Destined for Vengeance ✔️

Chapter 31

That, too, she survived, and she even managed to keep herself from mind-controlling the guards, though she contemplated letting them throw themselves off the cliff. She doubted Aaron would appreciate that.

And just like that, she found herself inside the castle. As she passed the threshold, which was high enough for a giant to cross without bowing his head, the servants standing beside it bowed deeply. She felt her cheeks burn and had she trusted her voice, she might have told them to stop. She felt like an imposter dressing above her station. She was an imposter dressing above her station.

The entrance hall was bigger than she could have imagined. Her entire pack could have fitted in it – before they got massacred. Her pack now could fit into almost any room. The ceiling was so high she wondered how anyone had managed to build it. There were paintings hanging on the walls. She wanted to stop and look at them better, but the teleporter kept walking and so she kept following. Was one of the men depicted King Alder?

Everyone stared at her as she passed, their minds exploding in questions and judgments. The excitement of Prince Aaron having found his mate was lost in the shock and gossip-worthy fact that the lucky one was a Shadow Walker. They studied her as though they had expected her deviancy to be a physical attribute – maybe a frothing at the mouth or permanent claws.

At the other end of the hall, another set of doors opened and Aaron appeared. A bright grin spread across his face when he saw her and seeing him that happy to see her almost made the whole ordeal worth it.

He approached her and she felt frozen to the spot. She'd asked Austin to help her find books on etiquette, but she hadn't gotten very far. Was she supposed to walk to him too or did she have to wait for him to get to her? She cursed her brain for being too overtaxed to read. Her fingers held onto her necklace for dear life. There were too many people watching her dissolve into chaos. Too many minds commenting on her every move.

"Jade."

Her name spoken by him was like magic. Better than magic, because it didn't hurt. He halted in front of her and her mind skidded to a halt. Did she have to bow? She probably had to bow. Or curtsy. Women curtsied. Men bowed. That's how it was. Right?

"Your Highness." She stared at him, begging him for guidance. Dismay seeped into his gaze when she used his title, but for some reason that amused her. Besides, there was no chance she was going to address him informally, not in the castle. There had to be a rule against that.

"Do I have to curtsy?" she asked, whispering. There was an uncontrolled snickering in the minds of the servants and guards present, and she admonished herself. That was her fault for thinking they wouldn't be hanging onto her every word.

"Do not worry about etiquette. There is plenty of time to learn." He smiled and she forced her lips to copy the motion. She felt like a child – clumsy and stupid, unaware of social cues and even less aware of the rules.

His gaze darted around and Jade didn't have to look to know the entire hall cleared. The sheer authority behind that action made her a little weak in the knees.

"Thank you for coming," he said. "I know it cannot be easy."

She looked over her shoulder. The last of the servants trickled out the doors, which were then closed behind them. Only Aaron's security detail remained – six guards. Their faces were neutral but their thoughts were loud. They were aware of her every movement and they didn't just fear but expected her to make a move against the prince.

Ryleigh's words flashed through her head. If you're really a Shadow Walker, you'll kill that royal mate of yours. That was the view those guards had of her. That was the view everyone had of her.