**The Kingdom of Lupia**
Nearly four hundred years ago, in the late fifteenth century, a young nobleman named Edmund lived in a region that had not yet been united under a single kingdom. As a boy, Edmund encountered a wild gray wolf named Silver. Rather than fearing the animal, Edmund gradually formed a genuine friendship with him. The townspeople considered this foolish and repeatedly warned Edmund that wolves were dangerous wild beasts that could never be trusted. Edmund ignored them. He had seen Silver's gentle nature for himself.
One day, while Edmund was still a boy, he was attacked by a bear while wandering through the wilderness. The attack left him badly injured and unable to defend himself. Silver heard Edmund's cries and rushed to his aid. The wolf attacked the bear with extraordinary courage and ferocity, forcing it to retreat and saving Edmund's life.
The experience changed Edmund forever. He had always been fascinated by Silver, but seeing the wolf willingly risk its own life to protect him convinced Edmund that wolves were capable of extraordinary loyalty, intelligence, and courage. He developed a lifelong admiration for wolves and remained determined to protect them.
As Edmund grew older, he became a prince. He eventually united the surrounding kingdoms under his rule and became their first king. When he established his new empire, he deliberately named it Lupia, after Lupa, the legendary she-wolf of Roman mythology who was said to have rescued and raised the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. Edmund considered the name fitting because a wolf had once saved his own life and had profoundly influenced the man and king he would become.
After becoming king, Edmund brought Silver to live with him. He constructed a magnificent castle for himself, his family, and Silver, and established wolves as sacred animals throughout Lupia. He passed laws protecting wolves and their natural habitats, making the killing or deliberate injury of a wolf an extremely serious crime. These laws were intended to ensure that wolves throughout the kingdom could live safely in the wild.
Edmund also established special protections for Silver and his descendants. The wolves living in the royal castle were to be treated as members of the royal household. They were given spacious living quarters, excellent food, servants to care for them, and every comfort that could reasonably be provided. Edmund wanted the descendants of the wolf who had saved his life to be protected for generations to come.
Silver eventually disappeared into the surrounding wilderness for several days. When he returned, he was accompanied by a young female wolf named Opaline. Silver had found a mate.
Opaline was initially frightened of humans and reluctant to enter the castle. Silver continued returning to her, however, until she gradually became comfortable around the castle and its inhabitants. Edmund welcomed her and extended the same protections to her that he had given Silver.
Silver and Opaline became the founders of the Royal Wolf Bloodline.
For hundreds of years, their descendants have remained inside the same royal castle. The bloodline gradually expanded as generations of wolves were born, and because the wolves were kept exclusively within the royal family and bred among their own relatives, the bloodline became completely inbred over time. This was not originally a deliberate goal; it was simply the result of maintaining the same isolated lineage for centuries.
The original laws Edmund created to protect wolves still exist. Throughout the region, harming or killing a wolf remains a severe crime, and the natural habitats of wild wolves continue to receive legal protection. The royal wolves, however, have remained under even greater protection than their wild relatives.
The empire of Lupia itself no longer exists. Centuries of political change eventually absorbed its territory into modern France, and the old kingdom became a part of history. The name Lupia nevertheless survives as the name of the ancient royal castle Edmund built for himself, Silver, and Opaline.
The castle still stands in 1895.
It remains enormous, beautiful, and extraordinarily luxurious. Edmund's descendants still own it and have inherited a vast fortune accumulated by the family over generations. Although they are no longer monarchs, they continue the traditions established by their ancestor nearly four hundred years earlier.
Most importantly, they continue to care for the Royal Wolf Bloodline.
The descendants of Silver and Opaline have never left the castle. Their lineage has remained completely uninterrupted since the days of Edmund. The current owners of Lupia employ numerous servants whose primary responsibility is caring for the wolves. The animals are fed the finest food, given enormous rooms and comfortable beds, groomed, entertained, and treated with extraordinary affection. Every aspect of their lives is carefully maintained according to traditions that have existed for centuries.
The wolves are not considered pets.
They are the Royal Wolves of Lupia, descendants of the wolf who saved the life of the kingdom's first king.
In the year 1895, eleven Royal Wolves live within Castle Lupia.
**Life at Castle Lupia**
Castle Lupia is a vast stone castle built by Edmund nearly four hundred years ago. Although it was originally constructed as a royal residence, it has been carefully maintained by Edmund's descendants ever since. The castle combines the imposing architecture of an old French fortress with the comfort and luxury of a wealthy aristocratic estate. Its exterior is surrounded by extensive gardens, wooded grounds, and enclosed courtyards, giving the Royal Wolves plenty of space to wander while remaining safely within the castle's property.
Inside, the castle contains numerous bedrooms, guest rooms, sitting rooms, libraries, studies, dining halls, kitchens, servant quarters, storage rooms, bathrooms, and grand reception chambers. The largest rooms have high ceilings, enormous fireplaces, elaborate wooden furniture, thick carpets, chandeliers, and portraits of members of Edmund's family. Portraits of Silver and Opaline hang among those of the human members of the dynasty, reflecting the unusual importance the wolves have held within the household since the castle was founded.
The wolves are free to move throughout most of the castle. They are not confined to cages, kennels, or small rooms. Their quarters occupy an entire wing on the upper floor of the castle, where each wolf has its own private bedroom furnished with a thick mattress, blankets, cushions, and enough space to move around freely. Every bedroom door is equipped with a simple button at the wolves' nose height that allows them to open and close it themselves. By pressing the button with their noses, the wolves can enter or leave their rooms whenever they wish, giving them complete control over their own privacy. A spacious hallway runs along the wing, with each wolf's bedroom opening directly onto it, allowing the wolves to visit one another freely without needing assistance from the servants.
The wolves also spend much of their time in the castle's common areas. They particularly enjoy the enormous central sitting room, where a massive fireplace keeps the room warm during the colder months. Thick rugs cover much of the floor, making it an ideal place for the wolves to sleep. Some wolves prefer curling up beside the fireplace, while others sleep on the large sofas or stretch out across the rugs.
The castle library is another favorite location. Although the wolves cannot read, they often lie quietly among the books while members of the household read nearby. The wolves are accustomed to the presence of humans and frequently follow their favorite servants or family members from room to room.
During pleasant weather, the wolves spend much of their time outdoors. Castle Lupia's grounds include extensive lawns, flower gardens, shaded groves, and a large wooded area where the wolves can run and explore. The grounds are completely enclosed and carefully maintained so that the wolves can enjoy considerable freedom without being exposed to the dangers of the outside world. Some wolves prefer lounging in the gardens, while others spend hours exploring the woods, chasing one another, or resting beneath the trees.
The Royal Wolves live an exceptionally comfortable life. They are fed several times a day with high-quality meat prepared specifically for them, and servants monitor their health, groom them, clean their sleeping areas, and make sure they always have fresh water. Each wolf receives individual attention according to its personality and preferences. Some enjoy being brushed, others prefer playing with servants, and some are more independent and simply want to be left alone.
The wolves are treated with extraordinary affection. Servants do not regard caring for them as ordinary kennel work; caring for the Royal Wolves is a prestigious responsibility that has been passed down through generations. The wolves are allowed to sleep wherever they are comfortable, wander through the castle at their leisure, and enter rooms occupied by the human members of the household.
There are currently eleven Royal Wolves living at Castle Lupia. They are all descendants of Silver and Opaline, and their entire lives have been spent within the same castle that has housed their bloodline for nearly four centuries.
To the people who live and work at Lupia, the wolves are not merely animals living in a luxurious home.
They are sacred members of the household.