01 The Princess Is Off Limits

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Aeron: 10 Years Old

Jasmine: 7 Years Old.

"Hey, princess! What are you doing here?" I asked. Jasmine was sitting alone on the park bench in the palace's yard. She usually stayed by herself when she was feeling sad, and I wanted to know what was bothering her.

Normally, she'd watch me play ball with the others or ask to join in, but we never let her because we didn't want her to get hurt. I was just being protective. 

"Go away, Aeron. You're not my friend," she said. I guess she believed that because I usually played with her twin, Mathias.

"I am your friend too, Jasmine," I insisted, but she wasn't having it. 

"Then why don't you let me play with you?" she asked with a cute pout.

"It's rough, and you might get hurt," I explained. She frowned at me, saying, 

"But you play with Mathias, and he isn't hurt!" She loved arguing her point, so most of the time, Mathias and I just agreed with her to move on.

"The other kids don't like me, and that's why you don't want to play with me," she said, stuck on the idea. 

"No, Jasmine," I reassured her, but she looked at me with those big brown eyes that were so cute.

"You know what? Next time, I'll ask you to join us, and I'll protect you so you don't get hurt," I promised, and that instantly put a smile on her face. Jasmine always looked up to me, making me feel special.

"Promise?" she asked, and I nodded.

 "Yes, Princess. I promise." Her face lit up, and her brown eyes sparkled.

"Aeron, Aunty Rukky left today," she said, voicing her sadness about their nanny getting married and leaving. 

"Miss Macintyre says Ivory and I will have to leave one day too. Promise you won't let anyone take me away from here. I don't want to go away," she pleaded. I didn't want her to leave either.

"She's lying," I said, but Jasmine disagreed. 

"That's what happens when people get married, Aeron. They leave, just like aunty Rukky," she pointed out. She was smart and could figure things out quickly.

"Then I'll just marry you so you'll be here with me," I blurted out, and her eyes lit up. 

"You will? You promise?" she asked. I promised, not fully understanding what it meant back then.

"If you keep your promise, I'll bake you Aunt Ania's chocolate cake," she said with a big grin, looking adorable with cake crumbs on her teeth. "That'll be great," I said, standing up.

"Come on, let's go build something in the sand," I suggested, stretching my hand toward her. 

"I don't want to build anything with the others," she said with a cute pout.

"Just you and me, Princess," I said, and she smiled, joining me. 

"So what do you want to build?" I asked. 

"A castle that we'll live in. Just you and me, Aeron. It'll be our home, and we'll never be apart," she said, and I laughed. 

I shouldn't have. I shouldn't have gotten her hopes up. I shouldn't have put those things in her head back then. I was being kind and a child myself; I didn't know the implications. But now I do.  

PRESENT.

Aeron

I stood outside at the entrance of the palace. It was nighttime, and I should have retired to my house, but I lingered. Watching people come and go and trying to occupy my mind. I was tempted to search for fun, but my friend Mathias wasn’t around, and I knew I would be bored. 

"Aeron, come home," I heard my father's voice through our mind link.

I wasn't doing anything serious at the moment. Mathias was on a mission, and I was waiting for him to return so we could go to Woodland to carry out the King's orders. 

Meanwhile, I had kept myself occupied to pass the time.

I had appointed myself as the personal bodyguard of the princesses. It's not like Jasmine needed my protection, but she could be impulsive sometimes. 

Princess Ivory, on the other hand, had a secret that had to be protected. She had ghost eyes, so she needed protection, too. 

I just wanted to make sure they were safe pending the return of the King and Queen from their holiday visit to Iceberg in the Snow Kingdom.

Princess Ivory and Jasmine had retired to bed, so I should close for the day, but I felt the need to hang around, just linger a bit in case the princesses decided to come out again. 

I tried linking them to be sure they were asleep before heading home. None of them answered, so I decided to call it a night and leave. 

 I would normally shift and run. I would get to my father's house faster than by car, but today was different. I didn’t feel like taking my clothes off. So I took one of the cars and drove to my father's house.

Riverhead was a mega city. It was a place where people came in search of greener pastures. But if you were broke, you could not survive. 

My grandfather lived in Iceberg with his mate, but they visited often. 

Iceberg was calmer and less developed with friendly people.

 I guess King Miles of the Snow Kingdom kept it that way because King Nikolas and Queen Aliana often visited the place to unwind. Something about nostalgia. We, the young ones, never fancy the place. It is just too damn boring, and the women there are chaste. Not my flock.

 I arrived at my father's house and let myself in. 

I never bother to knock because they never locked the door. They were always expecting someone to come in. It was like that in Pictoria, our former continent. It was a rule never to lock your front door so the King could send his people and have easy access to your homes at any time. I guess they still battled their demons.

I had complained several times that they should change their habits, but they believed Riverhead was safe and there were no psychos lurking around. They might be right about that. I suppose the only psycho visiting would be me, but I do well at hiding it. 

I couldn't discern whether something was amiss within me, but I felt disconnected from my emotions. Everything I experienced and expressed had been acquired as a way to blend in and appear normal. I thought that my life in Pictoria had perhaps fractured something inside of me. This lack of emotional connection didn't trouble me personally, but it deeply concerned my mother. She feared that one day, I might take actions that would put us all in jeopardy. Her worry was unfounded, as I had a firm grip on my decisions and actions.

My father was in the living room with his brother and their friend. They were eating and drinking. It was midnight.

My father turned his head in my direction.

 "Aeron! You came!" he said in his thick Isbec accent, something my sister, cousin, and I had shed while growing up in Forest.

"Yes, I am here," I said and paid my respect to all present. 

I could see a tinge of fear in the eyes of the guest. I knew I had that effect on people. It was great seeing them squirm sometimes. I knew I came across as unhinged, and I liked it. It kept the people I cared about safe, and no one dared mess with me, so I was fine.

 "You asked me to come?" I asked my father, and he nodded.

"Ah yes, please have a seat," he said, reaching for a bottle of beer and handing it to me. My uncle was smiling, and the friend seemed a bit nervous, making me laugh. If my father and uncle weren't there, I might have spooked him a bit just for fun.

"Your friend isn't back from his assignment?" My father said, enquiring of the prince, and I did not answer. It wasn't my information to give even though he was my father. I knew my duty, and keeping my mouth shut was one of them.

  My silence was answer enough, and there was an awkward silence before my father decided to proceed to the real reason he had asked me to come.

"You know Mr Japheth," he said, pointing to the man present. I did not bother answering. I had seen the man, but I did not know him. 

 "Well, Mr Japheth's daughter just returned from her studies in Hill Valley. She is now a certified medical doctor," he said, and I wondered how the fuck it was my business.

 "She is a halfbreed, and she is twenty-two," he said, and I remained silent. I was a patient man. I wasn't the type to speak immediately. I always let them finish.

 My father sighed and looked at me.

"I know it is not my business, but you are getting old, Aeron," he said gently, and I knew it was his way of trying to appease me. It was cute coming from my father, a man I once feared but now just respected.

"I think you should try to get to know her. She will make a good wife for you," he said, landing exactly where I expected him to. 

I hoped he would disappoint me and maybe ask me to put in a word for her with the King and get her a job or something, but he touched on a topic I didn't want to discuss, and I just smiled. 

I guess that is what I should do. I do not know if the smile looked natural, but I made sure the corners of my lips curled up so as not to come across as disrespectful.

"I am sure there are other men that will be willing to give it a try, Father. I am not interested, but I appreciate the offer," I said calmly and took a swig from the beer bottle. There was silence in the room.

"Your mother was hopeful, and she likes her," My father said, and I chuckled.

"And how the fuck is that my business? If she likes her, marry her," I told my father, and he angrily balled his fist.

"I am not a little boy, Father, and I am not interested in this girl," I said and looked at Mr Japheth.

"I am sure your daughter deserves better than this. Don't sell her cheap. Arrangements like these make the women seem cheap and desperate," I said, and I could see the embarrassment that washed over the man's face. 

He looked annoyed, too and directed his gaze toward my father.

"Sorry, Mr Japheth," My father said, and I saw my uncle smile. I figured then that Mr Japheth didn't bring up the idea. My mother chose the girl, and my father had convinced Mr Japheth to agree. 

Seeing my uncle, Yusuf, I knew he must have advised my father against it, but my father would do whatever my mom told him to. 

 Mr Japheth got up and left in annoyance. Once he was out, my father's wolf flashed in his eyes, and he growled at me.

"You are sick!" he said, and I smiled, Razor, my wolf smirking underneath. I could feel the excitement on my skin.

"I thought that was established long ago," I said calmly. Finishing the beer he had offered. 

I placed the empty bottle on the table and tried to reach for another, but my father smacked my hand, which made Uncle Yusuf and me laugh.

"He will settle down when he falls in love," My uncle told my father, and my father did not respond. He did not think I was capable of falling in love, and he might be right. He looked hurt and disappointed, which was my cue to leave. I got up, and he looked at me.

"Where are you going?" he asked me, and I shrugged.

"Home, of course. My work does not have closing hours, and you know it. It was a risk leaving the princesses at this hour, knowing the Prince and the King were not in town. I better head back." I said, and my father studied my eyes intently.

"Remember who we are, Aeron," He said. He stood up and stared me square in the face.

"Princess Jasmine is off limits, and you shouldn't dare aspire to be with her. Do not insult the King's kindness and your friendship with the prince," he said, and I frowned at him.

 "You think I am stupid. You appointed yourself as bodyguard. No one asked you to follow the princess about the place. I see the way you look at her. I am not blind, and I know doom when I see one. King Nikolas Kowalski does not play with his family, and it will serve you well to maintain your distance," he told me. I balled my fist in anger, but my face remained blank.

"I guess I must have done my job so well that you are reading meanings to it, Father. Now, if you will excuse me, I have 'two' princesses to keep an eye on," I said, emphasising the 'two' so he would know Jasmine wasn't the only Princess I was protecting.

Uncle Yusuf patted me on the back before I left the place. 

As I slid into the car, my gaze instinctively landed on my reflection in the rearview mirror. Had I been too obvious with Jasmine? I was well aware that pursuing her was a risky venture. She was a delicate soul, and I, in contrast, felt like a shattered and unstable puzzle. The weight of my own demons made me question whether she could withstand the storm within me, yet inexplicably, she belonged to me. It was a clandestine truth, hidden from the world.

I had yet to decide whether I would act on this truth or not, but with each passing day, my determination to keep my distance waned. I found myself pondering how much longer I could resist the inevitable breaking point.