Chapter 11

Hand in hand, we walked through the palace walls until we turned a corner and found ourselves in a large sunny garden. As I looked up, I saw the overbridge leading towards Kieran's apartment and realized I was in the sunny garden below. Tall white marble statues of half-naked girls with flowers in their hair lined the garden walls, while the faint tinkle of tiny water droplets splashing from the fountains rang out in the air. Leading us over to a large pink cherry blossom tree, Kieran pointed to the grass below.

"Sit. I have to go and speak with some advisors," he grunted. "The other girls will keep you company. I'll be back soon."

And with that, I watched Kieran retreat, leaving me in the middle of his chosen girls who were eyeing me up with intrigue. Davina looked like she was a cat who had got the cream, who promptly sat down on the grass while eyeing me up beadily. All around her, the other girls sat down gracefully, keeping their dresses crease-free. They soon began either playing with their hair, making daisy chains, and some even started a small conversation amongst their selves.

"Ahh, look who it isn't," Davina sneered gleefully. "If it isn't the queen bee, coming down to mix with the commoners. How does it feel to be finally back in your place, where you belong?"

"Look, I don't know what you're on about," I began quickly. "I don't want to step on anyone's toes. I'm just doing what the Prince wants of me."

"Ha! I Don't know what I'm on about! You don't fool me, you sneaky little whore," hissed Davina angrily, causing all the other girls to watch in silent shock. "You don't want to tread on people's toes? Bitch, please. Your trampling all over mine!"

"I don't understand what your getting at," I stammered quietly, looking around nervously for the Prince. "I don't know what I've done wrong to upset you like this?"

"I told you that the Prince was mine!" Davina spat. "Yet you come along, and he throws me out. He hasn't as much given us girls one look, yet he is all over you like a rash!"

Suddenly it clicked. Davina was jealous. She was jealous that the Prince spent more time with me than he did her. Jealous that I got to sleep in his bedroom with him when she didn't. Jealous that I was the one that shared a bath with him. She was mad that I had one up on her when she thought she would be the queen bee. Turning my head, I turned on my sweetest smile and gently reached forward, clasping her hand in mind.

"oh honey, I think you need to go to the ladies room and re-powder your nose," I simpered sweetly. "Jealousy is an ugly trait to have, and I believe yours is starting to show through. Best go and re-cover it, don't you?"

All the girls quickly sucked in the air with their mouths as my surprise comeback bit Davina right where it hurt. Davina just looked at me in shock, frozen, unable to say a word. A few stumbles of incomprehensible words came tumbling out over her ruby red lips before she finally stood up and ran out of the garden and out of sight in a flood of loud sobs.

"Thank god she has gone," a pretty brunette sighed happily as she clapped her hands daintily. "Well done for putting that cow in her place. All night and all morning, she has been banging on about you. I'm Brooke, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Brooke," I smiled gently, shaking Brooke's hand. "What has she been saying about me?"

"Oh, the usual. That you're obviously a witch and that you've put a spell on the Prince to make him only want you," shrugged Brooke casually. "She was seething when the Prince picked you to walk him into the ballroom. All morning she was adamant that he would pick her."

"It didn't help when the Prince let you sit with him at the Royal table either," a blonde girl chimed up. "I'm Hollie. I'm Davina's cousin, believe it or not, but don't worry. I can't stand the girl. She always believed that if she got chosen as a bedmaiden, she would make one of the Prince's fall in love with her, and she'd be a princess or even a queen."

"I didn't make the Prince choose me," I replied softly. "He picked me in a way. He just says that he needs to keep me close to him and that there is something about me that is different from all you other girls."

Brooke looked at me carefully and arched an eyebrow before looking around at the other girls quickly, then back at me. I could see she was thinking things through in her mind while she was scrutinizing my every move.

"Something tells me that you're not in tune with your werewolf," Brooke quizzed gently. "Why is that?"

"I've never needed her in my life," I shrugged casually. "I never asked to be a werewolf."

"What a shame. Your poor wolf, just hanging in Limbo. Well, I guess you've never heard of the term Mates then?" Hollie replied slowly. "It's just a theory. But what if your different to us because the Prince knows that you're supposed to be his Mate?"

"No, no, your both just being silly," I laughed quickly, shaking my head at the ridiculousness of it all. "Why would the Prince, who is of Royal bloodlines, want someone as low and poor as me? I have no money, wealth, or riches and only one family member, and I'm practically wolfless. It's ridiculous. There has to be another reason. And what is this Limbo you speak of?"

"Limbo is a place between heaven and your subconscious, where the spirit of our wolves normally lives," Brooke explained slowly. "Because you've chosen to blank out your wolf from your subconscious, even though she is still a part of you, she now remains in Limbo. Until you decide to use her again."

"And what if I don't decide to use her?" I asked curiously. "What will happen to her?"

"She will remain in limbo until the day you die," Brooke continued. "Only when you die will the spirit of your wolf be free to experience eternal joy in heaven's paradise."

"And if our theory of you being the Prince's Mate is true, then blocking out your wolf will implicate that further," Hollie continued, looking at me sadly. "Until you accept your wolf fully, she won't be able to find her Mate, and that Mate won't be able to fully bond to you."

"Meaning that if I were the Mate of the Prince," I began slowly, "Then we wouldn't be able to be together forever?"

"No, not properly, no. The Prince's wolf will end up looking for his second chance Mate in the end," whispered Brooke. "You need to start accepting your wolf and who you are!"

"Look!" squealed Hollie a little bit too loudly, making us all jump. "The Prince is coming back over. But he looks really pissed! I wonder what's upset him?"

I turned around as Kieran sauntered up to me and gave me a wry smile before glancing across at Brooke and Hollie suspiciously. Once more, he pointed towards the grass.

"I suggest you girls get comfy. We have some surprise entertainment coming!