Page 15 of The Kingdom of Eternal Ice
“You read about us?” Tynan beams.
“Of course, I wanted to be prepared,” I admit.
“I bet you thought we would be all creepy barbarians,” Tynan grins, and he is closer to the truth than he probably realizes he is. “If you want me to, I could introduce you to a few friends. I’m sure they-“
“Tynan,” Ita warns. “King Gilleon said our guest is to be treated with the utmost respect.”
I’m surprised to hear that. Aren’t I more a prisoner than a guest? Maybe the king just wants to be polite. We don’t talk much more until we reach the enormous wolf waiting for us. Close up, he looks… gigantic. From the distance, I might have mistaken him for a normal wolf, but close up, it’s evident that there is more to him.
When he sees me, he stands up and lowers his head as if to bow in front of me. I’m spellbound, not able to move or say anything, until I can feel his wet tongue on my hand, slobbering all over it. It makes me squeal.
“Royan, stop trying to make out with her!” Tynan chastises.
“I can’t believe you.” Ita glares at Tynan and takes my hand in hers. “He is the first werewolf you ever saw in wolf form, right?”
I nod, still mesmerized but more curious now.
“He is here to protect you, not hurt you,” she soothes me. “You are safe.”
“Can I touch him?”
Royan jumps up and down at my suggestion and pushes his huge head against my palm.
“Alright, I guess that’s a yes.” I smile, getting down on my knees to gently brush his fur. “Is it true that there is a wolf spirit in you?” I ask Ita. “Like, another person?”
She nods. “Yes, we share our body with our wolves, and we can let them take over, both in human and wolf form. In general, our human selves take the lead. Wolves of higher rank learn early to reign in their baser instincts and control their wolves. Royan’s wolf spirit is a strong warrior, but he is gentle with those he swore to protect.”
As if on cue, Royan, or rather his wolf, pokes me with his nose, and I make sure to scratch him behind his ears. I try not to think about how I’m actually petting a man right now, trying to tell myself that in his wolf form, he is a wolf, just like Ita said.
“Princess,” she smiles. “Royan will shift back to his human form now. You might want to turn around, though something tells me he wouldn’t mind you watching him.”
Something about these werewolves and their way of talking about their sexuality is truly new to me. They seem to be so comfortable with their bodies but also with their flirting. Like right before we arrived in town, some men and women flirted with Ita and Tynan.
I’m not sure how to handle it yet, but at least they are trying to explain everything to me and giving me time to prepare. “Thank you for the warning.” I get up and turn around, giving Royan the privacy to shift back. Behind me, I can hear some cracking sounds and then some shuffling.
“I’m dressed now, Princess Azadeh.”
I turn around, my eyes landing on Royan’s naked chest. When he said he was dressed, he probably meant he just covered the bare minimum. These people are kind of funny in their own way.
“Hello, Royan.”
Royan gets down on one knee to take my hand. “I was assigned as your protector.”
“Ita told me already.“
He smiles. “I will be your bodyguard for as long as you allow me to. It’s going to be an honor to protect you and to work together with the renowned General Shayan.”
“King Gillean assigned Royan to you personally,” Ita explains. “He won the last tournament of the royal warriors.”
“Thank you, Royan,” I whisper, not sure why the king would assign me an actual protector. My books said that wolves had an honorable nature, meaning that a promise such as this means a lot to them. “I don’t know how I deserve all of this, and I certainly don’t understand everything yet, but I appreciate you watching out for me.”
“Princess Azadeh brought something to eat for you,” Shayan reminds me, trying to be subtle about it but failing miserably. Subtly was never his strength.
“Not just me,” I say. “We all came to make sure you had something to eat.”
Royan smiles happily at me. He is a tall and broad man with a few scars on his chest. He has wild dark-blonde hair and an equally wild beard. I think Simin would quite like his looks.
Ita wraps me into yet another blanket while she makes sure I can sit down on one of the boxes. It seems Royan has his own little den here to retreat to occasionally while circling the town. Royan is still eating as Ita tells me a few facts about this area. Meanwhile, Tynan chats with Shayan and tries to compliment him on his knowledge and reputation. It’s a little funny because Shayan is completely oblivious to Tynan’s unsubtle flirting, making Tynan look like a lost puppy.
