Rose 🌹
We ventured out into the courtyard where one very eager little boy was waiting for us, holding a beautiful woven basket.
"Milady Milady!" he jumped up and down excitedly when he spotted Wynter and I "I have got what you asked for!"
Wynter grinned down at her half-brother "How'd you manage to get all this past your papa?"
"I'm a big boy milady" Weylyn puffed out his chest "I have my ways."
"Do you now?" Wynter ruffled his black curls, so unlike her silver locks "Why am I not surprised?"
"What do we have here?" I chimed in, looking down at the basket "Do I smell pie?"
Weylyn turned towards me, eyes lighting up in innocent wonder.
"You're the Princess" he said in awe "You're even prettier than what Mama described!"
I let out a soft laugh "Am I?"
He nodded his head vigorously "Mama said that you were pretty but than she also said Lady Wynter was pretty too and that turned out to be a disappointment."
"Hey!" Wynter exclaimed in equal parts humor and outrage "I'll have you know that many think Lady Wynter is quite exquisite."
Weylyn shook his head "The Princess is exquisite. You're just...eh."
"Okay brat" Wynter narrowed her eyes "Did you manage to get everything set up?"
"I was in the kitchen all night long, washing the dishes" Weylyn deflated "I haven't had a chance to set up yet."
She tapped his cheek and took the basket from him "Why don't you set up the blanket and then get our other guest. I'll take care of the rest."
He nodded and took off running.
I smiled at his carefree attitude.
Wynter's eyes followed him the whole way, until he disappeared from sight.
"Wynter..."
"Hmmm..." she turned to me, a question in her eyes.
"What happens if he shifts" I said softly "What happens when one day, he turns into this big Wolf without knowing how he became that or how to change back?"
"I worry about that every damn day of my life" she said, fear gripping her features "Mom doesn't talk about Weylyn's dad much but from what I've gathered, when she went on her Dust binges, he was a strong wolf that most likely had a Pack of his own. It's inevitable that Wey shifts into a Wolf...the only problem is at what age that shift will take place."
"Do Wey's adoptive parents know what he is?" I asked.
Wynter shook her head.
"They don't know much except that someone had a child in our homestead that couldn't give him the life he deserved" Wynter said bitterly "Hyacinth and Florian have tried very hard to have children over the years but Nature never blessed them. Wey was there one chance to experience the child they longed for."
She broke eye contact with me "You see Princess, there were two reasons why I bowed out of the brawl."
I cocked my head to the side "I thought you didn't like what I had to offer?"
She let out a chuckle "That was reason one."
"And reason two?"
"You're Mated to one of the most dominate Wolves in the human world" she said, looking me directly in the eyes "I've done my research after the tournament. The Greens come from not only a long line of strong influential leaders in their world but also come from a pretty old Fae lineage themselves."
I looked at her in surprise "Grey's a fae too?"
She shook her head "He has a minuscule amount of fae blood in his linage, too small to be considered one of us but just enough for him to claim status as your mate."
I must have gave her a confused look because she laughed and started explaining what she meant.
"In order for the Queen to take a husband, the husband to be needs to have fae blood" she started "The Book states that it doesn't matter how much fae blood the Mate needs, lucky for you, just that there needs to be some fae blood in the mix."
"Does the Queen know this?" I growled.
"She should know this" Wynter inclined her head "Her own mother came up with this declaration after the Queen's sister started intermingling with other supernatural creatures."
"Like Wolves?"
"No, more like those pasty stick thin weirdos that live on hemoglobin" Wynter scowled "Arrogant asses."
"Oooh!" a small voice said from behind us "Milady said a bad word!!"
"That she did" a shiver worthy familiar voice said from behind me "That she did."
I twirled and found and amused Greyson looking at Weylyn like he was the funniest little thing he'd ever since.
His large hand was perched on Weylyn's head, nearly covering all his hair, and Weylyn grinned up at him.
He winked when he caught me staring at him.
"Mr. Greyson is funny" Weylyn said "He said that Lord Wáil looked like he has constipation when he was eating one of Maman's appetizers."
I snorted and Grey's grinned widened "His face was red and he puckered his lips like a fish."
Wynter held out her hand "Come now Weylyn, it's time to leave the Princess and her guest alone."
Weylyn put his smaller hand in hers and frowned at me "But shouldn't the Princess be guarded?"
"She is guarded" Wynter winked at me "Besides, Mr. Greyson won't let anything happed to the Princess."
She shooed him forward "At least... he won't let anything happen to her unless she wants it to happen."