The Song Of The Wolf (Unedited)

Chapter Fourteen

Maebh spend the following 3 days exploring the premises –which as it turned out, took up more time than originally anticipated.

Located in the souterrain, was a gigantic, indoor greenhouse that –according to one of the workers there– harvested enough fruit and vegetables to feed the entire valley. Some of the plants were tended to daily by the assigned gardeners, whereas others were left to run wild. 

Another chamber she had found particularly interesting was located deep under the ground, where fresh glacier water that streamed down from the mountains, was collected and filtered to provide every household in the valley with clean water for washing, drinking and cooking.

The more she explored, the more she saw a resemblance to a luxurious resort rather than the abode of a royal family. From an imax home theatre to a gym, a game room, a wine cellar, a bowling alley and a garage with millions worth of cars. The unmistakable evidence of their wealth made Maebh wonder what they did for a living. Obviously, most monarchs weren't short on money but it had to transpire from somewhere? Perhaps they had also bought their royal status?

Maebh had questions, a multitude of them. Whenever she attempted to get answers to those questions, however, she was met with demurral --fear appearing to be the common motive for it. She suspected the only person who would give her some clarity, was Hèmène. Regretfully, the queen just so happened to be absent from the castle's confines: her office door was locked and her seat empty during dinner.

One morning, she woke up feeling disorientated and with a blinding headache pounding at her brain like a ten tonne mallet. It took her a while to get her bearings and remember she wasn't in Haines Junction anymore. The hours after awakening dragged on forever, she had gotten bored of roaming from room to room and not finding anything to catch her attention. Sure, there were plenty of things to do but she wasn't about to go bowling on her own.

Deciding to go downstairs for a bite, she hopped out of bed and got dressed into something comfortable. With her head in the clouds, she did not realise she had missed the hallway that lead to the staircase and entered a different one, until she bashed into a hard body.

Zeff eyed her from head to toe, folding his arms over his chest. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I was just-"

"These rooms are strictly off limits."

Maebh titled her head. "Why?"

"They're private quarters."

She lifted a single eyebrow. "You do understand that you telling me not to go there, only makes me want to go more, right? It's like a red button, you know not to press it but you do it anyway."

Zeff stared at her, unblinking. "Get out of here."

"Yes sir."

She fast walked back in the right direction and raced down the stairs. The black haired man might not have physically threatened her, but it certainly felt like he was tempted to, had she overstayed her welcome.

Maebh came to a standstill when she noticed the kitchen to be empty, safe for one person. The king sat at a small table, reading something that looked like a newspaper.

Not even bothering to look up, the king was the first to break the silence. "The morning chef is sick but I left a plate of breakfast for you. It should still be warm."

With cautious movements and never taking her eyes from him she moved her trembling limbs from her spot in the doorway and to the table in the middle of of the room. A fork sat beside a plate which was filled with meat, eggs and some kind of boiled vegetable that defied identification. It didn't quite look like what she had in mind for her morning meal but decided not to complain.