Forced to marry the powerful Lycan

Chapter Five...The keeping Castle

I groaned, stretching lazily across the mattress. It was warm and fluffy, but as the fog of sleep cleared, my eyes snapped open.

"Gloria..." I mumbled groggily, wondering where my maid was.

A quiet knock echoed at the door before it creaked open. Footsteps entered the room, stopping a few feet away, followed by a polite dip of a shadow.

"Milady."

I sat up instantly, my hair tumbling messily over my face. That wasn't Gloria’s voice.

Brushing the strands out of my eyes, I stared at the stranger standing before me. She was dressed in a crisp white and blue maid uniform, with an intricate crest embroidered neatly across her chest.

Panic surged in my chest as the memories came rushing back in a dizzying wave....the forced wedding, my cold husband, the bloody assault on the carriage, and that terrifying, wind-whipped ride on the back of a massive silver Lycan.

Where on earth was I?

"My lady, are you alright?" the maid asked softly.

I studied her closely, taking in the subtle sharpness of her features. She was a Lycan.

"Yes..." I managed to swallow down my rising panic. "I am."

She offered a small, polite smile. "I came to check on you, my lady. Whenever you are ready, I can prepare your bath."

"Where am I?" I asked, looking around the unfamiliar, lavish room.

She blinked in surprise, her mouth parting slightly before she quickly recovered. "The Keeping Castle, my lady."

"The... what?"

The name sounded faintly familiar, like something I had read in a dusty history book, but I couldn't quite place it.

"It is where all soon-to-be royal brides are kept in preparation for their grand wedding," she explained gently.

I frowned, staring at her in total confusion. "But... I’m already married to your prince."

"I think it would be best to ask His Highness for a proper explanation regarding that, my lady," she replied carefully, avoiding my gaze.

I let out a quiet sigh. Yeah, I’m definitely not asking him that, I thought to myself, remembering his icy dark eyes and lethal growl.

"May I let the others in, my lady?" she asked.

I blinked. "Others?"

"Yes, to help get you ready for your day."

Resigned to whatever lay ahead, I slid off the bed, giving her a small nod. "Yes... you may."

****

After they were done bathing me, the maids dressed me in a long, flowing white off-shoulder gown. My long brown hair was swept up into an intricate, neat bun, and with gentle care, they set my royal crown atop my head.

I stared at my reflection, a wave of confusion washing over me. Why do I still have my crown?

Normally, after a princess is married into another realm, she lays down the crown of her maiden kingdom. Yet here it sat, heavy and gleaming, as if my status back home hadn't quite been stripped away just yet.

The other maids bowed in unison and filed out of the room, leaving me alone with the first maid who had greeted me.

"What's your name?" I asked as she knelt to slip my shoes onto my feet.

"Clarissa, milady," she replied softly.

I offered a small nod. "Thank you, Clarissa."

"All done," she said, smoothing down her apron as she stood up. "I will lead you to the garden pavilion now, where your breakfast has been prepared."

As we stepped out of the bedchamber, I fell into step beside her down the wide, marble-paved corridors. I couldn't keep the question bottled up any longer.

"Clarissa... do you know where my husband is?"

Clarissa kept her eyes trained forward, her tone carefully neutral. "I am afraid I do not know His Highness's whereabouts, my lady."

Seeing that the prince was off-limits, she quickly shifted the conversation to our surroundings, pointing out the history woven into the palace walls. "This hall is the East Gallery," she explained, gesturing to towering stained-glass windows depicting ancient beast-gods.

"It leads to the old inner courtyards. And the double doors to your left open into the grand library."

As we walked, heavy-armored Lycan guards stationed at every pillar snapped to attention, bowing low as I passed. I tightened my posture, remembering the rule I had been forced to adopt: The future Queen of Eldoria bows to no one.

Clarissa eventually guided me through a set of arched glass doors out into the crisp morning air. A stone pathway wound through a breathtaking, sprawling garden filled with blooming white flora and towering silver-leaf trees I had never seen before. Set right in the center of a grassy clearing was a sunlit table laid out for breakfast.

"I heard that back in Valen, the royal family usually dines outside in the garden," Clarissa offered, giving me a warm, thoughtful smile. "So I decided to arrange your meal here to make you feel a little more at home."

A rare, genuine smile broke across my face. "Thank you, Clarissa. That... means a lot."

A tall, impeccably dressed man stepped forward, executing a sharp, formal bow. "Good morning, Your Highness. I am Master Benedict, head butler of the Keeping Castle. It is an honor."

"Good morning, Benedict," I replied.

At his subtle gesture, a line of maids stepped forward, carrying silver platters covered in steaming domed lids. They uncovered a feast fit for a court: fresh pastries, roasted fruits dusted with sweet spices, rich cream, and delicate meats. Eating under the open sky, surrounded by the quiet hum of the garden, made the lingering knot of anxiety in my stomach loosen just a fraction.

Once I finished my meal and dabbed my lips with a napkin, Clarissa stepped forward again.

"If you are finished, my lady, I would be delighted to show you around the estate."

"I would like that," I said, standing up.

What followed was a sprawling tour that seemed to go on forever, revealing just how massive and isolated the Keeping Castle really was.

Clarissa led me through endless winding corridors framed by towering granite arches. We walked through the high ceilinged Great Hall, where massive stone hearths stood cold, waiting for winter. She took me past the grand portrait gallery, where rows of solemn, dark eyed Lycan ancestors stared down at me with cold, imposing gazes that made the hair on my arms stand up.

We strolled through the outer glass conservatories, filled with exotic, glowing night-blooms, and walked along the stone ramparts overlooking the vast mist-shrouded forests surrounding the castle grounds. From up high, the realm of Eldoria looked wild, ancient, and endlessly dangerous.

Every wing of the castle was a maze of high ceilings, dark polished wood, and heavy ironwork. Yet despite its beauty, a strange emptiness hung in the air as if the entire fortress was a cage built specifically to hold someone captive in luxury.

"From what I have been informed, my lady," Clarissa said smoothly as we finally began making our way back toward the residential wing, "your official etiquette and realm lectures will begin tomorrow morning."

I slowed my pace, looking at her in surprise. "Lectures?"

"Yes, Your Highness," Clarissa confirmed with a gentle nod. "To prepare you for your full integration into the Eldorian court before the grand ceremony."

I let out a quiet breath, my fingers brushing against the fabric of my dress. The mystery of why I was kept here, away from my husband and surrounded by secrets, was only growing deeper.