A large crowd welcomed the procession of wolves and the girl in the sleigh when they reached Ciza. Men, women, and children all cheered for their approaching King and his thirteen men. No one noticed the woman though or did not think twice about who she was or might have been. Nor did the wolves need to protect their guest since the crowd was giving them a wide path that led straight to the stone castle.
Although it was intimidating on the outside to most, the few who caught a glimpse of the inside knew that the King liked to be comfortable. His workers, for they were not slaves or servants, were also kept comfortable and provided accommodations for all their needs. They were treated fairly and spoken to as equals if they did as their jobs required and reported to the King of anything wrong. All people who stayed in the castle, whether for work or as a guest, were treated with utmost care from the King himself.
Those who were not permitted to enter the castle were also treated nicely. Everyone had jobs, homes, and a fire that kept them warm during the worst of storms. Anyone who is everyone that needed something would get it if they did something of the same value for the King or those he hired. If a house needed a wall repaired, then the person would in return cook meals for a week or fix something of theirs depending on their known strengths. Overall, it was a fine system of trade, so no one lost the little amount of money they had.
As they continued forward, the black wolf nuzzled a little boy under the chin and licked away the tears that stained the plump cheeks. In return, the boy straightened his shoulders, put his hands at his sides, and nodded with a small smile to the animal. Approving, the black wolf moved on and they finally made it to the castle entrance.
The wolves all turned to the sleigh where the woman sat in awe, as silent as a snow flurry. The black wolf strode up to her and nuzzled her cheek, a deep rumble from within his chest making her smile. The crowd began to whisper enthusiastically, unlike the tiny village they had stayed in previously. The wolves sensed they weren't judging the girl, but appraising her, therefore relaxing their offensive stances. The black wolf licked the woman's cheek then went to stand before the people that waited beyond, looking at each person and taking in their expressions within milliseconds.
Then, the wolf shifted into a large man of muscle and dark hair. A silver wolf came forward with pants and another with a large coat. The man slipped them on without any hint of embarrassment for his nakedness. The woman in the sleigh, however, covered her embarrassment by hiding beneath her blankets.
When he finished dressing, King Bardulf spoke. "People of Zurus, your king has returned. And I am pleased to know you all missed me as much as I missed you. Your welcoming is appreciated and seen as a kind of loyalty to me and the men who work with me. Thank you."
An applause erupted along with hoots of delight and chants of the King's name.
Bardulf held up a hand and immediately, silence took hold as everyone stood alert for their King's next words. "Now, I have news of the trip I return from. I hope you won't take it as harshly as the last crowd I told." He turned and went to the sleigh where Philippa sat waiting. He smiled at her, and in return, she shyly gave a small one back. Bardulf wrapped his arms around her and lifted her against his chest, blankets, and all, then carried her over to where the people could see her. "I return with a different woman than planned. Let it be known that I, King of Zurus, does not take a life as payment for food and water. I will only take a life for a life. So, I present to you my true bride and mate, Philippa."
It was silent for a moment as the people gazed upon the woman in his arms who was pink not only from cold, but from the attention she was getting. They gazed at the person who their King declared as his mate which was, as everyone in Ciza knew, was something not to be taken lightly.
And then a small voice was the first to say, "She is beautiful!"
Philippa's blush became darker and she hid it in Bardulf's chest. A moment later, the crowd's roar of delight was deafening. Hands were thrown above heads and clapped together, children were risen into the air by men so they could see their new Queen, women had tears in their eyes, and then, they started singing.
"Darkest of nights, Coldest of winters, Nothing will bring us down Now that our rightful queen is here
Driest of dirt, Emptiest of stomachs, No calamity will claim us, Now that our Luna is home.
Long live our Luna, Long live our Queen, Our mother and sister, Our heart and soul.
She is ours to worship, Ours to protect, and cherish, and behold. She, who is the mate to our King, Shall be the one who will make us great again With all her beauty and heart With all that she is,
We devote our lives to you, Long live our Luna!"
Philippa's heart swelled at the heartwarming words sung by all the people and by the howls that broke out afterwards by the silver wolves behind them. She clung to Bardulf as hard as she dared, fearing she might lose this moment forever, fearing she was just in a dream.
Lips pressed to the top of her head and she heard a deep voice say softly, "My sweet Luna."
The woman smiled, couldn't stop smiling for a reason she could not grasp. It was the understanding that she would survive this world she knew nothing about. It was she had someone now who genuinely wanted to be with her as a person or partner instead of a maid or servant. It was the fact that the frigid wind couldn't freeze the warmth inside her that spread out from her chest to all corners of her body. But Philippa wouldn't stop smiling for a while because it was the best feeling in the world she had ever experienced.
Bardulf turned from the crowd, pleased with their reaction to the woman in his arms and strode past the thirteen wolves and into the castle doors thrown open by one of his most loyal employees, Mr. Cheng, who bowed lowly as greeting with a, "Welcome home, Sir."
Bardulf smiled at the man and walked into the first room of his home, the throne room which he didn't use often except for trials. He didn't give Philippa time to look as he walked out a doorway and up a staircase that spiraled towards the right. Reaching the top, he came into a room with plush sofas and carpets, soft hues of blue and purple, and large windows overlooking the town outside.
He set Philippa down on a seat and knelt beside her. Looking over to one of the awaiting men and women, he said, "Grab Dezra. I need her to look at some healing ribs."
A girl ran out of the room to obey orders while Flik entered the room with Seth. "Bardulf, word has come from Asaya from the Princess."
At the mention of Princess, Philippa snapped her head to the man and raised her brows in question. She was desperate to know everything she could about Jaqueline. The King put a hand on hers and said to his friend, "What is it?"
"She is wanting help to search for her maid." His eyes flicked to Philippa as the maid in question and said, "She said she fears Prince Roderick has captured her and has started towards Nubet."
Bardulf let out a low growl and stood. Going over to a table he picked up a quill and parchment and wrote a brief note. Folding it, he handed it to a boy and told him where to send it. The boy scurried off. Bardulf turned to Flik again. "Thank you for the message. I will speak to the both of you as soon as Philippa is settled in."
Seth and Flik nodded and left. Just as Bardulf sat down beside Philippa again, a middle-aged woman ran into the room with a small bag in hand. She glanced at Philippa then bowed to Bardulf in respect. "May I?"
"Please," the King said and laid his woman down and let Dezra open a portion of the dress to see and feel the ribs.
Philippa flinched at the first touch but relaxed shortly later. Bardulf kept one hand in hers and one stroking her hair gently, soothing her to an extent. Dezra dug into her bag and pulled out a sort of cream. "This won't hurt. It'll just be chilly, okay Dear?"
Philippa nodded and let the woman do her job. It was cold, but a soothing kind of cold that made her sigh out in contentment. Closing her eyes, she rested her head back and let the woman's hands work the cream into the skin. From beside her, Bardulf said, "It's not as swollen as it was, but how's it healing?"
"Fine. Thanks to the journey and her not having so much movement, it's doing quite well. The cream will help with pain and swelling. Unfortunately, the bone will need to mend on its own. It should take another few weeks. But even after, she will need to be careful."
"Thank you, Dez. You're most helpful."
The woman smiled at the King and then at the woman she was asked to help. "You are welcome. Put her in a nice warm room and let her rest after the long journey here. I will be checking on her in a few hours just to apply more cream on and make sure she is doing well."
Dezra packed her things and bowed to the King and to her new Luna. Bardulf nodded his head and the woman left. He dismissed all the other attendants and finally pull Philippa against him, wrapping his arms gently around her. "How does that feel?"
He watched the smile bloom on her face as she opened her eyes. Nodding her head, she gave her thanks to him.
He replaced the blankets on her and nuzzled her neck affectionately. "I wish I could stay with you, but I have work to attend to. Do you want to stay here or go to a bedroom?"
Philippa thought for a moment and shrugged. She pointed to the large windows and nodded. Carefully, Bardulf carried her to one of the closer sofas and made sure she was comfortable. He grabbed the quill and parchment in case she needed to communicate with someone before kissing her head and leaving the room.