Chapter 39: 39. Royal care and chambers
AT THE SAME TIME
MICHAEL
The Elder’s words wouldn’t stop echoing in my head. Valerion. Heir. Wedding. Legacy. It was too much. By the time the heavy castle doors groaned open, my legs felt like jelly, my stomach rolled, and my wolf was whining, circling, begging me to crawl under a blanket and hide for a century. The Valerion castle... my so called home base. It was massive. Towers like spears stabbed the sky, walls shimmered faintly with goddess-blessed wards, and every window glowed gold like it was alive. The place didn’t just look old and grand. It looked like it remembered me. And gods, that was terrifying. The second we stepped inside, servants appeared as if conjured. Soft smiles, lowered heads, voices gentle but reverent. Platters of food already lined long tables, the scents of roasted meat and honeyed bread weaving through the air.
"Welcome home, young master." One said, bowing low.
I nearly fainted. Again.
"Don’t you dare." Zavier growled, catching me before I could collapse into a puddle of royal embarrassment. He swept me straight off my feet, ignoring the collective gasp from the servants. His silver eyes burned into me. "Breathe, fiery one. I’ve got you."
I clutched his shirt like a lifeline, cheeks blazing.
"I’m fine!" I squeaked. "Totally fine! Definitely not panicking about being a long lost prince or whatever!"
"Your heartbeat says otherwise." Zavier muttered, tightening his grip.
Before I could argue, Charlie barreled up beside us, practically glowing with delight.
"Big brother, look! Servants! Real servants! You have people who bow to you! Isn’t that amazing?!"Charlie said excited.
"NO." I yelped. "It’s horrifying!"
Adrian, the menace, leaned against a marble pillar, smirking.
"Oh, I don’t know. I think it’s hot. Your Highness."Adrian smirked.
My wolf yipped. My cheeks went scarlet. Selene snorted audibly, Rose was openly grinning, and Terrenc sighed while Xavier looked like he was calculating how many guards he could command in this castle if he played his cards right. The Goddess drifted in behind them all, practically purring.
"Oh, he looks so sweet when he panics. My precious little flame. Don’t you all just want to tuck him into bed with cocoa and fuss over him until he forgets he’s terrified?"She said.
"YES." Charlie said instantly, bouncing. "I call first snuggle!"
"Over my dead body." Zavier snarled.
"Over my living body." Adrian cut in smoothly, winking at me.
I squeaked. My wolf hid its face. Selene pinched the bridge of her nose like she was developing a migraine.
"Dinner." The Elder interrupted firmly, clapping his hands. "He needs food before he passes out."
The servants guided us to a long table. Food appeared so quickly it was dizzying: roast meats, fresh bread, fruits glittering with sugar. It smelled so warm, so comforting, my stomach growled even through the nausea. And then... they all stared at me. Every single one of them. Zavier at my side, hand on my back. Charlie is leaning forward eagerly. Adrian smirking. Terrence tense. Xavier studying. Rose grinning. Selene pretending not to care but definitely caring. The Goddess hovering, radiant and smug.
"Eat." Zavier ordered.
"I, I can’t eat with everyone watching!" I squeaked.
"Yes you can." Selene said calmly. "You’re royalty. Get used to it."
Charlie shoved a plate closer to me.
"Big brother, look! Meat! Bread! Fruit! Pick one! I’ll feed you if you want!"Charlie said happily.
I nearly slammed my head into the table. My wolf whined miserably, tail between legs. The Goddess drifted closer, her glow softening. She leaned down and, to my shock, wrapped her arms around me. Warmth flooded my chest. My wolf froze... then purred.
"Shhh." She whispered, voice like silver bells. "You’re not alone anymore, little flame. Let them fuss. Let them protect. That’s what they’re here for."
My eyes burned, traitorous tears threatening. Zavier kissed my temple, firm and grounding. Charlie pressed himself against my side, grinning but soft. Even Adrian’s smirk dimmed to something gentler. For the first time that night, my stomach loosened. I took a shaky bite of bread, the taste warm and grounding. The servants smiled, relieved. The room breathed again.
And I realized... I wasn’t just surviving anymore. I was surrounded, shielded, smothered in the strangest, most chaotic cocoon of love and protection. And maybe... just maybe... I could breathe in it.
I had barely finished my bread when the Elder cleared his throat, that kind of ancient weight in his voice that made my wolf flatten his ears immediately.
"There is one more place you must see tonight, young master." He said, bowing his head low. "Your true chambers."
"Chambers?" I squeaked. "As in what bedroom? A cot in a corner? A broom closet? Can’t I just-"
"Not just chambers." the Elder cut me off, a strange glint in his eyes. "The Valerion chambers. Your Godness protected rooms. Reserved for heirs... and for pups."
My stomach lurched. Pups. Oh, gods. Zavier stiffened beside me, grip tightening at my waist. His wolf rumbled, protective, silver eyes flashing like stormlight.
"Show us." He demanded.
The Elder bowed and led us through winding halls of marble and gold. Every step echoed like thunder, my heart pounding harder with each one. My wolf whimpered, tail tucked tight, claws scraping the inside of my chest and then we stopped before a set of double doors so tall they could’ve touched the heavens. Silver carvings of moons and blooming flowers spiraled across them, glowing faintly like they were alive.
"This." the Elder whispered. "Is your chamber, Prince Michael Valerion."
The doors groaned open. And I forgot how to breathe. The room wasn’t just big it was endless. High domed ceilings painted with constellations that shimmered and moved when you blinked. Windows taller than any tower, pouring soft moonlight even though the sky outside was cloudy. The walls pulsed faintly with Goddess-blessed wards, humming low like a lullaby. And the furniture... gods above, the furniture. A bed bigger than any I’d ever seen, draped in silver silks that shimmered like liquid light. Cradles, actual carved cradles lined one side of the chamber, untouched but glowing faintly with enchantments. Shelves bursting with books, toys, and artifacts I didn’t recognize. It was the fanciest, most terrifyingly beautiful room in the whole damn castle. My knees buckled.
"Nope." I choked. "Nope nope nope. That’s not my room. That’s, that’s a temple! A palace inside a palace! I, I’m not-"
My voice broke. My wolf whimpered and curled, overwhelmed by the weight of it. The bond mark on my skin throbbed like it understood something I didn’t. Zavier caught me instantly, arms iron-strong.
"Breathe, fiery one. It’s yours. All of it."Zavier said as in trying to comfort me.
"I don’t want it!" I cried, tears burning hot in my eyes. "I never asked for this! I never wanted this room, this title, this pressure! I was just Michael! Just me! Why, why does it have to be me?"
Silence. Then warmth. Zavier pressed his lips to my temple, murmuring against my hair.
"Because only you can. And because you’re not alone anymore."He muttered.
The Goddess floated into the chamber, her glow soft and gentle. For the first time, she didn’t smirk or tease. She simply wrapped her arms around both me and Zavier, a divine embrace.
"My little flame." She whispered. "This room waited for you. For centuries, it waited. Not for anyone else. For you."
Charlie bounded up next, his grin smaller but softer. He hugged me from the other side, practically shoving his face into my shoulder.
"Big brother, it’s amazing! Look! A bed that fits the whole pack! You’ll never be alone in here, ever again."Charlie said.
Adrian, devil that he was tried to smirk, but his golden eyes softened.
"I mean... if you don’t want the bed, I’ll take it." He teased lightly. "But... it really does look like it was made for you."
Terrence actually looked away, fists clenched, like he couldn’t handle seeing me cry. Xavier adjusted his collar, stiff, but the faintest pink touched his ears. Rose dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief.
"Perfect." Rose whispered.
Selene... Selene actually smiled, small and sharp, like she finally understood why she had chosen me. I crumpled against Zavier’s chest, sobbing quietly, my wolf whining, but purring too. Because for once, I wasn’t being laughed at or dismissed. I was being held. And in the middle of all that chaos, the Goddess chuckled softly.
"Oh... what a sight. Royal pup chambers, and already a pup on the way. Fate has a wicked sense of humor."She grinned.
Adrian nearly choked. Charlie turned scarlet. Terrence growled. Xavier’s jaw twitched.
"Goddess." I squeaked, peeking through my tears.
She only grinned, pressing her glowing cheek against mine.
"Hush, little flame. You’ll see. This room... this family... it’s all yours now. And you’re stronger than you think." She said happily.
I buried my face deeper in Zavier’s chest, cheeks wet, my wolf curling into that cocoon of divine light and pack warmth. Maybe... maybe I could believe her.