Court of the Shifter 3 Chapter 2

The king’s question echoed in my ears as I tried to process what was happening. 

I wasn’t sure how the king would react to the truth, but I didn’t want to lie to him either. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and I had a half-lion father who could likely still tear me in half despite recuperating from his recent illness. 

Plus, there was the tense relationship between the vampire and shifter realms to think of.

If I said the wrong thing, then a lot of things could go badly. 

But I didn’t regret sleeping with Willow in the slightest, no matter what happened. The energy exchange between us alone was mind blowing, nevermind the primal, animalistic sex we always had. 

I looked at Willow to gauge her reaction, but the shifter princess avoided my gaze. A blush darkened her cheeks as she stared at her toes, but she would be no help. 

An amused smirk twisted Calantha’s lips when I glanced in her direction, but the king and queen had snubbed her, so I didn’t think it would be helpful to bring her into it unnecessarily. 

“Willow and I have been… dating,” I said after a long silent moment. 

“What is date-ing?” Queen Liliana furrowed her brow as she attempted the unfamiliar word. 

“It’s like romantic relationships between two people,” I explained to the best of my ability. “Like… courting.”

“That’s wonderful news!” the king said as he clapped his hands together in an excited manner. “I was hoping the two of you would form a connection when Willow was sent to investigate your appearance in our world.”

What. The. Fuck.

This was the best possible reaction the king could have to finding out someone he’d only just met was dating his daughter, but I still held my breath for the other shoe to drop. 

Something in my gut told me there was more to his reaction than just benevolence. 

“It… is?” I asked in a curious tone, but Willow shot me an unreadable look. 

“Of course it is!” King Frejit laughed with abandon, and he clasped me on the shoulder as he guided me back toward the thrones. “There’s the prophecy to think of, after all, and the most important part is yet to come.”

“Father…” Willow said in a warning tone. “Don’t scare him off just yet.”

“Have you impregnated my daughter?” the king asked outright, and he fixed his warm amber eyes on me with a hard look. “Is she with child?”

My eyes widened to the size of saucers, and my gaze flicked to Willow, but she merely blushed a dark red hue and continued to stare at her toes. She clasped her hands together in front of her hips, and her raven hair fell across her face, which blocked it from my view. The flush of her neck was plain to see, though, so I could tell she was embarrassed.

I just continued to stare until she glanced up. 

“Help?” I mouthed when she finally met my gaze.

“I-I-I don’t know…” Willow stuttered out, and she bashfully tucked a loose strand of raven hair behind her ear. “May…be?”

The king and queen both waited a moment for Willow to get any other words out before they turned their gaze back to me, and I swallowed hard when I felt their eyes digging into my very soul. 

This was exactly what I’d been concerned about. 

The other shoe had dropped.

“Have you climaxed inside my daughter?” the king pressed.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment as my mind raced through possible exit strategies, and I flicked my gaze to the exit, but the king had a firm grip on my shoulder, so I knew I wasn’t going anywhere. 

Fuck, fuck, fuck. 

“I-I-I,” I stammered as I struggled to breathe in enough oxygen to fuel my brain, and I felt like I was choking on my tongue. 

The king’s grip on my shoulder tightened ever so slightly, and while his outward demeanor didn’t change at all, I had a feeling I’d better answer soon. 

Or else. 

Fuck. 

My eyes flicked once more to the shifter princess in search of any assistance, but Willow met my gaze with warmth in her emerald eyes, and then she nodded in an encouraging way. 

I swallowed down the lump rising in my throat, and I nodded in confirmation to the king. 

This whole situation would be hilarious if it was happening to anyone else except me, but I had a hard time breathing as I struggled to answer the king’s blunt question.

“I, um, I have, uh, climaxed, as you say, inside your daughter,” I said in a hoarse voice, but I couldn’t keep myself from digging myself in a little deeper. “Several times.”

“Wonderful!” Queen Liliana exclaimed, and she applauded like a clown had just performed a trick. 

“Wonderful?” I repeated in disbelief, and my tongue darted out to moisten my suddenly dry lips. 

“Yes, wonderful!” the queen confirmed, and her eyes lit up with joy as she rushed closer to me. “Congratulations, to both of you!”

The royal couple exchanged a loving glance before Queen Liliana and King Frejit both hugged me closely and warmly like I was family, and I mouthed “what the fuck?” to the girls over their shoulders while we embraced.

Willow shrugged, and Calantha just rolled her eyes. 

“What are the mating traditions like where you’re from?” King Frejit asked in a curious voice once we finally parted. “What is your realm called again? I-day-hoe?”

I resisted the urge to snort at the comical pronunciation of the state of Idaho, but I was sure the king wouldn’t appreciate my juvenile sense of humor. 

“Yeah, close enough,” I chuckled under my breath, but then I ran a hand through my hair as I thought about the best way to answer his question. “I suppose there’s a lot of free will involved in our mating process. You just find someone you like enough to spend time with, then you get to know each other, and then finally you decide to be a couple. Once you date or court for a while, people usually get married and have kids.”

“In that order?” Queen Liliana lifted one graceful eyebrow in a questioning manner. The queen’s beauty was immeasurable, but especially pronounced when she lifted a singular eyebrow like that.

“Yep.” I nodded in confirmation, and my neck flushed as I pulled my eyes away from Willow’s gorgeous mother. “But it’s not unheard of for people to do things out of order. Lots of people have babies outside of marriage these days, but many still look down on them for it.”

“It is the same in our realm,” Queen Liliana explained. “Being the heir to the throne puts Willow in the spotlight of Ordrya. Everyone looks to her to set an example. It is very likely that Willow is already pregnant, so we will want to make our announcements as soon as possible to avoid any political backlash regarding her condition.”

“My condition?” Willow scoffed. 

It was the first sign of disobedience or disrespect I’d seen from the shifter princess, and I made a mental note to check in with her one-on-one later to see how she was really feeling about this whole conversation. 

Calantha remained silent as she crossed her arms, but I could tell she was listening closely to everything being said. Her crimson eyes were narrowed, but there was no hostility in them. She had a haughty, proud tilt to her chin, but I didn’t blame her after the way the king and queen had silenced her.

I just hoped I could soon help mend the fences between the two realms.

That was part of the prophecy, though, so if anyone could do it, it was me. 

“It would be shameful for the princess of Ordrya to be pregnant while still unwed,” Queen Liliana continued without acknowledging her daughter. 

Royal families were all the same, it seemed. I knew Calantha didn’t always see eye-to-eye with her parents, but she usually obeyed their commands. Willow was much the same, but she’d taken the initiative to get to know me in her own way. I wondered briefly how much of our first time was spontaneous or if Willow had planned it the entire time.

These were all things I needed to speak with her about in private, but I needed to get through my first interaction with her parents first. 

“That is unfortunate,” I said in a sympathetic tone. “Yet, you seem happy about the possibility?”

My confusion knew no bounds, but I still didn’t want to offend the royal shifter couple. They were happy their daughter could be pregnant, but it was also shameful for her to be pregnant out of wedlock.

I opened my mouth to say more, but Willow cut me off with a wave of her hand. The cool energy exchange between us washed over me, and my fried nerves were suddenly calmed. Then I took a deep breath, and I released some of the tension I was holding in my shoulders. 

“Mother, Father, really,” Willow huffed. “This isn’t necessary.”

“Of course it is, darling,” Queen Liliana said as she waved a dismissive hand. 

“We must all be transparent with one another, after all,” the king added. “Our enemies are counting on us being divided and easier to conquer, but if we stick together, nothing can get the best of us.”

“We’ll make the announcement in the morning,” Queen Liliana murmured in the king’s ear, and his lion’s mane ruffled as he nodded. 

“Yes, dear, right away,” the king agreed.

“What announcement?” Willow asked in a hoarse voice. “You don’t mean…” 

“What announcement?” I asked simultaneously, but Willow shot me a panicked look that had me questioning everything. 

What the fuck was going on?

What was she so scared of?

Her parents already knew we’d had sex, what could be worse than that?

The king and queen were muttering to themselves and didn’t hear me, though, so I raised my voice and repeated my question. 

“What announcement?” I asked.

The king and queen stopped mid sentence to turn and look at me, and they both blinked as though they’d forgotten I’d been standing there. 

“What announcement are you making in the morning?” I repeated for the third time in my most patient voice.

My heart was pounding against my ribcage, but I took deep breaths in through my nose and out through my mouth to still the raging beat. It would do no good for me to lose control over myself during my first meeting with the royal shifter couple.

“Oh, for the wedding, of course.” Queen Liliana laughed. “We’ll have to tell the Court of Representatives first or they’ll feel snubbed by the news. Then once all six have been alerted, we will tell the rest of the city. We should be on track to have the ceremony by the day after tomorrow.”

“The… The what now?” It took me a while to process her words, and I felt all the blood drain from my face as I tried to piece it together. 

“The wedding ceremony, Master Elijah,” the king said, but then he narrowed his eyes and looked at me closely. “Are you feeling alright?”

“I-I-I think so?” I shook my head to clear the sudden dizziness washing over me. 

I was a powerful warrior. 

The fabled Ulvant.

I needed to get my shit together. 

“The… wedding,” I said slowly and clearly, and I had to admit, the words felt weird in my mouth. “Who’s wedding exactly?”

“Yours and Willow’s?” the king said with a tilt of his head. “You admit to climaxing inside her more than once. The chance that she is pregnant is too great for us to risk her being unwed any longer. Who better to marry the princess than the prophesied hero, the Ulvant?”

“Okay, but it all seems a little… sudden,” I pointed out. “Why the hurry?”

“If any word of Willow’s condition leaks to the public, then her reputation will be ruined.” Queen Liliana pressed her lips into a thin white line. “We cannot risk that given the vulnerability of our current position.”

“The king’s illness,” I said as understanding dawned on me. “No weakness can be seen or the political unrest would get uncontrollable.”

“I don’t readily admit this to just anyone, Master Eli,” the king said in a solemn tone. “But we are on the verge of a civil war. There is no telling the consequences an illegitimate child would bring.”

“Won’t people question why it seems rushed?” I asked. 

“Not when they find out who you are,” Queen Liliana said. “The prophecy is well known in our realm. It would be the most logical decision from the perspective of the prophecy, and the news will bring a lot of hope to our people. It may stem the tide on the uprisings.”

“Why are the people so on edge?” I asked.

“We aren’t sure exactly,” the king confessed, and he shook his head sadly. “Our primal magic is diminishing, and it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to maintain the climates of the various districts. Many people think the crown is playing favorites with the canine and feline zones, but that isn’t true.”

“Why would they think that, though?” I frowned. 

“The climates for the big cats and the wolf packs are easier to maintain than some of the more extreme climates like the reptile’s desert or the bird’s jungles.” Queen Liliana sighed, and I could tell this problem had been weighing on both of them for quite some time, but then she flapped her hand and flashed me a brilliant smile. “But let’s not think of such troubling things while we have so much to celebrate!”

“The announcement of the wedding ceremony will also be an opportunity to publicly thank you for defeating the monsters at Greystone Manor.” The king scratched his long, auburn beard. “The Court of Representatives will view you as a hero, and your reputation will be bolstered. We’ll have to be very careful not to mention the talisman or the curse, though. Do you think you can handle that, Master Eli?”

“I-I will do my part,” I said, and I swallowed hard as I processed what exactly that seemed to entail. I couldn’t help glancing at Willow, but she hadn’t met my gaze since the wedding was announced. 

“What of you, darling?” Queen Liliana prompted her daughter with a delicately arched eyebrow. “Will you play your part?”

“I will do what is needed of me,” Willow sighed, but then her hand hovered protectively over her stomach. “Needed for us.”

My mind reeled at the possibility of the two of us having a baby, and I swallowed down another lump in my throat. 

Was I going to be a father?

It seemed I was definitely going to be a husband. 

I needed time and space to process all of this, but my ears were ringing, and I suddenly realized that Queen Liliana was speaking. I hadn’t heard a word she said, so I shook my head to clear the white noise, and I refocused my attention on the queen.

“... And a seamstress will need to be hired to prepare appropriate outfits for the ceremony,” the queen was saying. “The best one is Master Kujo in the Avian District, but then you’d have to venture into the city, and I’m not sure if that’s a good idea yet…”

The king was nodding along and muttering his own suggestions for the ceremony, and I realized the whole thing was outside of my control. They were going to do what they wanted, and all I could do was go along with their plans. To do otherwise would jeopardize the rapport between us, and I couldn’t affect their relationship with the vampire realm if they disliked me.

It looked like I was getting married. 

To Willow.

I glanced at the shifter princess to see her still staring in shocked silence at her feet, and I was dying to pull her to the side to see how she was feeling. Everything in me screamed to rush to her side and embrace her until we were both okay, but I didn’t want to push her boundaries at that moment.

“What is expected of me?” I finally asked as I turned back to her parents.

“Oh, Master Elijah,” the king said like he suddenly realized I was still there. “We have no further need of the three of you. You may retire for the evening, but you’ll need to be present at the announcement ceremony tomorrow, and then the wedding will be held on the following day, so you’ll need to go to the seamstress in the Avian District before then.”

“I’ll go as soon as possible,” I promised, but then I bent into a full body bow. “It was an honor to meet you both.”

“A pleasure to finally meet you, as well,” Queen Liliana said with a graceful tilt of her head. 

“Congratulations again on impregnating my daughter,” the king said as he reached out to shake my hand. “Welcome to the family, young man.”

“Yeah, uh, thanks,” I murmured as a flush darkened my neck and cheeks. 

Then I jerked my chin at Calantha, and the vampiress nodded with obvious relief. She hadn’t been able to get a single word in support of her realm, but I was on my way to being family with the shifter royal household, so I knew I’d be able to get the vampire princess’ voice heard eventually.

When the moment was right, we would speak up for the vampires.

Until then, I had some things I needed to take care of, and a seamstress to visit. I was curious about the various districts within the city of Ordrya, so this was just a good opportunity for me to learn more about the world of the shifters. 

I knew the castle and the square were located in a circular courtyard-like area at the heart of the city, and the various districts segmented on the outside of that. The outermost circle was where the bazaar was held during the day, and where the warriors from the different sections trained at night. 

I wondered if the majority of the city’s fighting force were nocturnal shifters or something, but I tucked the thought away for later consideration. I still had a lot to learn about the realm of the shifters, but I was eager to absorb everything. 

Willow, Calantha, and I walked out of the throne room side-by-side, but we said nothing as we exited the audience chamber and entered the hallway. The two women exchanged glances, but neither one of them spoke as the three of us returned to the west wing and our respective chambers. I didn’t know what to say, so I remained silent myself, but after I spent some time thinking it over, I would locate them both and discuss the recent events.

My room felt abnormally large when I returned to my bedchambers, but I decided a hot soak in the bathtub was in order. Then I smelled the food sitting on a rolling cart just inside the doorway, and my mouth watered as I realized I hadn’t eaten yet. Calantha had occupied my entire morning, and we’d both skipped breakfast without even realizing it.

I pulled up a chair to the rolling cart and removed the silver platter’s cover, and inside was a sandwich that looked very much like a cheeseburger. The meat glistened with still hot grease, and the cheese was perfectly melted. There was a red sauce on the side that resembled ketchup, and fried potato wedges as well.

I was in heaven as I devoured the delicious meal, but I was surprised the shifters knew I would like a cheeseburger, and I made a mental note to ask about their kitchens later. 

Did they have Nulmancer cooks like the vampires did?

After I ate, I ran a hot bath and soaked in the tub for a long time, but I refused to think about everything that had just happened yet. I wanted to let things sink in before I reacted, and I didn’t want to say the wrong thing to either woman I needed to talk to. 

Maybe one or both of them would go with me to the seamstress in the Avian District, and we could talk along the way. 

It would probably be best to speak in private, though, and there was no telling what kind of listening ears we’d encounter on the streets on the way to the seamstress. I didn’t know the first thing about the other shifter types, but I was eager to learn more, and I couldn’t wait for the chance to explore the city some more. 

With my anxiety and shock washed away, I toweled off and got dressed in some comfortable exercise clothes.

A quick jog was exactly what I needed.

I didn’t know where else to go, so I jogged in a circle around the west wing, and I avoided the odd looks I received from the leopard guards standing at every doorway. I still wasn’t sure if I liked them hanging around, but I wasn’t about to try to tell them to go away without the king backing me. 

Once my muscles were on fire, I trotted back to my bedchambers to chug some water from the pitcher beside my bed, and then I crawled into bed to take a nap. I wanted to set myself up for success, and that meant covering all the bases. 

I woke up to the sound of a knock on my door, and I rubbed my eyes with my fists as I called for them to come in. 

It was the same servant who had summoned me to the throne room earlier in the day, and he gestured for another servant to wheel in a fresh cart of food. This was obviously dinner, and I wondered how long I’d been asleep for.

“What time is it?” I asked with a wide yawn.

“Just past sundown, sir,” the servant said with a respectful dip of his head. “Your dinner is prepared.”

“Thank you,” I said. 

The ceremony to announce the wedding was in the morning, and I wanted to talk to both girls before then, so I hurried through my meal. It was a perfectly cooked steak dripping with juice in the middle, and a side of mashed potatoes, fried okra, and hot, buttery rolls. 

I scarfed everything down as quickly as I could, but I couldn’t help savory the richness of the meat and the fluffiness of the potatoes. I made another mental note to thank their chef soon, and then I wiped my face clean with a napkin and washed it all down with some chilled water.

Living in palaces had its perks.

I changed into a more appropriate outfit, and then I went off in search of my soon to be bride and my lover. 

I knocked on Willow’s door first, but there was no answer, so I tried Calantha’s. No one answered at either portal, and I scratched my head as I thought about where they could be. Both women probably needed to let out some steam, and I wondered if they were together.

Willow was likely training, but I didn’t know where the training grounds were. Maybe I could ask one of the guards to show me the way? 

“Hey, there.” I cleared my throat as I approached one of the leopard men guarding the entrance to the west wing. “Would you happen to have any idea of where I could find Princess Willow?” 

“The princess is likely in the training grounds,” the guard confirmed without hesitation, and he exchanged a brief look with his colleague before he continued. “I can show you, if you like.”

“I would like that very much, thank you,” I said, and I tried to hide the surprise from my voice. 

The shifter guards were friendlier than I expected, and it made me feel bad for assuming the worst of them. 

The leopard shifter guard turned on his heel and crisply marched down the corridor to the main hallway, but then he took a left turn and continued walking down another corridor. We ended up in a gymnasium style room, and I spotted Willow immediately. The shifter princess was jogging circles around the room, and I trotted to match her pace.

“Hey, there,” I greeted in the most casual voice I could muster considering what I was about to talk about with her. “How are you doing?”

Willow shot me a loaded glance but she didn’t say anything, so we ran an entire circuit before I spoke again. 

“So, about what your parents said…” I started.

“Look, Eli, I’m sorry about my mother and father,” Willow said with a sigh. “They’re… overbearing at best.”

“That’s one way to put it,” I chuckled.

“Are you freaking out and ready to run back to Earth yet?” Willow laughed, but the sound was obviously self-conscious. 

“No,” I said, and I found myself surprised by the conviction in my own voice. “Not at all.”

“Really?” Willow slid to a halt and turned to stare at me in awe. “My parents basically just informed you that you were to marry me, and they didn’t give you a chance to argue or back out at all. You took it like a champion, but…”

“But what?” I asked. “Don’t you want to marry me?”

“That’s not it at all.” Willow frowned, and she reached across the distance between us to clasp my hand warmly. “Do you… Um, do you want to marry me?”

“Princess Willow, are you proposing to me?” I placed a hand on my chest as I flashed her a mock shocked look. 

“I… I guess?” Willow smirked weakly. “Is it too late to do this right?”

“Not at all.” I grinned. “Willow Lunaverre, I would love to marry you. Especially if you really are pregnant with my baby.”

“I… I kind of think I am.” Willow blushed and looked down. “I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want to freak you out, but my parents handled that just fine without my help.”

“That they did,” I laughed. “But for some reason, I’m not freaked out. I knew the prophecy mentioned mating with you, and I should have thought about what that really meant, but it never occurred to me before now. Now… It just makes sense, doesn’t it?”

“I suppose it does.” Willow smiled, and the world shone a little brighter because of it. Her emerald eyes filled with emotion, and she flicked a finger against her eyelashes to remove a stray tear, but I knew she was feeling good things, so I let her be. “Elijah Shepherd, you’re going to be my husband.”

“It sounds pretty incredible when you put it like that,” I said, but I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed her against me. “Now, I just have to talk to Calantha about it.”

“Oh, Jarvald’s name, I hope she isn’t pissed.” Willow sighed. “I had hoped my dad would wait until she wasn’t present, but I understand his urgency. Our realm is in bad shape, and it will be up to us to fix it.”

“That’s a heavy burden to bear,” I said, and I rubbed her shoulders affectionately. “But you don’t have to carry it alone anymore, Willow. I’m here to support you in any way I can.”

“Thanks, Eli,” Willow said, and she stood up on her tiptoes to press a kiss against my cheek. “Now, go talk to Cal and make sure she doesn’t hate me again. Please?”

“Of course,” I chuckled, and I squeezed her in my arms one more time before we parted ways.

I meandered through the hallways in an attempt to locate the vampire princess, but I stumbled upon the kitchens before I realized Calantha was seated at the kitchen bar eating cookies and milk. I tilted my head to the side in curiosity as I approached, and she flashed me a bashful smile.

“It’s a comfort food,” the princess explained. “I was a little… on edge.”

“After the throne room?” I slid into the seat beside her. “That’s very understandable. Do you want to talk about it?”

“What’s there to talk about?” Calantha snorted. “The king and queen seemed to be in total control of the situation. Where does my voice fit in?”

“You always have a voice with me,” I reminded her. “How do you feel about their plans?”

“I don’t want you forced to do something you don’t want to do,” Calantha began in a hesitant voice. “But the shifter version of the prophecy says you need to mate with Willow, not me. The shifters aren’t going to recognize me as a potential mate for the Ulvant in much the same way that my family wouldn’t recognize Willow.”

“It sounds like you’ve put a lot of thought into it,” I said in a quiet voice. “Overall, do you approve of the match? Political reasoning aside, but you personally, how do you feel about it?”

“I’m not sure, to be honest,” Calantha admitted with a sigh. “It’s a lot to process in a short amount of time.”

“I get that.” I flashed her a tight lipped smile. “If it was just between the three of us, I’d marry you both.”

“There may be an opportunity for you to prove that someday,” Calantha said in a vague tone. “But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Focus on your wedding to Willow first, and then we’ll deal with my parents once we return to Marbrooke.”

“I’ll make sure your voice is heard with the king and queen before then,” I promised. “We will fix the relationship between your realms.”

“Thank you, Eli,” Calantha said, and she squeezed my hand affectionately. “And congratulations, by the way.”

“Thanks,” I chuckled, but then I stole one of her cookies and crunched down on it. The freshly baked cookie consisted of chocolate chips and peanut butter, and the warmth of it hit my throat like a childhood memory. 

A short while later, I headed out to find the seamstress the queen had consigned to create our wedding outfits, but I took Willow and Calantha with me just in case. Willow could help me locate the shop we needed, and the vampiress provided emotional support. 

We left the castle at a brisk pace, and I held each girls’ hand in one of my own. I wondered if we would get strange looks that way, but I really didn’t care. They were both my lovers and my friends, and I was proud to walk between them. 

We also made an attractive threesome, I had to admit.

Willow led the way out of the castle’s courtyard and past the stone statues that sat in the center of the gardens, but I only gave them a brief glance before we headed out into the Avian District. 

The difference was immediate and stark, and I paused to take it all in. 

Jungle trees arched above my head, and birds of every shape, size, and color flew through the branches twisting and turning in every direction. The heat and humidity hit me in the face like a brick wall, and I had to force myself to move forward into the intense pressure created by the air alone. The chirps and whistles of bugs and birds filled my ears, and I exchanged a broad smile with the two girls.

“Welcome to the Avian District,” Willow said. “Home of the bird shifters in Ordrya.”

“So, each type of shifter has a different section of the city,” Calantha said as she gazed around in wonder. “And they choose one representative to speak for them in court. Has there ever been a bird king before?”

“Not in recent history,” Willow explained. “The kings and queens are usually from the more predatory types of shifters. Big cats, wolves, and bears, so the other sects often carry a fair amount of jealousy for the more powerful clans.”

“There’s a certain amount of privilege that comes from being one of the powerful clans, I assume,” I said. “You’re lucky to be a black panther shifter.”

“Exactly,” Willow agreed. 

We made our way through the maze-like streets of the jungle climate section of Ordrya, but it didn’t take us very long to reach the seamstress’s shop. Willow marched up to the entrance and rang the bell, but then a half-pelican, half-woman person poked their head out of the door. Her long gray hair folded at the shoulders, and her large round eyes peered out from behind circular glasses, but the pelican beak jutting from her face maintained my attention.

Shifters were weird. 

“How can I help you?” she asked and pulled me from my thoughts. 

“My name is Elijah Shepherd,” I said. “The king and queen sent us to get fitted for new outfits?”

“Ah, yes, come in,” the seamstress said. “I am Mistress Quillian, but you can just call me Mistress.”

“Yes, Mistress,” the three of us said in unison.

The shop was dimly lit and full of mannequins wearing a variety of half-made outfits. There were reams and reams of fabric on rolls hanging from the walls, and candles covered every flat surface in melted wax. The woman was either a genius or a nutcase, or both. 

I eyed a tuxedo that was half-hung from the shoulders of a mannequin, and it looked to be close to my size.

“Your outfit is almost ready,” Mistress said. “I just need to narrow down the measurements a little. Please, all three of you undress.”

“Um…” Calantha said in a trepidatious voice. “I am not in the ceremony.”

“You are the vampire princess, yes?” The disdain in her voice was obvious. “I was told to fit you for a flower girl dress.”

“Flower girl?” Calantha flashed Willow and me a frustrated look. “Seriously?”

“I’m sure they meant no offense,” Willow said in a reassuring tone. “They mean well, I promise.”

“Fine,” the vampiress huffed. “I’ll play along for your little impromptu wedding.”

“It’ll make them like you more,” I pointed out. “Only good things.”

“I already said fine,” Cal muttered as she slid out of her clothes.

A short while later, the three of us left the seamstress with our new outfits in tow. The next couple of days would be busy, but I felt better about the situation after I was able to discuss it with the two girls.

Getting married was no big deal, right?

Lots of people did it and survived.

The next morning, I joined the king and queen in the courtyard in front of the castle, and a small crowd gathered around to hear the announcement. I recognized some of the faces I’d seen in the throne room the previous day, but I didn’t feel any more comfortable beneath the gaze of that many people at once. 

I was marrying a princess, though, so I supposed I should get used to being in the limelight. 

“... the marriage of Princess Willow Lunaverre and Elijah Shepherd, the Ulvant,” the king said, and I shook my head slightly to pull myself out of my thoughts. 

A loud cheer echoed through the air at his announcement, and I grinned as I stared into all the happy faces in the crowd. I was surprised the news was met with so much gusto, but I supposed fulfilling the prophecy was kind of a big deal. 

I went to sleep that night with a smile on my face as I thought about what lay ahead of me. It was the night before my wedding, and I was surprised that I wasn’t a nervous wreck. Instead, I felt calm and ready.

I woke up the next morning bright and early, and I jumped out of bed ready to face the day. 

I was going to marry Willow.