Kyra POV:
I woke to Blaze gently rubbing my shoulder, “Babe, were here.” I stretched my legs and arms as best as I could as I peered out the window. The dense trees didn’t leave much to see; their thick branches were full of leaves, and the darkness of the night draped like a veil hiding the supernatural creatures from the prying eyes of humans that may pass through.
“I don’t see anything,” I remarked as the headlights from the SUV flashed along the tree line as we turned down a gravel road. He smiled, softly running his thumb over my cheek, “Just wait; I’m sure when we get closer, it’ll be amazing.”
And oh, was he right. After about thirty minutes of bumping along the gravel road and one more left turn, I gasped at the sight before me. I knew it was a palace, a castle, but to see it in person was breathtaking. It was something straight out of a fairytale book, and I couldn’t believe I would be living here now. Blaze squeezed my hand as the car rolled to a stop in front. There were more people than I could count lining the driveway, yard, and all the way up the stairs to the front door.
I hadn’t noticed our driver get out of the car until the backdoor opened. He bowed deeply before standing tall beside the SUV, waiting for us to exit. I couldn’t remember his name, something ‘ll need to work on, but he was relatively young, polite, and respectful. I liked him well enough. “Why are they all out here?” I questioned Blaze, feeling uneasy knowing all eyes would be on us as soon as we stepped out.
“They are excited to see their new King and Queen, ma’am,” the driver responded. Duh, I thought to myself. Of course, they would want to see who we are. “Ready?” I looked up at the sound of Zane’s voice. He and Faye stood waiting for us.
They made such a cute couple, and I was so happy they could come with us to begin this new journey. Even though I knew Zane would need to leave at some point to take on his role as Alpha, at least he would be here to help, me get started Blaze slid from the seat, gently pulling me out with him.
The loud cheers, whistles, and occasional howls were deafening as our driver began to lead us to the doors.
Blaze and Zane walked on either side of Faye and me, ensuring no one attempted anything. As we walked, everyone bowed, murmuring some sort of praise or thanks to us. By the time we reached the top of the stairs, I was more than overwhelmed, my grip on Blaze’s arm tight as l attempted to hide my emotions. Without any notice, Faye spun on her heel, facing the growing group of spectators.
“We thank you all for showing up and waiting to greet our new leaders, but as you must know, it has been a long trip, and they would like to rest and begin to settle in.”
I was shocked but grateful for her. She must know many of these people already, and I’m sure they all know who she is already. Blaze’s arm stayed wrapped tightly around my waist as we watched the crowd slowly begin to disperse.
Faye shot me a wink as we turned to enter the castle.
My mouth dropped open at the sight before me, and we had only just entered. The stone walls were lightly decorated with photos of my grandfather and other royal members, but that wasn’t what had caught my eye. I slowly pulled away from Blaze and walked over to the most prominent portrait in the entryway.
Tears burned my eyes as I stared at the newest photo in the room, it was my grandfather with me, Zane, my mother, and my father. His smile was huge, and his eyes were filled with pride and love. I remembered taking this picture before we ate supper one night. I never knew he had it developed and hung in here. Zane stood next to me, staring at the picture, too.
“You know he is incredibly proud of you right now.” I turned to face him, doing my best to blink away the tears, “I hope so…but can I really be as good of a ruler as he was? I’m scared I’m going to fail him.”
Speaking my fear out loud to my brother was like a weight lifting off of me. I had told Blaze about it, but never anyone else, afraid to be seen as weak. Though that’s stupid because I know Zane would never make me feel that way.
“Are you kidding me?” Zane nudged me with his shoulder.
“You’re going to be the best of all time, and there is nothing you could ever do to fail any of us. Remember that, sister.” Zane turned back to Faye as Blaze wrapped me in his arms from behind, “Are you ready to see the rest of your palace, my Queen?”
The driver, whose name I found out is Bryce, introduced us to an elderly man and woman, Rob and Beth, who also happened to be his parents. They were both fantastic and are the “keepers” of the castle. Beth eagerly showed us upstairs to our quarters while Rob took Zane and Faye to theirs. Beth insisted we could tour the castle tomorrow, insisting we get our rest tonight. She was very eager to talk about her one and only son, Bryce, and how proud and honored they were to serve us as they did my grandfather.
“This entire floor is designated for the two of you. No one is allowed to come up here without prior approval, and guards stay posted at the stairs twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, Beth said, waving her hand at the middle age guards standing on either side of the Stairway.
Both men bowed before standing at attention once more.
“Please make yourselves comfortable,” she continued, “and if it’s okay with y’all, I will deliver supper in two hours.” I heard Blaze respond, giving her the approval she needed as I made my way down the hall. It was absolutely gorgeous.
Just as downstairs, the wall was made of stone.
Though it was apparent it had been updated through the years, it still had an ancient feel to it. I carefully pushed open each door as I came to it. Not taking time to really explore each room but merely wanting to take note of what rooms we had.
Over six bedrooms, each fully furnished with extravagant pieces and each having its own bathroom from what I could see. There was one large office and two empty rooms. This floor alone had more space than we would ever need. Unless we have several kids… six, to be exact. The thought had me clenching my thighs as I let my mind wander.
“Mmmm,” Blaze whispered in my ear as he pulled me to rest against his chest, “what could you possibly be thinking about?” His hand traveled down my stomach as he planted soft kisses along my neck. I couldn’t stop the moan that escaped my lips as his hand cupped my s*x, sending goosebumps shooting over my skin, “We should probably find our room,” he murmured, nibbling on my ear.
“We should,” I agreed breathlessly.