I'm No Cinderella

Chapter 24

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The Beauty In The Beast

Having a guard trailing my every move again wasn't so bad, once I stopped trying to attempt conversation with the stoic man. I still preferred the days where Matteo was assigned that duty, though I'd never tell him that. It was a rare enough occurrence these days as it was.

He hated the chore. I had come to know him well enough to tell, and rightfully so. He was the beta of the kingdom after all, the alpha's right hand. How demeaning it must be for someone of such high rank to be given a task as mundane as babysitting me, the helpless human.

Yet, he took it in stride, never once uttering a single complaint in my presence. And, despite his teasing, he had also never been anything but kind to me since I arrived at the castle.

Unlike a certain princess, who I still couldn't seem to figure out.

Evelina's entire demeanor in my presence had changed so drastically since that first dinner with the royal family, and I had no idea what to think of the flip. I wanted to believe that I had somehow changed her mind that day in the kitchen when I had taught her and Sienna to cook. Or, perhaps my lessons with Signora Flori were really going so well that she forgot all about my poor background.

That seemed too good to believe. 

She was a child of Gino DiLuna, his hatred of my kind was famous, and it had reflected in the violet fire of her eyes. Her brother's softness toward me, I could somewhat understand. I had read enough about the mate bond, and felt the pull myself for long enough, that I had come to respect it, albeit a bit warily.

But, for Evelina to become so kind to me, that was a development I was monitoring very closely. Just in case of some ulterior motive I had yet to discover.

One afternoon, after Matteo had delivered me back to my room to await dinner, a movement drew my attention to the window. 

I hurried across the room, and drew back the curtain, grinning like a child in my excitement.

A thin layer of snow was forming on the ground outside, tiny white flakes falling lazily from the sky and covering everything in sight.

I hurried to the closet to dig through the warm winter clothes that Gianluca had delivered for me last week in anticipation of the first snow. I chose the thick, fur lined cloak and boots, and tied a scarf around my neck for good measure.

When I opened the door to the hallway, my steps slammed to a halt. Matteo was no longer there. Maybe he had assumed that I would remain in my room as I usually did. That must be it.

I crossed to his door, and knocked gently against the wood. When there was no response, I knocked again, harder this time. Still nothing.

What now? I wondered.

I ran my fingers along the soft lining of the cloak as I considered my options. I could wait for Matteo, or some other guard to return, if they ever did before it was time to escort me to dinner. Or I could go observe the spell the witches had cast over the enchanted garden up close. One option definitely had more appeal than the other, though it wasn't the safest of the two.

I chose it anyway.

I knew that the alpha might be angry with my decision to travel alone in the castle. But, stupid as it was, I had been doing it for quite some time before these so called ambassadors arrived. Despite what he said, the regular castle residents had always been dangerous on their own. Besides, he himself had told me that I was free to go about the castle as I pleased.