Chapter 26

• HAERA.
• The Palace is divided into three Major sections that make up the big expanse of land that is inhabited by the Alpha and his family. The Palace is big enough to house the Alpha's family, hundreds of maids and guards alike while also leaving out enough space for military trainings and land to farm the best vegetables and plants used in preparing the meals of the Alpha. The first section is the guard quarters, a low ground building that extends further to the back and is the first part of the Palace that one encounters. Being the protective force of the palace,it was only normal for the quarters to be the first as well as the second biggest. The quarter swarms with guards who are mostly Omegas but highly skilled and trained to protect the palace. The second section is the maid quarters where I and the uncountable numbers of maids reside. It is also where the kitchen is situated. Each room in the quarters is designated to ten different maids making it cramped and mostly uncomfortable for every of the maids. Some maids who are always at the beck and call of the Alpha and his family reside in the Alpha Chambers which happens to be the third and last section in the Palace. The section was like a forbidden fortress and one whose name was hardly mentioned on our lips. Guarded heavily by menacing and icy Wolves, it stands tall at a bearing higher than any of the other sections in the Palace. Anyone coming from afar will probably set their eyes on the tall building before they can even guess that there are two other buildings in the Alpha's Palace. It was hard for any maid or any other wolf from outside of the palace to enter into the Alpha Chambers without a proper permission or pass to allow them enter into the Chambers. It was prohibited and almost like a sacred place to be revered by us low borns. As big as the building was, it was only occupied by the Alpha, his only daughter, Princess Ilvira and the Luna of the pack with a few other maids who work for the Alpha inside of the Chambers. One of such is the head maid. Gennora lives in her own room in the Alpha Chambers and serves the Alpha family closely. From the stories I have heard,she has been with the family long before the princess was born and raised her as her nanny even after she was born. She is in close contact with the Alpha family and enjoys a lot of privileges as the favourite and oldest maid in the pack. Others who lived in the Chambers include a few trusted members of the Wolf council, the Alpha's Beta, his advisors and other guards who served as protectors. Ulric, Gennora's husband and mate is the Alpha's personal guard and so he also had the privilege of living with the Alpha in his Chambers. Maids who go in there are the ones who serve the Alpha Family's daily meals. Maids like me have never seen the inner walls of the building and we have never had any reason to. In fact, most of the maids avoid the chamber like a plague and would rather push someone else into doing their chores at the chamber rather than go. Going into that chamber required special and accountable reasons, yet, here I was walking straight into the Alpha's chamber to heed the call of the must unexpected person in all of the Palace. Alpha Princess Ilvira. A billion thoughts swarmed my mind as to why the princess needed my attention and how she even made it clear that it was me she wanted to see. The thought of it was scary, knowing that I was still finding the situation around the both of us and Alpha Zachary complicated. I still didn't know who was lying and who was deceiving. I didn't know who to doubt and who to believe. I was confused. But Balfour was right when he said this was my chance to find out. I had no idea what she wanted with me, why she called for me and how she even knows me enough to request for me in the first place but I guess I wasn't as invincible as I thought after all. It had been so hard to keep myself from shaking moments ago when I stood by the door that was guarded by two mean looking men. They were obviously omegas but their aura was so strong that it almost sent me running. But Erylis had stated to them that I was a 'guest' of the Alpha Princess and they had paved the way for the both of us to walk in. From then on, I followed Erylis through the hallway that stretched on for too long. There were doors on each side of the hall as she walked in front of me and led the way. "Try not too look around too much and you won't lose your eyes." Erylis had said to me and her words still shook me. She could be messing with me because she hated me or could be saying the truth. Either way, I heeded her warning and kept my gaze straight as we walked the Hallway. The building wasn't only big on the outside but huge on the inside too with high windows and tall chandeliers hanging on the ceilings. As we walked, I let my mind ponder over which of the rooms belonged to Gennora. She must be living her best life here while the rest of the maids are cramped up in a single room. We were the ones who deserved to act all cranky every day and not her who probably sleeps in a big room with a king-sized bed meant for royalty. I push my thoughts of her aside when Erylis finally stopped in front of a door. My heart lept, knowing it was probably the Alpha Princess's door. Erylis turned to look at me and gave me the confirmation I needed. She gave me a once-over with her sharp cat eyes before crossing her arms over her chest. I knew that pose and so I knew she was about to say something insulting. "I don't know why she requested to se--" I didn't let her finish. I went for the door and knocked on it. The movement shocked her and she quickly set herself straight before sending me a threatening glare. While holding her gaze, I called out to whoever was inside. "Haera is here, Alpha Princess. The maid you requested for." Erylis's eyes was burning with rage and a promise. I'd probably get beaten up by her gang again but it's nothing Dezra can't fix and I knew just how to put up a fight enough for me to just get a few cuts that will heal up in minutes. "Come in." The Alpha Princess's soft voice ended our face off as I turned the doorknob and we both walked in. I think I just walked into another planet. Because that was what it felt like, walking into the room. It was nothing short of heaven. The lights in the room glowed on the golden pieces that seemed to be everywhere in the room and making the entire place glitter like it was the sun that hit it. The room was bright. Bright and bustling with youthful exuberance. The bedframe. The beside drawer. The vanity where a big mirror sat. Every single thing had a hint of gold. Even the princess that was seated standing by the window with her back turned to us seemed to glow with the golden trinklets that adorned her ears, her wrists and even her long wavy hair that flowed down and ended just above her waist, effortlessly matching the red dress she was wearing. She was the definition of perfect. Erylis didn't seem shocked. She must have been there more than a few times since she almost never stays around the Maid quarters. My jaw was literally on the ground and it took Erylis shoving me to bring it back up. She gestured with her head towards the princess and I knew I was meant to say something to announce my presence. I cleared my throat. It had suddenly become parched at the sight of her. How was I meant to find out what was wrong if she had me this mesmerized by her presence in the room? "Alpha Princess," I made a slight bow. " You called for me." She turned at the sound of my voice. My breathing hitched but the discomfort I felt in breathing by seeing her from afar off was nothing compared to the one I felt when she came close to me. It was so fast and I blamed it on her strong aura as an Alpha blood. I've never seen her this upclose. And God... was she beautiful. Her eyes were the lightest shade of brown and they put my big Amber ones to shame. In fact the whole of her put the entire me to shame. I gulped at her closeness. I couldn't look away from her eyes. I shouldn't look in her eyes. It was forbidden a rule that a common made like me shouldn't even dare to break yet here I was unable to look away. Her aura was strong and commanding and I knew right there and then that Balfour's plan wouldn't work. "Leave us." She Commanded with a straight face and without breaking eye contact with me. As light as her eyes were, they were icy and defiant and definitely not the eyes of someone who called me here for pillow talks. Erylis did as she was told and left the room. The sound of the door closing after, jerked me awake from my trance. I looked away immediately, down at my feet with my heart at the verge of jumping into my mouth. Her aura was strong...too strong and I could tell that she was not just any wolf. Before I left the kitchen, Balfour had told me something else about dark magic for replacing scents. "I don't know if it's true... but I think there's a way you can find out if she's impersonating you or not. I heard the witches grant requests and cast spells in return for something else. It might be a myth or just a spin of a bedtime story but it is said that for the particular spell of replacing scents, Wolves who cast the spell lose their Wolves and their aura... regardless of the kind of wolves they are." He had said and I had held on to it as the only hint I had. But now, I don't think so anymore. Her scent was stronger than anything I've ever sniffed. Balfour was wrong and maybe I was too stupid and desperate to believe the existence of witches. There had to be something else to explain why she's getting mated to my own mate. I was ready to find out but standing in front of her right now, I was slowly losing my cool and resolve. She stepped away from me and from the corner of my eyes, I watched her head over to her bed and sat on it. I didn't know I was hardly breathing until she left and I took in a sharp intake of breath. "Conniving bitch. I can tell just by sniffing her that she's rotten. " Dezra has been quiet for a long time, brooding and mourning our fate with our mate but it took this princess to let the words out of her mouth. "You don't want to say that to her." I mind linked her. "Try me..." Dezra growled. I knew If I wasn't careful she would lose it and take control of my mind and then get the both of us in trouble. I did my best to block her off before she does something that we'll both regret. Mostly me. But one thing I've learnt since getting my own wolf and shifting was to trust Dezra's instincts. Dezra was a strong wolf oddly befitting of a low born like me but I have never really shifted in front of people, enough to find out how big my wolf was. Or enough for them to find out how fast my wounds heal compared to others. Her senses were as strong as her physical strength and she can sniff trouble from a mile away. It's why she's restless inside of me now and Dezra's restlessness is usually a cause for alarm. Whatever she's sensed around the princess, it wasn't good. "You know...I've always wanted to meet you." The princess suddenly spoke. I was speechless left to wonder why she would want to meet a common maid. A beat of or two of my heart passed, waiting for her to continue or for a command to talk. "The lowly maid who was born on the same day as I was." The tone of her voice as she said those words was bitter and my head slowly raised to catch the sneer on her face. That instant, I knew. Whatever had Dezra going crazy inside of me about the Alpha Princess, it was just as bad as she presumed it to be.