Disguised Princess

Chapter 3

Sebastian took Kennedy's hand and leaned down to gently kiss it. From the corner of my eye I could swear I saw Allen stiffen again, his lip lifted in what looked like a snarl. He composed himself before I could get a good look. What was his problem?

"Alright Majesty, Majesty's help, let's get you inside before the sharks go crazy. Once you're in your room, please wipe yourself down with one of the red towels. You'll find them on the bottom shelf in your private bathrooms. Prick your finger please, they react better to blood. We use them to pass your scent."

"What are you gonna do next? Have us write our names in Sharpie so they know exactly whose blood they're sniffing?!" I didn't mean to shout, but if we had to give exactly who was connected to which scent, this could ruin our switch plans.

"No, Help." He said angrily. His tone, rather than frightening me, actually made my knees weak. "All we need is a scent of someone who is supposed to be on our lands. They're here to attack anyone who smells differently"

We started to walk toward the mansion when five men ran toward us from the water wearing metal armor and dripping water. Allen quickly pulled Kennedy behind him and took a protective stance. If she wasn't pretending to be me, I'd be suspicious. No one ever protected the help where I was from.

To my shock and surprise, Sebastian pulled me behind him while also taking a protective stance. The men he was with, that weren't already in wolf form, quickly shifted and growled at the group coming toward us. The man in front came to a halt and made a strange noise to the group causing them to stop as well.

"I smell intruders. Why would you protect them?" His voice was raspy which sort of matched his appearance. He had a silver mohawk, gray eyes, a scar on his left cheek, and extremely sharp teeth. For some reason I found myself imagining feeling them against my neck. "We were brought here to protect the pack, let us do our jobs. My men can have the raven one, I'll take Cinnamon there. She smells delicious."

Hearing them talk about Kennedy like that had Allen shifting within seconds. His fierce growl caused Mohawk's men to take a few steps back. Mohawk only smirked.

"Seems I've angered little Allen here. What's the matter, Pup. Did you want to selfishly keep the raven to yourself?" He let out a laugh. "My men would take great care of her. That is, if she can hold her breath long enough." This must have been the shark leader. I assumed it was actual sharks, now it was blatantly obvious they were weresharks. I'd be having a word with Allen or Sebastian about this later. Well, I guess Kennedy would be having a word with them, with me present.

Sebastian's eyes began to glow a deep turquoise and Mohawk's men took a few more steps back. Even Mohawk, himself, seemed shaken. His smirk faded.

"Balthazar, this is no way to treat our guests. Her Majesty, Princess Isabella of Diamond Moon Kingdom, and her help, are here to become members of our pack. They were just on their way to their room when you arrived. I suggest you go back into the ocean where you belong." Sebastian stated as his eyes stopped glowing.

Allen shifted back to normal and brought Kennedy over to my side. She looked terrified but composed herself quickly when I shot her a look. Princesses needed to remain calm in these instances; she was blowing our cover.

Mohawk, or I guess his name was Balthazar, let out an angry huff and turned to leave. As he walked away he looked over his shoulder and sneered "I'll be back for you, Cinnamon" before smirking and walking back into the water. His men followed behind. After a few moments, shark fins appeared in the water and vanished almost as quickly as they appeared.

"I guess that means we don't have to prick our fingers." I heard Kennedy say sarcastically. When did she get this bold? I had already feared our cover being blown when she showed fear, but now she was acting almost immature. This was a complete change from how she acted a mere hour or so ago.

Allen must have enjoyed her sarcasm because he let out a laugh, which caused Kennedy to start laughing as well. Sebastian shot Allen a look and his eyes went white. A few seconds later, Allen stopped laughing and stood straight and Sebastian's eyes went back to normal.

"Let's get you to your rooms. Majesty, you'll be in one of the suites. It's located on the top floor. You'll be staying there until your coronation as our Luna after your shift. Majesty's help, you'll be in the servants quarters on the bottom floor until we can find you a cottage to stay in."

"I think not!" Kennedy shouted. "How dare you think you can tell my best friend she will be staying floors away from me. She is not to be treated as a servant because she is not one. I much prefer to consider her as my lady-in-waiting. She will stay with me. It is a suite, right? It will clearly fit the both of us until a cottage is found."

I was getting mental whiplash from how Kennedy was acting. First she convinced me she was royalty, then she was afraid and immature, now she was making royal demands. If she'd had a wolf yet, I'm sure her eyes would be glowing black to show her authority. Unfortunately, she'd be gaining her wolf at the same time as me. Sharing a birthday had its perks in our little charade.

"Miss, you told me yesterday that you were a maid." Allen said.

"I did. In King Mitus's eyes, I was nothing more than a maid. He refused to accept me as an adopted daughter when my mother died, and banished Queen Natalia when she fought it. But I am truly the best friend to our princess. I believe she thinks of me as the only family she has left sense we were unable to find our queen." I said back to Allen.

"Ok. Well now that that is settled, I'll have my men lead you to your shared suite. Allen and I will be up soon to check on you. The feast will be at sunset. It will be casual, so no need for ball gowns. Majesty, Majesty's hel- I mean friend, I wish you a good afternoon." Sebastian kissed Kennedy's hand again, stood straight, and pulled Allen away who looked as though he were holding back another snarl. The rest of the men turned around and led us into the mansion.

Inside was as amazing as I'd expected. We walked in through the back door to a kitchen the size of a hotel lobby. It had black marble counters, two refrigerators, two ovens with gas stove tops, and a deep fryer. On one of the counters was a small microwave, that didn't look like it was used much, and a popcorn machine. The cabinets were a coal black to match the counters and there were two open doors that led to pantries; one with snacks and drinks, and the other with fruits and vegetables.

In the middle of the floor started a large redwood table that led into a dining room. Red chairs surrounded the table and five women were running between it and the kitchen, setting down plates and glasses. One of the men taking Kennedy and I to our rooms stopped and cleared his throat. All five women stopped what they were doing and rushed over to us, each of them curtsying.

"Ladies, this is Princess Isabella and her friend Lady Kennedy. They are who this feast you are preparing is for." Each of the women curtsied again.

"Good afternoon to both of you." One of the women spoke up. "My name is Angela Connel. I'm the head of the kitchen. It is such an honor to meet you. If there is anything you would like me to add to your feast, please don't hesitate to tell me."

Angela looked to be in her early twenties so it came as a shock when she mentioned being the head of the kitchen. Then again, it seemed like every position in this pack was rightfully earned. It made me more excited for this feast.

"I would love some spring rolls!" Kennedy piped up. She was obsessed with Chinese food. We had a great spot by the castle that let us text them our orders, so we got them many times a month. Luckily my dad never noticed because of my secret account I used to pay with.

"I'll get right on that, Princess." Angela smiled and nodded, she also looked as though she were blushing but it could have been a trick of the light. Kennedy giggled and turned to follow the men to our rooms with me behind her.