Five days at the palace passed quickly and easily and I found myself no longer wincing at the slightest mention of Marcella or waking up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. I no longer crawled from place to place nor felt like I were about to shatter into a thousand pieces. Instead, I felt as though a huge burden had been lifted from my shoulders and I was myself again. 

And it would never have happened had I not met Andreas.

Every afternoon, whilst the Princess and his father argued incessantly about the alliance in the Council Chambers, he took me into the forest and showed me the beautiful landscapes he had found over the years. We swam in a crystal clear lake, hunted deer with bows and arrows and huddled close to each other for warmth as the sun dipped below the horizon. I told him of my life in Lycaon, though I still avoided the topic of my parents' deaths, and he told me the secrets and stories of his family that no one else knew. And whilst I felt bad every time I had to deny him his request to meet my wolf, it could have easily been one of the happiest periods of my life.

"You look beautiful," Octavia told me as I stood in front of her mirror, wearing the dress she had given me. Though I had initially protested, I had to admit that the dress was stunning. Made of expensive black fabric, it was intricately decorated with silver thread and hung down to my calves with a black ribbon tied around my waist to emphasise my hourglass figure. A pair of black leather boots tied up the whole ensemble.

"Why are you so insistent on me wearing a dress?" I questioned as I noticed the excited twinkle in her eyes. "What do you know that I do not?"

She smiled, reaching for a loose strand of my blonde hair and pinning it into place on my head. "That would ruin the surprise. All I can say is that I am quite jealous. I would much rather be going where you are going than sit in that stuffy chamber and argue with those arrogant mutts."

"Now I am more intrigued." My boots tapped against the hard, wooden floor as I walked across the room and I found myself lengthening my strides to test the limits of the dress to ensure I could fight in it. Then I reached for my sword and its holster, strapping it around my waist and ignoring the irritated look from the Princess.

"It does not match," she sighed.

I raised my eyebrows at her. "I am not leaving it behind."

"Yes, of course." She beckoned me over and handed an ornate gold necklace to me. Gently, I lifted up her raven locks and placed the necklace around her exposed neck, tying it in place. "Let us go now or we shall be late."

Nodding, my head rested on the hilt of my sword as I followed the Princess, scowling at the two lieutenants surprised faces as they took their places behind me and eyed my dress with curiosity and surprise.

The winding corridors were easy and quick to navigate and we swiftly arrived at the Council Chambers where I watched the Princess disappear from sight with a twinge of apprehension. But I knew she was safe. 

"You look beautiful."

I turned to face the handsome Prince, a smile on my face as I watched his eyes travel upwards and meet my own. "The Princess was adamant that I wear a dress," I told him. "It has been quite some time since I last wore one though and I am already missing my breeches."

"Well, I think you look like a Queen - my Queen." He reached out to take my hand and I entwined my fingers with his as I leaned into his presence. "I have a little surprise waiting for you, but I need you to close your eyes and let me guide you. Do you trust me?"

"Yes." I did not even hesitate to answer.

"Then close your eyes."

I gripped his hand tightly as I closed my eyes to the world. Without sight, I was completely exposed and vulnerable and the feeling made me giddy with anticipation. Though my hearing strained for the sound of steel, I could feel his presence beside me and that gave me all the reassurance I needed. I let my guard down and enjoyed the relief that gave me.

Soon, the smooth wooden floors turned to hard, cold stone and the scents around me grew thick with the rich smell of pine and oak. Then the ground became softer and more uneven and I could feel the leaves of plants brushing against my ankles. But still, I kept my eyes closed, even when I stumbled into him and felt the warmth of his hands clasp my waist to stop me from falling.

"You can open your eyes now," he murmured in my ear and my eyes flickered open, momentarily dazzled by the brightness. The stench of manure and hay were the first things my sense picked up and I wrinkled my nose as I blinked away the spots in my vision. Then, I turned to my right and saw what Andreas was gesturing at.

"Do you like her," he asked as I took a step forward.

My hand reached out to rest on her muzzle and I tenderly stroked her. "She is beautiful. Does she have a name?"

"Not yet. I thought you would like to name her."

I turned to him. "You want me to name her?"

"Of course I want you to name her. She is yours now." I watched, wide-eyed, as he reached for the latch on the door for the stall and followed him inside, taking the bridle from his hand.

"She is mine?"

His hand clasped mine and lifted it up to place it on her flank. "Yes, she is yours. So do you have a name for her?"

Tightening the straps of the bridle, I subtly wiped a tear from the corner of my eye as the perfect name came to mind. "Her name is Eliana, after my mother."

As Andreas went to fetch his own horse, Dimitrius, I led mine outside and into the bright sunlight where I was able to properly admire her. A stunning, grey, Arabian horse, she stood proudly in the courtyard and I found myself running my fingers down her strong neck and admiring every inch of her. 

"You will never leave me, will you," I murmured, stroking her muzzle. "No, of course not. Because I will protect you."

"Artemis."

Breaking away from her gaze, I turned to see Andreas sitting astride his horse. "Would you care to go riding with me?"

 "I would love to," I told him, mounting Eliana. "You know I do not believe anyone has given me such a beautiful gift. I am afraid I have nothing to give you in return."

"Your company is a far greater gift than I could ever receive," he answered. Flicking his reins, Dimitrius began to walk forwards and I guided Marcella to do the same, following Andreas towards and then through the main gates of the palace.

"So where are we riding to? Or is that a surprise as well?"

He just smiled and urged his horse into a gentle canter, a pace I kept up with easily. Following the well-worn road, I soon realised we were heading towards the city of Oudéter and my curiosity grew. But he refused to answer any of my questions and eventually we settled into a peaceful silence as we crossed the narrow stretch of green land that acted as a divider between the palace and the city.

Bringing our horses into a slow walk, we proceeded down the central road that stretched from the palace gates to the city docks. People stopped as we passed, bowing their heads in acknowledgement towards Andreas and then casting a curious eye at me which I ignored.

I guided my horse to follow Andreas as we turned off the main street into a large, cobbled square where we promptly dismounted and I tied Marcella's reins to a nearby post. After Andreas had handed a couple of Drachma over to a young boy and told him to watch the horses, he linked his arm around mine and steered me towards a building constructed of timber in the corner of the square that leaned out from the buildings surrounding it. A large chimney stuck up from its low roof, sending clouds of black smoke pouring into the sky whilst the constant clanging grew louder as we approached. 

"What are we visiting a blacksmith for?" I asked.

He smiled as he reached for the door handle. "This is no blacksmith, my promised. Dorian Floros is the finest goldsmith in the whole of Lycaon. Much of his work hangs around the neck of my mother and sister and I want you to have a piece of his work to wear as well."

My eyes widened as I followed him into the shop, falling to the walls that glittered with gold. Shelves upon shelves displayed necklaces, bracelets, rings, piercings and hairpieces that bore the emblems of the twelve packs or symbols of the Goddess. It reminded me of Octavia's vast chamber of jewellery, only the pieces here were all of the same intricate style and were far more modest than the extravagant Santorinian fashion.

Stepping forward, I hesitated as I lightly brushed my finger over a stunning gold wolf pendant and watched as it gleamed in the light streaming through the narrow glass windows. I was no stranger to wealth, but the recklessness at which Octavia handled her own jewellery had left me insensitive to the value of such pieces. Until now, I was afraid to get a greasy mark on these works of art. 

"Alpha Heir Prince," a gruff voice spoke behind me and I spun around to see a short, burly man standing in the far corner of the room whose eyes fell on me once he had risen from his graceless bow. "Luna Heir Princess, it is an honour to meet you. I am Dorian Floros."

"The honour is ours," Andreas spoke, reaching to take hold of my hand again. "Do you have what I asked for?"

My eyes flew to Andreas in shock and then back to Dorian who had already taken several steps forwards and was digging through a chest of items. "I must have put it in here," he mumbled to himself as he pulled out a pouch of priceless diamonds and several bars of gold. "Unless?" He scurried over to a shelf and reached up on his toes to pull a small wooden box off the top shelf. "Here it is."

He opened the box and lifted up the object inside until it caught the light and I gasped. 

Shards of white crystals had been intricately melded with Nickel Silver into a beautiful tiara that rose up towards a bejewelled half moon at its centre. The piece of art was delicate and eye-catching and he was holding it towards me.

"A tiara fit for the future Luna Queen," the brawny man spoke. "It is one of my finest pieces of work yet."

I stayed still as the tiara was placed on my head then reached up with nervous hands to adjust its position, terrified of damaging it. But, as soon as Dorian held up a mirror and I caught sight of my appearance, I took it off my head and handed it back to Andreas.

"I am no Luna Queen," I told him honestly, noticing how the softness of the tiara clashed horribly with my scarred, battle-hardened face. It was clear it was meant for someone like Princess Selene, the gentle, submissive promised of General Castor, not me. "Excuse me," I slipped out of the shop, ignoring the crestfallen face of my promised that sent shivers of pain through my vulnerable heart. 

Outside, I caught sight of Eliana and stroked her mane before mounting her. The boy watching the horses gave me a startled cry as I spurred the horse into a trot and headed back to the castle, ignoring the Prince's shout for me to stop.

As soon as I had broken from the narrow confines of the city, I urged Eliana into a strong canter as we sped towards the looming shadow of the palace, riding through the gates without being stopped by a single guard. It took little time for me to hand my horse over to a stable hand and I was inside and hidden in the small corner of the Princess' chambers that had become my own over this past week. 

My dress fell to my feet and stiff armour replaced it. I relished in the feeling of power it brought me, though I felt a coward for running. Trying on that tiara had reminded me of exactly who I was courting and exactly the role I was meant to conform to. But I was not that person and I would never be. So I returned to the Council Chambers to take my place behind the Princess, knowing I would have to make a decision soon on whether I would choose Andreas or myself.

The doors opened as I approached and Titus was the first to appear, eyeing me with a relaxed smile on his face. "Agem Artemis," he spoke, pleased with himself. "I suppose you should be informed as well."

"Informed of what, Duke Titus?" I responded respectfully as I neared him, watching Octavia appear beside him.

"The assassin has been caught and is being held here. The assassin who killed that Agem."

----------

Sorry, it took me so long to update, but I had a lot of exams on and this chapter was a particularly long one to write - 2302 words. I hope you enjoy it.

Below is my reference for Artemis' tiara.