Page 6 of Lost

“That’s a nice shirt.”

His cold, pale cheeks flushed warm and red. It seemed as though I had caught him by surprise. “My thanks, Princess.”

My father sat upright but didn’t exit the carriage with me. “Tellren,” he barked, “See to it that the Princess is brought to the Queen. She must be prepared for the next round of trials.”

I frowned. “You aren’t coming, father?”

“No. There is something I must attend to first, but I will join you in the Grand Hall.”

He slammed the side of the carriage, and the driver and Colbolt went away, pulling the carriage along with them. I watched it turn around and go back the way we had come. When it was gone, I breathed a sigh of relief.

“How far did you go this time?” Tellren asked, after a pause.

“Only to the forest,” I said.

“You know he doesn’t like it when you go out there.”

“I don’t understand why. It’s safe.”

“Arcadia is home to many, many dangers, Princess. Most of which you don’t see coming until it’s too late.”

“That’s… ominous.”

“And it was meant to be. Know only that he means well.”

“I’m sure he does. I just wish he wasn’t so rigid all of the time.”

“The King has seen more troubles than most of us ever will, and he still holds the weight of the world on his shoulders. He does his best.”

“You don’t need to defend him, Tellren. I know he does.” I sighed. “Alright, let’s get today over with. I have more exploring to do tomorrow.”

Tellren bowed and gestured towards the large white doors that led into the Grand Hall and the palace beyond it. “Might I suggest the Ancestor’s Glade for your next excursion, Princess?”

I scoffed. “Seen it. Smelled it. I want something new, something exciting.”

“If I hear of anything, I shall endeavor to let you know. Purely for academic reasons,of course.” The twinkle in his eye made me smile.

“Of course,” I echoed, and together we made our way into the castle in search of my mother;Dahlia Wolfsbane, Queen of Windhelm and the Winter Kingdom of Arcadia, the White Wolf.

CHAPTERTHREE

Vanquisher of the Veridian, Scourge of the Wenlow, Child of the Moon… my mother had so many titles, most of which she didn’t use. She didn’t even like being calledQueen.She would always tell me it felt weird to hear it, and even weirder to say it aloud. I couldn’t help but love that about her.

Dahlia Wolfsbane had all the power in the world. Shewasthe Queen, and she was the White Wolf. Everybody—everybody—loved her, but she didn’t use any of that power for any personal or selfish reasons. Most of the time, she only wanted to sew, to read, and to make the lives of the people around her as good and as plentiful as she could.

I found her inside what used to be her bedroom during her time in the Royal Selection. These days, it didn’t serve as a bedroom at all, but as a studio for her to work in. A retreat from the palace, where she could get away for a while and do what she loved to do.

She had heard us coming and called out for us to enter just as Tellren went to place his knuckles on the door to her bedroom. I opened the door to find her standing by a large, curved window that overlooked the castle, the city, and the rolling mountains beyond. She had a long, sheer, delicate looking piece of fabric she was draping around, and pinning to, a mannequin that stood in front of the window.

My mother turned her head, her long, silvery hair waving with the motion. I saw her ears, long and pointed, thin silver chains hanging from some of the many earrings she wore. Her cheeks were warm and red to contrast with her pale face, her eyes were incisive, and blue, and as warm as a bright sunny sky. The blue dress she had on sparkled with the slight motion of her body, but when she went to greet us, the measuring tape she was holding between her teeth fell to the floor.

“Oops,” she said, chuckling. “Forgot that was in there.”

Rolling my eyes and smiling from the door, I walked into the room while my mother finished pinning the fabric to the mannequin. I picked up the tape and handed it to her, but she ignored it and instead wrapped her arms around me.

“Mum,” I groaned, “You’re embarrassing me in front of Tellren!”

“I don’t care,” she said, squeezing me tightly. “I missed my littleSnowdrop.”

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