Alpha Queen: First of Her Name

Chapter Seven

A strong gust of wind blows, and tendrils of hair escape the long braid I put it in. My thin frame stumbles from the force. "Oh my."

Daniel immediately latches onto my arm to support me. He glares daggers at the Northerners who chuckle at my expense. A growl from Queen Alpha Mac has everyone staring at their feet in shame.

"Princess Hope, I'm glad to see you made it here safely." She smiles warmly at me, extending her arm out.

I take the offered arm, "Thank you for inviting us." My gaze falls to the dark medieval-style castle towering above. "Is this Solstice castle?"

Daniel retrieves our bags tied to the back of the carriage while Queen Alpha Mac and I slowly make our way inside. A Northern warrior steps up and helps with the bags, while another leads our carriage somewhere down the cobblestone driveway.

"Yes," Queen Alpha Mac enters through the heavy wooden doors, Daniel and Xavier following closely behind. "I'll show you to your room before we have tea, is that fine?"

"Yes, I would love to wash up a bit." My skin has a fine layer of dirt on it from the road and all the stops Daniel and I made along the three-day journey. My brow furrows in confusion, "Queen Alpha Mac, you must be busy. We don't have to discuss anything over tea today." I stop and try to take my hand back but the woman tightens her grip.

"No, I'm not." She glances behind me, eyes darkening. When I go to turn around she steers me forward. "Besides, I want the privilege of showing the Princess of Summerland my home."

Queen Alpha Mac places her other hand on the small of my back to push me up the grand staircase. "Also, you may call me Queen Mac, we're friends after all."

I nod with a small timid smile. We go up the stone steps, my brown eyes widening at the decor and architecture of the vaulted ceiling. The entire castle seems to have a constant chill, my fingers turn stiff from the cold. The two of us go down many twists and turns before Queen Mac enters a brightly lit hallway. Torches light the hallway, at the end, a black door resides with four Northern guards.

I gulp at the floor-to-ceiling heavy stone door, amazed that it takes two guards to push open the sturdy stone. The guards bow as we walk through, the door closing with a loud bang behind us.

A thunderous echo reverberates throughout the silent corridor, I lean closer to Queen Mac, unknowingly pressing against her. "Solstice castle is truly beautiful." My voice comes out nervously, the glow of the torchlight doing nothing to alleviate my fears.

Beside me, Queen Mac hums in agreement. "Yes, it is."

Ahead of us is another tall and wide set of black doors. To the left, a smaller door made of stone catches my attention. Queen Mac stops at the smaller door, she drops her hand from my back with a grin.

It's now that I notice how close the two of us are to each other. A mad blush lights my cheeks, embarrassment pouring off me in waves. I take a step back from the Queen Alpha, staring at the brass doorknob.

"This is your room." The door creaks open like it hasn't been used in ages.

Air leaves my lungs in a rush at the scenery of the room. Countless furs, dark wooden pieces, and a large king bed fill the spacious room. I come to stand in the middle of the room and spin in a circle slowly. My mouth drops open in awe at the utter size of the room, my own back home not even half this size. "This is for me?"

Queen Mac is leaning up against the door with her arms crossed over her chest. Black furs causing her to blend in with the dark walls. "Only the best for you, Princess."

My ears redden at her playful tone. Something inside me knows that Mac warms. "It's..." I trail off when I see the animal heads mounted above the unlit fireplace. Exhaling a gasp, I stumble back into a chair. "What are those?" My hand trembles as I point to the monsters on the wall.