Chapter 6 - Whispering Shadows
Living in the Citadel was unlike anything Maja had ever imagined.
She was given a grand suite of rooms overlooking the inner courtyard, complete with a soft feather bed, warm stone fireplaces, and racks of fine wool and silk dresses. Attendants swept in to offer her warm baths scented with lavendar oil, delicious roasts, fresh berries, and warm baked bread—more food than she had seen in her entire life.
Prince Leo, now running around in his human form as a lively four-year-old boy with silver hair and bright golden eyes, barely left her side. He pulled her through the grand gardens, showing her his favorite climbing trees and playing endless games of hide-and-seek.
Queen Elena treated Maja like a daughter, teaching her the history of the shifter clans and the lore of the land.
And then there was Kael.
Despite his heavy duties as King, Kael made a point to spend time with Maja every evening. They walked along the stone ramparts of the castle under the moonlight, discussing everything from book lore to personal dreams. Under his stoic, commanding exterior, Maja discovered a man of profound wisdom, deep humor, and gentle kindness.
With every passing day, the strange, magnetic pull between them grew stronger. Whenever Kael’s hand brushed hers, a surge of warmth rushed through her veins. Whenever his golden eyes met hers across a crowded hall, her heart did a frantic, fluttery dance.
However, not everyone in the Citadel welcomed Maja’s presence.
On her third week at the castle, Maja was walking through the grand stone gallery toward the library when she heard hushed, angry voices behind a heavy arched doorway.
"It is madness, Commander Vance!" a sharp voice hissed. "She is a human peasant! A nameless orphan from a filthy border village!"
"Calm yourself, Lady Freya," a deep voice replied. "The King brought her here to repay a debt of honor. It is our law."
"Repay a debt, yes! Give her gold, give her a house in the lower valley, and send her away!" Freya sneered. "Have you seen how he looks at her? He looks at her as if she were... his Mate!"
Maja stopped dead in her tracks, holding her breath behind the stone pillar.
"The King has not chosen a Mate since the Queen Dowager passed," Vance noted sharply. "And the ancient laws do not forbid a human Mate if the Bond chooses so."
"I was supposed to be his Queen!" Freya snapped, her voice trembling with raw venom. "My father commands the Southern Pack armies! We need an alliance of blood, not a weak, fragile human girl who knows nothing of our ways. If she stays here, she will weaken the King. She must be removed."
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Maja’s heart hammered against her chest. She backed away quietly, her stomach dropping into a cold knot of dread.
She had thought she was safe here. But even in this paradise, shadows were creeping in.
