Test Of Loyalty

Keira's POV

"How could they do this to me? A servant ruined my dress and I was supposed to remain calm?" Princess Lyna fumes, pacing around the room. 

She changed into another exquisite dress, but her eyes are still wet from all the crying.

"I am sorry your highness, their tests seem to be quite tricky. But you have only failed one test, we still have a great chance of winning." Helen comforts. 

"How can I pass another test if they are so difficult and humiliating?" Lyna laments. 

We all fall silent for a long moment. Our hosts seem to be testing a person's character and I think Princess Lyna would easily pass if she were a good person. No good person would react the way she did. But telling her that would make her more furious. 

"I know that Keira is a weak human, but she did seem to notice that you were being tested. I think it might get easier if you let her help." Lisa surprisingly suggests. 

It's the first time she has acknowledged that I am not completely useless. I smile inwardly, but Princess Lyna and Helen look disgusted as they cast me scornful looks. 

"I need to meet withthe angel kings, that's the only way I can win this contest." Lyna says desperately. "Did you write the letter?" She demands.

"Yes, I gave it to one of the palace servants and she assured me that it would be taken to the kings." I answer.

"Then why haven't I been informed of when I am going to meet them? Was the letter so bad?" She angrily questions. 

"They are busy kings, but I am sure they will soon respond." I say, trying to sound confident so that she won't fire me so soon. 

She huffs then goes to sit on the edge of the big bed facing the mirror on the wall. She flaps a finger and Lisa hurries to her side. The princess stares at her beautiful reflection on the mirror while Lisa sings a sweet, lulling song to calm her. 

I quietly turn and leave the room. If I am lucky the angel kings will answer the letter tomorrow. If they don't Lyna will be too furious to keep me. 

I want to stay long enough to at least see the other two kings. Is any of them nicer to ordinary humans like me? Are they all breathtakingly gorgeous? I don't know why my heart yearns to find this out.

* * * * *

We stand aside as Princess Lyna quietly eats her delicious breakfast of heart-shaped cakes, slices of fruit and hot tea sweetened with honey. It doesn't seem to be improving her mood though. Yesterday's shame and anger still lingers, her confidence is completely shaken.

Today she will be facing yet another test and I can see the anxiety in her eyes. We trust that we have got enough time to prepare her before Lady Doria comes calling. No one can predict which virtue will be tested and or how it will be tested. We can only hope that she won't fall for another trap and completely ruin her chances of being selected to be the bride and queen of the powerful kings.

"Go get me a glass of water." She orders, pointing at me. 

"Yes your highness." I accept the order and leave the room. As I head out of our palace building, I meet a young man in refined apparel rushing in. 

I keep going until I meet the first palace servant, the same servant that bumped into Princess Lyna yesterday and ruined her elegant gown with food and wine.

She had orders to do what she did and it's not her fault that it is her job to follow such orders. I do not hate her for it. I have the same job.

"Excuse me, do you know where I can get a cup of water for my mistress?" I ask and she nods.

"Follow me." She turns around and leads the way to the next palace building. We walk into a spacious kitchen and she hands me a cup of warm water. 

"If you do not mind me asking, you do not smell like a werewolf." She notes in a polite tone. "You're not human, are you?" 

"I did not phase after my eighteenth birthday, I guess that means I am human." I answer honestly.

"Glad to know that I am no longer the only human here." She reveals with a joyous smile. "You seem like a good person, hope we will be friends." She excitedly adds and I nod. 

She would be my first friend, someone I can talk to without getting laughed at for being a miserable human. 

"Nice to meet you. I am Keira." 

"Margret." She says and we shake hands. 

"I am sorry that your mistress failed her first test, it wasn't my intention to . . . " She starts and I cut her off.

"No one is blaming you for that, we both know what's it's like to be forced to follow orders." I say and she sighs in relief.

"I will take the water to my mistress before she gets furious. See you later." I mutter before turning and hurrying back to the guest quarters.

I was not aware that there were humans living in Lunacrest, and above all working in the palace. I imagine she must have been lonely here and endured a lot of bullying. But she at least gets a fair pay for her job.

I hope I will stay here long enough for us to be friends. My strange longing to meet all the angel kings keeps growing despite the rude remarks from King Conrad the last time we met. 

If they accept the request to meet with Princess Lyna I may get the chance to see all the three at once.

I walk back into Princess Lyna's room to find only Helen and Lisa sitting on the bed. They look excited for some reason.

"Where is her highness?" I ask.

"One of the palace officials just offered to help her win the contest." Lisa informs. "He wants something in return so they left to speak outside." She adds and my heart races with worry. 

I did meet a young man in refined apparel rushing in but didn't think he was coming here. Why would he want to help Lyna win the contest? I thought she didn't have friends here? 

After a moment of thinking I gape in realization. Lady Doria has not yet come to get Princess Lyna for today's test. This may be the test and Princess Lyna probably won't figure it out. The man must have been sent by the council. 

"Did they mention where they were going to talk?" I ask my fellow servants.

"Stop bothering us, human! Why don't you go look for them." Helen snaps.

I set down the cup of water and run out. I am guessing that the man took Princess Lyna to the palace backyard where they can speak in secret. Hopefully I will get there before it's too late.

I hear hushed voices as soon as I take a few steps into the beautiful flower gardens of the palace backyard. Following the direction of the sounds, I tiptoe towards the massive statue that hides the princess and the man she is meeting. 

"You will stand a better chance of passing the tests if you accept my help. I have access to the details of all the other tests they have set for you. I can give you the information you need if you promise to do me a little favour in return." I hear the male voice say. 

"Your help would be highly appreciated. What do I have to do in return?" Princess Lyna's joyous voice asks. 

Does she really think that a stranger just decided to secretly approach her with such a sweet offer? If it were so easy to cheat in the tests the last four princesses would not have failed. 

"I trust that you will not reveal my secrets to anyone. I am a spy of Blackwolves pack, sent here three years ago to seek a job within the palace and spy on the operations of the angel kings." The man confesses. "But I haven't been lucky to gather much and my alpha is getting impatient. I am offering to help you become the queen, the one person that will be closest to the kings. I trust that you will repay my kindness by bringing me all the secrets of the angel kings so that I can inform my alpha." He adds and my heart literally skips a beat. 

Princess Lyna may fall into this trap and she will have failed yet another test. So I jump out of my hiding before she can reply. 

"Women of Silverthorn are ethical and noble. Her highness will not act as a traitor in fear of failing the contest. She values her honour more than the silver and gold of this palace." I state in a firm tone, halting a step away from them.

The handsome man seems surprised and raises an eyebrow while Princess Lyna turns and glares at me, still not realizing that she was being tested.

I bow my head. "Lisa and Helen hopes you will pass today's test, your highness." I say in hope that she will get the hint. Her eyes finally go wide with realisation.

She turns and glowers at the man. "I have unwavering loyalty to the angel kings and will not take part in an act of betrayal." She snaps angrily. 

"What if you fail the tests, how will your loyalty help you then?" The man challenges. Lyna appears to think for a long time and I start to fear that she will change her mind.

"I am not failing another test. Go away or I will let everyone know that there is a foreign spy in their palace." She states and I sigh in relief. 

The man shakes his head and takes one last glance at me before walking away.

"You better be right that it was a test for my loyalty to the angel kings, otherwise you will have ruined my golden opportunity to win the contest." She warns, striding past me to return to her room. 

I wait a moment before following, no one ever wants me walking by their side. Lady Doria and another man in expensive robes stands in Princess Lyna's room when we walk in. 

"I see that you're done with your second test, Princess of Silverthorn." Lady Doria says, confirming that I was right that they had sent the man to test princess Lyna's loyalty to their Kings.

Princess Lyna strides forward with a proud smile. "Yes, I noticed that you wanted to be assured of my loyalty to the kings. It is my honour to let you know that I would not betray them for gold or crown." She says and Lady Doria returns her smile.

"I knew from your application letter that you would not disappoint us." She praises. 

"This is Sir. Henry, the assistant of the kings. He brings you more good news from the main palace." She informs, gesturing at the man by her side. 

The man steps forward with the letter I wrote in his hands. My heart throbs as everyone steps forward in anticipation of his announcement. He would be here if the angel kings had turned down our request, would he?