+Chapter 31+

Mari had showered and immediately gone right to bed after returning from the woods with King Kade. She only woke up when a maid came to rouse her for dinner at King Kade’s orders.

She washed her face at the bathroom sink, a sigh on her lips. It was easy for her to be optimistic and try to play hero with red flames dancing on her fingertips but now that she was just a werewolf in the palace of a different King, she felt very small.

Mari stepped out of the bathroom to find a dress already laid out for her on the bed, it was soft blue with a white daisy pattern and it stopped at her thighs. She stared at it with stars in her hazel eyes, she didn’t remember seeing this outfit earlier which wasn’t a surprise really because there were far too many of them.

Mari would never get used to being able to wear outfits she only ever dreamed of. If there was one upside to her current situation, other than being alive, it was the free fancy stuff.

She got dressed and brushed out her hair, relieved that for shoes, she was given comfortable platform sandals. The white shoes were cutesy and went perfectly with the dress, it had her wondering just who had picked the outfit out for her.

A different maid was at her door to lead her to the dining room, this time dressed in semi-formal clothes. It was fascinating to see that the palace of Wolfden didn’t require its workers to wear a uniform.

She was once again deserted at the doors to the dining room, the maid that brought her there leaving with a hidden smile on her face. Mari really didn’t want to go in, she would rather have dinner in her room while wearing her bathrobe.

She wasn’t exactly a guest here so she didn’t have to show up to dinner with the King everyday all prettied up. But she knew it was a far better deal than being thrown in the basement or some underground prison, so she sucked it up and stepped in, only to momentarily freeze in surprise.

Mari wasn’t at all expecting what she came in to see; the dining room lights were dimmed for starters, the lit candles on candelabras placed generously all over the long table provided illumination but that was somehow less surprising than seeing King Kade in a dress shirt. The sleeves of the dress shirt strained against his arms and combined with his stoic expression made him look even more intimidating than usual.

She recovered quickly however and forced herself to walk forward, telling herself that this was definitely some tradition that King Kade had in his palace where dinner was a very formal affair. She wished she had been informed ahead about it though.

Mari sat two seats away from King Kade like she did at breakfast, not too close and not too far. She kept her gaze on the empty plate in front of her, unsure of what to say, the silence at the table uncomfortable.

Kade’s black eyes flashed at this, he had told the maids to set the dining room with a relaxing air in mind but it seemed to be having the opposite effect on Marion. He had even made an effort to wear a dress shirt - although he really didn’t have to, he didn’t even have any excuses to give anymore.

“How do you feel?” He asked to break the silence, a glass of wine held by his long fingers to stop him from reaching across the table to tip the witch’s head up.

Mari gulped, King Kade sounded pissed, he had been tolerant of her even when she tried to burn his training spot down but she couldn’t help but feel like there would be repercussions for that slight. She nodded unable to find her voice. It was easier to interact with King Kade in the forest than in this stuffy but lavish dining room.

Kade clenched his jaw, “Is something the matter?” He asked, his grip on his wine glass getting tighter when Marion made a move to nod again. “Use your words,” He cut her off, reaching across to tip her head up, “I don’t want to have to tell you that again.”

Mari’s eyes widened, her hazel eyes pools of melted gold as they reflected the candlelight. “No-Nothing, Y-Your Highness,” She mumbled, too strung out to remember King Kade telling her not to use his title.

Kade’s grip tightened on her face, questioning his every move even as his body and brain seemed to work on autopilot every time he was around the witch. She was a prisoner, a criminal, why was he acting like a disgruntled mate?

He forced himself to let go of her face, wearing a blank mask on his face. “Eat up.”

Mari nearly bit her tongue as she stammered a reply, “Yes, Your H-Highness,” She mumbled, wishing that she had sat further away from King Kade.

She had gotten too comfortable just a few hours ago, she even dreamed of playing hero, how stupid of her. Both werewolf Kings were dangerous, and keeping her distance from them was her best bet at staying alive.

Mari was hungry seeing as she skipped lunch and she knew that the next day was going to be even more strenuous than today had been so she pushed aside her anxiety and tried to eat, avoiding King Kade’s chilling black stare the entire time.

Kade on the other hand was deep in thought, his black mood lightening up at the sight of the witch eating eagerly. He had never had a woman elicit such a response from him before, and it had to be the only witch left in the West Continent.

He almost considered leaving her training to someone else because close proximity with the gold-eyed witch slowly casting a spell over him probably wasn’t very wise but the very thought of having someone else take his place was too abhorrent.

He didn’t even realize that his gaze was fixed on her the entire time, his meal long forgotten as he watched her eat, making no effort to stop her when she got up and excused herself for the night after eating.