Chapter 63
JASMINE’S POV
After encountering Princess Coral, I was relieved to leave the room.
Her interrogation had been intense, and it was like she had me caught.
I looked up and saw that it was almost sunset.
I had summoned my bird!
I could not hang around with anyone or anywhere at all.
I needed to be somewhere no one could come.
If sunset arrived, the bird would fly down to me wherever I was, and they would see I owned a summoning bird.
I began to pace back and forth, wondering where I could go.
I could not go to the lake.
It was quite a distance, and I could not risk going there too frequently.
I needed to be somewhere completely different.
Then I remembered that there was an old, abandoned castle near ours.
It was an extension of the pack but abandoned and crumbling.
I had even seen crows hovering around.
If I went there, no one would suspect me.
I hurried out of the castle, and after ten minutes, I found myself in the scary castle.
The moment I stepped in, it became sunset, and I saw a beautiful white owl on the horizon flying to me.
I looked at her in amazement.
She was so beautiful.
She came and landed on the railings before me.
I looked down at her, and she, in turn, looked at me.
“So you’re Qitania,” I said.
She just looked around.
I gently touched her head, and she ruffled her feathers.
Then I saw that there was paper rolled under her claws.
I gently pulled it out and opened it.
There were some writings in it.
They had given me a message from home.
How was I even going to read it?
I still didn’t know how to read or write.
And then, it occurred to me that if I didn’t know how to write, I would not be able to deliver any messages to them.
“How do I even read this or send it to you when I still have no idea how to read or write?” I said.
The bird made its sound, and then I sighed.
So much had already happened.
I knew that my family would not be allowed into the pack for the Halo festival, so they would hear about it but not know about it.
My father would be furious at me.
I shook in fear at the thought of my father being angry with me.
I shivered.
He was very far away, but he was still able to instill so much fear in me.
After much thought, I decided to send the little bird away and learn to read and write as quickly as possible.
I couldn’t trust anyone to read or write for me. I was an enemy here.
I dipped the paper into my dress and played with Qitiana a little before letting her go.
She swooped, and I saw her wings on the horizon.
Then I went down from the old and abandoned castle and found my way back to the main pack castle.
Fortunately, I had not had any run-ins with Alpha Xaden lately.
At least since he told me, I would perform as an entertainer at the Halo festival.
I didn’t even know what that meant.
I hurried past the busy hallways and went to my quarters with Loren when I saw a large woman.
She was probably in her early sixties, had long raven black hair, was extremely tall, and seemed terrifying.
There was a resemblance somewhere.
Like I had seen her before.
She had an entourage with her.
Several servants were carrying different boxes for her.
Who was this woman?
I decided to mind my business and make a sharp turn, but she saw me.
She gave me a narrow glare.
She walked up to me.
“Little girl.” She said. “Who are you?”
The way she gazed over me.
As if she could see through my clothes.
“I’m just a slave,” I said.
She didn’t stop eyeing me.
She caught my chin and forced me to look at her.
Why did she look so familiar?
Her nails dug into my chin, and I shut my eyes in pain.
I could feel my blood being drawn.
Instinctively, I pulled myself free from her grasp.
She looked at me in surprise as if I had dared to defy her, and even I was shocked that I had opposed her.
She took a deep breath.
And unlike usual times when I would stay and await judgment, I hurried away from her and ran up the stairs.
Today was such a mess, and I wanted it to end.
When I returned to the quarters, I saw Loren standing as if he were waiting for him.
His arms were folded.
I tilted my head in question.
“Sit down,” he offered.
I began to panic.
Had he known that I was betraying them for my pack?
Did he know that I was an impostor?
I did as he told me, and I sat on the bench, waiting for whatever he told me.
“Jasmine.” He said. “What happened to your mother?”
I frowned.
I am further confused about why he would care to ask about my mother. “My mother?”
“Yes,” he said.
He was unusually calm, which was so unlike Loren, and it made me more suspicious.
“My mother is Luna Maria,” I told him.
He frowned. “I can’t remember Luna Maria having red hair. Not Alpha Bale.”
My heart began to pound.
Had I been found out?
“I heard that my grandparents were red heads,” I said. “And I inherited my hair from them.”
He looked at me suspiciously.
He wanted to say more, but then he changed his mind.
“The royal family has red heads.” He said. “The Queen lost one of her daughters when she was young, and that’s why when she saw you, she thought you were a grown-up version of her.”
I felt my heart break for the Queen.
“How did she lose her?” I asked.
“In a boat accident.” He said. “It was her younger sister, Coral, who had witnessed everything. They were just around the age of six.”
I couldn’t imagine how tragic it was for the entire family.
And Princess Coral having to witness her sister’s death.