Chapter 27
As I gazed into the ornate mirror in the brightly lit room, I felt a shiver of apprehension. I was getting ready for dinner with the Royal Family. Where my every move would be accessed. My first dinner as Prince Rowan's wife with his family. I tried to calm myself, smoothing down the fabric of my dress, but the anxiety gnawed at me. Rowan, sensing my unease, approached me from behind, placing his hands gently on my shoulders.
"Ariadne," he said softly, "everything will be fine. Just remember what we talked about."
I nodded, taking a deep breath. Rowan had been meticulously preparing me for this evening, detailing every nuance of his family's dynamics. He reached into his pocket and produced a small vial of perfume, handing it to me with a serious expression.
"This," he explained, "will mask your true scent. It will make you smell more like a werewolf, like one of us. My father is very perceptive, he can smell a non wolf from a mile away and we cannot afford any slip-ups tonight."
I uncorked the vial and inhaled the scent—earthy, with a hint of musk. Carefully, I dabbed a few drops onto my neck and wrists. The scent was strange but not unpleasant. As long as it would help me, I would use it. I didn't care.
Rowan took a step back, his eyes scanning me from head to toe. He was so handsome. So so painfully handsome.
He stood twice as tall as me and he looked every bit of the Prince he was. With those beautiful blue eyes and perfect mouth and hair. I couldn't help but wonder how perfect he was. And how he was all mine.
"You look perfect," he said, bringing me out of my thoughts. While I appreciated his compliment, I could still detect a hint of worry in his voice. He had every right to be concerned, we were playing a dangerous game. His father was no ordinary werewolf, he was the alpha king of the country and I, an Otsayak was about to be seated in his presence masquerading as a wolf. His family was powerful, and any mistake could cost us dearly.
"Remember," he continued, "my father, Alpha King Cyrus, might be quiet but he is the most formidable of them all. He's ruthless, he would be making his silent observations. Stay calm and don't look him in his eyes, his wolf his extremely perceptive and strong. Answer every question he asks you curtly, with nothing else."
I nodded again, committing every word to memory. Alpha King Cyrus was no ordinary alpha. He was one of the first Alpha Kings to unite the entire werewolf under one kingdoms. He was nicknamed the King of Wolves. He united all werewolves together. Under one country. Hundreds and hundreds of werewolf clans under one judgement. Under one king. He was a figure of legends, a leader who had united the werewolf clans and maintained their power for decades.
"Then there's Elana, the Royal Concubine. You have met her," Rowan added, a touch of disdain in his voice. "Don't let whatever nice and sweet facade she put on deceive you. She is cunning and manipulative, always looking out for whatever will benefit her and her son. Keep a healthy distance away from her."
"Next is my grandmother, Soraya, the Queen Dowager. You have also met her." Rowan said, his tone softening slightly. "I don't think she poses much of a threat, but I can't trust her anymore, so be weary of her. She'll be scrutinizing you closely, looking for any sign of weakness of whatever it is she can hold against you. Don’t give her that satisfaction.”
I made a mental note to tread carefully around Soraya, the Dowager Queen.
"Lucian, my stepbrother, the Crown Prince," Rowan continued, his expression hardening. "He certainly won't be happy that we are going to be at dinner. He won't let me win so easily. So I know he will be saying a lot of things to rile me up. Pay him no mind. His wife, Delilah, is from House Martel, one of the wealthiest and oldest purebred noble werewolf families. She was once betrothed to me, but when I was deposed as the Crown Prince, her family broke off the betrothal. She married my brother a few years after that. She is haughty and condescending. Be prepared for her many many snide remarks and rude comments."
Rowan's words painted a vivid picture of Lucian and Delilah. They sounded like two peas in a pod. They were good for each other. Two werewolves with awful character, I couldn't even imagine them being Alpha King and Queen.
"Then there's Reagan, my younger stepbrother," Rowan said, rolling his eyes. "He's not very different from Lucian. They are cut from the same cloth. He is rude, uncouth, spoiled rotten and has terrible manners. His wife, Blanca, is no better. She is endlessly devoted to Delilah and will only do whatever Delilah does or asks her to do. She follows Delilah around like a lost puppy, desperate for her approval, I suppose it’s because she is not from here, or noble born. She was gifted to my stepbrother by a notorious Omega Chief in the outlander territory who gave up his land and daughter to show allegiance to my father the Alpha King.
I couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for Blanca, perhaps she did what she had to do to fit in, but I quickly suppressed it. Reagan and Blanca sounded like they could be more trouble than they were worth. I only had one job and it was to stay away from all of them, it was the least I could do to be safe. To hide our secrets from them.
"And finally," Rowan said, his voice a little gentler, "my stepsister, Eleanor. She just turned sixteen. I don't remember a lot about her, but as a child she was very kind. I don't know if there is any of that kindness left. I don’t know if they have managed to snuff it out. She could already be showing signs of the same ruthlessness that runs in their bloodline. Be careful around her, too."
I absorbed all this information, feeling the weight of the evening pressing down on me. Rowan took my hand, his touch grounding me.
"We can do this, Ariadne," he said, his eyes filled with conviction. "Just remember to stay calm and composed at all time. I will be right next to you. We'll get through this together."
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