Fated Love: A Royal Connection

Chapter 2

Alpha King Ezra entered the hall, smiling at his daughters. His golden brown curls were neatly combed and slicked back, his full beard trimmed neatly and oiled. His deep brown eyes sparkled playfully. He was always more like a father than an Alpha early in the morning. As the day went on, he’d grow more serious, more grim. It was nice to see him like this before that happened, as it reminded Gwendolyn that her father did care for them. As he passed Gregory, he clapped the man heartily on the shoulder. They were good friends, had been ever since they were boys. They were both in their late thirties, though Gregory carried himself like a man who'd been alive for centuries.

Two steps behind the king, her mother entered. Luna Andrea was a pale woman, quiet and delicate. She looked like she was carved from porcelain, her white blonde hair perfectly framing her face. Her eyes shone like emeralds, and a small smile graced her lips.

Gwendolyn loved her parents deeply, but their relationship refueled her fear about the Mate Bond. They weren’t mates - they were a political match. Her mother was the daughter of a powerful merchant from another pack, and their marriage had opened up trade between the two packs that had allowed for a lot of growth and… blah blah blah... the usual reasons behind a political match. Her parents got along, and they liked each other, but there was no real love there. Her father had his mistress, Lady Veronica, to occupy his time, and her mother had the girls’ tutor, Anthony. Their arrangement was amicable,but to Gwendolyn it seemed utterly joyless. Neither of her parents had found their mate.

Their parents joined them at the table. Hamish and Gregory stood silently by the door, as they always did when the family broke their fast. Gwendolyn hated that. It felt incredibly rude to just be eating in front of people, especially when they just stood there. The least they could do would be to offer the men a chair, or some tea...

If she became Alpha, she would see that this was done.

Hamish caught her gaze and gave her an impish grin, just a flash of one, so as not to be caught being informal. Gwendolyn stifled a giggle. Hamish was the closest thing to a friend she had. She had taught him to read and write when he had first started as a squire, him at age twelve and her at age eight. In return, he taught her how to fight. Their lessons had been conducted in secret, at night in the garden. She taught him letters by candlelight, and he had found two sword-sized sticks to practice with.

Gregory had caught them once, popping up out of nowhere as they were mid-spar, their sticks crossed, both of them red in the face and sweaty despite the cool night air. They'd both frozen in place. He'd looked even taller at that moment, illuminated only by the garden torches, his grim face obscured partially by shadow. He'd pointed at her.

"Good form, Princess, but if you keep moving that slow you'll lose an arm your first real fight." With that, he turned and stalked off.

The next night, they'd found their sticks gone from their hiding place, replaced by two roughly carved wooden swords with leather handles, along with a hastily scrawled note: Better balance and easier to grip. - GS

After that night, he would show up every few weeks to give a note or two on their stances before wandering away. They'd stopped their lessons once Hamish had been accepted into the royal guard at eighteen, but would still spar every few months for practice. Hamish had a mate, Edith, a nobleman's daughter who had visited from another pack, and the couple now lived in the east wing of the castle. Edith was nice enough, but was so... prim, so delicate, so... dull. She and Ellen got along splendidly.

Gwendolyn realized her gaze had drifted towards Gregory, and that Gregory's was fixed on her. She felt herself shiver slightly as she met his eyes. One corner of his mouth seemed to twitch upwards. He winked before quickly turning his attention back to the wall across from him. She quickly looked down at her plate, her cheeks warm. He was charming, despite the gruesome demeanor.

Ellen's elbow suddenly jabbed her in the side. Gwendolyn jumped, looking up. Everyone at the table was looking at her.

"S-sorry?" She smiled nervously.

"Your party, darling! Aren't you excited?" Her mother grinned at her from across the table. "Have you chosen a gown?"

"Er... yes. Yes, I believe so." Gwendolyn lied, mentally cringing at the image of the gowns in her wardrobe. She tended to alternate the same three or four at parties, so her mother had politely threatened to tear them to shreds if she attempted to wear one of them to her eighteenth birthday party. Gwendolyn hadn't even begun to try to decide on the countless others she had in her closet.

"But more importantly," her father broke in. "Have you decided which of the guards you'd like to escort you on your first run after you shift?"

Gwendolyn blanched.

"Er....Well..." She had absolutely been putting that off as long as possible. Which guard did she trust enough to be near her in that vulnerable position? Which guard did she feel would be patient enough with her to guide her through the shift? Which guard did she think would let her figure things out on her own as she learned to run with her new limbs, but would still keep her out of danger?

Which guard did she mind seeing her naked, which she would have to be in order to avoid tearing her gown and underclothes?

Before, it would have been Hamish, but now that he was mated... it felt too intimate.

"If I may cut in, your Grace," Gregory said suddenly, drawing all of them to look at him. He shifted uncomfortably, clearly not fond of this much attention on him. "I have agreed to personally escort her, to ensure that she is kept safe".