Author's Note:
It's been a year, I know, and I'm clearly a horrible person. However, here I give you the long awaited third installment of To The Palace. Enjoy!
*****
Sanxar grumbled as he left Prince Seian's room, hating that he had been cursed into helping the Wolven whore. She was, however, the lost princess of the Wolves, which meant that she was not only one of a rare race, but that she was like one of the very few Wolves that possessed magical abilities. The legend of the Wolven Princess tells of how she skilled in even the most advanced magics, which meant that her threats were anything but empty. He broke out in a cold sweat as he remembered this and quickly set about trying to help her find her name. He knew it would have to be in the Archives somewhere, so all he had to do was start looking.
He made his way toward the Archives and went inside. No one questioned his being there, so he could search without suspicion. Tomes and scrolls were wall to wall, from the floor to the ceiling. 'This could take a while... I really hope my deal with the Wolf doesn't have a time constraint.'
Meanwhile, Vorel set off for the kitchen to retrieve Prince Seian's dinner and take it back to his room before he returned. 'Finding this place shouldn't be too hard, right? It's only a palace after all...' she thought. She knew better, but she could still hope. She took care to remember any features that stood out and every turn she made since leaving the room so that she could make it back without incident. Fortunately, she soon picked up on the smell of food and was able to follow that easily, but it was awfully far from his room. 'His food will be cold by the time I get it back to his room... Why doesn't he just eat in the banquet hall?' She shook off these thoughts as she entered the kitchen.
"You, there! Wolf woman! What do you think you're doing here?" shouted one of the cooks. She was a hefty, short Boar that looked as though she hadn't given her appearance a second thought in ages.
"I'm here to retrieve Prince Seian's meal. I'm his servant, ma'am. He told to me to take it to his room for him," Vorel responded with as much confidence as she could muster. She had no reason to fear her, but she was quite taken aback by both the Boar's harsh tone and frightful countenance.
"Ah! Very well, then... There. It's on the table in the silver platter closest to you. Take it and go, slave girl. Get out of my kitchen."
Vorel picked up the platter and carried it back to the room, she couldn't smell it, but could feel the heat against her chest and across her arms. It was fading. 'I shouldn't let his food get cold... He could blame me. I don't need to be getting punished for cold food of all things.' Her eyes began to glow again as she cast a spell on the food, one that would better trap the heat and keep the food warm, and maintained a chant under her breath to keep the spell going until she reached the room.
Once there, she set the platter down on the table by the bed, as per the Prince's command, and sat on the bed. The room was tidy and she was well-groomed, so there was little for her to do until he returned. She continued to chant under her breath, using only a small amount of her magical energy to keep his food warm for him. It had been so long since she'd used her powers that it would soon start to take a toll on her body. 'Well, I'm certainly glad I didn't do what I would've liked to with Sanxar's member.' She laughed bitterly to herself. 'Oh, how I would've loved to destroy what little bit of manhood he has... I need his help, though. He has access to things that I simply won't.'
"Ah, good... You did as I asked, I see," the Prince's deep, kind voice rang through the room as he entered. He walked toward the table and removed the platter cover to see the still steaming hot plate of food. "How did you manage this, Vorel?"
She tried to remain calm as she stopped the spell, keeping her gaze down so he wouldn't see her glow. "I made certain to get it to your room as quickly as I could and I was lucky enough to make it to the kitchen before your meal had sat out too long, sire. I tried to do everything in my power to not let it get cold for you," she said meekly. 'I can't let him know of my magic just yet.'
"That's very good work. You're seeming more and more worth what I paid by the moment."