Chapter One

Prince Conan always had this…'unnatural' interest in wolves.

His father, the king, would often take him on hunts when he was a child. It was something a young prince had to learn to do from a very young age. It was a sport befitting of a King, and it was expected of him. However, the king had stopped taking him after one incident with a wolf.

Conan had been seated with his father on his father's horse – keeping an eye out for rabbits and other small animals to give to the peasants for supper. Conan had always had very good eyesight, or so the other nobles always remarked, so they loved him coming along – even though he was only seven-years-old and did not quite understand their humour or political discussions quite yet.

One noble in particular, Lord Gallagher of Cavan, had always kept a close eye on Conan – as he had a young daughter, he wished to marry him. Her name was Lady Ailbhe, a beautiful young girl with flowing, black hair that reached her lower back, and bright green eyes. Conan had always fancied her, but of course at that time, marriage was the last thing on his mind. In that moment, all he cared about was impressing the nobles once again with his keen eyes.

As his eyes flickered around, they landed on something…unusual. An animal laying down sleeping, with its paws under its chin, in a pile of dead grass. It had thick, black fur, and its sharp teeth were on full display as it slept with its mouth open. Immediately, Conan knew what this animal was. Excitedly, he let out a shriek and pointed his tiny finger in the direction of the animal:

"Look, father! A wolf!" 

The king and his noblemen snapped their heads in the direction he was pointing. A few of them readied their arrows.

Conan was mortified as soon as he noticed they had drawn their weapons. His father was just staring at the animal, a sad expression on his face, as if he felt sorry for the beast. The other noblemen were bickering about who would shoot it and have the honour.

"Father…" Conan said sadly, pulling on his father's sleeve, "he's sleeping. Let's leave him be."

"But my son, it's a beast. Unfortunately, we must kill it."

Conan felt his eyes well with tears.

"Please father."

He looked up at his father with pleading eyes. The other noblemen were now listening, including a very curious Lord Gallagher who was now beside the king on his horse.

"My lord, we must kill the beast. It is too close to your lands."

The king nodded, "then allow me."

"Father…" Conan called again. The king refused to look at him, a guilty look in his eyes.

The king began to ready his arrows. 

"Fine, then I will save him myself!" the young prince yelled, awakening the wolf who snapped to attention immediately, fangs dripping with saliva. He let out a mighty howl, as if calling a pack to him. 

"He's called more of his kind!" Lord Gallagher exclaimed. 

"Take the prince and…" before the king could finish his sentence, he looked back to see the prince had climbed off the back of the horse without him knowing – and was running towards the wolf at full speed.

The panicking monarch fiddled with his arrow, trying to place it inside his bow, but his shaking hands dropped it to the forest floor. Lord Gallagher tutted.

"My king, hurry! Your son will die!" yelled Lord Kelly from his horse, also fiddling with his bow and arrow. Lord Gallagher almost had his arrow ready when the king stopped him.

"My king…" he began, but then his eyes widened at the sight before his eyes. Keeping the arrow ready just in case, none of the Noblemen could believe their eyes.

Conan had approached the animal, who had been running towards him at high speed ready to kill him and was now gently stroking the relaxed animals' fur. Noticing none of the other wolves had come, Conan whispered to him.

"You're a lonely wolf, aren't you?"

The wolf whimpered, as if agreeing with him. 

"None of your friends came to protect you," Conan said softly, "but it's okay. You are okay. I won't let them bring harm to you."

The wolf nuzzled it's snout into his hand, begging him for more rubs.

"I'll take you back to the castle with me. You can live in my room. It's big, and cosy. I'm the prince, you see. So I have everything. You will, too. Promise."

The wolf was acting as though he understood him, but Conan was sure that was impossible. The wolf looked at him with pleading eyes, just as he had looked at his father. Conan knew he had to take him home.

The king had now slowly ridden up behind his son, and lifted him back up on the horse.

"Wolfie is coming home with me!" Conan grinned excitedly. The king shook his head. 

"I'm afraid that is impossible, son."

"Oh, but father, please!" the young prince begged, "he's lonely, father! Just like I am!"

"You have plenty of people at the castle to spend time with."

"The nanny is boring, and mother is always busy with you! Please, father. I would love a pet wolf!"

"Absolutely not!" the king shouted, "do not be daft, my boy!"

"My king," Lord Gallagher said from behind, "perhaps it would be wise to allow the boy to keep the wolf. The wolf seems attached to him for some reason, after all."

The king glared at the younger noble, who was smirking from ear to ear. He was wondering how the boy had managed to do that, considering wolves were wild creatures.

"Very well. One wrong move from that wolf and he shall be killed. Understood, my son?"

"I understand very well!" the prince smiled, getting back down from the horse and approaching the wolf once more, "he'll be good. Won't you, Wolfie?"

Then the wolf did something that the king did not expect. He looked the king dead in the eyes – and winked. The king was so taken aback, he almost fell from his horse. He had never seen such a tame wolf in his entire life. Usually, they were rabid beasts. This wolf was somehow different, and he understood why the wolf was calm around his son. It was most likely because his son was a wolf as well.

The king, unable to speak, watched as his son lead the wolf back in the direction of the castle.

"Now there are some rules in the castle, I'm afraid," Conan began speaking as he lead the wolf by his side back home, "we're not allowed to be in our nightwear all day, which can be a pain, but it's okay I guess. I guess you do not have to worry about that, because you do not wear clothes. Also, we must eat with a knife and fork for almost every meal except soup – once again, nobody expects you to do that, so don't be worried."

"My king," Lord Kelly said, riding up behind him, "are you certain about this? The people might be frightened."

The king shook his head, "absolutely not. However, what my son wants – my son gets. He is the heir, after all." 

Lord Kelly huffed, annoyed by the king's words. He was being foolish, allowing a wolf to live amongst his family and servants in the castle.

"My King," one of the other noblemen said from behind Lord Kelly, "your brother wishes to speak with you back at the castle."

"Very well," the king sighed, "back to the castle, gentlemen."

The nobles rode back to the castle with the King, and Conan introduced the wolf to his mother, who screamed at first. Conan reassured her that 'Wolfie' was nothing to be afraid of. Once the queen had calmed down, Wolfie allowed her to gently brush his fur. Phoebe soon grew attached to the animal too, much to the King's dismay. Of course, they both knew exactly why the prince had been able to tame the beast. He was a wolf himself, and they figured that the animal could sense that. They feared, however, that the animal would kill the prince…but there was nothing they could do to separate them. They were like two peas in a pod.

Conan smiled, remembering that day fondly. As he stood out on the balcony that morning, listening to the birds chirping, he felt something fluffy rubbing up against his right leg. He quickly looked to see Wolfie nudging him with his snout. 

"Good morning, Wolfie" he grinned from ear to ear. He loved the animal, more than anyone or anything. 

The wolf almost smiled in return. He knew the animal loved him just as much.

"Let's get you some breakfast," the prince said, returning to his royal bedroom, huge in size, and finding the pet food that he had prepared that morning for the wolf. Wolfie gazed up at the food in his hands lovingly, watching carefully as Conan placed it on the floor in the bowl. Conan flopped lazily down on his bed, letting out an exhausted sigh. He had barely slept a wink, even though Wolfie was snoring beside him (which usually calmed the prince), knowing that the feast would be happening that very day. The feast that would be followed by his Coronation as the King of Ériu. 

Two weeks beforehand, his father was found passed away in his sleep from old age. He had lived a long, happy life and he had been cherished and loved by not only the people of the kingdom, but also his family. Conan's mother, Queen Phoebe, was in deep mourning. He had hardly seen her since his father's lavish funeral. Conan, on the other hand, found comfort in Wolfie and long walks in the forests near his home, where he would sit and write poetry and stories about heroic kings that were based on true tales about his father's many triumphs against the English Empire.

"It's tonight, Wolfie," Conan said, placing both hands on his stomach. The weight of his clothing, made from expensive materials, made him feel like he was suffocating even more. The wolf looked at him briefly, and then continued to eat his breakfast.

"I know what my mother is going to do. She's going to suggest I take a queen…she's going to suggest I propose to Lady Ailbhe."

The wolf, who had just finished his breakfast, snapped his head in Conan's direction. He let out a low growl. Conan chuckled.

"I know you don't like Lady Ailbhe, but don't worry. Come here" he said, patting the bed a few times beside him. Wolfie approached him, jumping up on the bed and snuggling into his master.

"You'll always be my favourite" Conan finished, rubbing the wolf's belly softly. 

Wolfie relaxed, as if understanding his words, and fell asleep moments later. Conan drifted off into a deep sleep too, only to be awoken an hour later by a loud knock on his bedroom door.

He startled awake, scaring Wolfie, who jumped off the bed and took a defensive stance.

"It's okay, boy" Conan said, opening the door. He recognised the knock, "it's just mother."

Wolfie relaxed, jumping back up on the bed and falling asleep once more. The queen stood in the doorway, fragile looking with blood-shod, red eyes. 

"Good morning, mother" Conan said, giving her a small smile, which she tried to return. She really did. 

"Good morning, my love."

He stood back, welcoming her into the room. 

"Thank you" his mother said quietly, stepping into the room and taking a seat on his bed beside Wolfie, "darling, you really shouldn't have the wolf sleeping in your bed."

"He's comfortable, and I am comfortable with him there with me. I don't see the problem."

"Of course," Phoebe nodded, "but once you marry, the wolf will have to sleep elsewhere."

Conan felt a sharp pain in his chest at the thought of that. For whatever reason, he feared being away from Wolfie the most. No woman would ever stand in the way of their bond, no matter how much it confused him.

"As a matter of fact," Phoebe began, twiddling with a box in her hands, "I wish to discuss that with you right now."

"Yes, of course mother" Conan nodded, taking a seat on the bed beside her. The queen opened the box to reveal a beautiful, glimmering engagement ring. He recognised it immediately. It was the one his father had given to her. Conan's eyes snapped to her ring finger, which was now bare. 

"Mother, I couldn't -"

"Take it," she said, giving him the biggest smile she could bare to give in that moment, "I need you to take it. For me."

"It was father's promise of love to you. I will get another one" he said sadly, tears forming in his eyes. The queen took his hands, placed the ring in his palm, and closed his hand around the ring. 

"And it will be your promise of love to Lady Ailbhe."

Conan looked deeply into his mother's eyes, watching the tears form. He knew it pained her, but she did want him to take it.

"Yes, mother. I promise I will give this to her tonight."

"Yes. She is a fine young woman, right of marrying age. You two will be very happy and will produce an heir of your own."

Her smile then faded. 

"Son, I need you to promise me something."

"Yes mother, anything�� he said, taking her hands in his. 

"Before the moon rises tonight, I need you to come and speak with me in woodland. It's very important."

"Why can't you tell me now?" Conan asked, confused. The queen shook her head.

"I wouldn't want to ruin your evening, but it is vital that you see me before the moon rises. Understood?"

"Yes, mother. Of course," he nodded, although he was very frustrated with her for not being honest with him in that moment. Why it had to be before the moon rose, he had no idea, but he would listen to her strange request, nonetheless.

The queen pressed a kiss to his forehead, then stood from the bed. She left the room, only looking back at him for a second as she stood in the doorway. 

"You look more like your father every day."

With that, she left. Before Conan could even respond. He knew his mother was heartbroken, so he didn't question her strangeness too much that day. He just went about his business, which included eating his own breakfast by himself in the dining hall, and then getting dressed for his first feast. The second feast would follow his coronation. The final feast would follow his marriage to Ailbhe if she would say yes to being with him forever.

Truth be told, Conan did fancy Ailbhe, but they had not spent enough time together for it to be called love. She grew more and more beautiful each time he seen her. Her father, despite wanting her to be the future queen of Ériu, did not allow her to see him often. It was not proper, he said. Conan disagreed with that statement, not that he would ever say. He partially understood he was protecting his daughter, but they were always said to be married, so why not allow them to spend more time to get to know one another?

That night, however, she would be at the feast, and he needed to look his very best to woo the lady. After he was dressed in his king-like clothing, he returned to his bedroom to give Wolfie his dinner. 

"You behave now, won't you?" he said sternly to the wolf. The last time he had left him alone for a few hours, he had ripped up Conan's silk bedsheets in protest. 

The wolf panted a bit, only caring about his food which was still in Conan's hands.

Conan sighed dramatically, then emitted a small chuckle.

"Okay, here you are" he said, placing the food bowl on the floor. Wolfie immediately started eating it fast. Conan left him be, locking his bedroom door and then proceeding down the hallway, down the grand staircase and out into the hallway where his mother was waiting for him. He would be introduced to the crowds of people who were waiting there just for him, and then the party would begin…and Érian parties were rather rowdy.

"My son," Phoebe smiled, this night she seemed a bit happier. 

"Mother," the prince said kindly, taking her hands in his, "are you feeling alright?"

"I am. I am proud of you" she said calmly, "this is the last time you will be introduced as a prince. Don't be worried now, you will do great."

Despite her telling him not to be worried, he couldn't help himself. 

"Thank you, mother," he said despite these emotions and his stomach churning.

The queen released his hands and then linked arms with him. Conan took a long, deep breath, relaxing his nerves for only a split second. The town crier, who stood outside the door, was informed that the queen and the prince were ready to enter the party. The loud man suddenly yelled out: 

"I INTRODUCE HER MAJESTY PHOEBE THE QUEEN OF ÉRIU – AND THE CROWN PRINCE CONAN OUR SOON TO BE KING!"

The crowd erupted with applause. 

"Are you ready?" his mother questioned. With his free hand, Conan gripped the engagement ring in his pocket. 

"As ready as I'll ever be" he mumbled. He was more nervous about that than anything. His mother took a step forward, and he followed suit. The guards bowed their heads, then opened the doors leading outside. Right in sight, was Lady Ailbhe – smiling and clapping. A bright smile spread across the young prince's face – and he suddenly felt at ease.