CHAPTER SEVEN
1443 Words
I made sure to clean and brighten my face before stepping into the living room, where my brothers were hunched over papers, each speaking over the other.
I had no idea what they were talking about, but from the few words I caught, I guessed it was pack political matters — which I didn’t understand yet.
They looked up the moment I entered, and the immediate tension in their shoulders made guilt twist in my stomach.
“I’m sorry.” The words came out before I could think. “For earlier. For yelling at you. For… I’ve been acting like a brat when you’re just trying to help.”
Aiden’s expression softened immediately. He stood, crossing the room in three strides. “No, Elara. We’re the ones who should be apologizing. We’ve been smothering you since you got here.”
“Completely suffocating you,” Liam added, coming to stand beside him. “We do realize you’re not a child. We just…”
“You’re scared.” I looked between them. “I totally understand that part, believe me. You lost your only sister once, but I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere. I’m your sister, and that’s not going to change.”
“You mean it?” Liam’s voice cracked slightly.
“Yeah.” I managed a small smile, realizing I actually meant it more than I intended. “I mean, you’re both annoying as hell, but I guess I’ll have to get used to it since I’m stuck with you for life.”
He laughed and pulled me into a hug so tight I could barely breathe. Aiden joined a second later, and suddenly I was sandwiched between two giants who smelled like pine and something distinctly wolf.
I was almost suffocating, but at the same time, I felt safe. Warm.
“We’ll give you space,” Aiden murmured against my hair. “Time to adjust. I can only imagine how overwhelmed you must be with everything, so we’ll try not to push so hard.”
“Thank you.”
When they finally released me, Liam was grinning. “Although, now that we’re all friends again, I have an idea.”
I eyed him suspiciously. “What kind of idea?”
“A tour.” He bounced on his heels like an overgrown puppy. “Of the kingdom. The whole kingdom, not just this palace. As the princess, I say it’s time you get to actually see the in and out of your home. I’ll show you the villages, the markets, and introduce you to people. Let you see what it’s really like here.”
“You mean outside these walls?” I grinned, hope fluttering in my chest at the thought of leaving the palace for a while.
“That’s exactly what I mean.” He glanced at Aiden. “If that’s okay with you, Alpha Stick-in-the-Mud.”
Aiden sighed. “I can’t stop you, but make sure you take guards. And take Thorne with you. Liam… don’t let her out of your sight for even a second.”
“Aye aye, captain.” Liam saluted mockingly, then grabbed my hand. “Come on, little sister. Let me show you your kingdom.”
*****
The village was nothing like I expected.
I’d pictured something out of a fairy tale — quaint cottages with flower boxes and happy people waving as we passed.
But what I saw was far harsher than I imagined.
The houses were small, many with thatched roofs that had seen better days. Children ran barefoot through muddy streets, their clothes patched and faded.
We had stopped the carriage far away because it couldn’t fit through the narrow, broken streets of the village.
My chest tightened as we passed people who looked much older than their age, malnourished and weary.
I thought I’d seen suffering growing up, but this was worse.
“This is the outer district,” Liam said quietly, walking beside me. Thorne followed a few paces behind, silent and watchful. “Most of the pack lives here. Farmers, craftsmen, workers.”
“They’re poor.” It wasn’t a question.
“Not everyone can live in the palace.” Liam snapped, his tone instantly defensive.
“I didn’t say they should.” I stopped walking, forcing him to look at me. “But look at their houses, Liam. Look at those kids. They’re wearing clothes that are practically falling apart.”
“Things have been difficult since the war—”
“What war?”
He exchanged a glance with Thorne. “There’s a lot you still need to learn about our history. But the short version? Morgana’s been stirring up trouble for years. Raids on border towns. Attacks on supply lines. It’s drained our resources.”
I looked back at the village — at the people trying to make do with what little they had.
I knew this.
God, I knew this feeling.
The constant worry about rent, about groceries, about whether Tom and Sarah could afford to keep me. The shame of wearing secondhand clothes to school while everyone else had new ones.
Drained our resources, my foot.
Every day we waste food in the palace that could feed at least ten of these families.
Were the resources really drained, or were they just unevenly shared?
“Princess Elara!”
A small voice cut through my thoughts. I turned to see a girl, maybe seven or eight, running toward me. Her dress was clean but had been mended so many times I could see the different colored threads.
Her eyes were bright, full of life despite everything.
“Hi.” I crouched down to her level with a grin. “What’s your name?”
“Mira.” She bounced on her toes. “Are you really the lost princess? The one who came back?”
“I guess I am.”
“That’s so cool!” She grabbed my hands. “I want to be just like you when I grow up. Strong and brave and… and important.”
My throat tightened. “You can be anything you want to be, Mira.”
“Really?” Her smile faltered. “Mama says I can’t go to the academy. Says we can’t afford it, and anyway, girls from the outer district don’t get to train with the warriors. She says I should be happy learning to sew and cook instead.”
I looked up at Liam. “Is that true?”
He shifted uncomfortably. “The academy costs money — for equipment, training, housing. We offer scholarships, but there aren’t many spots and…”
“And girls from poor families don’t get them.” My voice came out flat.
“It’s not that simple…”
“It never is.” I turned back to Mira, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Tell you what, Mira. You keep dreaming, okay? Don’t let anyone tell you what you can’t do.”
“Even if we can’t afford it?”
“Especially then.” I squeezed her hands. “Sometimes the best fighters come from places where they had to fight just to survive.”
She beamed, then ran off when her mother called her.
I stood slowly, watching her disappear into one of the small houses.
As I watched her retreating back, something stirred in my chest.
I’d spent nineteen years struggling — watching Tom and Sarah work themselves to exhaustion just to keep us fed. Knowing I was a burden they carried with love but couldn’t afford. Always feeling like I didn’t deserve what little I had because there were others who needed it more.
But somehow, fate had smiled at me, turning my life around. Now here I was — in a palace with more rooms than I could count, with brothers who’d spent the morning showering me with designer clothes and jewelry worth more than most of these families would see in a lifetime.
I still didn’t fully understand what being a princess meant, but did I really want to spend my life wearing pretty dresses and learning boring royal etiquette?
What if I could use this second chance the universe gave me to do something more?
Not everyone gets to wake up one day and realize their life has changed for good.
What if I could change things for others too?
What if being a princess meant I could actually make a difference?
I’ve always dreamed of creating an impact — so what better chance than this?
“Liam.” I turned to him. “I have an idea. But we need to go back to the palace.”
- Writer
