Page 24 of Prey of the Lycan Queen
The castle is made of aged brick and weathered stone, with stained glass doors and windows. It’s a simple structure with only three stories, yet it stands out from the rest of the city with its simple elegance.
As the car stops, I move to climb out, but Lyon grabs my hand. “If you want me to take you back, I understand. I won’t be offended,” he tells me.
“Why are you being strange? What are you so embarrassed about? This place is amazing from what I’ve seen,” I tell him. He chews his lip nervously and glances out at the castle before nodding.
I climb out and am immediately met with silence. It is vastly different from the High Kingdom, where guards stand on every corner. As Lyon pulls our bags from the back of the car, I focus on the familiar sounds of nature. The crickets, the birds, and the wind make for a peaceful and soothing sound.
“Thank you,” Lyon tells the driver, who nods before pulling out. Moving toward Lyon, I go to grab my bag when he pulls it away. “I’ve got it, you go ahead. The place is unlocked,” he tells me, and my brows pinch.
Shadow bounces around excitedly before he grabs my skirt in his muzzle and pulls me along. He leads me to the huge doors and presses his nose against the glass, pushing it open.
The place is huge. It has tall ceilings, a balcony, a grand staircase, and marble floors. When I step inside and the door closes behind me, all the subtle sounds of nature go silent. Strips of royal blue and gold adorn the walls, shimmering in the light. I glance at Lyon behind me, and he nods for me to keep going down the hall. The castle smells clean and unused, with a hint of freshly cut wood.
The first room I pass has wooden flooring, and the walls are pristine and bare. The second holds a grand piano, the ivory surface gleaming, but other than that, it is empty too. The third room is the kitchen and dining room, which is the only room that has any personal touches to it.
Without thinking, I open the fridge and look at the stacks of single-portion meals inside. Other than that, it’s only the bare essentials like milk and butter.
The fourth room is a bedroom. It too has no furniture, but the mix of warm and cool-colored walls provides a cozy atmosphere. The room is bathed in soft, natural light coming in from the balcony doors.
Coming to a set of doors, I push them open to reveal another foyer that is round with a set of winding stairs, but this room is bare, almost austere in its simplicity. I glance at Lyon, confusion seeping into my expression.
“Take the stairs,” Lyon tells me, and as I follow Shadow up, I can’t help but notice how excited he is to be home. At the top of the stairs, I step into another giant, empty room. One oversized bed in the middle of the room seems to fill all the space here, and it is covered in soft, clean linens.
Despite the room’s emptiness, it is far from cold or impersonal. There are plants everywhere, like he has brought outdoors in. There are no paintings on the walls or anything else to distinguish it from a museum. It has a vaulted ceiling and a panoramic view of the city, but it is a room for a minimalist.
“I give everything to my kingdom,” he confesses, his voice echoing in the large, empty hall. “I don’t need much. That’s why my father despises how I run my kingdom. Business is flourishing for the city, but not for the kingdom itself.”
My heart clenches at his words, a newfound respect for him welling up within me. Here’s a king who puts his people above himself, an act of selflessness I didn’t see coming. This revelation shines a new light on Lyon’s path in this complicated game we are all a part of. The room is bathed in soft, natural light from the balcony doors, and I wander around looking at the different plants.
Lyon sets my suitcase down, and I move toward the balcony when I feel him come up behind me, his breath warm on my neck. “I know it’s not much,” he murmurs. “I’m sorry I can’t provide more for you.”
I turn in his arms to face him and notice how his eyes are alight with a sincere expression. “Lyon.” I place a hand on his arm. “It’s perfect,” I assure him with a soft smile. “Besides, I’m here to learn who you are, not to learn about what you have or don’t have.”
He looks surprised. Feeling content in the moment, I lean into him and embrace him fully. He responds by wrapping his arms around me tighter and pulling me closer, pressing his lips to the top of my head. Shadow whines softly at our feet before he pads off to join his brothers on the bed where they’ve made themselves at home.
Lyon takes my hand and leads me onto the balcony. The sight of his kingdom from a bird’s-eye view is breathtaking. Forests, lakes, farms, and shops are all bursting with life.
“I may not have much to offer you materially,” Lyon starts, turning toward me with a small smile. “But I can offer you a great view.” He chuckles.
I stare at the bare castle grounds then back at him, letting the silence simmer between us. “Lyon, what you’ve built here, this is more than any luxury I could ever want,” I tell him. “So, do I get a tour of the city?” I ask, and he smiles.
Chapter Sixteen
THE NEXT DAY
I glance sideways at Zirah as her mesmerized gaze scans the horizon of my kingdom. There’s a vibrancy about her, an energy that seems to reflect onto the landscape, making it feel more inviting. Yet the insecurities gnawing at my insides are hard to ignore.
Will she like it here? Can she accept the simplicity of my world?
We move toward the outskirts of the city where I’ve planned a picnic. I want to give Zirah the opportunity to soak in the everyday life of my people. My castle may lack luxuries, but my kingdom doesn’t fail to provide a sense of community, warmth, and belonging. No one goes without.
“Is it always like this?” Zirah asks, pointing to the city center where everyone has converged. People are pulling up chairs and lazing about while snacking from the grazing tables.
“Yes. We are the produce kingdom, so we have most of the farms here, including a huge salmon farm. We supply the other kingdoms with fresh produce in exchange for what we need, then everything is shared among the kingdom’s people,” I explain as she picks up a piece of watermelon.
“So you eat most meals together?” she asks, and I nod.
“Every night. I would have brought you here last night, but I didn’t want to give you time to settle in,” I tell her.
