Delina spent the rest of the day in her room, eating her meals there. Suindara didn't bother her, allowing her time to think. And think Delina did.
She was going over everything that was said to her, about her and her parents' history, as well as about the alleged pack of transfigured wolves that sparked the riot that caused her parents' deaths.
That was another reason why she didn't want to look at Suindara at the moment. She wasn't ready to share her relationship with that werewolf pack. Without the certainty that they were really responsible for all that misfortune, under Bernard's orders, Delina wouldn't risk Suindara realizing that she was hiding something. He was a wizard. What if he knew how to go into the world she grew up in and commit an injustice?
Okay, she wasn't a hypocrite enough to lie and say she wasn't just doing it only for Elinor, Nora, Bernard and the rest of the pack. But for Kraig. He hurt her, rejected her, but it was beyond her control to like him.
'For now,' she reminded herself. Delina was confident that in time, the pain of rejection would subside.
The next day she had breakfast in her room and then went to the library. She asked Sofie or Martha to take her there. The girls seemed indecisive, so she simply asked them to call Petrus.
"For sure. We are going right now." Martha said and bowed, followed by Sofie and the two quickly left.
In a few minutes, or so it seemed to Delina, since there was no clock in that place, a knock came on the door.
"You may come in!" she screamed. Nobody entered. "I said come in!"
Delina got up and went to the door, opening it. Petrus was there, standing, looking at the door.
"The Princess called for me?" he asked seriously.
"Yes, Petrus. Why didn't you come in?" she asked and backed away from the door, giving passage to him. "You may come in." she repeated, but he didn't move.
"I can not." his deep voice was regretful but serious.
"And why is that?" Her tone was annoyed. That kingdom was full of rules she didn't like. It was like she was back in the medieval era.
"The princess, besides being way above my rank for me to have this intimacy, is a single young woman, alone. That could get us into trouble." he said and his deep eyes left no doubt: he was being very serious.
"Well, I don't give a damn about this rank bullshit. If I consider you my friend and trustworthy, there's no reason why you shouldn't come in here. And what will they do if they see us alone?" she asked jokingly. "Are they going to make us get married?" she laughed, but Petrus remained motionless. Delina looked at him in disbelief.
He shrugged his shoulders, as if to say 'that's how it is'.
"I have been informed that you would like to go to the library. I am ready to take you there." He indicated with his arms that she should leave the room and follow him.
Delina rolled her eyes. She then heard Suindara's voice and had a ridiculous idea. She was never one to be outrageous or to play pranks. But the fact that Petrus was so serious and followed Suindara's rules without question, made her take courage. She waited for Suindara to appear around the corner of the hallway and then pulled Petrus into the room.
He was big and heavy, but he didn't expect that 'attack' coming from her. And he couldn't make any sudden moves that could hurt her. She closed the door and he crossed his arms over his chest. Delina had her hands over her mouth, stifling a laugh.
"Princess, there's no fun in that." she looked at him and saw a huge man with a closed expression. She remembered the first time she saw him. Yes, Petrus was menacing with just his presence. He even looked like a werewolf. Not an Alpha, but a Beta for sure.
"Why, Petrus? Keep cool." He raised an eyebrow at her, not understanding. "I mean you can relaaax."
A knock on the door. Delina took a deep breath and opened the it.
"Good morning, Lord Suindara!" she said, a huge smile on her lips.
"Good morning, Princess. What are you doing here, Petrus?" Suindara's tone was icy.
"Ah…"
"I invited him in." Delina interrupted Petrus. "I like him." Suindara's eyes almost popped out.
"You like him?"
"Absolutely!" she replied, full of confidence. "He's my friend, just like you are."
"It's just that it's not convenient for a man to be in the room with you, unaccompanied." Suindara replied, glancing quickly at Petrus, before looking at Delina.
She, in turn, made a dismissive movement with her hand.
"That's so old fashioned! If I wanted to do… inappropriate things with him, I wouldn't have to do it here, in my room. We could just go anywhere."
"Princess!" Petrus and Suindara exclaimed at the same time.
She couldn't see Petrus' face, but wondered if he was red with embarrassment, as his eyes seemed to indicate.
"What?" she asked in an innocent tone. "And it's not a helmet that's going to stop me from doing what I want." this time, it was more outrageous.
Swallow straightened up.
"We're going to need some etiquette lessons, missy."
"I'm the Princess, aren't I? I can change the rules. And the first one is going to be that this helmet thing is outlawed."
"That's not convenient…" Suindara started, but Delina held up her hand, so he stopped talking
"Sorry, Lord Suindara, but we're going to talk about this. I'm dissatisfied with some things." she said. "And I don't want any reprisal to befall Petrus. I'm the one who called him and let him in."
Suindara was completely annoyed. The girl seemed to have inherited her mother's temper. But she wasn't Maisie.