I could tell Henry was on edge. I could hear it in the monarch’s heartbeat. I could smell it in the scent he gave off. Selina of Rozenberg, his future bride, was visiting Aldervolf to study. The Crown had planned a State Reception for her, complete with ceremonies, dinner, and gun salutes, but she was days late, rendering everything they had planned useless. The reception would still happen, just not today, when she finally arrived. All kinds of gatherings were prohibited once the monthly lockdown was in effect.
“I hope Selina doesn’t mind,” Henry muttered under his breath as he twirled his pen in his fingers repeatedly while he read file after file of paperwork. He must be desperate to finish all of it by tonight. I mean, he should, but whatever.
I stopped bouncing my rubber ball on the wall of my sister’s laboratory to stare at the overworked king. I heard from other people that the Destined Queen—that’s what she was called around here— was pompous, self-obsessed, and overbearing. She must be hot if Henry was willing to put up with that, but then again, the child king would bend over backward if it meant the safety and prosperity of his empire.
I sighed before grabbing a metal stool from underneath a granite counter and placing it on Henry’s table. I sat in front of my friend, grabbing a stack of file folders to read. Henry smiled gratefully at me before looking at his wristwatch, eyes widening before focusing on his task again. Hardly. He still kept looking at his watch every ten seconds.
I was halfway through the report I was reading when a thought occurred to me… the future queen may also be dreadful-looking, owing to the inbreeding of royals to preserve their bloodlines. Was that the reason the Princess of Rozenberg was so difficult to deal with? She was masking her shortcomings and imperfections? I remembered the portraits of the past rulers that I saw in a museum once. They had obvious deformities no amount of makeup could hide. Historians wrote they lack intelligence as well. I shuddered at the picture my mind was giving me.
Poor Henry.
“Eureka!” an excited voice said, and it snapped the heir apparent—and me—out of our thoughts. Henry whirled around while I just looked up and our eyes landed on a girl wearing a short white coat.
It was my twin sister, Jade. She was standing near her laptop on the far side of the granite counter. She had papers and Petri dishes with tissue and blood samples piled high on her table. I always assumed scientists were orderly, but she was the opposite. When there was chaos, Jade thrived and could think more clearly. Or so she says. Maybe she’s just untidy and lazy.
Jade looked at me in annoyance.
‘What?’
She just rolled her eyes at me.
“What happened?” Henry asked, standing up and walking towards the girl while I remained where I was.
It’s nerd stuff, and I wouldn’t lie; even if I tried, I’d have no idea what they were talking about. I just knew they were making some kind of drug to help werewolves and other supernatural creatures… the Occults. Since the beginning of time, humans have referred to us as such.
I returned to the report in my hands, and it didn’t take long before the task engrossed me. I used to be a castellan for my father when he was alive, so the work was not unfamiliar to me, but holy sh*t. The paperwork from the nobles alone... They demanded higher taxes from the people while requesting that their own estate taxes be reduced. Unbelievable, entitled, whiny p*ssies. I tossed those folders into the trash pile. Before I knew it, I was done with my stack and was already halfway through Henry’s pile. I was stretching my stiff limbs when I heard my sister’s voice again.
“Henry.” Jade’s voice sounded softer; a touch higher in pitch than normal. She was clutching a metal clipboard to her chest. When speaking to the king... or any other person who wasn’t her brother (me), she seemed and sounded more feminine. The absurdity of it made me laugh.
“Hmm?” Henry was spacing out again. He really needed sleep.
“You don’t have to be here, you know,” Jade said, smiling. “We’re just doing some tests. I’m sure we’ll manage without you.”
“No, no, sorry.” Henry shook his head. “I want to be here. I want to know if it works.”
“I’m afraid I have to insist, your head is in the clouds. I’m sorry, but you’ll just get in the way.”
“How dare you kick me out of here?” Henry asked playfully. “I am your King!”
“You may be the king of the realm, but this is my lab. Here, I am the king.” Jade was giggling. “So, what I say goes. And I say, you’re a nuisance. Adorable, but a nuisance.”
I was torn between puking and feeling sorry for them. I concluded that it’s the latter, and it’s time to put an end to their innocent flirting before it turns into something they’ll regret.
“She’s right,” I butted in. “It’s time to meet your girlfriend... before it gets dark. Jade can handle the tests and their results, can’t you, Jade?”
I emphasized the word ‘girlfriend’ and just as I thought, it wiped the smile off their faces. Blood rushed to my twin sister’s face and she could only nod in agreement.
‘Did you forget I am here?’ I asked her, and Jade’s blush deepened. Because of our mind link, she could hear me clearly even if we were at opposite ends of the room. Perks of being a twin. ‘The man’s taken. Besides, he’s just seventeen. Get ahold of yourself.’
‘I am not doing anything wrong, Jasper,’ my sister answered in the same manner, but indignant. She was careful not to let the young monarch be aware of our conversation through her expression. ‘Don’t speak to me that way.’
‘Then stop doing whatever it is you are doing.’
“Thank you, Jade,” Henry said, touching the girl on the shoulder, making her jump. “I appreciate it. Will you text me the results later?”
“S-sure!”
“I’ll wait for you outside, Henry,” I announced, slapping the table to draw their attention again. I looked at Jade meaningfully, and she scowled at me in return.
“Hey, Jay, you know a lot about girls...” The young monarch took his coat off the table and shrugged it on.
“So?” I eyed my friend skeptically.
“What can I give Selina as a present?”
At the mention of the future queen’s name, Jade bit her lip and lowered her eyes to the floor.
“This again?” I asked back, a little flippantly. Henry can be dim sometimes. Although it’s Jade’s fault for having a crush on him—his too, for unknowingly stringing her along—it still annoyed me to see my sister sad. “What can you give to someone who already has everything? What is this about this time? Have you not already showered her with gifts?”
“Well... This will be my first time seeing her after years apart.” Henry fiddled with his coat buttons; beads of sweat formed on his brows. “The State Reception was cancelled. And because of the… lockdown, I won’t be able to be with her for three days. I don’t want her to get mad at me.”
“Just give her whatever,” I said, nonchalant. Other people’s relations don’t interest me. “Flowers. Isn’t it customary to greet guests with bouquets or something?”
Henry beamed at that. “What kind?”
“There’s a literal girl here present. Why are you asking me?”
Jade looked up at me in shock before her gaze turned almost murderous. I smirked at her in return. Maybe this was the rude awakening Jade needed to snap out of it. I just shrugged before walking out of the room.
“Roses,” Jade piped up. I could still hear their conversation, even though I didn’t want to. Lycan abilities were both gift and curse.
“What?”
“Girls like roses,” Jade clarified. “Well, not every girl, especially not this girl, but… you know what I mean.”
“Yes.” I imagined Henry nodded at that. “Roses are Selina’s favorites, especially pink ones.”
“Wow, that’s… pretty basic of her,” I heard Jade say, and I let out a chuckle.
‘That’s not very nice,’ I told her through our mind link.
“No offense,” my sister quickly backtracked. “I mean…”
Henry did not even seem to notice what she did, though. “She’s not called the Rose Princess for nothing.”
“I thought she was called like that because her kingdom exports the best roses in the world?”
“Hmm, yeah.” I saw Henry make a face through the square window of the laboratory door. He turned to go, but his curiosity got the better of him. “Not that I’m interested in knowing, but why don’t you like roses?”
“Oh, I don’t like all kinds of flowers, not just roses.” Jade moved around before settling to look through her favorite microscope and jotting something down on her clipboard. “I’m allergic to pollen.”
Occults in the Canidae family were. Mostly, because I was not.
“I see,” Henry said thoughtfully. “I am too.”
“Twinsies,” Jade said with fake enthusiasm before turning to the king with hands on her hips. “What are you still doing here? Go, shoo! I’ll summon you when something interesting happens.”
“Okay, thanks, Jade.”
My sister pretended to ignore him and looked through her microscope again, adjusting the dials, but when Henry turned and left, she looked up to see the door of the lab swinging on its hinges. She stared a little more before turning to her work again.
I was leaning on the white wall of the hallway, pretending to text someone, when Henry stepped out of Jade’s laboratory.
“Jay, you’re coming with me to the border, right?”
“Of course.”
“Great! I’ll just go buy a bouquet of roses first and then—” The younger boy was smiling from ear to ear until he stopped to retrieve his cellphone from his coat pocket. It was vibrating like crazy.
“Everything all right?” I straightened when the monarch’s face turned white.
“No,” Henry said, looking up from his phone. “Selina is not at the border.”
______
“Selina is not at the border.” My eyes widened in alarm. “Are you sure?” “Yes! I just checked with the border patrol. Her carriage was nowhere in sight.” Henry paced back and forth in front of me, biting one thumb and fiddling with his phone with the other. A classic telltale sign: he was worried sick. “I can’t contact Selina!” “When was the last time you heard from her?” “At one o’clock this afternoon,” Henry answered, pressing his mobile phone to his ear again, attempting to call his fiancé. A missing royal, especially one of her importance, was never a good thing. This could spark civil discontent among the nobility and subjects… or perhaps cold war, between the kingdom of Rozenberg and the Empire. Everyone knew that Volfenheim was unrivaled in terms of power, but that kingdom, little as it was, was too valuable to cut off. We relied on that little archipelago for its agricultural exports. The Crown was also deeply indebted to them, monetary speaking. If Selina died in our terr
I squeezed the trigger on my handgun the moment the tramp in front of me moved. I was nimble, but the guy was much faster. Inhumanely so. Tried as I might to keep up with him, shooting at him, but my bullets were at least a millisecond slower, thus only hitting air and the soil surrounding us. When I had emptied my barrel, I knew it was futile to resist, so I closed my eyes, expecting a painful death that never came. There was growling, groaning, and scuffling behind me, like dogs fighting to the death. I opened my eyes, spun around, and took several steps back. On the ground, the guy was grappling with someone or something. It was thin, lanky, and dark. The head looked like a sickly, fur-less dog. My eyes widened in alarm as I realized, with the help of the large white moon, that it was a werewolf. I became acutely aware of my surroundings. I could hear growling and snarling from everywhere. The darkness of the Pass concealed them, but I knew we were surrounded. Hearing a pained yel
“What do you mean, he’s not there?” Everyone could hear the distraught in my voice, but I didn’t care. I was already cranky, tired, hungry, sweaty, my head hurt, and the mesh fabric of the lacy dress I was wearing was already clinging to my skin, making me itch all over. They don’t look like it, but I’m sure both Becca and Helena felt the same way. “For their own protection, we separate the royal family during this time of the month,” Mitchell answered. “Once the full moon lockdown is in effect—” “Full moon lockdown?” Becca piped up. “What is that?” I casted a sidelong glance at the other girl for interjecting in our chat, but I couldn’t blame her; lockdowns weren’t as common in Rozenberg as they were in Volfenheim. “It’s a safety precaution implemented during the full moon to prohibit people from leaving or entering the kingdom or other locations, Your Grace.” The pilot looked uncomfortable, pulling on his collar. “We’ve been doing this since the Occults came ten years ago. You w
I held my breath as I poured the black liquid from the pot onto my bone china cup, under the watchful eyes of Henry’s mother, Empress Camilla. The breakfast table was already set, but there were no servants to serve them, just like how the sovereign liked it. I then poured oat milk with practiced grace. To avoid spilling and touching the sides, I stirred my tea back and forth rather than in a circular motion. I took a small sip from my cup before resetting it on the saucer with barely a clink. It was the morning following the tense encounter with the werewolves at Lupine Pass. Camilla arranged for us to have breakfast in the garden, surrounded by fragrant pine trees and shrubbery, and warmed by the morning sun. It was lovely. But the air was tense and filled with nervous energy. I felt nauseous. My future mother-in-law was friendly, smiling, and a delightful host, but I couldn’t help but feel under intense scrutiny. Like everything was a test. Even Becca could feel it, and I was glad
“What’s with the interrogation?” We all turned to see a dark-haired boy blinking back at us. He was tall, slender, and had a fair complexion. Pretty brown freckles dotted his round face; his long, straight nose was giving him a snobby look, but his light blue eyes were shining with mischief. Dressed in a casual sweatshirt, jeans, and sneakers, he looked like a normal teenager. It was the empire’s 16-year-old spare heir. The king’s little brother, Frederick. “Freddy!” The empress jumped up to hug her son. You could tell she missed him. “Good morning, mom.” The boy wrapped his arm around his mother and closed his eyes, enjoying their embrace. It was refreshing to witness male royals being affectionate to their mothers. Helena touched her abdomen, as though yearning for my baby brother to be as loving as Frederick when he grew up. I smiled, hoping for the same for my future children. “Good morning, everyone,” another voice declared. We all stopped and looked, and it took everything I
“Can I help you?” came a voice from beside me, and I almost jumped in surprise. A woman was standing by the bookstore’s doorway, a few feet away from me. She had silver hair that looked flat and thin, like a grandma, but her skin was free of wrinkles. She must be in her mid to late twenties. “Oh, no, I’m just looking while waiting for my fiancée,” I replied. “Be careful with the book. It’s ancient.” “Excuse me?” The woman stared at her for a few more seconds before vanishing inside the store without a word. “Rude,” I muttered under my breath as I leafed through the book again before slamming it close. I was about to place it back on the shelf when I noticed I was holding an old leather-bound volume. The embossed golden letters on the cover read: Grimoire. I let out a little shriek and dropped the item as if it burned me. “Ew, ew, ew!” I wagged my hands in front of me as if getting rid of something revolting in my hands. What was a witch’s bible doing in a place like this? “Becc
“Selina, I’d like you to meet Jade, president of the student council.” True to his word, Henry called his chauffeur to take us to the university. When we arrived, we stopped by the enormous wooden doors, by the bulletin board where a young woman was waiting. Henry excitedly approached her, both of them smiling and staring at each other for a few seconds before the king introduced us. I inspected the girl in front of me. She was pretty, looked a little older and was about Henry’s height. She was skinny, with a tawny, yellowish-brown complexion, clear brown eyes, an aquiline nose, high cheekbones, and full pink lips. Her jet-black hair was pulled in a hasty ponytail, and she was dressed casually in a university sweatshirt and dark skinny jeans. “Hi, it’s an honor to finally meet you, Princess Selina,” Jade said. She seemed friendly, but I could tell her smile was a little tight. “Henry told us so much about you.” “Did he?” I copied her tone. “All good things, I hope?” “Certainly. An
“Let us start the tour, shall we?” Henry took my hand in his and pushed his way to the front of the throng. Jasper and his younger sister stayed behind, quietly squabbling by the bulletin board. “Aldervolf University is one of the top universities in Volfenheim and in the world,” Jade was saying as we walked through halls and lecture rooms, museums, and other historic places inside the university. “It was home to the greatest scholars that ever lived, including Marion the Great, Lord Volfenheim’s first-born son and heir to the throne.” I was completely oblivious to the tour and the stories because I was too preoccupied with Henry, who had been holding my hand the entire time. He was listening to Jade intently, but he often smiled at me and asked if I was okay. He also introduced me to other students as his fiancée. It almost made every sacrifice and every pain worthwhile. Almost. “The University of Aldervolf’s mission and core values,” Jade continued, stopping at the center of the
I let out a blood-curdling scream.“It’s alright, my princess,” Clifford tried to reassure me with a soothing voice as he approached me, but his actions had the opposite effect on me. “Do not be afraid, it’s–”Before he could finish speaking, a shadow leaped in front of me and tackled the butler to the ground with a growl. It was Jasper. They fought over the knife before the duke knocked Clifford out with a punch to the face, dislocating his jaw.“Freddy!” Bridgette screamed. Everyone rushed towards the prince, and they pushed me out of the way. I landed on my behind, the grass cushioning the fall, still too stunned to care.“Are you okay?” I heard Jasper ask. He knelt in front of me. I gazed at him and the hand he offered, still wide-eyed. “Selina, are you hurt?”I shook my head no. I was trembling like a leaf in the wind. I didn't even realize I was crying until the duke put an arm around me, pulling me close to his chest. “It’s alright. It’s over now.”It was strange. Even though h
Someone was standing by the window.The drawing room was dark, but I could see their silhouette thanks to the moonlight shining through the mesh curtains. They appeared to be looking out of the window, their back turned towards me. My heart thumping in my chest, I stepped back in an attempt to escape, only to be stopped by a familiar male voice.“You’re here…” The person finally looked at me. They were wearing a turquoise and gold suit. A royal butler.“Clifford?” I squinted to see the man properly, my eyes adjusting in the dark. He was… smiling. It was unusual, but not unwelcome. “It’s late. What are you still doing here?”“I noticed you were not here after His Majesty’s visit. Where were you?”I closed the door behind me and walked towards my bedroom. “I just went out for a walk. You can go back now.”“Oh, alright. Good night, my princess,” he said, a soft lilt in his voice. “Sweet dreams.”I raised my eyebrows at that. He never smiles or croons. The butler was always professional a
Thank the Rozen Maiden, Jasper was already hard. I don't know what I'd do if he wasn't.He smelled like mint soap and tasted nothing in particular. Like clean skin.“What are you doing?” the Lycan exclaimed, horrified. He shoved me, causing me to fall off the bed. I assumed he didn't intend to do that, as he quickly rushed to my side, visibly concerned. “I'm sorry!”I didn't move from my spot. I hurt my back when I hit the floor, but my pride and dignity hurt even worse.He was right. What was I doing, coming to his room and pouncing on him like that? I have no shame left in me. I couldn’t believe I’d stooped so low.“Hey, are you okay?” the duke asked, and I turned away from him, ignoring him completely. “Don't just lie in there. The floor's cold.”“Leave me alone.”“Selina...”I breathed deeply before opening my mouth and screaming at the top of my lungs.“Alright! Fine! Fine!” Jasper yelled through my screams, stepping back and covering his ears. “Fine, I'll leave you alone, jeez.”
I ran upstairs to the third floor of the Lyall Palace, where the guests’ bedchambers were located. As soon as I reached the door at the end of the halfway, I pounded my fist on the sturdy wood. I don’t care if it’s the middle of the night; I need to speak with the occupant of the room.“Princess Selina?” a voice came from behind me. I turned to see Jasper peeking out from an open door across the hall. He looked dumbfounded to see me. “What are you doing here?”I could ask him the same thing because I know that’s not his assigned bedchamber. I walked towards him and his expression turned into a deep concern. The duke stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.He looked ridiculous in his silk pajamas and nightcap.“You can't be here,” he said, his eyes combing the dimly lit hallway for signs of life. “What if other people–”I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down to crash my lips into his.When Henry said I could not have a lover while he had one, he failed to co
“Your Royal Highness,” Clifford's voice called from outside my door. I scowled and turned towards it. What was it this time? “His Majesty is here to see you.”“The king?”“Yes, miss.”My eyes almost popped open in shock. Henry never visited me in my room, especially at night, because he was wary of the rumors it might create. What does he want?“Shall I tell His Majesty that you’re indisposed?”“No, let him…” I glanced at the table and noticed the vial of period blood was still there.In my panic, I grabbed it so that I could hide it on the couch again. However, it slipped from my hand and rolled under the table.“Argh!” I tried to reach it, but it was so far away from my hand.“Your Royal Highness?”“Just a minute!” I tried to use my foot, but the vial rolled under the other couch and near the fireplace. Spilling small amounts of thick liquid in its wake. I forgot to put its lid on.The door swung open, and I dived to snatch the vial and, before I could decide against it, threw it in
“I’ve seen the written accord; I have studied it ever since they displayed it in the Museum for all to see. It doesn’t say anything about that.”I narrowed my eyes at the glasses girl, “Are you saying my father lied?” “N-no! I’m saying he’s mistaken, Your Royal Highness.” Nervously, she passed around folders containing graphs, charts, and pictures showcasing ancient texts alongside their modern translations. “I mean, I can’t blame His Majesty, the accord is very old. But… as you can see in your copies, the translation clearly says ‘a child sired by Wilhelm’s blood’ … so, it could be anyone of them, not just the king.”“You mean the spare?” Julian interjected, eyebrows furrowing.“It doesn't matter who is sitting on the throne now,” the girl said, adjusting her glasses that were slipping down her nose. “Even if he has just a drop of the first emperor's blood, he will still be considered eligible. The person Princess Selina decides to marry will inherit both the throne and the title al
My heart had been pounding so hard on my chest when the heathens pushed me into the back of a car and made me lie on my back. It was where they gagged me and tied up my hands and feet. They drove the car for a while, driving through a couple of tunnels and a train crossing and a lot of humps and when they finally stopped, I couldn’t hear the hustle and bustle of the city. All the sounds I could make out were the occasional chirping of crickets, rustling of leaves, and the squelching of our feet against the soft, wet grass when they got me out of the car.The people who took me dragged me carefully inside a building and made me sit on a cushioned couch. The place smelled like rotten wood, stagnant water and dust. By the time my kidnappers pulled the bag off my head, I was already calm and collected. My security team always told me that in an event that I was taken, I needed to preserve my voice and strength. I must not encourage the kidnappers to hurt me, which I didn’t. Aside from the
Jade was talking animatedly to another student while smoothing out the pink poster on the wall. I walked towards the elevator a few feet from them, ignoring them, intending to ride the elevator to go to my class. A few other students were intrigued by the new poster and flocked to the female Lycan, listening to what she had to say.Jade’s soft-spoken voice was loud and clear while she explained to the group the importance of having a ‘well-woman exam’ at least once a year. Her words seemed to be filled with genuine concern and compassion for her fellow women, which made me huff. Where was that concern and compassion when she stole Henry from me?I pressed the button on the elevator again, willing for it to go down faster, but it was stuck on the fifth floor for some d amned reason. With a huff, I turned on my heels, and walked towards the stairs, but Jade’s words stopped me in my tracks.“Me?” She was smiling warmly while looking at the group of students in front of her. “As a matter
“I'm infertile?” I was thankful for the face mask I was wearing because it muffled my loud voice a bit and it helped to not shower the good doctor with spittle when I shouted. After a few days of holding it off because of my pride, I went back to Doctor Ortega’s clinic and endured all of the tests she wanted to do. I had a lot of terrible scenarios in my head during and a few days after the tests, but I never imagined that one. Given the doctor's concern, I thought I was dying. The final result was even worse. To say I was shocked was an understatement. “That's—no, it can't be!” As the future empress, it was my responsibility to have children. If I don't get to have that… I'll be useless. If Henry knew this— “I didn't say that,” the brown-haired doctor said, frowning a little. “I said you have polycystic ovary syndrome, Mary.” “Same difference.” I folded my arms on my chest. “I’ve heard of that condition. I won’t get pregnant if I have it.” “Why would that matter to you? I thou