Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Out of Place

Ariella walked slowly down the wide hallway, her slippers clicking against the marble floor. Everything around her glittered with gold, tall lamps burning bright, walls carved with strange symbols she didn’t understand. Every time she passed, someone looked at her, maids, guards, young Lycans. Their eyes were sharp, glowing faintly, and always watching.

She pressed her hands together tightly. Her heart thudded. I don’t belong here, she thought.

“Good morning, princess,” a maid said softly, bowing her head.

“Good morning,” Ariella whispered back, her voice almost too low to hear.

When the maid walked off, Ariella sighed. She could feel the weight of the palace pressing down on her, making her smaller and smaller.

Turning a corner, she almost bumped into two young Lycans, both tall and strong, with sleek hair and sharp grins.

“That’s her,” one muttered, though he made no effort to hide it.

“The human,” the other added, eyes narrowing as if Ariella was something strange he’d never seen before.

Heat rushed to her cheeks. She lowered her gaze quickly and walked faster. Their whispers followed her like pricking needles.

She ended up in the training courtyard. The sound of steel and growls filled the air. Dozens of Lycans sparred, their movements so fast and fierce Ariella could barely follow them. Swords clashed, claws swiped, bodies slammed against the ground.

A trainer spotted her. He bowed slightly. “Princess Ariella, would you like to watch?”

She hesitated, then nodded, folding her hands. “Yes.”

The trainer smiled, but she could feel the other warriors’ eyes on her. Some looked curious. Others looked annoyed. A few looked at her like she was a weak little rabbit among wolves.

Ariella sat on a stone bench. Her legs swung nervously as she tried to keep still. Each time the fighters lunged or let out a roar, she jumped.

One of them noticed. A tall Lycan with dark hair smirked at her. “Not used to this, are you, princess?”

Her cheeks burned again. “No,” she admitted softly.

The warrior laughed, shaking his head. Not cruel, but not kind either. She pressed her hands to her knees, wishing she could disappear.

After a while, she slipped away and found herself in the library. The shelves were massive, stretching up to the ceiling, stacked with old leather-bound books. She trailed her fingers along them, but most of the letters looked strange, written in symbols she didn’t know.

An older scholar sat at a desk nearby, his golden eyes sharp even behind spectacles. When he looked up, his voice was flat. “You are the human child.”

Ariella nodded carefully. “Yes.”

He studied her a long moment, then said, “This place is not made for you.”

The words struck her hard. She bit her lip. “I know,” she whispered.

The scholar said nothing more, already turning back to his book. Ariella’s chest ached. She turned and left quickly before the sting in her eyes turned into tears.

She walked until she found the gardens. Strange flowers bloomed in colors she’d never seen before, and a fountain trickled softly in the middle. For the first time all morning, the air felt gentle. She sat on the fountain’s edge, dipping her fingers into the cool water.

“I don’t belong here,” she whispered to herself. “I’m not like them.”

“Ariella!”

She spun around. Clara and Claire stood by the roses, smiling as always. They hurried to her side.

“You wandered off again,” Clara said, brushing off Ariella’s dress.

“You shouldn’t hide in corners,” Claire added as she sat beside her. “People will think you’re scared.”

Ariella hugged her knees tightly. “I am scared.”

Clara’s smile softened. She reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind Ariella’s ear. “We know. But you don’t have to show them. Lycans respect strength.”

“But I don’t have any strength,” Ariella said, her voice breaking.

Claire shook her head firmly. “That’s not true. You survived enough to get here. That’s strength.”

Ariella blinked fast, not wanting to cry. “Everyone looks at me like I’m weak.”

“They don’t understand you yet,” Clara said softly. “Give them time.”

Ariella lowered her gaze. She wanted to believe them, but the doubt was heavy inside her chest.

Just then, a shadow fell over them. Prince Kael stood a few steps away, his black cloak trailing, his golden eyes sharp as blades.

“You walk these halls like a ghost,” Kael said. His tone was cool and commanding. “If you want them to respect you, stop shrinking.”

Ariella swallowed hard. “I… don’t know how.”

Kael tilted his head, his gaze piercing. “Learn or they’ll eat you alive.”

He turned and walked away, leaving silence behind.

Claire touched Ariella’s shoulder. “Don’t listen to him. He’s always harsh.”

But Ariella couldn’t stop hearing his words.

She sat by the fountain, hugging her knees, when suddenly she heard voices. They came from behind the hedge of roses, low and urgent.

She froze. The tone was serious, almost dangerous. Quietly, she slipped off the fountain and crept closer, careful not to step on a twig.

“She’s weak,” one voice said, the voice was rough and impatient. “Too weak.”

“She doesn’t belong here,” another replied. “The council knows it. If the prophecy is true, the girl is a danger to us all.”

Ariella’s heart thumped hard in her chest. Her breath caught. They’re talking about me.

“She won’t survive the trials,” the first voice muttered with a cold laugh. “And when she fails, no one will question it if accidents happen.”

Ariella clapped a hand over her mouth to stop a gasp. Her whole body trembled.

The voices faded as the men walked away, footsteps echoing into the courtyard.

Ariella stayed crouched behind the hedge, her small hands gripping

the leaves so tightly they shook.

Not only did she feel out of place, someone here wanted her dead.