Chapter 57: The Fiction of a Fiancé
**Thelma Zane’s POV**
Of course, it wasn’t actual alcohol. The drink being served at dinner was simply non–alcoho fruit water.
Initially, my friends were a little reserved in my mother’s presence, but as the evening wo on, they began to relax. Before long, they were chatting freely, even revealing some of my more embarrassing moments at school.
“You should’ve seen the football captain’s face!” Mara said, laughing. “He’s been such a bull strutting around like he owns the school. I don’t think he ever imagined someone would knock him flat.”
My mother chuckled at this story of my so–called bravery in dealing with bullies. Meanwhile, sat off to the side, laughing nervously and silently praying Mara and Avril wouldn’t dig up anything more humiliating to share.
“This is the first time I’ve heard from someone else just how righteous Thelma is,” my mother said, her tone both proud and teasing. She turned to Mara with a smile. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”
Mara looked a bit flustered by the attention. “It’s nothing, really. If you want to hear more we’ve got plenty of stories about Thelma.”
Alarmed at how much they seemed ready to “sell me out,” I quickly jumped in to change the topic. “We met the Southern Duke in the garden this afternoon. Isn’t he such a dignified man?”
The change in topic worked, and the girls immediately nodded enthusiastically, recounting their impressions of him.
“You met Lennon?” my mother asked, a smile spreading across her face. “Don’t let his aloofness fool you. He’s truly a good person.”
Curious, I asked her, “What was he doing at the palace? Did Father summon him?”
Unlike Duke Walter, the Southern Duke, Lennon, didn’t reside within the Lycan Pack. He managed his own territory and wasn’t involved in the Council of Elders, so it was unusual to see him in the palace. It wasn’t as though he’d traveled all this way just for tea with my father.
“He came to discuss his daughter’s marriage,” my mother said with a laugh. “He’s eager to find her a suitable husband. Lennon dotes on his daughter a great deal ”
This caught me off guard. “Marriage? Does that mean Carolyn doesn’t have a fiancé yet?”
The girls looked equally surprised. Carolyn often behaved at school as if she were deeply in love with her fiance, going so far as to “present her most beautiful self” in his honor.
“Of course not,” my mother replied, clearly puzzled by our reactions. “She’s only sixteen.”
She sighed softly before continuing, “Honestly, I didn’t completely agree with Lennon’s plan to arrange a match for her so early. I know you young people value freedom and don’t like being bound by marriage too soon.
The girls exchanged glances, silently agreeing to keep what they knew to themselves.
After dinner, my mother informed us that she had arranged guest rooms for my friends.
“Though,” she added with a mischievous smile, “sometimes it’s more fun to all pile into the same room, isn’t it?”
With that, she left, leaving Mara and Avril completely charmed by her.
“She’s truly extraordinary,” Mara gushed. “I feel like a starstruck child. My heart is racing just being near her.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Avril said with a frown, pretending not to be affected. “It’s not like you’ve met other queens to compare her to. And no, TV doesn’t count.‘
“How can those actors even begin to compare?” Mara shot back, still in awe. “She’s the real deal–a noble, elegant Queen.”
That night, the guest room was promptly forgotten as the four of us crammed onto my large four–poster bed. Instead of discomfort, there was a warmth and closeness to the arrangement, reminding me of wolf cubs huddling together for comfort.
Dorothy, always straightforward, summed it up perfectly. “Just like little wolf pups seeking warmth together.”
Our conversation naturally drifted to Carolyn and the surprising revelation about her
nonexistent fiancé.
“I still can’t believe it,” Mara said, shaking her head. “Carolyn acted like she was madly in love. with her fiancé at school. Who would’ve guessed he doesn’t even exist?”
“I don’t like how this feels,” I admitted, the unease growing in my chest. “There’s something strange about Carolyn. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something’s off.”
“It’s obvious,” Avril said bluntly. “Either she’s sneaking around with a boyfriend behind her father’s back, or she’s living in a fantasy world. Let’s be real–she’s not exactly known for being trustworthy.”
Dorothy, who had been quiet until now, suddenly spoke up. “Do you remember what t mentioned before? How Carolyn gave me an odd feeling?”
We all nodded, curious about where this was golt
“Well Dorothy continued. “I didn’t feel anything unusual about the Southern Duke. He’s
Chapter’s
clearly a werewolf, through and through. But Carolyn… she’s different. I sensed something familiar about her, and today it finally clicked. The feeling I get from her is the same one I felt during the chaos at the academy.”
My breath caught as her meaning became clear. Dorothy had detected magical energy from Carolyn, though she couldn’t say it outright without revealing her own secret. Instead, she had disguised it as a hunch related to the earlier incident.
Mara and Avril looked stunned. “Are you saying Carolyn’s a witch?” Mara asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “But aren’t the rumors about the Southern Duke’s family tied to elven bloodlines? How could she possibly be a witch?”
None of us had an answer, but the room fell into a heavy silence as we pondered the
implications. If Carolyn truly had magic in her blood, it opened a world of questions about her, her family, and the truth she had been hiding from everyone.
