Chapter 8 07

Ivy Calleya

It was already late, and I could no longer afford to delay.

My hair was down, with only a single strand pinned back by a diamond-encrusted ornament. My makeup was light, just enough to cover the marks the sun had left on me over the past few days. The most affected part was my arms, and to cover the wounds and bandages, I was given large white gold bracelets that extended from my wrists to my elbows.

I left the marquis' castle with swift steps, and when I reached the garden, I saw the carriage already waiting for me. The two knights I had requested as an escort stood by the door, and as I approached, I noticed that one of them was Sir Lorey.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" I asked with a smile, and he playfully replied, "How can I rest when the very princess who spent most of her life bedridden is now on her feet... They'd mock me until my death." He laughed, and after helping me up the carriage steps, we headed toward the palace.

As soon as we arrived at the gates, I could see how crowded the place was. There were carriages with crests of families I didn't even know existed, and as we approached the door, I could hear the music already playing; the ball had begun.

"Damn..." I thought, quickening my pace. When I reached that familiar grand door, I felt my heart race, realizing I was finally home.

The guards at the door looked shocked to see me-the sickly princess who had survived the shipwreck had arrived. When I informed them of my intention to enter, they announced my presence to everyone.

"Princess Ivy Calleya of the Kingdom of Oracalia," they announced. As I walked in, carefully scanning the room, the first thing I did was search for Alexandre. I was expecting to see a small, cheerful child full of energy running through the hall, but that wasn't what I found.

Instead, I was surrounded by numerous nobles who looked at me with confusion, whispering in each other's ears.

Glancing to the side, I recognized a few of them. They looked different, changed by the passage of time, but they were still the same. They covered their mouths as they insulted me, laughing at my weary appearance.

I held back the urge to roll my eyes, ignoring them, trying to maintain my composure as I walked through the hall. But then something-or rather someone-blocked my path. A tall man dressed in war armor stood before me. He wore a wolf mask, and as he stopped in front of me, the only thing I could see behind that fully covered figure were his dark eyes, fixed on me.

The knights escorting me took a step forward as he approached, but one look from that mysterious man was enough to make them retreat.

I didn't know if he was an enemy or even who he was. All I felt was that the wolf he carried was trying to communicate with mine.

"Who are you?" I wondered, confused, trying to understand what this strange feeling he evoked in me was. For a moment, I lost control of my body, as if the beast within me was guiding me, controlling me.

He extended his hand, remaining silent, as if our wolves were communicating through us. Unable to control myself, I took his hand, and as I did, I felt a shiver run through my body and my heart warm.

He guided me to the center of the hall where everyone was dancing. With all eyes on us, I felt the world stop, and all I could see was him in front of me.

That mysterious man was the destined partner of Ivy Calleya; I knew this the moment our hands touched.

He seemed as confused as I was, trying to decipher the feeling that our wolves seemed to share.

"Does he feel the same as I do? Is he truly the twin of this body?" I wondered, examining him closely. He was tall, strong, and also very enigmatic. For a moment, I forgot everyone around us completely and let myself be carried away by the delicate, passionate dance that made me lose myself more and more in a feeling I couldn't quite name.