by L G Nauck
She didn’t know what would happen if the little creature ever disappeared. It had been her one ally at this forsaken place. The one servant who had tried to help her had not reappeared. She really hoped the girl was okay.
Alena raised a hand to gently pet Sasha. Even though the little fox appeared to be nothing but an illumination, the form was surprisingly tangible. When Alena touched it, little tingles would run across her skin. Sasha vibrated in what felt like a purr and it seemed to have a happy expression.
She was glad that her friend seemed to enjoy being around her as well.
Alena averted her gaze to the window, noticing some birds that were flying in the distance. She decided that she had won a victory. She had shown the Meticians that she was not powerless. She was willing to do things that they could not imagine. And in that, she had gained some power for herself.
Alena decided that no matter what, she would push forward. She would use what power she had to continue to expand her abilities. She lifted her hand and watched the water trickle off to reunite with the others. She had seen one of the great creatures that had once been frequent to this world. And she would bring them back.
Chapter Fifteen
Alena walked into the large dining room where some higher ranking Meticians were leisurely eating. Their attention was immediately drawn to her and she looked back at them with no emotion. Alena’s long, black hair was bound high on top of her head and braided into eight different rows that fell to her waist. Woven into the braids were gold and silver strands of ribbon that she had requested. Her attire was a silver dress made from silk. As custom, the sleeves fell to her hands but there was a slit that ran up to her elbows. This allowed her to have free access to use her hands, something that was odd for a royal female. The long sleeves were meant to symbolize that she did not need to do manual tasks. She had insisted it be altered. As she moved, the material flowed with her like water, shades of blue shimmering in the sunlight.
Her customary two guards trailed behind her, obviously unsure of the changes that had occurred in their mistress. But they had luckily stayed silent, acquiescing when she had asked for servants to dress her. And now they followed behind her, occasionally throwing subtle nervous glances at each other. They thought she didn’t notice. One side of her lips twisted up in an amused smirk.
“I want privacy. Everyone can leave.”
She spoke clearly, coming to stand in the middle of the room, looking at each Metician in turn. They looked at her with mouths agape. They clearly did not know who she was. Or thought she was supposed to be the submissive human, too afraid to raise her voice above a whisper.
That may have been her a week ago.
Now, she didn’t give a fuck.
“I said leave. Take your meal elsewhere. The smell of meat sickens me.”
One of the female Meticians looked at the guards behind Alena and nervously began to move away. However, one of the males looked outraged as he took a threatening step towards her.
“Who are you to speak like that to us, human!?”
The guards made to step in front of her, but she moved forward to intercept them. She didn’t back down as she glared at the Metician, hate filling her gaze.
“Leave.”
He snorted his nose in indignation but also backed down, walking out of the room with an annoyed aura.
Frankly, she could care less.
Once everyone was out of the room, she turned to a servant who was staring at her with wide eyes.
“I would like eggs, toast, and fresh fruit.”
The servant snapped out of whatever shock he was in to rush off to obey her orders. While she was waiting, she walked to the window to look out over the front courtyard. Outside, there was a group of male Meticians going through military exercises. She watched them stretch and practice with their weapons. The sight made her think of the times she practiced with Kaleck. She missed it. The way she pulled the string back to send an arrow into a target fifty-feet away. Or the way she swung a sword, the steel cutting through the air.
She had done well in the competition, but it had not been enough.
Without her powers, she would have died.
But with her powers, she could destroy the mightiest Metician.
The aura in the room suddenly changed, suddenly becoming tenser. Alena turned around, knowing exactly who entered the room.
“I am glad to see you out and about. Hopefully there will be no more mishaps like yesterday.”
The king strode towards her, looking every bit as intimidating and confident as he usually did. Alena did not back down though, she stood her ground and observed the male who had ruined her life. He stopped in front of her, his silver eyes piercing into her. His proximity made her immediately uncomfortable, but she forced herself to stand still. From behind him, she watched a servant come in and place some plates on the table. Alena made to move around him.
“My breakfast is here.”
He stepped in front of her to block her path.
“We need to talk about yesterday. I told you that you would get more freedom as long as you behaved yourself. Trying to drown yourself is not part of that plan.”
She looked at him, feeling her annoyance rise.
“And I told you that there is nothing you can do to stop me from doing what I want.”
He moved forward, backing her against the wall.
She didn’t like it.
“You forget I am much stronger than you and I’m the king. I can keep you locked in the dungeon with nothing to do. You’ll be given food and water and all the alone time to think about all the things you want to do.”
She bit her cheek, glaring at the Metician.
“What is it that you want from me?”
He seemed taken aback by the question, not responding immediately.
“What?”
“What do you want from me? Am I just a breeder to you?”
He cleared his throat, taking a small step back, enough to give her room to breathe again.
“I know that you know what you are. You are a rare creature. I want you as my mate.”
“You have me as that. What else?”
Alena asked forcefully, taking a step towards him this time. He seemed genuinely surprised by her aggressiveness. She was tired of being controlled and feeling powerless. Even with her heart in her throat, her rage fueled her.
“We are at war. You will join me in the battle.”
She paused at that. He wanted her to fight? Ironically, that was why she had entered the competition. But now he had claimed so much more than her fighting capability.
“You can’t force me to fight like you force me to mate with you.”
His eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared.
“Mates fight for each other. It is your duty to serve and stand by me.”
“Those two parts are incongruous. I can’t stand beside you and also serve you. And you have done nothing to fight for me. You can’t get your cake and eat it too.”
He remained silent and she did as well. As she thought about it, the idea of fighting was tempting. It would be nice to be able to exercise her muscles again and feel the rush of using a weapon. And if he wanted her to fight with him, that meant he would have to give her access to weapons. She would be able to practice in public, possibly with the palace’s tools. She liked that idea, even if she couldn’t stand the idea of doing anything to help him.
She raised her chin further, staring at him with determination.
“If you want me to join you, you need to allow me to practice. When I jumped into the lake, I was channeling some of my power. If you would like me to use it to help you, then you need to give me the ability to master my skills.”
There was silence once again and she wondered what he was thinking. He would have to compromise if he expected her to be a good little mate and soldier.
“How can I trust you that you won’t try to kill yourself?”
“Because I do not want to
.”
“What was it before?”
“I was getting rid of that disgusting thing you put inside of me.”
She watched the rage flicker across his face and his muscles tense. She could tell that he wanted to strike her.
She prepared for the attack.
But it never came.
“Fine. You can continue to practice but only while you are monitored by guards. Do not do anything you know I will not approve of or else there will be consequences. And trust me, you will not like them.”
He pressed against her, allowing her to feel his hard erection against her stomach before he stepped away and left the room. She let out a breath she did not know she had been holding. She allowed herself a couple seconds to breathe slowly, calming herself before she moved to the table to sit down. The guards looked at her curiously as she collected her fork and slowly began to eat her breakfast.
She took a bite of a strawberry slowly, mentally telling herself to chew and swallow. She hated the way her stomach felt twisted after her encounter with the king. She hated her reaction to him. And he knew just the right buttons to push.
Alena finished the most she could before dabbing her face with a napkin and standing up from her chair. The guards approached her, making sure to stay the required three feet behind her. She walked calmly to the wash bin to wash her hands before moving towards the doors that led outside. She automatically moved towards the front, deciding to watch the soldiers practice.
“Your honor, perhaps it would be better to go to the back of the palace.”
One of the guards spoke up behind her. She had never really been addressed by them directly, so the fact they were speaking openly surprised her. Perhaps they were nervous she would do something that would get them in trouble. The title was something she was used to since the maids and servants would often address her as such. Since she was not the same station as the king, but still considered to be high ranking, she was called “your honor.”
“I would like to see the training.”
“But your ho-“
“You can either go with me or you can stay here, either way, I will be outside.”
There were no further arguments.
Alena walked through one of the smaller doors that led outside and traversed the field until she could see the soldiers. She came to a stop about fifteen feet away and observed a sparring match between two of the men. It seemed they were evenly matched, each preferring to use their swords instead of their natural weapons. However, they would still use their speed and claws when needed.
She kept her eyes focused on them, watching each movement until she could decipher a pattern. Their speed was a large advantage for them in battle. Wolf Meticians were also known for a large amount of ferocity and loyalty. They tended to defend one another which made it difficult to face only one at a time.
Some of the males that were standing around noticed her and she could tell they became uncomfortable with her presence. She tried to control a grin as she watched some of the males shift from foot to foot, whispering to each other and nudging their heads toward her. They apparently did not expect her to be out here and had no idea what to do. She ignored them though as she continued to watch the fight progress. Soon enough, one of the males knocked the other one to the ground and placed his sword on his neck. They grinned at each other before the victor helped the defeated to his feet.
Comradery.
But she was not part of that world nor would she ever be. She was an outsider, a tool to be used for their alpha’s pleasure.
“I would like to spar.”
One of her guards stepped forward, looking at her with disapproval.
“This is not part of the agreement. You are to work on your powers in a safe environment. You cannot be given sharp objects.”
She grinned sardonically.
“If I am to train, I have to train everything. How else am I to prepare for war?”
An eyebrow was raised.
“No servant of the king shall fight you. No one would risk hurting you.”
She glared at the guard before turning to look at the rest of the Meticians that were looking at her curiously. She ached to be able to utilize a weapon again. It has been her passion in life.
“Then I will use it on inanimate objects.”
“It’s too dangerous.”
“I told you that I could hurt myself on anything if I wanted.”
“That just gives us more leverage to keep you more contained.”
“But it would never be enough. Do you want me to help your king or not?”
There was hesitation as the guard analyzed her.
“What do you need?”
“I want a bow and some arrows.”
There was a pause as the guard clearly seemed unsure. But then he turned and walked to a building that was off to the side. He reappeared a moment later with a quiver slung over his shoulder and a bow in his hand. Alena felt her heart speed up.
He jerked his head in a signal that she should follow him and she excitedly obeyed. Alena found herself genuinely happy at the thought of being able to practice her skills once again. It may not be summoning, but it was something that she had put a lot of effort into.
They walked around the corner of the palace and started to walk further into the distance. They soon moved into a territory that was foreign to her. She was continuously amazed at how large the palace property was. She had only briefly explored it when she was escaping. But it had been dark, and she had been more concerned with getting away than sight-seeing.
They soon approached a field that had targets set up in the distance. The guard stopped about ten feet away from one of the targets and handed her the bow with a mix of resignation and irritation. She happily accepted it as well as the quiver.
“You may practice here. Would you like a demonstration on how to use it?”
He obviously had not seen her in the competition.
“That will not be necessary.”
With the feeling of the wood in her hand, she came alive. Flashbacks of her experience came rushing back to her, filling her body with adrenaline. She pulled the string back, feeling the strain of her muscles as they tried to accommodate the unfamiliar pressure.
It had been too long.
She lifted the bow, deposited an arrow, and let it fly. The arrow hit the middle of the target. Alena grinned, proud that her ability seemed to not have diminished, even though her muscles had noticeably become laxer. Alena turned, walking further away until she was twenty feet in distance. She turned around, inserted another arrow, and let it fly. It landed in the middle of the target.
Thirty feet, middle of the target.
Forty feet, middle of the target.
Fifty feet, middle of the target.
Her smile spread fully across her face as the last arrow landed in the intended target, verifying her skill. The soreness in her muscles was welcomed, making her feel alive for the first time in a long time. Her gaze briefly drifted to her frequent guards and was satisfied to see their surprised expressions. Even though she had been in the competition, it did not seem that many of the members of the palace knew about her abilities. Even though there could be some benefits to hiding her talents, she did take pleasure in showing she was not powerless.
She wanted to be feared.
Alena collected the arrows and stepped farther away than she had ever shot from. She then fired each one off, continuing to shoot until most landed in the middle. Alena continued the pattern until her muscles ached and her chest heaved. She looked up as a one of her guards came closer.
“Perhaps it is time to take a break. You should rest.”
Although she hated others to see her in a weak state, she had to agree with the Metician. She had pushed her body more than she had in a while. But she would increase her stamina with time.
“Very well.”
She handed the bow and quiver back to the guard and walked slowly back to the palace. The entire w
ay she kept her head up and her back straight, refusing to reveal how tired she truly was. It was not until she was safely back in her room that she allowed her shoulders to droop as she fell onto her bed face-first.
Sasha jumped on the bed to look at her curiously. She smiled slightly at the small fox but did not have the energy to reach out and pet it. She instead pulled her body upward so she could make herself comfortable. Maybe she would sleep for a little while…and then she would get back up and train some more.
Alena breathed out slowly as she let herself relax into the blackness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alena was dressing herself when she heard the knock at her door. As she slipped the tunic over her head, she turned to the door, feeling both irritated and curious. Most of her servants had learned that she despised things being done for her. And everyone else knew she wanted to strictly be left alone. So, whoever was on the other side of the door was disturbing her and she sincerely hoped it was for a good reason. If they wanted to know what color scarf she wanted, she was pretty sure she would scream.
Alena opened the door to see an elderly Metician male standing there. He had a regal atmosphere about him with his white hair, mustache, and upscale attire. He obviously was of a higher station. Either that or he just took his job really seriously.
“Your honor, a gift from the king.”
Alena looked down at the box in the man’s hands.
She had not expected this.
She also did not like it.
“You can send it back to him.”
“That’s impossible. You may do with it whatever you wish but it cannot be returned.”
The man held it out to her with a look of haughty expectation. It really did make her want to smack the offending package on the ground. But perhaps she should consider her actions more carefully. And honestly, she wanted this interaction to be over with as quickly as possible.
She accepted the package without emotion and nodded to the man.
