by L G Nauck
Alena processed what she was saying but it did not make her feel any more comfortable.
Those green eyes flashed to the guards standing around her, “If you two don’t mind, I would like to have some girl time to chat.”
“Lady Serena, I do not think that would be a good idea. We are taking the king’s mate back to her room so that she can rest.”
“Oh nonsense, she seems fine! She’s young and has all that mortal energy. You have nothing to fear from me, I am only curious.”
Alena saw the guards pause, looking at each other before beginning to move towards the door. She felt her heart sink as they chose to leave her alone with this unknown woman. Why did they obey her? Why had they looked so nervous? What power did this woman have?
“We will be outside the room, Lady Serena. Remember, she is the king’s property.”
She would have felt more irked if she wasn’t currently panicking because she was about to be left alone with someone who looked like she could easily devour her. The satisfaction in her gaze also didn’t do anything to quiet her fears.
“Don’t you worry about me, me and this little bunny will have a nice talk.”
Alena jumped when she heard the door close behind her. She looked at the woman in front of her. Serena.
“What is your name, my dear?” She asked, moving closer. Her every movement seemed to be graceful and calculated. It looked as if she was walking down a runway instead of simply moving in a room. And she made Alena feel very uncomfortable. Alena felt herself involuntarily take a step backwards.
The woman stopped a couple feet away from her, tilting her head as she examined Alena. Her smile disappeared, her expression becoming more serious.
“You are a frightened one, aren’t you? Well that won’t do. They will eat you alive here.”
They already are.
“What do you want with me?” Alena asked, proud that she was able to keep her tone even.
Those green cat-like eyes met hers, unreadable and emotionless.
Serena sighed, “I am friends with your mate, Tane. I heard about his mate-hood and thought it was surprising until I found out about his excellent find in you.”
She knew about what she was?
“I have to say I am disappointed. I expected you to be a lot more powerful, enough to keep Tane in line. But I have been unimpressed so far.”
I’m not here to impress you.
When Alena remained silent and turned her gaze to the floor, she heard Serena sigh again and tap her foot impatiently.
“If you want to survive, you need to strengthen yourself. Meticians respect strength and power. If you want to ever make your life better, you need to start fighting.”
Alena snapped her gaze up, anger overwhelming her fear. “I have fought, and I have been punched, thrown around, and raped repeatedly. The only thing you Meticians respect is violence and torture.” She spat out hatefully, glaring at the woman who was now looking at her with that satisfied grin again.
“There! That is what I wanted to see! Oh, my dear, it really isn’t fair. You were not given a fair fight, were you? Perhaps if you had been able to practice and tap into those skills then it would have been a real treat to see that battle of wills.”
Alena found her anger dissipating into perplexity. What was she saying? Was Serena saying she wished that Alena had more control of her powers? But wasn’t she the king’s friend?
It was worth a try.
“Do you know how I can access my powers?”
The cat chuckled, “That is the right question but one I cannot answer. You have been the first Dayuki in centuries. It would be impossible to know exactly what you are capable of.”
“You know for sure that I am a Dayuki?”
The woman shrugged, “Apparently all the signs are pointing towards that conclusion. You had some kind of power display during a fight and have some kind of birthmark which alludes to you being of the race.”
Alena covered her neck with her hand, thinking about the strange birth mark. She had always just thought it had been a coincidence it was shaped like a tear mark. Was it common of the Dayuki to have the same birth mark?
“I’m guessing that means you do have some kind of birth mark. Well, because I am such a fan of drama, I will let you in on a little secret. Tane does not think you are capable of tapping into your powers and will be easy to control. If you figure out how to utilize that power within you, you will be able to completely control Tane.”
The look of pure joy on Serena’s face made Alena pause.
“Aren’t you friends with him? Why would you be helping me?”
The cat woman shrugged, “Let’s just say I like to see an evenly matched fight. Or maybe it is because I want Tane to suffer a bit. He can be an egotistical jerk.”
“I agree. I would say that I only want him to suffer a bit, but I would be lying.”
She laughed, clearly enjoying the topic. She wondered what the cat would say if Alena told her she planned on killing her friend?
“You know what’s funny? People always blame cruel actions on a traumatic past but Tane hasn’t had anything like that. He has had a life of luxury, given everything he ever wanted. His parents were normal, and he chose to be in his position. He understands everything he is doing and chooses to do it. And his personality is what is cherished amongst his people. Who would challenge someone as fearsome as him?”
Alena felt her anger bubble up again, hating the monster who enslaved her and chose to repeatedly rape her. Who wanted to forcefully impregnate her.
Her heart stuttered as her stomach fell.
He wanted to breed her.
She could be pregnant right now.
Her hand came up to touch her stomach lightly, wondering if there was anything growing there.
She would kill herself before she let a child into this horrible world. She would not be able to stand being used as a breeding slave while her children were rounded up and used as the king wished.
She would not let them suffer.
And she would not be used.
She just prayed to the Gods that she was not already pregnant.
“You’re not pregnant.”
Alena looked at her, eyes wide in surprise.
“I could tell your line of thought when you started touching your abdomen and your heart sped up. I can tell by your smell that you are not pregnant. But that won’t last forever.”
Alena knew that and that was why she needed to get the hell out of here. With or without her powers.
“I hope to see you start expanding your horizons soon. I would love to see you reach your full potential. For now, I will call back in your guards so you can go to your room. You look a little pale, darling. No matter. You just need a little rest and some buffing up. If you start showing some dominance, then you will start to see some respect come towards you. You are a queen remember. Make them know you are not to be toyed with.”
Serena winked at her, “Oh boys!” She yelled and then turned and strutted towards one of the posterior doors. She heard a door open and then the guards were next to her again, leading her away.
She had many thoughts running through her mind as she walked back to her room. She barely recognized her surroundings or the presence of her guards, not stopping until she was once again within her false security of a room.
She immediately moved towards her satin couch, sitting down and staring out the adjacent window blankly as she thought about everything that had happened.
Respect? Fighting?
So, she had to pretend everything was fine and nothing had happened to her, so she could impress a bunch of monsters? For what, their entertainment? Even the king himself had said he enjoyed it when she fought. Why would she ever want to give him enjoyment?
His name was Tane. She wouldn’t call him that. The name burned on her tongue.
But if she was able to put on a tough persona and pretend that nothing was wrong, could she gain the respect of the palac
e staff and then ask them to help her? She doubted their loyalty would switch that easily.
She had no need to become friends with these people. Creatures.
She turned when she saw the door to her room open and a maid enter.
“My queen, I have brought some floral patterns for you to choose from.”
Chapter Ten
Tane eyed Serena distrustfully.
She had apparently arrived at the palace two days ago but had been elusive. Hell, he had not even known she was in the palace until a day after she had gotten here. His guards apparently had no idea that she was there either. Only heard strange noises coming from one of the guest rooms occasionally but many assumed it had been a ghost.
In some ways, Serena acted like one.
Damn tigers and their mysterious nature.
Tane growled, finally deciding to break the silence in the room.
“Are you just going to stand there staring out the window with that creepy smile or are you going to say something?”
“What, you don’t like a little quiet in the room? I thought we were sharing a moment of silence.”
Serena turned away from the window, smirking at Tane. She knew exactly how to irritate him.
“I saw your little prize earlier today; she is quite the catch.”
He stiffened, his suspicion arising once again.
“Why do I get the feeling that does not bode well for me?”
Serena chuckled, moving closer so she could pat his cheek with her hand. He raised an eyebrow at her so she knew just how he felt about her actions. She had a way of getting away with showing no respect.
“Don’t you worry, I just wanted to see her for myself. I was perfectly well-behaved.”
“I’m sure you were. I plan on having the wedding arranged for next week. I do not plan on announcing her identity to anyone so try not to cause any trouble. If any of the other high standing officials find out what she is, they will all be tripping over themselves to try to take her from me.”
Serena noticed the way Tane’s teeth and hands seemed to clench at the same time. The thought of losing his little Dayuki affected him that badly? Was it because of his possessive nature or something else? She was betting on the former.
“I’m sure it’s going to be beautiful, I heard your bride requested all the decoration be set on fire. I think that really is a nice touch. I’ve never been to a fire wedding.”
Tane rolled his eyes, moving over to the side bar so he could pour himself a class of hard liquor. The brew he currently kept had been created under extreme circumstances, going through a process of being infused with venom and lava. The concoction burnt going down, but it gave him a rush like nothing else.
“It really doesn’t matter what it looks like, it’s just for show. And once it’s official, it will give me more of a claim over her and our children. The decorators will handle everything. The only thing she and I have to do is walk down the aisle and have someone announce us as bonded.”
Tane downed his first glass and poured another two, handing one to Serena who had appeared next to him.
“Now let’s change the subject onto something more interesting. I hear you have started selling something more exotic.”
Tane recognized the twinkle in Serena’s eye which meant she was up to something. But with her history in illegal activities, he was not all that surprised.
“I am into all sorts of things now. The latest addition has been elven hair. Made into wigs, braided into jewelry, etc. It is all the rage since it is so soft and shiny.”
Tane quirked an eyebrow at her, “You really have been getting around. I don’t know of any elven district that reveal themselves to outsiders.”
“Well I had to become an insider of course. It wasn’t all that easy, especially since no one wants to sell their hair. But I always find a way.”
Tane knew that Serena’s way was probably not the most diplomatic. Especially since no elf would willingly do business with someone of another race.
And selling elven products?
It was no wonder her business was booming.
“What about you? I heard things are getting tense with Kathal.”
Tane shrugged, “It’s the same story. The king wants us to give him more resources for less money. I am not going to trade all our ore just because he is having a shit fest. He has gotten more arrogant over time and now he thinks he can intimidate the other factions to do what he wants. It would not be a surprise to me if he wants to be king of the fucking world.”
Serena raised an eyebrow, “Are you worried he may attack?”
“It has been a thought.”
Tane walked over to the map he kept hanging on the wall. The large world of Zidania had five factions, each broken up into select areas. Tane was the ruler of Barthamos, one of the five factions. Their city was the largest within the area since it was the capital. Surrounding territory consisted of farms, other smaller cities, factories, and mining facilities. Kathal was the neighboring faction to the North. To the East was Sheeva and across the sea to the west lied Ameen and Circa. Each faction had access to the ocean which provided excellent trade routes.
The fact that Zidania had been at peace for so long did not come lightly. There were constant struggles between the nations that resulted from rulers demanding more than their share. The reason a war had not broken out was because of how catastrophic the previous conflicts had been.
Two hundred years ago, the factions engaged in a twenty-year battle that resulted in the loss of millions of lives, the destruction of unimaginable territory, and the suffering of countless individuals. The nations had decided to come together to create a peace treaty that would ensure a similar conflict would not happen again. And even though the countries had not broken out into a full-fledged war, there were still conflicts that could easily escalate.
And it appeared that the king of Kathal was now itching to fight with Barthamos. Which was probably partly Tane’s fault. He had insulted the king the last time they had spoken.
The corner of Tane’s mouth quirked up when he remembered the way the Rhinoceros Meticien had turned red with anger. It really was too easy to get him riled up.
Tane could not deny that he also had the urge to engage in combat. He had been trained for it his entire life but had never been able to apply that knowledge. Occasionally small issues would arise where he would have to demonstrate his strength, but nothing like the legendary battles of the past.
The fact that he had the Dayuki as his mate also insured the safety of Barthamos. If her power was unlocked, the Gods would protect them. And no other ruler would dare attack knowing that he had a Dayuki on his side. The loss of the species had been a tragedy since their healing powers and ability to wield magic were useful. But they also posed a threat that no one would risk.
Who would risk attacking with the possibility of a giant dragon spirit being summoned?
“If there is a fight, just let me know. You know I love a good spar.”
Tane grinned at Serena, “Of course. I wouldn’t want you to miss a second of it.”
“Thank you, my dear. Now if you don’t mind I promised Grizma I would hand his ass to him for calling me a greedy bitch.”
“Isn’t that what you are?”
Serena smiled in her usual predatory way, “Careful now, I wouldn’t want to separate you from your ass as well. What would your mate say? I’m sure she would apply similar decorating techniques to that body part.”
He glared at her for bringing up the discourse he currently had with his mate. Of course, Serena would know. She made it her business to know everything that could potentially be useful.
“That would be bad for publicity. I’ll go with you. I do like to see Grizma get punished. Also, I will be leaving tomorrow to go speak with the ambassador from Kathal so I would like to have some fun before then.”
“You are leaving? As soon as I get here? If it were anyone else, I would be insulted. When will you be bac
k?”
“I’ll only be gone for two days. I simply have to travel to this small bordering town, talk with him, and then get back here. Plenty of time before my wedding.”
“My little wolf, becoming a husband and mate. I thought I would never see the day.”
“Well I guess it is an auspicious time.”
Serena chuckled and the two of them exited the room to search out the unaware Grizma.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alena spent the next couple of days watching the guard’s movements. She knew that two guards always stood outside her door and her every movement was shadowed outside of this room.
Which left the window.
She noticed that guards patrolled the outside territory continuously. However, there were patterns and time frames for their movements. Also, there were times that there were no guards stationed outside her window.
Perhaps because they thought she wouldn’t jump.
Was that because they did not expect her to be clever enough or strong enough to withstand the fall?
The distance to the ground was quite large compared to those she had jumped before. But it didn’t look as if it was impossible. If she landed correctly, then she could avoid injuries and sneak around the courtyard. There were enough bushes and foliage that she could hide and make her way to the edge. From what she could remember of the palace, there was a wall that surrounded the premises.
Was there a way to get around it?
If she were to hide her identity, could she simply walk out? Perhaps there was another way to get out other than the main gate? She would also have to hide her scent…The Meticians had a stronger sense of smell, especially those of the Dryken variety.
Alena wished she could go outside to see more of the area but every time she asked to go outside, the guards would quickly usher her a different way. Perhaps they were worried what she would do once exposed to fresh air. Even she wasn’t completely sure she could keep herself under control. The thought of escaping this hell made her desperate.
If she were to escape, she needed to keep her wits.
Alena was happy that she had not seen the king in a while. Even though the memories of him violating her were still fresh within her mind, she was grateful for the reprieve. Every time she heard foot steps outside her door, she felt as if she was going to throw up from anxiety. But then the footsteps would pass, and she was able to breathe again.
