Chapter 140: The First Applicant
A young lady arrived at the palace at dawn.
The guards at the palace gates had never seen anything like her. Young—maybe nineteen, or twenty; with dirt on her face and fire in her eyes. Her clothes were rags. Her hands were scarred. She carried no weapon, no bag, no letter of introduction.
Only herself.
"I want to see the queen," she said.
The guards exchanged glances. "The queen is not accepting visitors without an appointment."
"Then make an appointment. I’ll wait."
She waited. Three hours. Standing at the gates, not moving, not eating, not drinking. Servants whispered. Guards shifted uncomfortably. Finally, someone sent word to Lysa.
And Lysa told Seren.
Seren found her in the courtyard.
The woman was small, thin, with hollow cheeks and dark hair that hadn’t been washed in weeks. But her eyes, they burned.
"I’m Seren," the queen said. "You wanted to see me?"
The woman dropped to her knees. Not in courtesy. In desperation.
"Please. My name is Mara. I come from the southern villages. Wolves killed my family. My mother. My father. My little brother. He was eight." Her voice cracked. "They came at night. Said we were on their land. We’d lived there for generations."
Seren’s throat tightened. "I’m sorry."
"Sorry doesn’t bring them back." Mara looked up. "I want what you have. The transformation. I want to become a wolf."
Seren led her to a private chamber.
Lysa brought tea. Mara didn’t touch it. She sat on the edge of her chair, her hands clenched in her lap, her eyes fixed on Seren.
"The transformation is dangerous," Seren said. "You could die."
"I don’t care."
"You could become trapped between forms, and become neither human nor wolf. Unable to shift back."
"I don’t care."
"You could lose your mind. The bond...the bond requires a connection to wolves. Multiple wolves. I had three mates. You have none."
Mara’s jaw tightened. "Then I’ll find mates. I’ll do whatever it takes."
Seren leaned forward. "Do you understand what you’re asking? You’re asking me to help you risk your life for a chance...a *chance*—at becoming something you don’t understand."
"I understand that wolves killed my family. I understand that I couldn’t stop them. I understand that I was weak." Mara’s voice shook. "I never want to be weak again."
Seren was silent for a long moment.
She saw herself in this girl. Not the queen. Not the mate. The servant. The girl who had hidden in shadows, made herself small, survived by being invisible. The girl who had watched wolves walk past her like she was furniture.
But she also saw something else. A desperation that would not be tempered. A hunger that would not be satisfied.
"Mara," she said gently. "I cannot help you."
Mara’s face crumbled. "Why?"
"Because I will not be responsible for your death. Because the transformation is not guaranteed. Because even if it worked, even if you became a wolf—you would not be safe. Wolves would fear you. Humans would resent you. You would be alone."
"I’m already alone."
"You’re grieving. That’s different." Seren took her hands. "I was where you are. Angry. Afraid. Willing to do anything for power. But power without purpose is just violence. And violence will not bring your family back."
Mara pulled away. "You don’t understand."
"I understand more than you know."
"No." Mara stood. Her eyes were wet, but her voice was hard. "You were lucky. You found mates. You became queen. You have everything. I have *nothing*."
She walked to the door, then stopped.
"If you won’t help me, someone else will. There are others. Other humans who want what you have. You can’t stop all of us."
She said between sobs and left.
Seren sat alone in the chamber.
Lysa entered quietly. "That was hard."
"It was necessary." Seren rubbed her eyes. "She’s going to try anyway. With or without our help. She’s going to find someone who promises transformation, and she’s going to die."
"Or she’ll find a way."
"There is no way. Not without the bond. Not without the magical marker. Bryn’s research was clear." Seren stood. "But she won’t believe that. None of them will."
"None of who?"
"The others. The ones who will come after her." Seren walked to the window. "I’ve opened a door I cannot close. The transformation institute. The research. The knowledge that transformation is possible. Every desperate human in the kingdom will come knocking."
"And what will you tell them?"
Seren watched the courtyard below. Mara was walking toward the gates, her back straight, her head high. She looked small against the stone walls.
"The truth. That transformation is dangerous. That most will die. That the ones who survive will never be fully wolf or fully human." She turned to Lysa. "And then I’ll watch them try anyway."
That night, Seren told the triplets.
Kael was angry. "You should have detained her. She’s a danger to herself."
"She’s a danger to herself. That’s not a crime."
"It will be when she finds someone to perform the transformation illegally."
Theron nodded. "He’s right. Desperate people do desperate things. We need to increase security at the institute. Monitor anyone who shows interest."
Aeron was quiet. "What did she look like?"
Seren blinked. "What?"
"Mara. What did she look like?"
"Small. Dark hair. Young. Scared."
Aeron took her hand. "She looked like you. That’s why this is hard."
Seren closed her eyes. "She looked like who I was. Before. When I had nothing and wanted everything."
"And you refused her."
"Because I won’t be responsible for another death." She opened her eyes. "But I’m afraid that’s exactly what I’ll become."
The next morning, Bryn reported that someone had broken into the transformation institute.
Nothing was stolen. Nothing was damaged. But someone had been there. Someone had read the research notes.
"Mara," Seren said.
"Probably." Bryn’s face was pale. "She knows about the magical marker now. She knows she doesn’t have it. She knows transformation is impossible for her."
"Unless she finds someone to perform the forbidden rituals."
"Yes."
Seren stood. "Increase security. Double the guards. And find Mara before she finds someone who will kill her."
Bryn nodded and left.
