Chapter 3
1108 Words
Gwendolyn froze, staring at Gregory, who kept his eyes on her father. Her father nodded approvingly.
"Excellent! A very wise choice! And nobody I'd rather trust more than you to keep my firstborn safe". King Ezra beamed. "Thank you, Gregory, for this service."
"Of course, your Grace." Gregory nodded solemnly, still not looking at her.
Gwendolyn's heart was pounding in her throat. Was she angry? Was she embarrassed? Yes, and yes! How dare this man lie to her father? How dare he give himself permission to see her naked? To see her in her most vulnerable state?
She rose suddenly, her legs shaking.
"By your leave, Father." she curtsied. "I'm feeling ill."
The King nodded.
"You are excused." He smiled softly at her.
Gwendolyn nodded wordlessly, before turning swiftly and marching out of the hall, not daring to look at Gregory as she passed him.
She ran back to her bedchamber, unable to process really what she was feeling.
Honestly, she had been considering him as an option as an escort. She trusted him, definitely. She knew he could help her shift. But it was not his decision to make!
She spent the next few hours alternating between pacing her chambers in frustration, rifling through her wardrobe to look at her gowns, and taking inventory once more of her evacuation supplies.
Twenty gold pieces. Two bladders of water. Six apples. A loaf of bread. One dagger. An empty journal. A quill.
Twenty gold pieces. Two bladders of water. Six apples. A loaf of bread. One dagger. An empty journal. A quill.
Twenty gold pieces. Two bladders of water. Six-
A knock at the door made her jump.
She froze, frowning.
It wasn't Merilla's polite knock, nor was it Ellen's rhythmic rapping of her knuckles.
She hesitantly crept over to the door.
"Princess?" She started at Gregory's voice.
She opened the door a crack. Gregory stood there, his hands clasped before him.
"You realize you could be put to death if you're caught here?" she snapped. "Who the hell do you think you are?"
"I beg you, Princess, to let me explain." he said quietly. "Please."
His tone was more gentle than she'd ever heard it. She paused, but nodded.
"Come in, then." she muttered, standing back and opening the door.
Looking momentarily shocked, he nodded and quickly stepped in. She shut the door behind him, crossing her arms over her chest self-consciously and looking up at him expectantly.
He sighed.
"I'm sorry, Princess, that I volunteered to escort you before consulting you." He finally met her gaze. "I knew you wouldn't ask Hamish, because of Edith, o'course..." He shifted nervously. "And... well, I've heard some of the other guards... some of them have notions of... taking advantage of you while you're preparing to shift."
Gwendolyn's blood ran cold.
"They what?"
"They were going to... Princess..." He hesitated, but gently reached out and touched her shoulder. "I wanted to offer to you privately, but as the time draws nearer... I couldn't take the risk of you being harmed."
Gwendolyn's cheeks went warm.
"I... Sir Gregory..." She lowered her eyes. "I apologize for the way I spoke to you just now. I..."
"You have no need to apologize, Princess. Ever." He squeezed her shoulder gently. "Just accept me as your escort, and I will see to it that your first shift is safe. Nothing will harm you. I swear it."
He smiled softly, letting go of her shoulder. He looked over her shoulder, though, and the smile evaporated. He stepped around her, his eyes fixed on the items on her bed. He stared at them for a moment before turning to look at her.
"When do you plan to leave?" he asked quietly. "And why?"
"I... I simply want to prepare, in case my mate isn't in the pack."
"What sense does that-"
"If he isn't, Father will marry me off to whomever he chooses, and... and who knows who that may be?" Gwendolyn felt tears pricking at her eyes, quickly looking away. "I don't want to end up like them."
Gregory was silent for a moment. She looked up at him. His gaze was somber, but he nodded.
"I see." He sighed. "Then, for the good of the pack... I will do all I can to help you find your mate. Even if it involves escorting you to every pack in the world, until you find him. You will, I believe, make a fine Queen, so I will do all I can to see you not go rogue."
Gwendolyn’s cheeks went hot.
“You old charmer.” she muttered, suppressing a smile. He chuckled.
“I’m fond of you, Princess.” The soft gruffness of his voice made her think of a purring lion. “I have known you since you were a little pup, and I’ve watched you grow into a real lady.” He looked away suddenly. Gwendolyn bit back a smirk. Was that a hint of a blush on his cheek?
Gregory cleared his throat.
“Is there anything further I can do for you?” He asked quietly.
Gwendolyn laughed wryly.
“Wanna help me pick out what to wear?”
She expected him to roll his eyes, to shake his head in disgust, or to just simply stare impassively at her.
She did not expect him to walk over to her wardrobe and fling the doors open. She did not expect him to pull each gown partially out to inspect it for a moment before putting it back. She did not expect the thoughtful way he rubbed at his chin, clearly putting far more thought into than she had been willing to.
Finally, he pulled one out, turned to look at her while holding it up, then put it back in. He did it quickly, so she didn’t see exactly which one it was, but he carefully hung it on the inside of the wardrobe door before closing it back.
“I don’t know much about dresses, Princess, but I reckon you’d look right enchanting in that one.” He bowed deeply. “Good day.”
She curtsied, smiling. He took his leave.
She sat down on her bed, her tummy hot.
Why the Hell was he suddenly so attractive?
A little voice in the back of her head said gently, You know why!
Gwendolyn quieted her wolf, her face scarlet.
The idea that Gregory might be her mate was preposterous. Her wolf was just… hopeful.
Still, the image of the powerful knight taking her in his arms, kissing her fiercely, marking her as his…
Well, a girl could dream.
- Writer
