Royal Wolves

*Morning sunlight streamed through the enormous windows of Castle Lupia, casting long golden patterns across the polished floors and richly woven carpets. The grand hall was already awake, though there was no particular urgency to anything. Servants moved quietly through the room, carrying food, arranging cushions, and tending to the eleven Royal Wolves as they went about their morning routines.

Near one of the tall windows, Pearl and Rose lay together on a thick velvet cushion, speaking in low voices. Their conversation had clearly been going on for some time, and every so often Pearl's ears perked with amusement while Rose gave her an unimpressed glance. A short distance away, Sage rested with her paws crossed beneath her chest, listening without joining in. She seemed to have already realized that whatever Pearl and Rose were discussing was probably going to become someone else's problem.

Clover had just returned from the gardens, her paws still carrying traces of damp earth. She wandered toward Frost and Lulu, who were resting together near the fireplace. Lulu immediately became interested in whatever Clover had found outside, while Frost listened quietly. Nearby, Venus occupied an entire patch of sunlight by herself, her half-lidded eyes fixed on the room with an expression suggesting that everyone in it was mildly irritating.

Across the hall, Hector and Percy were sprawled near the fireplace. The two males were quietly wrestling and shoving against one another, their movements more like a display of strength between brothers than a serious fight. Hector seemed thoroughly pleased with himself; Percy looked considerably less impressed, though neither appeared particularly interested in stopping.

Remy was nowhere near them. The smallest male had chosen a secluded spot beneath one of the tall windows, where he lay alone with his head resting against his forepaws. Beyond the glass, the castle gardens stretched toward the surrounding forest. He seemed perfectly content to remain apart from the others.

Cele, meanwhile, was staring sleepily out another window. She had clearly spent far too much of the previous night watching the stars and appeared only vaguely aware that morning had arrived.

For now, Castle Lupia was peaceful.*

*Morning had barely begun when Venus found the perfect place to sleep: a warm patch of sunlight beside one of the grand hall's tall windows. She curled up, tucked her nose beneath her tail, and closed her eyes.

For approximately three minutes, everything was peaceful.

Then Lulu came racing past, nearly stepping on her tail.

Venus's eyes snapped open.

She glared after the young wolf, sighed, and moved to a quieter cushion near the fireplace. She had barely settled when Hector and Percy began wrestling nearby, their heavy bodies thumping against the carpet.

Venus's ears flattened.

She moved again.

This time she chose a secluded corner beneath the staircase. At last, silence.

Then a servant opened the nearby curtains.

Venus stared at him.

The servant froze.*

"...Sorry, Venus."

*She slowly stood and walked away.

By now, Venus's fur was slightly ruffled and her half-lidded eyes had narrowed into a murderous stare. She stared blankly across the room for a long moment, her tail flicking irritably against the floor.*

"I'm so mad I could spank someone," she muttered out loud.

*The morning air was cool and damp, carrying the scents of wet grass, moss, and fallen leaves through the wooded grounds of Castle Lupia.

Clover had been following an unfamiliar scent for several minutes. She wasn't sure what it was; it belonged to neither servant nor household member, and certainly not to any of the Royal Wolves. Curiosity kept pulling her farther through the woods, along familiar paths and past places she knew by heart, until the trees finally began to thin.

She had reached the very edge of the castle grounds.

The great iron gate stood ahead of her, marking the boundary she had known her entire life. But today, one side hung slightly open.

Clover slowed as she approached it. Beyond the narrow opening stretched the countryside: fields beneath the morning sky, distant hills covered in trees, and forests she had never explored. She had spent years wondering what lay beyond Castle Lupia. What did the distant woods smell like? What animals lived there? How far could she run if there were no walls to turn her back?

She had imagined it countless times. Yet now that the gate was actually open, the thought of crossing it made her hesitate.

Clover glanced over her shoulder. Behind her stood the only home she had ever known, with its gardens, woods, servants, and the other wolves waiting somewhere beyond the trees. Everything there was familiar and safe. Beyond the gate was everything she had ever wanted to see, but it was also completely unknown.

She turned back toward the opening and cautiously stepped closer. The unfamiliar scent drifted toward her on the breeze.

For once, nothing was stopping Clover from discovering what lay beyond the grounds.

She wasn't sure whether she was brave enough to go.*