and is wearing a black chef’s coat that has two rows of golden buttons along the front. Her black hair is cropped in a messy pixie cut that is longer in the front. She’s watching me, but her gaze is slightly off.

“You must be the human. Shit, If your heart wasn’t beating I wouldn’t even know you were there.” She says.

She walks through the entrance of the kitchen. “Are you coming, Shortcake?”

“What?”

She turns her head slightly. “You’re here for food, aren’t you?”

My eyes meet her mint green eyes for the first time and they are glazed over. I follow her into the kitchen.

The kitchen is massive. With long counters of polished granite, anthracite cabinets and aluminum appliances. Copper pans hang from the wall. Servants flit around the room and place plate after plate of food on the kitchen counter, like they already knew I was coming.

The chef places the basket with lemons on the kitchen island and I take a seat on one of the stools in front of her.

“There are three things you need to know about me.” The chef says and holds up three fingers. “My name is Cecile. I don’t give a shit that you’re a princess or any other royalty for that matter. And don’t expect me to compliment you or anything, because I have no idea what you look like.” She directs her glazed-over eyes at me and there is a distance in them

“You’re blind?” I gasp.

“Very much, cannot see a thing.” Cecile picks up a lemon one by one from the basket. She holds them in front of her and throws a few aside on the counter.

I pick up one of the lemons that she discarded and there is a small bruise on the side. “How do you know where everything is?”

“My wolf. She guides me. Without her you wouldn’t be looking at the best chef in the world.” Cecile picks up a long knife. The sharpness of the knife sounds through the room as she cuts the lemons.

I can’t help feeling nervous as I watch a blind woman handle a sharp knife. My shoulder is aching and it sends a hollow feeling through the rest of my body. I massage the spot where the mark hides underneath my clothes.

“You’re missing your mate,” Cecile says as she keeps her focus on her task.

I freeze and remove my hand. “*What?* No I'm not.”

“I can’t see shit, but I can see that you’re lying to yourself. My other senses are heightened you know. I can hear your breathing, your heartbeat. I can smell your discomfort. I know you believe what you’re saying, but your body is saying something different.”

I raise my eyebrows at her. I don’t know what to say to that.

“What do you think of a vanilla bean cake with lemon custard filling?” Cecile asks.

“Uhm, sounds good. I think.”

“I think so too.” A smirk tugs at her lips. “Something tells me that Hadrian will like it as well.”

——————

The mark aches more with every day that passes and the hollow feeling in my chest. I expected that Prince Hadrian would return that night, but he didn’t. Nor did he the day after or the day after that. He just disappeared.