The pair had spent a while with the horses at the stables. She trailed a hand down the side of a calm chestnut mare as Darius spoke beside her, pointing out each horse with a familiar ease that softened his usually guarded demeanor.
"That one’s Calyx. Stubborn thing, nearly threw me off during my first hunt," he said with a crooked grin, rubbing the mare’s forehead.
Serena listened eagerly to the stories he told of each and every one of the horses. Surprisingly, he recounted them with such detail. He must have loved the animals. Newest update provided by novel_fіre.net
He spoke about them like old friends. Lucky, his personal horse, was his favourite.
"I would show you the foals," Darius said at last, gesturing to the back of the stables, "but we’ve still got more to see."
Serena nodded and followed his lead, walking through a door and then a hallway into the garden area. She looked around, and it seemed empty, like something was missing.
The greenery was healthy, but there was something dull about the area that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Perhaps something was missing, or something had changed.
"This is the courtyard," Darius said.
Serena walked ahead, her gaze landing on the centerpiece, a stone statue of a wolf crouched protectively over a jagged slab of dark rock. Moss clung to its base, and rain had carved grooves into its sides, but it stood firm.
"It’s said the first Alpha of Ironshade sculpted it himself," Darius said, brushing his hand over the wolf’s head. "Took many moons to finish."
Serena raised her brows, impressed.
"Iron is our greatest gift from Lunara, and that is what he-" he pointed at the rock, "-guards, pure ore from the first mine. We call it the Heartstone."
Serena stepped forward, looking at the statue. She had heard stories of the pack. They were one of the oldest packs in Kaldora, alongside Stormcrest.
All werewolves used to be one big pack, but population increase bred many conflicts, and soon different families broke away. The first few went far west and settled near huge iron deposits, and soon it became what is known as Ironshade, a Cardinal pack.
"My mother told me many stories about Ironshade, which made me want to visit sometimes," Serena admitted.
Darius tapped on his chin before he spoke, "Well then, you’re visiting now, and I can fill in for your mother."
Serena laughed, waving a dismissive hand. "Oh, no need for all that. I’m sure I’ll be fine."
Darius shrugged before showing her the rest of the courtyard. There was nothing interesting to note again, just different archways that led to different parts of the castle.
The architecture here was different from Silverstone. Here, virtually all the houses she had seen were built with stone and iron. In Silverstone, it was oak wood and mud.
It was probably due to the age difference of both packs. Silverstone was originally a nomadic pack with roots from the East. They had moved around before settling in the West.
They moved past archways that opened into quiet halls, the echo of their footsteps were the only sounds that could be heard.
"Serena," Darius said, shaking her shoulder. Serena blinked, shaking her head. The smell of food wafted to her nose.
"Sorry," she murmured, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "My mind was elsewhere."
"This would be the main kitchen of the castle," Darius said, gesturing to the area.
Serena looked around. There were two people present, a man and a woman, tending to various pots. A counter was set in the middle with different baskets of fruit and slabs of meat.
There was a huge fireplace, and over it was a large chunk of meat roasting. Serena fiddled with her fingers. Her body had finally adjusted to the fact that she had been unconscious for four days.
Her stomach rumbled. Darius, speaking lowly to one of the cooks, didn’t seem to notice. She sighed, half in relief and half in disappointment.
"Ah," he said, glancing at the window, "we came at a bad time."
He beckoned, and she followed, casting one last wistful glance at the food. Her belly protested again, but she swallowed it down and kept walking.
A few corridors later, Darius pushed open a pair of heavy double doors, revealing a hall so grand it made Serena’s breath catch in her throat.
Her boots clicked softly on polished marble, black and gray interlaced in a clean, minimal design that gleamed beneath the sunlight.
Serena lifted her head, and the sight made her gasp. The corners of her lips lifted in a smile. The ceiling had many images that had been painstakingly etched into it.
Every single one was as beautiful as the last. Darius’ proud laughter made Serena look down. He had walked further down the hall, leaving her behind in her gaping.
"I’m glad you like it," he said with a small smile.
Serena tore her gaze away, cheeks warm. She fiddled with the ends of her sleeves, suddenly self-conscious. She must have looked like a child that their parents had finally let on a hunting expedition.
"It’s-" she looked up briefly, shaking her head, "it’s so beautiful."
He strolled toward her, his smile widening. There was a boyish glint in his eyes she hadn’t seen before.
"Yes, the artists of old outdid themselves. Each one of those wolves has their stories," he said eagerly.
Serena looked at him. He had never looked happier to tell her something. She clasped her hands behind her back and listened closely.
"You know every single one of these stories, I assume?" she asked, a teasing lilt to her voice.
Darius looked away briefly, running his hand through his hair. "Well... we could say that."
He got closer and took her hand. "There’s still more to see."
Serena nodded and let him guide her forward, but before they could go any farther, her stomach let out another loud protest. They both stopped. Darius arched a brow while Serena bit her lip, trying not to laugh.
They exchanged a glance, and then she looked away with a chuckle.
"Seems our tour will be cut short for now. It’s almost lunchtime."
Serena frowned. She wasn’t quite ready to leave the Great Hall just yet, but she stumbled a bit. She felt Darius’ arms around her, steadying her. It was her cue- unfortunately, the tour would have to continue at a later time.
"I’m sorry. I must have pushed you too hard," Darius said quickly.
"You didn’t." Serena said quickly, pushing gently against him to stand on her own. "I’m hungry, not sick."
Darius still hovered around her as if to catch her if she fell. Serena opened her mouth to tell him off when the doors opened.
Both their heads turned.
"I’ve been looking everywhere for you, Darius-"
The woman stopped mid-sentence when her gaze landed on Serena. Her lips parted slightly, eyes narrowing just a fraction. There was no mistaking her. It was Livia.
It seemed like Serena would be thanking her for the dress today.