I joined Margret and her fellow diligent servants in preparing a magnificent banquet hall, in the second palace building, for tomorrow's extravagant party. Since leaving Silverthorn my mind has been so occupied that I almost forgot about tomorrow being the first day of the full moon.
Apparently the angel kings sets a banquet for all the governors of their massive kingdom to come feast and get entertained on the first day of the full moon.
The atmosphere is filled with anticipation and excitement as everyone works together to create a truly mesmerizing experience for the esteemed guests.
As we finish wiping the smooth floor, another team of servants meticulously arranges long wooden tables in precise rows, each adorned with crisp, white linen tablecloths that cascade all the way to the floor. Delicate, fragrant flower arrangements fill the air with their sweet aroma, carefully placed as centerpieces along the tables.
A group of talented chefs can be seen scurrying around the massive stone fireplace, tending to roaring fires as they prepare mouth-watering delicacies. The tantalizing scent of roasting meats, freshly baked bread, and aromatic herbs wafts through the air, teasing oir senses and making our mouths water.
The walls of the hall are adorned with ornate tapestries depicting heroic tales of knights and mythical creatures. Three servants gently dust the tapestries making the intricate artwork more clearer.
In an isolated corner, musicians practicing their performances tune their instruments, creating melodious tunes that fill the air with joyous melodies. Their harmonies blend perfectly, setting the festive mood and ensuring that the celebration will be filled with laughter and merriment.
"During the days of the full moon is the only time humans like us sense our mates. Don't you feel excited?" Margret asks with a teasing smile. "Not that we could be mated to the governors, of course, but any of our fellow servants may be mated to us." She adds.
"What about the angel kings, do you think they look forward to finding their fated mate?" I ask.
"They have been waiting for her for a long time. I am sure they would be delighted if one of the beautiful princesses turns out to be their mate." She answers.
"Even if she isn't the one that gets selected by their council?" I question.
She is quiet for a long moment before answering. "I don't know, they are looking for the best of virtuous women."
I am sure their mate will be a beautiful royal woman. Probably one that didn't apply to take part in the contest.
All I should be concerned about is Princess Lyna being the one to win the contest. It's the only thing that may help my miserable life.
"Do they all dislike human servants?" I question.
Margret raises an eyebrow. "Everyone else may look down on us, but not the angel kings. They are just despite their wealth and might." She answers.
I do not believe her, because I saw the hate and disgust in angel Conrad's eyes when I revealed that I am a servant. But it's better not to judge a person's character based on a brief meeting.
"Stand and bow your head." Margret suddenly whispers urgently.
"What?" I ask in confusion.
"One of the angel kings is here, stand and lower your head." She explains, grabbing me by the collar of my dress and pulling me up.
I finally notice the tall, stunning figure of angel Conrad standing at the doorway. He looks even more dashing under the glare of the rays of the sun than he did in darkness.
All the servants and entertainers stand still with their heads bowed as he strides forward.
"Lower your head." Margaret reminds and I quickly lower my gaze to the floor.
My body stiffens with apprehension as my ears track the sounds of his footsteps around the hall.
"There is no need to get nervous, King Fenris is too kind to mind your lack of our uniform. He is probably checking if all is ready for tomorrow's banquet." Margret tells, her head still lowered.
Did she say king Fenris? I thought it's Conrad. Apparently they look alike a copy of each other.
"How do you tell them apart?" I question.
"Only Fenris wears white outfits on a regular day. Conrad and Garren are fans of darker colours. Garren wears silver while Conrad wears gold." Margret explains.
I nod in understanding. The angel in the room is dressed in an exquisite white outfit, so it's king Febris.
I start to relax but feel an intense gaze on me that makes my body tense.
Footsteps get closer and closer and I see Margret getting anxious as well.
"He is coming to us." She whispers the obvious. "But keep calm, he is just as kind as his brothers." She adds and I relax once again.
His enchanting scent invades my nostrils and it's sweeter than the delicious odours of the banked foods from the kitchen.
He halts way too close to us and I fight the urge to raise my head and look at his face.
"Who are you?" His frigid voice asks and it's obvious who he is speaking to. I am the only one not dressed in their servant uniform.
"Umm . . .my name is Keira. I am a-" I start but he cuts me off.
"You're the human servant?" He questions looking even more repulsed than his brother angel Conrad was.
"Yes your Majesty, her highness Princess Lyna of Silverthorn is my mistress." I answer respectfully. "She doesn't mind that I am human." I lie.
"Your mistress must be very kind, but this is not Silverthorn. Just because we hired Margret it doesn't mean we want you too. A better servant will be appointed for your mistress if she gets selected to become our queen." He states coldly.
My heart shatters.
How can an angel be so cruel? Becoming a servant of this palace is the only good thing I was looking forward to after Princess Lyna qualifies to become their chosen queen. Now there is no point of helping her pass the tests unless I wish to be fired.
His gaze travels down my body. "If you must leave your room again make sure to wash and brush your tangled hair. Personal hygiene is a mandatory requirement for guests and residents of this palace. Stay hidden if you can't comply." He commands and most of the servants around us stifle their laughs.
I hang my head in embarassment. The angel turns to leave and Magret pats my shoulder in a comforting gesture.
"He has never spoken that rude to anyone before, I don't understand why he just seems to dislike you." Margret says after he is gone. "I am so sorry, I will help you style your hair tomorrow, even though I doubt it has anything to do with his rudeness."
I simply nod my head, shame and anger making it difficult to think.
"I will return to our guest quarters, I need a moment alone." I say and make my way out of the hall. Tears flow freely from my eyes as I stride down the path towards the first building. Luckily I find no one in the tiny servants' room we were given. Hopefully no one will return soon because I need a few ours to cry a river.
I have been thinking the whole night, yet I haven't figured out where I would go if Princess Lyna gets selected to become the wife of the Angel Kings and I get fired. Her father would be glad to banish me if I return to Silverthorn, that or he would turn me into a slave of his pack.Maybe I should plead my case with the angel kings. So far I have met two and they were extremely rude. But I have endured rudeness before. Are servants even allowed to write letters to them like princesses? I will have to ask my only friend Margret. Lisa and Helen hold towels ready as a naked Princess Lyna emerges from the basin full of warm water and aromatic herbs. Passing yesterday's test of loyalty seems to have revived her confidence. She stands in an elegant posture as Helen and Lisa wrap towels around her wet body and hair. I grab a rug wipe all the water that has spilled on the floor while Helen and Lisa help the Princess dry her hair, oil her smooth skin and choose the best gown to wear. Toda
Fenris's PovI had hoped that my brother Conrad was wrong, that a weak servant girl cannot be our fated mate. That hope vanished the moment I smelled her enchanting scent. It was faint, but it appeased my senses more than any music or wine has ever done. I had an immense urge to get closer and inhale more of it. But I changed my mind as soon as I was standing in front of her. She had the most beautiful hair I have seen on a human head though. But she wore an old, wrinkled dress with a permanent stain at the front and didn't seem bothered.I didn't see her face as she kept her head bowed even when I said the rudest things about her. I wonder if her weak human senses acknowledged the natural, unwelcome pull between us. "If you too felt the mild mate bond then we can conclude that we have been mated to a wretched servant girl." Garren, the only one of us that is yet to meet the girl, says while gulping down another glass of wine. The servant girl has become the topic of our dinner an
Keira's PovThe banquet hall, with its luxurious furnishings and sumptuous offerings, exudes an air of majesty and grandeur. The great guests that have already arrived grace the space with their elegance and charm.In the gallery above, musicians play lively tunes on lutes, harps, and violins. Their music floating down into the hall, adding a joyful melody to the bustling feast below. The palace servants are in their positions, ready to attend to the needs of the distinguished guests. Every one of us including Princess Lyna appears stupefied by the sheer opulence of the place. The servant girl in a princess's dress giggles at the sight of all the delicious luxury she is about to experience. My eyes search the room for Margaret's face. She is surprisingly nowhere within sight. But I recognize the faces of some of Lady Doria's fellow councilmembers. Their presence here means that they will be in watch for every one of Princess Lyna's actions. "Come, you will seat and eat with the go
Keira's PovHellen and Lisa sit on a mat on the floor with the finest fabrics scattered all around them. They are carefully sewing another exquisite dress for Princess Lyna. The refined princess tried on the ones in the closet and didn't think any outlines her curves well enough to make the angel kings wish she was their queen. So she ordered her favourite maids to make another, cut and sewn in accordance to her wishes. I am standing aside, holding the threads and needles for them since I am not allowed to touch anything that the Princess might wear or eat. They always act like I have a disease she might catch. Princess Lyna lies in bed, waiting for her servants to make the loveliest of dresses for her to wear during the duel with the angel kings. I wonder if she has considered learning one or two things about sword fighting. Not that there is time to learn much, which means that the kings will realise that she got no combat skills as soon as she steps into the battlefield in a tigh
The two guards push the doors open without inquiring my identity or intent. The alluring scents flood my nostrils and I allow myself to breathe deeper, welcoming their soothing abilities.I know they are the scents of the angel kings. I however do not understand why they are so profound tonight.The guards gesture at me to go ahead and walk in alone while the palace servants wait at the door. My stomach churns as I take steps into the spacious chamber. The throne room is a blend of beauty, opulence and grandeur. The furniture is made of rich, dark woods, upholstered in lush fabrics adorned with embroidery and patterns. Massive fireplaces line the walls, their roaring fires casting warmth throughout the room. The floor rises at the far head of the room where three beautiful figures sit on majestic thrones. Their striking faces are as alike as three peas in a pod. A strange, overwhelming urge to run up to them and take each into my arms suddenly grips my mind and I have to literally
Keira's Pov"What did the angel kings speak to you about?" Princess Lyna demands for the tenth time, her curiosity turning into anger as I stay quiet."None of my maids are allowed to keep secrets. So speak up or I will send you back to Silverthorn to become the pack slave like you were supposed to be!" She threatens. "I do not see a reason she is withholding that information unless she was called to speak foul of our mistress." Helen eagerly excuses. I shake my head, finally tired of enduring their demands and threats. If I had a choice, no one would ever know about the angel kings being my mates or their rude rejection. But right now the only other choice I have is to return to Silverthorn, get banished or become the slave of the pack."You better not have said anything awful about me, human! I will claw off your skin before getting the palace guards to throw you out!" Princess Lyna hisses, her angry wolf claws breaking through the tips of her fingers."I wasn't summoned to talk a
Keira's povI step out to find a smiling Margret standing at the door of our small servant quarters, a red rose in her right hand. I wonder where she has been throughout the day. She wasn't at the banquet, nor anywhere I walked."You look sad," she observes, "did any of the angel kings scold again?" She asks in a voice full of concern. I am supposed to keep it a secret that I am the mate of the angel kings, so I choose to lie."My mistress had a hard day. We are all just tired." I say. "I am sorry that your mistress failed the test so terribly. I should have been there to help." She says ruefully. "Where were you?" I ask."I met my mate." She informs with a joyous smile. "He doesn't care that I am human. He accepted me because he believes I am a good person. Lady Doria gave us a day off so we could go out and celebrate our meeting." She expounds, her eyes glowing with pride. She got a mate who appreciates her benign character. I wish the same had happened to me. Even a poor peasan
With Helen and Lisa holding the tail of Princess Lyna's dress, we have to walk slower than the others. The space between us and the councilmembers keeps increasing as we go. The populated city of Lunacrest is like a beehive, full of activities and still incredibly organized.People stare at Princess Lyna just like she wanted. She waves her hand, charming them with her precious attention. She stops waving instantly when Lady Doria and her councilmembers start leading us through what looks like an extremely impoverished section of the city.Wretched beggars step out of dilapidated buildings and start following us, pleading for coins. Helen and Lisa lift the tail of Princess Lyna's dress higher and pick up pace in a desperate attempt to get away from the miserable people. Lady Doria and her councilmembers seem unbothered as they keep glancing back at us several more times than before. This must be the test."Please leave us a coin . . . your highness! My husband is dead and my sons a
Keira's Pov"Both your father and your friends are fine. They just had a meal and are now resting. We let them out of the cells in the basement after realising that it wasn't you that ordered their ," Fenris the honestly. "Arina ordered their imprisonment?" I ask in a furious tone. You yup"They attacked her and she demanded that they be locked up," he answers. "We did notice that the prideful decision was unlike you. We thought that you would ask for their release after calming down. But you went for our bodies instead."I would snap that witch's neck if she had not escaped. "If my actions are unlike my character again, lock me up intil you're sure it's me," I order. "Last time we were all together you were afraid of our touch, now you're not. Should we lock you up until we are sure it's you, your majesty?" Conrad asks teasingly while invading my space once more."I should have both of you punished for even imagining you can do that," I respond calmlyBoth him and Fenris chuckle,
Keira PovAlluring scents fill my nostrils as my mind reawakens. It's been days since the last time I inhaled those scents. Back when our mate bond existed. So this must be a dream. I briefly struggle to get my eyes open. A pair of soft lips kisses mine just as my eyes finally blink open. "Told you she just needed our close touch," Garren says after pulling back. "She has woken," he anounces and two more beautiful faces gather next to him, staring down at me with happy smiles.It's not a dream, our mate bond is back. Probably because of the shaman's death. We didn't get to celebrate our marriage, and after getting nearly killed I finally realised how fragile everything in life is. I was too focused on winning battles that I forgot to enjoy my relationship with my gorgeous mates.Arina's attack awakened the part of me that desired pleasant things again. Because I learned that anything can be taken away easily and all that will be left is regret. Because I didn't allow myself time to
Conrad's PovIf I had known this is what would happen I would not have allowed Keira to be part of this fight. She almost lost her life and will probably take days if not weeks to recover from the injuries. Not even our mate bond is present to help her heal faster."Where is her father?" I ask my brothers. It's obvious they do not want to talk about that. A thing that worries me because they were under Shaman's spell. "When that witch and her father arrived Keira's father and her friends tried attacking them. Of course we thought the woman was Keira so we defended her," Garren answers. "You didn't kill them, did you?" I ask. "No. The witch demanded that they be punished and locked up. We let the soldiers do the dirty work since we did not want to be directly involved. We thought that she would regret the decision later," Fenris answers. I wonder how bad the punishment was because there is a chance that our mate's father will never forgive us. I understand that my brothers were und
Angel Fenris's Pov I should have killed that witch before she had the chance to use the darkstone. Problem is I wanted to have fun killing her slowly and using different unbearable ways. I wanted her to die screaming apologies to Keira."Where is my Father and Ezra?" our mate asks with a concerned expression despite the pain she must be feeling. The truth would infuriate her. We made terrible mistakes while under that witch's spell. Telling her where her father and friends are when we have hurt her so much would make her hate us. I made her mind hurt excruciatingly whilst thinking that she is the witch. I cannot give her more bad news. Conrad stares at us curiously. Of course he doesn't understand why we cannot talk about our mate's father right now. "You're losing blood. Let me remove the blade out of your hand so we can take you to the doctor," I say to our mate, avoiding answering the question about her father and friends. Garren holds her tighter as I pull the sharp blade out o
Angel Garren's PovKeira would never ask us to kill our own brother, regardless of the fact that he is under the control of a wicked witch. Our mate was of pure heart. She would never demand the murder of someone that is not under control of his mind. I used to think that no other woman can have Keira's face, but our brother's witch looked and sounded exactly like her. We would have been fooled as well if Keira had not already found a way to restore our mate bond. But I am shocked that she is now demanding for Conrad's death like she never loved him.One of the pretentious guards that Conrad came in with takes off her helmet and just like the first time I am baffled by how much the witch resembles our mate."Kill me instead! I am the witch that is controlling his mind," she says. She is that selfless? Or is it a trick to make us believe that she is the true Keira?"You stupid bitch! You will die today!" our mate screams like she has suddenly lost her mind.She picks up the sword tha
Keira's Pov"I must ask that you do not tell your brothers that I am not Keira. Unlike you they seem to care for that pathetic human and won't like me if they realise that I am not her," Arina tells Conrad as we follow her and her father inside the palace. "Of course I won't tell them if you don't want me to," Conrad assures. "The guards behind used to be close friends of mine. Allow them to come with us," he requests and Arina simply nods. Guess she is so eager to have him as well that she is not allowing her mind to have suspicion. My other two husbands rise from the soft couches of the palace parlour as soon as we walk in through the door. They both step forward to hug Conrad."Welcome back, brother. Where did you get lost to?" Garren asks in a voice filled with concern. Arina makes her way to Fenris and wraps her hands around his waist. He embraces her back, rubbing her back gently and kissing her on the lips. She smiles in comfort."You first tell me what happened the day I l
Keira's Pov"Your plan worked, your majesty. Arina and her father believed that King Conrad turned against you and wishes to have a mate bond with her," Allen gladly informs. We smile in relief as we are now halfway into getting rid of the vixen and her foolish father. As long as the mate bond between her and my other two husbands is broken getting them to recognise who the real Keira is won't be as hard as the first time. According to the text I read about the identity spell, Arina must carry my blood everywhere she goes or my mates will discover that she is not me. Her father was left with only a few drops after suspending my mate bond with the angel kings before I returned to Lunacrest. Arina will only have a little of that blood as her father must have used some to lift my mate bond with my husbands again. Finding the tiny amount of the blood she is carrying will be hard but not impossible. "Did she mix the blood?" Conrad asks. "She asked that you return to the palace, your ma
Keira's PovAngel Conrad's hand and pen hovers over the tiny parchment."What do you think I should write?" he asks, looking furious that he has to do this. Of course penning a love letter to our enemy is not just hard but disgusting as well. But it seems to me like it's the only way we can get her to mix her blood with Luther's. Once the fake mate bond between her and my other husbands is broken then we won't have to fight them to get to her or her father."We must make her believe that your thoughts and feelings are genuine. You must confess a good reason why you're choosing to betray me. Tell her that I am a weak human that never deserved to be the queen of your great kingdom," I suggest."That's not true. You're the smartest and strongest woman our kingdom has ever seen. Not even our mother was as fierce as you're," my husband differs. "The point is to make her believe without doubt that you hate me. The truth doesn't matter," I answer. "Still it disgusts me to write such lies
Keira's PovI read the text titled, "The Identity Spell," frowning at it's weird content. "To steal a person's identity one needs the blood of their victim as well as an object belonging to those that they wish to fool. The enchantment must be done by a powerful sorcerer," I read out loud so that Angel Conrad and the alpha can hear. The rest of the text include strange words that should be uttered during the casting of the spell. How did they get items belonging to my mates to cast the spell? "The Shaman already had my blood, but not anything belonging to you," I tell Conrad. "Maybe we should search the place some more. You never know," Luther says. He summons five more loyal servants to help us. Good thing everyone is eager to please an angel king .The servants excitedly search the house for several hours, bringing anything suspicious to King Conrad. "I found these in Aria's closet, your majesty," one of the servants proudly reports while holding out three scarfs made of sea si