31. Bad news

Estelle

It took me a whole moment before I blew the Prince away from me. Instantly, a fireball appeared in his hand and I send another blast of air at him, blowing it out.

“Let’s be clear here, if I am to be your Queen, I am your equal. Don’t put your hands on my person again.” I shouted at him across the garden.

He laughed. “Oh Princess, you have so much to learn.” He stalked closer to me. I had to suppress the urge to step back, not willing to be any closer to him than necessary.

“I have to say I find your fighting spirit rather, refreshing.” He picked up a section of my hair and sniffed it. “You still smell devine.”

Try as I might I couldn’t suppress the shudder as he placed a kiss on my neck.

“I will so enjoy teaching you your place.” He whispered against my neck. “The King demands our presence.”

I had no choice but to follow him back into the castle. Neither Izzy or Peter were waiting for me. I knew better than to ask after them, they already knew what they meant to me so all I would do is put them in more danger. It was hard enough to keep my temper in check with the Princes attitude without worrying about them as well.

The King was waiting for us, sat on a throne beside a open fire. I noticed a look exchanged between the two and I had to take a deep breath to control my rapidly beating heart.

“So Princess. Let’s not beat around the bush. I’m sure you are worried where your loyal friends are? So I propose an exchange, tell me something credible about these gifted wolves and I’m sure we can see that your friends are free to leave ?”

“How do I know you will keep your word?” I asked the King.

“I think it’s the King that should be asking that, with your families reputation.”

“Now Alonso, it’s not the princess’s fault that her father has been trying to stall this engagement.” The King smirked at my surprise. “Forgive my son, he has been waiting for you a long time my dear. Now …where were we. Ah yes….So tell me if the rumours are true and where to find the lost gold wolves and I’ll let your friends return home if they wish.”

I knew I couldn’t reveal Greer. I had an awful feeling that if I did I would be unleashing something far worse than anything the King could do to me.

“I’m sorry to disappoint, I searched far and wide. The only wolves I found were silver wolves and while yes some were powerful there was none that matched the powers described. Those wolves over there, they aren’t as powerful as us, they haven’t cared to preserve their lines.”

He studied me for a long time, I held my nerve under his scrutiny, even when his eyes fell from my face to take in the rest of me.

“I loved your mother from the moment I saw her, no other wolf ever compared… until now, yet …you don’t resemble her in any way."

"She is mine father." The Prince surprised me by growling at his father.

"You haven't made her yours yet Son. If I hadn't brought her here it may have been too late."

"Well it isn't, so we don’t need to change the plan.”

His father scowled at him, like he had said too much. I was seriously pissed, they were talking me like I was property and had no say in what was going on.

Before I could ask what plan they were talking about I felt light headed. I saw the King watching me and he smiled.

“Are you feeling okay Princess ?” He asked feigning concern.

“Son, the princess seems tired I tink you should take her to your rooms. She may want to rest.”

I didn’t want to go any where with the Prince right now, especially when I felt … weak.

Suddenly the King jumped up.

“Take her now, I’ll sort this.”

I didn’t have the energy to fight the Prince when he picked me up and carried me away. I tried to concentrate on my surroundings, conserving my energy for when I could try to escape.

He must have taken me to his rooms, sitting me on the bed, he was distracted, clearly was linking someone.

“I have to deal with your friend Peter, the fool tried to escape from the dungeons, but don’t worry Princess I’ll be back.”

“Don’t hurt him?” I shouted after him, falling of the bed as I tried to stop him. I had clearly been drugged.

“Oh don’t worry Princess, your love for him will keep him alive. For now.”

With that he left, and I had no way to follow. I tried dragging myself to the door but I didn’t know where I would go if I got out. However sitting here like a lemon clearly wasn’t the best idea. I panted on the floor the effort wearing out.

“Raine?”

There was no response from my wolf. Just what I needed. They must have drugged the food or drink. If Peter was trying to escape they probably hadn’t drugged him, maybe Izzy would be okay too.

Like my thoughts conjured her I heard the door open and in popped her head. I had never been happier to see her.

“Izzy, How did you escape? Never mind, help me out of here.”

Instead of coming to help she stood staring at me.

“Izzy I need your help.” I was more insistent this time as I still couldn’t quite control my legs.

“Why are you here ?” She asked confused.

“Alonso.” I told her, hoping she would work it out.

She helped me to my feet, I was feeling a little stronger but not yet up to fighting my way out. I could almost feel Raine scratching at the back of my mind to get out. Relief washed over me that she was still there.

“Where is Peter?”

“They took him to the dungeon.”

She led me down the corridor, both of us trying to make as little noise possible.

It took me a moment to realise that instead of moving away from the dungeon she was taking me towards it. Opening a door she pushed me into a room.

It was small, and the shelves were lined with potions bottles. A large spell book sat on a stand in the middle of the room.

“Where are we?” I asked her as she started to look around. It looked like some modern day coven.

When she didn’t answer I looked towards the door, wondering if I could get there.

“Izzy we need to get out of here before the witch who this.” I waved my arm around, they felt stronger. “belongs to returns. I have a bad feeling, we need to go. If we are lucky we can meet up with Peter I think he escaped the dungeon.”

“He should have escaped, I made it as easy as possible for him.”

“What ?”

She ignored me this time as she rifled through the potions.

“Here, I knew she would she made it.” He brandished a bottle in her hand. Pulling at a pendent around her neck she unscrewed and detached the lower part.

“Izzy what are you doing ?”

“Taking back what’s mine.”

She stared at me with a look in her face I had never seen before.

“You want, what ? My powers? My life?” I literally had no idea what was going on. This was not the Izzy I knew, maybe she had been drugged too? “Are you feeling okay Izzy?”

“How would you guess I feeling your majesty ?” She had a mad look in her eye. “Let me answer that for you. I’m about to feel a whole lot better.”

The dawning realisation that she seemed to know what she was doing made my heart sink. I watched as she saw the pieces start to slot into place. For some, unknown reason she wanted my life. I wasn’t going to give her the pleasure of seeing that I didn’t understand. I had an awful feeling she was going to take great pleasure in telling me why any moment now.

“Oh you are a good Princess. I knew you would work it out eventually. You see not only did you steal my mother but you stole my mate as well.”

I couldn’t believe her words. It was like I had landed in some surreal universe. Of all the things I expected her to claim, Leighton was not one. The thought of her having him was also one that I just couldn’t process. It made me feel sick to the stomach.

“That’s right, the Prince is MY fated mate.”

I hid my shock well, which was amazing as the surprising kept coming today. Breathing out a little that she didn’t want Leighton.

“But you are cousins?” I said in disbelief.

“Alas it turns out I’m the bastard child. Prince Alfred was my father but he made my mother raise his mates pup as her own to make up for losing hers when they murdered her mate. She isn’t my real mother.”

Her anger was growing the more she told me, I still didn’t see how she thought any of this was my fault.

“But she loved you. So what did it really matter?”

“Well it matters to the Prince, I’m only half royal, so he wants you instead. I lose my real mother because of you I’m not losing him too.”

“You know I don’t want him, help me and he is yours.”

“Hahahaha.” A shrill sounded sounded from her mouth. This wasn’t the Isabelle I knew.

“He doesn’t want me. He thinks he wants you. The smart, beautiful, powerful one that always seemed indifferent to him. You enchanted him but what he really wants is power. He thinks you are the key to being more powerful than his father.”

She looked at me with hatred in her eyes, how had I never seen it before.

“Do you know how it feels for your mate to want someone else ? Well you will soon, the only reason I kept Leighton alive is so I can use him.”

My heart raced at the thought of her hurting him.

“Our mate is too strong for the likes of her.”

“You believed her lies too Raine, you are meant to be powerful.”

“That’s because they didn’t start out as lies, she has been corrupted. In the beginning she loved you.”

Raine wasn’t helping, right now if I was going to get out of here I had to deal with this Izzy not the one I knew.

“Alonso needs you for your powers but he wants his mate by his side to be strong enough. He won’t ever mark you, only here will his mark lie.”

She touched the skin on her neck that remained unblemished. I thought back to my previous encounter with the Prince.

“You are the fool if you believe him. Do you think my kingdom will ever accept him as King if he doesn’t. But you can still have him. Help me escape and I’ll be gone forever.”

“I don’t need to do that. You will be gone forever pretty soon. Daddy dearest saw to that.”

I jumped back like I had been smacked.

“Another surprise for you. That prophecy they are all worried about. It was your father that saw the prophecy first but what your friends saw was only half of it.”

She was enjoying this.

“You thought he didn’t love you. Poor little princess. While all along he looked at ways of breaking the promise, without destroying his kingdom and all the needless bloodshed. He finally found out that he could do it. He could destroy a King that was blinded by power if he could find four wolves with different powers willing to work together. It would have worked but Adalfunis already knew this so that’s why he worked with the witches. Using them to protect himself he ensured there was a catch. To destroy the King protected by dark magic there needed to be a sacrifice. The first prophecy had you sat on the throne, dying. Your father knew of the story of the wolves of light so he searched for another. I don’t know how but when he saw the other version he didn’t keep it secret, in the hope that the other wolf was found and therefore you spared. The only way to save you if he didn’t find the other wolf was to let you marry the Prince, they King wouldn’t kill you when yo were carrying their heir.”

I was so confused right now, I didn’t actually know what she was talking about but I had a bad feeling the prophecy was related to Greer. She was the only wolf with the power of light I had met, and it seemed too much of a coincidence that I was sent there.

“Is it sinking it yet princess? Let me explain to stop the King you or the golden queen have to die and your father did his best to ensure you were not that sacrifice. Marrying the Prince wasn’t his choice but it was better than dying.” She laughed like she didn’t agree.

“And for the bad news, for you. You just played right into their hands, for when Leighton comes to rescue you, they will be waiting for them and once they find the wolf you are all hiding and destroy her, then the King can’t be defeated.”

I knew she knew I also had that power, so I could still be sacrificed. She must have clocked the stubborn look on my face as I vowed internally to do it if it meant stopping him.

“Sorry to be the bearer of more bad news. You won’t get to the hero. To make sure I get my mate back I’ve promised you to the witch, she promised to kill you for me.” She smiled like it was her birthday. “Lied again, I’m not sorry at all.”