House of Hazel

If I could make it through just one day without my parents trying to set me up with another magical prince, I’d be pretty damn happy.

I’d begun to think it was going to be one of those rare, peaceful days where the topic doesn’t come up. But as I settle into my chair in the dining hall to join my parents for dinner, I catch them exchanging a glance, and I notice that look in their eyes. Hoping to delay the inevitable, I duck my head and focus on piling food onto my plate.

We used to have servants who’d bring us plated food, but the kingdom’s dwindling income forced us to let them go last year. I don’t mind. I’m fully capable of doing it myself. In my eyes, the only benefit to having servants was that it provided jobs for people—assuming my parents paid them well. I hope they did.

But rather than letting me learn about the kingdom’s finances, they’ve expected me to focus entirely on finding a husband.

Mom clears her throat. I ignore the sound. I don’t see the point in forcing myself into a marriage alliance. Monarchies are archaic, our realm’s magic is dying anyway, and I never asked to be a princess. But none of that changes the fact that I am heir to the Silverwood throne. And none of it changes the fact that my parents are convinced the perfect alliance could allow our family to strengthen our magic and regain some of our former glory.

Our realm is a pocket dimension of sorts, with a few magical passageways connecting us to the outside world. For centuries, the magic in Silverwood allowed us to grow an excess of perfect crops and harvest other resources. But those resources have been dwindling, and we’ve yet to find a solution.

We’re magicians. And our family magic is fading.

“Hazel.”

The sound of my name makes me glance up from my plate of food. “Yes?” I ask, lifting an eyebrow at my mother.

She glances at my father and clears her throat. Again. “We want you to come to dinner with us tomorrow night.”

I tense. “You and who else?”

Mom sighs. “We’d like you to meet a werewolf. He’s the son of the leader of a prominent east coast pack…”

There it is. Days since I was last set up on a date with some random magical heir: zero. I stare at my parents through narrowing eyes.

My mom, Queen Mara, shares my honey blonde hair, though she keeps hers pinned up while I usually let my waves fall down my back. She’s been the one running the kingdom’s farms and mines for years with a fiery determination. So, yes, my parents are aware that I can play a more active role than ‘find us an alliance.’ I guess the drastic decline in magic has clouded their judgement a bit. They’d probably be just as eager to find me a partner if I were a son, but the thought’s a small comfort.

King Alder, meanwhile, is a dark-haired man with hazel eyes that mirror mine. Dad’s been doing his best to reassure the people living in the Silverwood realm that things will get better. We’ve disagreed over that—I think redirecting our remaining power into providing them new lives outside the realm would be a better use of our time. He’s calm in arguments and accepts my points, but he’s yet to agree to change how the kingdom will be moving forward.

My mind goes back to the aforementioned werewolf dinner date. I sigh. “I’m busy tomorrow night.”

Dad’s brow furrows. “Busy with what?”

“A session with Professor Darken,” I lie. I don’t need to worry about my parents verifying with him. He’ll back me up. “He’s going to test me on some history.”

“I’m sure he’d be happy to reschedule,” Mom says.

“Well, I wouldn’t.” I rise to my feet. “I’m serious. You cannot put the burden of saving the kingdom on me. Believe me, I want nothing more than to see Silverwood restored to its former glory. But I don’t think me marrying someone with magic is the easy solution you’re imagining.”

“The right partner could provide us with an infusion of magic—” Mom begins.

I shake my head. “It might work. It might not. We all know that. So, until we can confirm the cause of the fading magic and prove a magical alliance is a viable solution, stop wasting my time with random men!”

“And what would you suggest we do instead?” Dad asks. “The magicians researching the shift in the realm’s magic haven’t come up with anything else that’s likely to work.”

“Would you please just let me go start a life in the outside world!” I blurt. I immediately grimace, especially seeing my parents’ stunned expressions. I know it sounds like giving up and running away, maybe even like I want to abandon them.

That’s not it at all, though. I could still come to Silverwood and even help try to fix the magic. But spending all my time here, devoting so much energy to saving something that might not survive the coming years, feels like a waste of my life.

I’m twenty-five. If I weren’t wasting my time in a dying realm, I could have graduated from college and started a career by now.

“We have no other heirs,” Dad reminds me quietly.

My fists clench at my sides. “Plenty of your advisors are more than qualified to run Silverwood, should it continue to survive. And as I said, I’m more than happy to help in ways involving knowledge or research or using my magic. But my life is not up for grabs.”

A knock at the open doorway prevents either of my parents from responding to my outburst.

“My apologies for interrupting dinner, your highnesses,” comes the slow drawl of Professor Leon Darken. Renowned sorcerer, respected by many magical realms like ours, absolute DILF…

…and one of the tutors my parents hired to work with me. After completing my basic education, they thought it would be worthwhile to have some professionals introduce me to more advanced magic.

I sink back into my chair before I can stop myself, feeling my entire body flush with heat. Magicians and sorcerers aren’t exactly the same, but we do share a few skills. Leon has been teaching me about spellcasting and magical history on and off for the past couple of years, though he’s been employed by my parents a little longer than that.

My eyes settle on him as he strolls toward the table at my father’s nod. He’s tall, with sharp features and golden-brown eyes and black hair that’s begun to silver in recent years, from the neatly combed hair at the top of his head to his short bear. “My assistants just brought back new reports on the magic around the realm’s boundary,” he says. “Nothing remarkable, but if you’d like to read them, I’ll have them dropped off in your office.”

Dad nods. “Thank you. Would you have time later to discuss the reports with us?”

“I could once you’re finished with your meal.”

“Come to our office in half an hour, then,” Dad replies with another dip of his head. It could’ve been perceived as a gesture dismissing the sorcerer, but Leon’s not finished. His attention turns to me.

“Hazel, do you still have time to meet with me tonight? I’d like to review some of those papers you turned in last week.”

I dip my head, doing my best to appear respectful and not at all flustered. That slight smirk on Leon’s lips tells me he can see right through me. That’s fine by me, as long as my parents don’t notice. Leon’s a powerful sorcerer, but he has nothing by way of political power. Not outside Silverwood, anyway. They’d consider any time I spend with him outside of lessons a waste. And they’d probably have a few…other issues with the nature of our relationship as well.

Not that it matters. Neither of us have romantic interest in the other.

Just physical.

Leon leaves after I confirm our meeting, and I brace myself to be at the center of my parents’ attention again. To my surprise—and relief—they instead begin speculating about the boundary reports.

My heart slows once Leon’s gone, but there’s still a lingering heat thrumming under my skin.

An hour later, I’m zipping up a tight red dress in front of my bedroom mirror, with nothing underneath but lacy black lingerie. One of the magical abilities I’ve honed in recent years is minor shapeshifting powers. I alter my body to better fill out the dress—mainly adjusting my hips and chest. Fine, yes, I’m making things a bit bigger.

I throw on a jacket before hurrying to Leon’s office, but thankfully, I don’t run into anyone on the way there. When I arrive, I slide off the jacket and knock on the door, then ease it open. “You wanted to see me, sir?”

We both like leaning into the dynamic, even though my status as princess technically means I have more power over him, if anything. Really, though, neither of us has much authority over the other in daily life.

I try not to think about that during our sessions together, though. It’s more fun this way.

Leon rises from the chair behind his desk, a small smirk on his lips. His eyes move up and down my body, clearly drinking it in. “Yes, come in. And lock the door behind you.”

I do as he asks, unable to help the shiver of pleasure running though my core. I take a moment to steady myself before crossing the office to his desk.

Leon spreads a few papers across the desk in front of him. I quickly recognize my own handiwork. As I study the notes he’s made in the margins, he circles around the desk to stand behind me.

The next thing I know, he’s leaning against me, his hands on the desk on either side of mine, and my heart is beating wildly. “Good job,” he murmurs in my ear.

I squeeze my legs together in a futile attempt to temper the pulsing heat between them. “Thank you, sir.” After a moment, I add, “Is it enough for me to complete my training?”

“You want to graduate?” One of Leon’s hands moves to my hip. As it slides up my side, he says, “I’m not quite sure you’ve earned that yet.”

The hand reaches my chest, and I groan as he begins to squeeze. He leans into me, and I can feel him hardening against my ass.

“Your parents have something planned. I believe they plan to tell you tomorrow morning.”

I freeze. “What?”

“I’m sorry, they didn’t share any details with me. I just overheard a bit of the conversation on my way to their office.” His lips move closer to my neck. “Just thought I would warn you. Whatever it is, it sounds like it involves multiple men.”

“I have a feeling that won’t be as fun as it sounds.”

He chuckles. His hand slides up my thigh. His lips move to my ear. “Sounds like we’d better get you some fun while you have the chance, then.”