4. Late night guests.

Ally woke up in the middle of the night. She sneaked inside her room while everyone else seemed way too busy enjoying dinner. She mind-linked her mother and came up with an excuse to leave the guests early. Ally told Eve that the training was too much today and she's tired. Little did she know that she would fall asleep, still wearing the delicate dress. She managed to kick off her shoes, thinking about resting her eyes- the princess fell asleep almost instantly.

Ally bolted out of her bed- something wasn't right. She never had nightmares, but now- the young woman woke up drenched in sweat, her body shaking violently. To make matters worse, the princess felt as if someone was spying on her. Being a shifter had a lot of perks, especially anything about senses- even the sixth sense. Any shifter could feel it if someone was following or watching them, yet some didn't feel the eyes on them as strongly as others.

"Alright, get out of your damn hiding spot and explain what the Hell are you doing here," Ally groaned, letting her body sink back into the comfort of the mattress. She didn't have enough strength to deal with unnecessary drama, especially with those two.

The shadows appeared next to her bed, yet none of the trespassers dared to show their original forms. Even though they didn't carry a scent- Ally knew that she was being spied on by two personas, not only one.

"Why do I see both of you in the middle of my room at midnight?" She questioned the shadows while rubbing her eyes. Ally didn't use to fall asleep again after waking up, but tonight could be the first.

"We were worried?" A male voice spoke up rather nervously. He didn't sound scared, more like out of place. The male never liked sneaking into her room, always feeling like he shouldn't be there. Violating someone's privacy- no matter how close they were, wasn't exactly what he enjoyed doing.

"In the middle of the night?" Ally groaned once again. Surprises such as this annoyed her more often than made her smile. The King had a habit of barging into her room time by time; sometimes, the princess felt like she would never stay alone. It was always someone who had to stick around, despite her ability to defend herself.

"Okay, Baka felt like something was wrong with you, so she dragged me all the way to the castle. This is not, by any means, my fault, whatsoever," Anto finally exhaled, slowly taking the more human-like form. He raised his hands in surrender, hoping to avoid any scolding from the princess.

"Aww, you do care for me so much," Ally yawned, a little smile appearing on her lips as she did. Baka always made her smile; the woman kept very close to the princess even after moving into the castle. She had been around for the most significant events in Ally's life. Baka also stood next to her parents during the coronation.

"Wait; what? Are you kidding me right now? You're happy?" Anto got off the bed, placing a hand over his heart, and fake gasping. He visibly tried to show off as many emotions as he could think of.

"Yeah, why? She cares for me enough to take her time and travel all the way from the Southern territory to check on me. In the middle of the night, if I may add," Ally giggled. She knew where Anto was going with dramatic behavior.

"Great, and last time I did the same thing- you beat me up with a goddamn baseball bat," the male rolled his eyes, leaning against the nearest wall. He pouted like a child, refusing to talk.

"I know. That's because you're a boy. A very old boy, Anto."
Both Ally and Baka burst out in laughter, watching how Anto disappeared within the shadows again.

It was a thing he did pretty often- accompanied Baka to meet the princess and left shortly after. The childish behavior of the Watcher was his unique way of making Ally's day better. Both women sat down on the bed and watched each other in silence. They didn't talk much, yet they had a bond since Ally was just a child. For all those years, the Watchers stuck around Royals, ensuring their safety and watching the princess grow.

"You seem distressed, did something happen? Should I hunt someone down and rip their guts out for you, child?" Baka cupped Ally's cheek in the most gentle way possible. She furrowed her eyebrows as she waited for any emotion given out by the princess.

Ally sighed and placed her hand over the Watcher's: "I had a nightmare. For the first time in my lifetime, I woke up terrified of something I can't even remember."

"Odd, you don't have those. Try to recall your day, did something out of the ordinary happen, or put you under any stress? I read somewhere that shifters with a human side can be affected by the things they live through. Michelle had a nightmare about burnt muffins attacking her after the fiasco she had in the kitchen that day." Baka spoke with such passion- the princess could barely hold her laugher. The thought of muffin villains seemed ridiculous, but by the facial expression of the Watcher, Ally knew that it wasn't a joke.

"Well, mom and dad invited a family over for dinner. Their son was bad-mouthing humans, so we got into a fight at school. Dad wanted to set the things straight and deal with the issue, I guess. Anyway, I left the dining room after a little anger outbreak. It was fine until the stupid cousin appeared. He is such an asshole; I swear he's doing anything to push my buttons. Stupid prick even kissed me, like- not a real kiss, but a peck on lips, but still. I sneaked away to rest and woke up shaking. This is the worst night ever," Ally didn't spare any details, she knew that Baka could be trusted, especially when she needed to rant.

The Watcher stuck around for a while. After Ally calmed down, they spoke about school and some plans the princess had. Anto gave them both the much-needed privacy but returned shortly before the sunset. The young woman didn't notice how time flew whenever Baka was around, and to say that Ally was sad as they left would be an understatement. She decided to sleep a little more since after the stunt she pulled off during the dinner, Eve denied her daughter the morning training.

Ally woke up at noon, wondering why no one bothered to wake her up. She took a quick shower and got dressed in more comfortable clothes before leaving her bedroom. The princess opened the door and almost hit one of the workers with it.

"I'm sorry," Ally apologized instantly, feeling guilty for her careless nature. Usually, she would listen if anyone passed her door, but today the thought of being careful slipped her mind.

"No need to apologize, I shouldn't walk so close to the door," the worker smiled and left.

For some reason, the castle was buzzing with shifters; everyone seemed way too busy to notice the princess wandering around. Her parents were nowhere to be seen; even after asking the workers, no one knew where the King and Queen were.

"They're probably fucking," Damien jumped in front of Ally, laughing like a maniac.

"Oh Gosh, please don't remind me of those dark times," the princess dropped on her knees, whining in agony.

She hated each time when Damien pointed out the sexual tension between her parents. The Queen was very pregnant, but those two still kept enjoying the dirty deeds more than usual.
Ally's main issue was that once she was careless enough to walk in on them. She got home from school earlier to go to the mall with her dad, but when the young girl entered his office, she nearly ran away screaming. Her father sat on his chair, he didn't wear a shirt, and her mother straddled him being topless.
Ally made the mistake of telling what happened to Damien, who simply adored using the information against her.

"I have to keep you aware of what's happening around here somehow. You missed the training, and you never do, what's up with you?" His playful mood was gone, replaced by a concerned look on his face and worry laced in his words. Damien was Ally's best friend since the day when she first started training. The princess knew that if she ever takes over the Kingdom- she would ask him to stand by her side as Beta. A little more complicated as a Royal, but she knew that Damien would pull it through.

"I nearly attacked that little piece of shit during the dinner, and mom told me that I couldn't go to the morning training. I woke up just a while ago, spent most of the night talking to the Watchers anyway. Let's drop this topic, better tell me what is going on here? Everyone seems to be so busy; I haven't seen as many shifters around here since the wedding," Ally let her eyes roam over the crowds, she didn't feel comfortable around so many unfamiliar faces.

A lot of men carried different materials while females accompanied them or gathered in crowds, pointing at various objects. Almost every person who passed Ally eyed her with interest. Damien noticed how tense she was, so he offered the princess his hand, which she took gladly. The male-led her outside to the gardens and smiled as he noticed the change in her almost instantly. Ally wasn't quite the social butterfly, despite her often appearances in public. Besides Damien, she had one more friend- Sally, who he considered as entitled and toxic.

"Better?"

"Much better, thank you," Ally flashed a smile and sat on the old swing. Both of them basically grew up while hiding from parents around the garden swing. The King wanted to get rid of it but changed his mind after seeing how much the old thing means to his daughter.

"They are getting ready for your birthday party," Damien announced as he sat next to the princess. For a while, both teenagers sat in comfortable silence, watching the clear sky above them.

"I thought that dad agreed I wouldn't have a party. My birthday was a week ago; I've been trying to explain why I don't want that stupid party. It's okay if I have my parents and closest friends around. I mean- imagine all those unfamiliar faces barging in and pretending that they know me. I don't need the gifts and fake smiles, rather go for a run or a hunt. Did anyone explain why he changed his mind?" Ally felt deeply upset just by the thought of a big celebration. Any other teenager would love to have the super sweet sixteen party, but the young woman preferred to live by a more modest approach.

"I'm not sure, but I heard some servants talking about big news. The party doesn't seem to be because of the birthday alone; your father did something grand. Think of it- someone mentioned the elders, Lord Balthazar, and even most of the Alphas joining. I have no idea what's happening, but I do want to find out more," Damien explained as much as he could. He was like a personal messenger; the male always found ways to gather information. If anyone wanted to find out the newest rumors- he was the go-to person for that.

"Weird, I'm sure dad would tell me if anything grand is about to happen," Ally bit her lip nervously. For some reason, she couldn't meet Damien's eyes: "what if that's a secret? What if dad is in trouble and needs help? Could you try to find out more before the party?"

"I can try no promises. By the way- you blocked everyone, your father is trying to mind-link you," Damien laughed, watching how Ally paled. His victory didn't last long after noticing the King nearing both teens. He hugged Ally and ran off, giving the father and daughter needed privacy.

"Morning, princess," Eros grinned, pulling her into a tight hug.
"I head, you had some guests over last night."

"Morning, dad. Yep, Anto and Baka decided to do the surprise visit thing again."

"I'm glad they did. How was your sleep?" Eros sat down, inhaling the scent of various exotic flowers surrounding them.

"It was okay. Where's mom?" Ally didn't feel like telling her father anything about the nightmare. He was a busy man with a lot on his mind; the princess was happy if he found a time during the day to talk to her. Dropping more stress or unneeded troubles on his shoulders would be the most selfish thing to do.

"She's resting; the baby is undoubtedly giving her a hard time. Did you see the preparations for your birthday party? What do you think?" Ally wanted to protest and talk her dad out of the idea, but she couldn't. The hopeful smile on his face was worth a million of hers, so she simply nodded.

Eros stood up and dusted the imaginary dust off of his pants. He looked down at his daughter and smirked as he spoke: "Just wait for a little, I'll announce big things to happen in the future. A little worried, but I'm sure you'll be excited to find out. Especially the bits about you. Just remember that I'm proud of the woman you've grown to be. So damn proud."

Ally watched how her father left, wondering if she really noticed tears in his eyes or was it a trick of her imagination. The King spoke in riddles, making Ally feel a lot more confused. The young woman decided to head back inside, getting some food seemed to be a great idea.

As Ally neared the door, she accidentally overheard a conversation between maids, which left her stunned. Never, in a million years, would she think of finding out something like that uder such circumstances.