Page 12 of The Kingdom of Eternal Ice
“Don’t worry, I told you, he likes it,” she chuckles. “It’s usual for someone who sees a werewolf for the first time to stare,” she grins. “At least you didn’t stumble and fall like your general did.”
“Excuse me,” Shayan frowns at her.
“Is that true?” Simin giggles.
“He did,” Ita chuckles.
Meanwhile, Tynan smirks and takes a step closer. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess. I’m even happier now that I won the bet, and was allowed to stay in my human form to meet you for the first time.”
He sniffs the air, frowning slightly. Something in his eyes flashes when he looks around, almost like a predator that searches for his prey. To my surprise it’s not really an intimidating sight though. I don’t feel any danger from this man, just curiosity.
Ita smacks his arm. “Keep focused, Ty,” she growls. “The king said no dirty comments to the Princess or her friends, and no advances from any unmated wolves towards her unless she asks for it.”
She just growled!
Instead of being terrified, I’m weirdly fascinated by these people. Ita and her companions seem nice and polite, if a little rough around the edges, but welcoming, and certainly nothing like I imagined. Of course, it’s just two werewolves out of a whole population of them; though there are said to be humans living in this kingdom too.
Well, only time will tell.
Ita and Tynan lead us towards the small village, where we will rest for the night before reaching the main town tomorrow. I feel my heart thumping like crazy when we get closer. There are people flocking towards the main square and the entrance of the town, making my anxiety rise to new levels. Are they here to get a glimpse of the psycho princess? Or are they here to chase me away; or to catch a glimpse and then run like my own people do?
“We are here!” Tynan yells towards the townsfolk. He grins like a child before a huge snowball hits his face. He grumbles as he wipes his face of snow. A bunch of young boys laugh and run around, throwing more and more snowballs at him. He growls playfully before charging at them.
I find myself smiling at his antics, while Simin bursts into helpless giggles.
“He really is a good warrior,” Ita says to Shayan.
Shayan’s lips tug slightly as he fights his amusement. “I believe your word, Gamma Ita, please don’t worry.”
She leads us further to the town and soon there are voices buzzing. “Look at them,” a teenage boy yells to the town’s center. “It’s the Desert Princess!”
Soon more and more people are coming out of their houses. Tynan holds some of the children back, so they won’t get between our horses. Some of the men look at me curiously and with the same glint in their eye Tynan displayed earlier when his eyes flashed, until Ita glares at them and they lower their gaze.
“I want to see her,” a girl whines and crawls through the legs of the adults to be in the front row.
Her mother is right on her heels. “Don’t do that, Fiona.”
“But I want to see the princess!” she whines. Instinctively I smile at the little girl, before dread settles in. Her mother is for sure going to pull her away from my gaze, but to my surprise the little girl just beams and waves at me. “She looked at me, Mommy, she smiled!”
I spontaneously decide it’s time to get off my horse, quite literally. I don’t want to come here like a celebrity. This kingdom is going to be my home, whether I like it or not, that’s my new reality. I want to get to know the people on their level. Shayan mutters something beneath his breath when I descend. He signals something to his warriors before getting down himself and helping Simin down as well. The warriors will remain at the outskirts of the town not to bother the inhabitants, but Shayan, Simin and I are to follow our private werewolf guards.
Simin comes running after me. “Wait for me,” she calls out, accidentally bumping into one of the men. “Oh sorry,” she blushes.
The man just laughs loudly. “A pretty woman may bump into me any time.” He flashes a smirk towards Ita. “Though my favorite is ignoring me.”
“Your favorite is going to kick your ass if you don’t behave,” she huffs.
He makes puppy eyes at her. “You know I only have eyes for you.”
“Until you meet your mate,” she retorts. “Besides I’ve already told you, you are not my type. You are actually far from it.”
The man sighs dramatically, while another young man approaches us, this time however choosing Tynan to flirt with. Tynan sniffs the air once more, and shakes his head. “I’ll have to decline,” he says politely.
“You never decline when we ask you to join us for a drink,” the young man blinks.
“Well,” Tynan stutters, “things change.”
“What about me?” a young woman asks with a wink.
