Chapter 21

YENA

It made more sense to work on my project in the palace than in the studio at school, so I set myself up at a big table in the parlor down the hall from our bedroom.

Rafaela happened upon me there the next afternoon when she came in to clean.

She was amazed, walking around and touching the fabrics I had draped over the chairs and chaise lounges. I was drawing at a small table, and had drafts scattered all around me on the floor.

“We cannot have this,” she said, shaking her head.

Soon, a small army of servants crowded the parlor, hauling out most of the furniture. One nearly pulled a chair right out from under me.

They pinned my drawings to tufted bulletin boards they installed on the walls, and staged a big, polished oak desk under the window.

When I came back in from dinner, the room was finished.

A couple tears pooled in my eyes when I saw four plus-size dressmaking dummies. They had my fabrics and designs in progress draped over them. The fabrics had been freshly ironed.

I’d never been treated like this before. Given so much.

Rafaela appeared beside me. She looked around the room and smiled.

I blinked away a few tears. Rafaela pretended not to notice and handed me a silk handkerchief, while continuing to look in the other direction.

“Anything else you need, Miss Yena?”

“No, thank you,” I said. “You’ve done enough. This is incredible.”

“It’s my honor,” she replied.

She remained near the threshold as I stepped into the room and began to wander around, touching everything.

By the desk there was a tall lamp with a gold base and a shade made of stained glass in gold and ivory tones. I tugged a little gold chain to turn it on.

The sun was midway through setting outside, and past the window the sky was hurrying into blackness. I looked out the window at the spiky silhouette of the forest.

High in the sky, the moon was glowing white. It would soon be full. The first full moon since I’d met Nolan.

The first full moon since my wolf came to life.

I wanted to ask Nolan what would happen to her that night.

But he’d hardly been around lately. And I was a little embarrassed to have to ask.

He was the only one to ever teach me anything about being a wolf. And I still had so many questions.

Sometimes I wondered what my birth mother had been like.

If her wolf was also golden-haired, like mine.

“Are you sure you’re alright, Miss Yena?” Rafaela called out from the doorway.

I spun around.

“Oh, yes, I’m sorry, I was just lost in thought,” I said.

I walked back over to her so I could look her in the eye as I thanked her for setting up my new studio.

“Think nothing of it, Miss Yena,” Rafaela said. “It’s the least I can do to…”

She had an odd, sad look in her eyes and trailed off mid-sentence.

“To what?” I asked.

“Nothing,” Rafaela said, lying very poorly.

“What’s going on?” I persisted.

“I just want to be sure that you are happy, My Lady,” she said after a suspiciously long pause.

“Why would I not be happy?” I asked. For a moment I wondered if somehow she knew what happened to me at school with the girls.

The deaconess was even worse at keeping secrets than she was at telling lies

“With the Prince so often… out of the palace,” she said, “we just worry about you, Miss Yena. It must not be easy, knowing what is said about his mysterious absences.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked. “Isn’t he working?”

Rafaela blinked at me and said, “Oh, no. He works here in the palace. It is not known precisely where he goes at nights, only suspected…”

I crossed my arms against my chest. I was not enjoying this game of pulling every detail out of her one bit at a time.

“You tell me right now,” I demanded, “everything it is that you have heard about my husband.”

She gave in and the truth rushed out.

The rumor was that Nolan had a secret lover. A woman he visited outside the palace a few nights each month. He never left until the sun went down, and he somehow snuck out unseen, so his guards were unable to follow him for their mandatory protection detail.

I sent the deaconess away when I felt she had told me all she knew.

I couldn’t be too surprised. The awful phone call I overheard on our honeymoon that broke my heart — that was impossible to forget.

Thinking about that call, I remembered that it actually sounded like Nolan, who not only told his ex he didn’t love me, but it also sounded like he was being cruel to her too.

He’d said, I’m not in love with anyone — including you.

But maybe that just proved the tension and passion that was rekindling between them.

I sat down at my new desk and slid my palms across the soft surface of the heavily polished wood. A stack of sketchbooks in various sizes had been placed on the corner of the desk.

I picked out a one with a soft green cover, opened to the first page, and started drawing.

In the morning, I was told I had visitors waiting for me at the front of the palace.

That was new. My curiosity was stronger than my hunger, so I left half my breakfast behind and went right away to see who it was.

An older man and woman, both wearing expensive maroon blazers, were waiting for me.

“Your Royal Highness,” the woman said, stepping forward as I entered the room. “It’s an honor.” The both of them bowed.

“Thank you.” I still wasn’t sure the right way to respond to everyone saying that to me.

“The reason for our visit,” the woman continued, “is to hand deliver an invitation to join the Noble Club, which as I’m sure you know, is the Academy’s oldest and most exclusive club, established by and open only to students from the nation’s most prominent and elite noble families.”

The man stepped forward and handed me a big envelope. It was the same shade of maroon as their jackets. The back was sealed with gold wax stamped with the Noble Club crest.

“We usually mail our invitations,” the woman said, “but we wanted to pay you special respect and let you know that we’d also love to throw a special induction ceremony just for you, since you’ll be such an honored member.”

I couldn’t help that the first thing out of my mouth was just, “Wow.” This was certainly an interesting turn of events.

Then I took a breath and thought about the different ways I could respond. I decided to just cut to the chase and said, “I’m going to pass on that invitation.”

I handed the unopened envelope back to the man. He took it from me warily.

“Your Highness, do you think that is wise?” The woman’s face twitched, no doubt resisting some sort of frown or grimace.

“Wise?” I asked.

“Never in our history has an invitation been extended to an individual with no traceable lineage. We would hope that such an individual would be grateful for the grace shown by the noble families who are overlooking your… shortcomings… considering your recent marriage.”

I cleared my throat and flashed the woman a daring look.

“If you must know, I’m refusing your invitation not only because I’ve been hurt and discriminated against by members of your club. I also know it’s just wrong, the way your ‘prominent and elite’ noble families divide people into ranks and treat commoners like they’re worthless. I would never associate with people who value social status over dignity.”

The man and woman both stared at me, astonished.

“And I would hope,” I continued, “that you two would be grateful for the grace I am showing you now. By giving you two minutes to exit this palace before I have you escorted out by armed guards.”

Then I saw their eyes dart to the left, seeing something behind me.

“Your Highness,” the man stammered. “My sincerest apologies.”

He bowed deeply and very fast. The woman said and did the same. They jerked their heads up quickly though, eyes on that same spot behind me, and then I turned and looked around and saw Nolan approaching.

His stride was manly and commanding. The man and the woman continued to bow, growing closer to the floor, and both offered hurried greetings to the prince.

Nolan said, “You may go,” and the man and the woman hurried backward and out the door.

I turned and looked up at Nolan. He was looking into my eyes intensely.

I wasn’t sure how much of my little speech he had heard and couldn’t imagine what he was thinking about any of it. I started building up a head of steam, preparing to fight him if he was going to say I embarrassed him. Or needed to start acting more like a princess.

He had come to stand by my side, though, and helped send the man and woman away. I just never knew what was an act and what was real with him.

He took my hand and said, “Let’s go have some coffee and talk.”