A Blessing and a curse

"A hundred years ago, the world was in chaos."

"Vampires, werewolves, and humans had turned against one another, and what began as hatred eventually became a war that nearly destroyed us all."

“The vampires started it!” one of my students suddenly shouted.

I smiled and closed the heavy history book in my hands.

“Many people believe that,” I shared, “but the truth is, we don’t actually know who started the Great War.”

Another little hand shot into the air.

“My parents said we won,” the boy announced. “So why are we still talking about it?”

A few of the children nodded in agreement.

I couldn’t help but purse my lips.

I walked over to his desk and crouched beside him, tucking my green and white striped dress.

“Werewolves are very proud of the war,” I explained. “And yes, many believe your kind won. But the truth is that the war came dangerously close to wiping out vampires, werewolves, and humans.”

Their little faces became focused.

“It was so devastating that the gods themselves had to intervene.”

I stood again and looked across my classroom.

Twenty pairs of curious eyes stared back at me.

“And that’s why I’m reminding you about the war today. Because tonight, something very important is happening.”

A little boy with messy brown hair raised his hand.

“Are the adults leaving to hunt for the Blue Moon Festival?”

I shook my head.

“Good guess. But no.”

I rested my hands against the desk behind me.

“Tonight, when the Blue Moon rises, some werewolves will have the chance to meet someone very special.”

The children stared at me.

“A human mate.”

A collective, horrified “Ewwww!” filled the classroom.

“You’re all too young anyway,” I laughed.

“But mates kiss all the time,” one girl complained.

“I know, I know.”

I waited for them to settle before continuing.

“After the Great War, the gods gave both humans and supernaturals a blessing. Certain people would be granted a special mark. If that mark matched the mark of another person, it meant they were destined to become mates.”

“It can happen to werewolves…”

Then I paused.

“And vampires, too.”

The room became strangely quiet.

“The vampire kingdom has its own ceremony,” I continued. “But their red Moon celebration happens later than ours.”

A little girl with two pigtails raised her hand.

“Does that mean everyone gets a human mate?”

I shook my head.

“Not everyone is given one. The gods only choose certain people. Some say they are given mates because they need someone to cherish."

“Do you have one?”

The question came so suddenly that I blinked. “Oh, uh... no.” I cleared my throat. “I don’t have a mark. Which means I don’t have a fated mate.”

The children stared at me.

“That’s sad,” someone whispered.

My brow twitched as I forced a smile. They are just children. "Actually, it’s not sad at all. Think about it this way: I get to choose who I love.”

A few of them made thoughtful little noises.

“And,” I added, “I get to stay here with all of you.”

That earned a few smiles.

Then one of my students suddenly stood halfway out of his chair.

“If you get to choose your own mate, does that mean you’ll marry King Corvin?”

“Huh?!” The surprise escaped me before I could stop it.

The entire classroom erupted into laughter.

“Where did that come from?” I blinked.

“You’re always with him!”

“You live in the castle!”

“You’re gonna be queen!”

My face burned. “Oh, stop it!”

I buried my hands in my brown pixie cut as they continued teasing me.

“You all have the wrong idea.”

King Corvin was the closest thing I had to family.

Nothing more.

I returned to the front of the classroom, trying to regain whatever dignity I had left.

“Just because I’m human and he’s a werewolf doesn’t mean we’re going to get together.”

“But you cooouuuld,” one of the children sang.

I groaned. “Class, please.”

The giggling only grew louder.

“I care about King Corvin the same way I care about all of you,” I said, crossing my arms. “He’s family to me.”

That seemed to quiet them for all of two seconds.

“Even though humans are living within the werewolf kingdom, it’s usually because they’re someone’s fated mate or because they have a skill that’s valuable to the kingdom. I…”

I hesitated. “I am different.”

The room grew quieter.

“As most of you know, I was brought here suddenly when I was a baby. I wasn’t a mate. I wasn’t a scholar or a healer or anything important.”

I gave a small shrug.

“I’m just Giselle. So I’m certainly not worthy of being called a queen.”

The children immediately began whispering amongst themselves.

“But you’d look pretty in a crown.”

“King Corvin could give you one!”

“You could have little wolf babies!”

I stared at them.

“Excuse me?”

They dissolved into laughter again, already building an entire future for me that I had never asked for.

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.

Children.

Apparently, twenty five-year-olds were more determined to marry me off than the gods themselves.

Then—

“Alright, pups.”

The deep voice came from behind me.

The entire classroom fell silent.

“No more teasing Giselle.”

My shoulders stiffened.

I knew that voice.

King Corvin stood in the doorway.

Even after all these years, his presence was enough to silence an entire room.

He was a large tan man—much larger than most werewolves I’d ever seen. His broad shoulders strained against the dark tunic and coat that was trimmed with his own fur. His bulky frame made the doorway seem smaller than it actually was.

His brown eyes softened at the children.

Stepping into the classroom, his heavy boots thudded against the wooden floor.

“She's trying to teach you all something very important.”

The children immediately sat up straight. “Yes, Your Majesty!”

Corvin’s mouth twitched into a small smile.

Then one of the little girls raised her hand.

“King Corvin?”

“Yes?”

“Are you going to marry Giselle?”

I nearly dropped the book I picked up again.

Corvin blinked, then smiled. "Thats up to her."

The children gasped. “Oooh!”

My face burned. “King Corvin!”

He laughed as I glared at him. He always liked to tease about people suspecting a relationship between us.

Then, as though he couldn’t resist making things even worse, he casually added, “Just because I gave her my last name doesn’t mean anything.”

The entire class exploded.

“Ooooooh!”

My jaw dropped. “King Corvin!”

The children started laughing and whispering amongst themselves.

“He gave her his last name!”

“That means she’s his family!”

“She’s going to be queen!”

I whined and covered my face with both hands. “Why would you say that?!”

Corvin threw his head back and laughed.

Once the children had filed out, I finally let out a breath and glanced at the clock. 3:40.

Finally, I could retreat to my room and decompress.

That hope died the second I saw King Corvin leaning casually against the yellow wall near the door.

I straightened my posture, forcing a polite smile. “My King, is there anything you need?”

He grinned, that familiar toothy smile that always seemed to soften the sharp lines of his face, though the new wrinkles at his eyes were more pronounced these days.

“You know, for a man getting into his late forties, you sure act like one of the children,” I added.

“Wow, I’m only letting that sassy side of you slide because your reaction was priceless.” He let out another loud, belly-deep laugh that echoed through the empty classroom.

I rolled my eyes, and he pushed himself off the wall, stepping closer. “I really did make you mad.”

I walked around my desk to meet him halfway, running a hand through my hair in exhaustion. “I’m just tired of people shipping us, Your Majesty. I mean, you graciously took me in twenty-five years ago and gave me a job as a teacher here.” I gestured vaguely at the room around us. “And you continue to be a friend and family to me. It’s almost insulting for people to assume there’s something else.”

He studied me for a long moment, that smile still playing on his lips. Then he said, almost too casually, “Well, you know, if they’re going to talk anyway, maybe we should give them something to talk about.”

I blinked, my mind stalling.

Was that a joke? A test?

The air between us felt suddenly heavier, and I found myself frozen, unsure if I was reading this moment correctly.

Then his large hand landed on my head, ruffling my hair like he always did when I was being dramatic.

“You know, tonight everyone will be busy with the festival. And of course, you’ll be here.”

I nodded, gathering some papers from my desk to busy my hands. My wolf friends had invited me out, but King Corvin always became anxious on this particular night and advised me not to go.

In a bit of defiance, I couldn’t help the slight bitterness in my voice. “Yes, because you worry someone will take advantage of me.”

He chuckled, but it sounded nervous this time. “Yes, well, you know you’re the only human without a mate here, and I can’t be with you 24/7.”

“Then why bring it up?” I turned to face him fully.

His eyes darted away from me quickly, like he’d been caught staring at something he shouldn’t have.

I folded my arms unconsciously, a strange feeling settling in my stomach.

He took a step toward me, closing the distance between us. “No big reason. But I plan to drop by tonight. It’s been a while since we’ve had dinner together.”

I pouted, trying to deflect the tension. “I don’t think that’s going to help with the allegations.”

He stepped closer still, his fingers brushing my cheek, gentle and warm. “Come on now, it’s been a while since we’ve eaten together. You know, as a family.”

It had been a while since the two of us had been alone.

“As long as you don’t tell anyone, we will hang out tonight.”

His lips slowly curved into a smile, almost as if he already knew I was going to say yes. He released my face and stepped back.

“See you tonight, Giselle.”

For some reason, a small part of me felt nervous about it.