Chapter 5 The Start Of A New Dawn
Vanessa
“I’m going to fucking kill him!” is the first thing I scream as soon as I come around to.
I wake up with a start, gasping desperately for air as my throat feel tight. I reach my arm up but find no big, calloused hand squeezing the life out of it. He wasn’t trying to kill me. He was trying to control me.
That little-
“Good morning, your Highness,” greets a low, soft voice, interrupting my train of swears.
I look up to find a young woman with black hair tied into a low bun. Her forest green eyes are cast down with her hands folded in front of her.
“Um, good morning…” I trail off, unsure of how to respond.
She notices my confusion and supplies, “Patricia, your Highness. I have been assigned to your quarters, to tend to your needs from now on.”
I’m sure I look like a fish out of water with the way I leave my mouth open. After a few moments, I clear my throat. “Oh, okay. Nice to meet you.” I stretch out my hand for her to shake but her eyes widen slightly. Tentatively, she takes it and shakes.
I Let out a little huff of laughter.
I spring out of the bed immediately.
“So. What’s the first thing I have to do today?” I ask with my hands on my hips, cocked to the side slightly.
“You don’t have much to do today, except a tour to get you acquainted with the pack, your Highness.”
“Please, call me, Vanessa,” I say gently, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the title.
Her eyes widen again. “Oh, no, I dare not do such a thing, your High–“
“I insist.”
“But-“
“Fine. When it’s just you and me then. How’s that?”
She looks a bit reluctant at first but then nods. “Alright, your high- I mean, Vanessa.”
“Good,” I say with a small smile on my face and she returns it with a genuine one of her own.
“Alright, give me a few minutes to shower and get dressed. Then we’ll head out.”
“Yes, Vanessa. I’ll be waiting right outside your room door until you’re finished.” She bows and leaves.
I walk into the ensuite bathroom. It is big – bigger than any bathroom I’ve ever seen in my life. A shower stall stand to the left with it's doors shut. On my right is a white bathtub that’s big enough to fit at least three people, comfortably.
Everything has been put in place; two towels, a few bottles of shampoo and body wash, a bar soap and a wash cloth.
I quickly strip off my clothes and step into the shower. Picking up a bottle of lavender scented shampoo, I pour a generous amount and work it into a lather throughout my body.
I rinse off and grab a towel on the way out.
When I open the walk-in closet, I gasp. It is huge and big enough to be a room of it’s own.
I sift through the numerous amount of clothes all ranging from beautiful to pretty to ugly to tasteless to absolutely horrendous!
I pick up a deep red dress with puffed sleeves and a plunging neckline. It flows down to just the top of my ankle and snatches at the waist.
It Is one of the few good ones.
I look in the mirror and leave my ginger hair flowing over my shoulders. Once I’m sure I look presentable, I step out of the bedroom.
There was Patricia, her posture straight, almost stuff as a statue, but as soon she sees me, her lips tilt up in a gentle smile.
“This way, your Highness.”
I don’t correct her this time, instead, I just follow her as she shows me, first, Xander’s room which is just opposite mine to the right.
Apparently, the whole wing we are on belong solely to Xander…and now me. The Prince and the Princess have a wing to themselves and so do the King and the Queen.
I am led to a whole lot of other places: the kitchen, library, Royal Court room, and I can say my favourite place so far is the kitchen. I could eat a whole feast and it still wouldn't make a difference.
“And this, is the training ground.” I’m pulled out of my food fantasy when we come to a halt in an open field. It isn’t just bare land though – it is bustling with activities and the air is charged with the thrum of supernatural energy. There are a lot of people engaging in different activities; boxing, sword fights, hand to hand combats. Some are even fighting and trying to pin each other down in wolf forms.
There’s an open wide door to the left where a variation of different weapons are neatly arranged in groups; daggers, swords, arrows, rifles, pistols and lots more I can’t even name.
Feeling eager to participate, I turn to Patricia.
“Hey, Trish, would you be a darling and show me where I can get a change of clothes here?”
Her expression turns hesitant, almost fearful as she says, “Um, your Highness – his Highness has not requested your presence here. I-I’m not sure it’s a good idea.”
I roll my eyes inwardly. I’ll do whatever I want.
I grab Trish by the shoulders and give her my best puppy look and within seconds, she caves.
She leads me to a room around the back filled with clothes of different sizes. I pick a top and a pair of pants closest to my size and change quickly.
We head back out onto the field and my eyes zero in on a woman of almost my height, her long black hair is pulled into a high ponytail and I do the same with mine. She just finished knocking out a tall burly man twice her size and is probably looking for a new sparring partner.
“See you later, Trish.”
She squeaks, but before she can stop me, I walk off.
I approach her and she cocks an eyebrow, with one hand on her hips as she notices me. Her lips tilt up into a wicked smile.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t our new Queen,” she sneers.
From my peripheral vision, Trish pales.
If she’s looking for someone to intimidate, she’s got the wrong person.
I proceed to take a smile of my own.
“Yes, she’s me,” I reply with an air of overconfidence, flipping the end of my ponytail over my shoulders. “You are?”
“Melissa. The Gamma of MoonVeil Pack.”
I hum and ask, “Now. Shall we?”
Her face darkens, then she literally growls, her blue eyes flashing. “Very well, your Highness.”
Then before I can even process her words, I feel the first throb of pain spreading over my face where she punched me. She doesn’t wait for me to recover before another lands on my stomach and I fall to my knees trying to breathe even. An uppercut to the underside of my chin snaps my head back and I crumble to the floor on my back.
She looms over me, knocking her fists together. “This is how we do it here. Fast, and brutal. The enemy will show no mercy. Neither will they wait for recovery. If you want to rule this kingdom. You’ve got to show us what you’ve got.” With that, she walks away.
Beyond the pain, is recognition.
It’s a test, just short of cruelty.
It’s enou
gh for me.
I barely hear her retreating footsteps before I’m plunged into an endless swirl of darkness.