The Assassin And The King [Completed]

| Chapter Seventeen : The Lycan's Call|

▪︎ Kaitlyn Winchester ▪︎

Like a heavy whiff of air brushing past your skin while having a stroll in the garden, a week passed away in a blink of an eye.

There was no sign of Dante yet. No news of Victor's orders.

The entire castle is abuzz in the preparation of the ball due today evening. It was an out-of-nowhere announcement Valerian suddenly dropped down on everyone. And knowing little of the king, I could say he had something up the sleeves.

Sure, there had been balls before too. But only within Raveria. This time, the invites are stretched over to the whole of Ancientriova, the four sub-kingdoms surrounding it included. The lycan queen, the vampire king, the demon king and queen and ofcourse, the sea queen. Every single one of them are invited.

The others could have been still looked upon but Queen Narcissa. Now no one would invite the person trying to kill you to a grand ball. Not right after knowing about their intentions, atleast. So if Valerian is doing this, there's definitely something he's planning.

Nevertheless, It was none of my business. I am a mere pretend king's guard who stuck to the king's side the whole day for now and I shall play my role as that.

But the task seems more and more hard when I follow behind Valerian like a shadow as he descends down the wide stairs leading to the ground floor and heads towards the library of the castle.

I have no idea why Avyanna and Julian had suddenly decided to depart from their jobs making me stuck with this man all alone, all the time. But I guess they've been busy with whatever Valerian is planning. Those two are after all the strategists of Valerian's army.

The smell of books lingers in the air of the huge library. Books upon books are stacked up in wooden shelves from top to bottom, everywhere a person's sight could take. To the left, there are rows of tables and chairs placed neatly in order for one to read peacefully.

I look around in wonder at the place while Valerian walks over to one of the many many shelves with the word 'Herbs' written on top in a white-wood hoarding.

My attention shift to the king. Valerian's fingers skim over the titles as he looked through them in careful observation before it landed on a book with leather cover and he pulled it out. The book—I notice—unlike others doesn't have a title on it.

I quip my head to the side wondering what book it would be. Was it some secret spell book? Or a journal?

That very moment, Valerian looks up from the book in his hand at me. I avert my gaze to the shelf with 'Ancient creatures' written on the hoarding pretending as if I wasn't looking at him all along.

"Miss Winchester," He says making me act like I just turned to him.

"Yes, your highness?" I ask dutifully.

"While I read this thing," he gestures at the book in his hand, "Why don't you find something to read as well? I'm sure you'd find atleast one topic pique your interest. Unless you're not into reading?"

"I like reading." I voice out without thinking.

Valerian just stares, "Romance books?"

My cheeks heat up and I look at the shelf behind him, "No, murder mystery."

"I see you why you'd like that." He mumbles under his breath with amusement lacing his voice.

"Pardon?" I ask in confusion.

He just shakes his head, "Nothing. You should pick a book. I'll just sit there." He motions to the rows of tables adjacent to the shelves.

Nodding, I walk over to the 'Ancient creatures' section as Valerian takes a seat on the chair in front of the table.