It was wonderful to see my sister so much less dismal than she had been lately.
She seemed incredibly excited about her room in the palace.
"I just can't believe this," she said, for about the fifth time.
I smiled. At least if she decided to morosely stare at her ceiling here, they were nicer than the one on her bedroom back home.
"Are you excited for the celebration tonight?"
"Excited, sort of. Nervous, absolutely."
"Don't be nervous. Just let your wolf out a bit and you'll be fine."
"Why does everyone keep telling me that?"
"Because you're so controlled. I know you worry, but Maria is not irrational. My wolf would follow her anywhere."
I looked at her with the most skeptical expression I could muster.
She wiped a stray tear from her eyes and then rolled them. "I know your wolf is furious at...at him."
"You do?"
"Your eyes flash amber when I'm upset," she said.
"Oh."
"Listen, I'm going to try to move on with my life though."
I knew it was unwise but I had to ask. "Have you rej—"
"No."
I was disappointed, but at least she seemed ready to try to make a good life for herself in spite of her inferior mate pairing.
I did not let my mind stray down the path of loathing Wilson very far, because that was the way to enrage my wolf and I. Instead, I imagined Ellen crafting a wonderful life for herself and him filled with self loathing regret. I smiled, even though she still was not willing to properly end it yet.
Still, it was tolerable progress.
"So, mom sent your measurements so there's a dress waiting for you," I told her. "Do you want to come see it?"
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There were several dresses waiting for my sister when we arrived at the clothier. Ellen looked excited to try them on and she looked really happy when she saw them. I sent a grateful smile at the stylist for her hard work. Afterwards I left my sister in her rooms to get settled in.
I found my mate back at our rooms. "Thank you," I told him upon seeing him.
He looked up at me quizzically. "You're welcome?"
I smiled at him with all the love that was welling up inside of me. "For everything you've done for me and my family and my friends, Arthur."
"Oh, no need to thank me. I like making you happy."
He seemed a bit distracted, maybe a bit conflicted. I wondered what he was thinking about, but I figured he would tell me when he was ready.
"Well, I do appreciate these grand gestures, of course, Arthur, but you don't have to do so much. I'd be happy with you even without them."
He paused. "I'm glad to hear that, but I just want everything to go smoothly."
"We'll manage," I promised him quickly.
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Lunch with our families turned out to be a bit of an ordeal at first. Arthur's parents were gracious and my parents tried to hold their own, but my mother was a mass of nerves and my father seemed not quite to know how to handle the situation, although he rallied admirably and began to talk with the king about some boring organizational matter. My sister seemed nervous as well and even though she was less dismal, traces of her sadness lingered.
Arthur was the saving grace of the meal as far as I was concerned. He managed to get both my mother and sister talking with his easy grace. Arthur's mother began speaking to my mother of her charity projects and then everything moved along quite smoothly from there.
The day could have been considered a success, except that I still had the dreaded welcoming celebration hurdle to jump.
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I got ready for the welcoming celebration in my room, to the tune of Kayla's chatter and my sister's new attempt at having a positive attitude. Velda was present and being supremely helpful.
I was surprised when I heard Arthur's voice in my head. <Serenity is begging to be able to spend time with you before the celebration for moral support. I'll refuse if you don't want her.>
I chewed my lip nervously. <Okay, I'll come out and get her.>
Cautiously, I pushed open the door to my room and peered out to see Serenity looking hopefully towards me, those pixie eyes begging me with hope.
I kept my groan inside. "You can come in," I told her.
Serenity barely repressed a shriek of delight. She gathered herself and made her way in with some pretense of dignity.
Perhaps it was good that Kayla and Serenity were going to meet before the party, just in case it caused a calamity.
I need not have worried. Their instant reaction to each other made me question if mate bonds were the only bonds that formed at first sight.
The two began talking so fast I could barely keep up with their conversation. Velda was helping my sister with her hair at my dressing table and they both seemed to be oblivious to the Kayla/Serenity violent chemical reaction.
I hoped that they would wear each other out a bit. Then poor Brandon and Rory might have a slightly more peaceful night. A girl could hope, I thought as I retreated into my walk in closet and got into my dress.
"I can't wait for you to meet Brandon," Serenity said. "He'll of course be escorting me tonight. We were fighting, since I accidentally interrupted Prince Arthur's and Lady Anne's date the other night because I was so excited to meet her. But we've made up since."
"Was she what you were expecting?" Kayla asked.
<Kayla,> I protested.
<What? I'm curious. And so are you.>
Serenity smiled at me. "Sort of, in temperament, although the way the media kept describing you made me believe you were on the plain side. I shouldn't have believed that nonsense, you are a werewolf after all."
"Thanks," I said.
"By the by, that dress you're in tonight is amazing. Prince Arthur won't be able to take his eyes off of you."
"Thank you," I said. I definitely liked the sound of that.
I glanced in the full length mirror and appreciated the garment. I did like it, it was long and sweeping and started in a dark shade of grey at the top and gradually swept into a translucent light shade by the time it reached the bottom. I smiled at the dress since it was sort of like the royal clothier had read my mind and discovered exactly what I would like.
Maybe all the swatch torture had been for a good reason.
We all looked good, if I did say so myself. I was satisfied with my own appearance, Kayla looked charming in her red dress, my sister was in a deep gold that complimented her colouring and Serenity looked fabulous in lilac, although I suspected my new fairy-like friend would look good by the light of a raging dumpster fire or posing with mangy rats.
They left my room, giggling amongst themselves. My sister had even joined in a bit. It was understandable that they were happy and excited.
They were not the ones who were going to be front and centre during this ordeal of a night. I was getting more nervous by the minute at the thought of walking into a room full of important people who were waiting to meet me.
Their laughter was getting a bit further away and I could practically feel the palace closing in on me. I felt like I could not breathe.
"Anne, it's going to be okay," Arthur said, his steady voice calming me as he caught up. He put one hand on my back and caught my hand with the other. "Maybe this was a bad idea."
I tried to take deep, calming breaths. They eluded me. "No, I had to meet these people sometime. I'll be okay." I glanced at him. "You'll stay with me?"
"I won't leave your side."
I clung to his words like a life preserver of calm.
"Let's go."
We started walking, and I could not keep myself from feeling more and more nervous.
Finally, my wolf piped up. <Calm down, everything will be fine. We simply have to teach all our new subjects who is dominant and it's rather obvious.>
<Is it, really? We went our whole lives unnoticed.>
<Only because I held back because you're so cautious.>
<Why does everyone keep saying that?>
<And you worry too much.>
<Or maybe you don't worry enough.>
My wolf barked a laugh. <You simply need to get to know Pierce better. He could handle anything, including your worries. I was totally right about him being able to take down a moose solo, by the way.> Her adoration leaked into me, and I smiled in spite of my concerns.
Right now, I was not worried about Arthur going up against a moose, unfortunately. There were way more serious things that would eventually have to be dealt with that huge herbivores.
Although, come to think of it, I didn't really like the idea of Arthur getting trampled by a moose, either.
<No need to worry, human. I've got your back. Literally, since it's also my back.>
<Thanks,> I muttered as we arrived at our destination.
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I could not breathe when we entered the room and I was taken up on a raised platform, almost a stage, where the queen proceeded to introduce me to a group of people sitting at tables. I pasted the most natural smile I could manage onto my lips and clutched onto Arthur's arm more tightly.
<You look beautiful love. Every inch my future queen. No one with internet access will be able to pretend there's anything plain about you after tonight.>
It was only the voices in my head that kept me calm. Arthur's was calm and reassuring.
Even my wolf's tone was surprisingly nice. She, of course, loved the attention and the fanfare of having her subordinates looking up at us, but she at least seemed sympathetic to my plight.
Everyone kept telling me I should let her have some more control, but I just could not risk it in the past. Although maybe her antagonist attitude had stemmed from the way I had repressed her for so long. It was like my wolf had been born for this.
Still, I was relieved when I settled down at a head table between Arthur and my mother. She seemed to be handling the situation as well as I was, which was to say, not that well at all.
"Holding up, Mom?"
"Of course, sweetie. I'm just here to support you. I'm so proud of you."
I smiled at my mother, but privately I wondered what I had done for her to be proud of me. As far as I could tell, I had merely hit the mate jackpot, which seemed more like wondrously improbable luck as opposed to something that I should be praised for.
I resisted the urge to shrug admirably since my etiquette teacher had absolutely forbidden it. Instead I swept my gaze over the room. It seemed about half the gathered people's eyes met mine.
<Don't shy away, hold their gaze,> my wolf said.
<I just want to run away and hide,> I complained to her.
<Running is the worst thing you can do with a group of predators. Straighten our back, too.>
I confirmed to her advice. The room was quite pretty in an elegant sort of way, with delicate attractive light fixtures hanging from the ceiling and floral arrangements on every table.
It would have been much nicer if more people were looking at then rather than at me.
Arthur gripped my hand as our food was served. "Holding up, love?"
His smile wiped away my worries and my expression was a reflection of his. "Yes."
"Are you just saying that?"
"Yes. Well, not entirely. The whole mate bond thing keeps me from feeling too bad about the whole ordeal. Your voice is so soothing, Arthur."
"So if I just keep talking, you'll feel relaxed?"
"Relaxed and excited," I said, then I realized what I had said.
I glanced at him and saw in his warm expression that he appreciated my silly blabbering response.
Thank goodness for mate coloured glasses.
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