Chapter 2 The Werewolf Hunter is back!
Amarien’s POV
"Are you all mad?!" His growl blazed like a thunderclap, making everyone fall to their knees and bow.
"Your Royal Highness." Velmira fell to her face. "It's not what you think, my Lord!"
Because of the harshness of their blows and slaps, and the sting of the hot sun blazing down on me, I found it really hard to move. I lay on the floor trying to make the face of the prince.
Prince Daevir, the heir to the Emperor Darian! He's back!
The legend sings his praises as the warlord who led a war to conquer one of the greatest werewolf packs at age 12. Now that he is 17, he has conquered more territories for the human race, putting to shame Alpha Theron of the Southern pack. All thanks to Prince Daevir, our human villages are saved from the onslaught of werewolves. He is the hero of the realm, his praises and tales of valour sung on every wall, every household.
Everyone is fascinated by his beauty, vigour, and strength. We heard he would be coming home shortly after his conquest, but no one expected he would be here this soon.
No one expected he would be here today.
The sunlight blaring in my eyes suddenly got filtered by a long shadow. My eyes caught his dark shiny boot first before I trailed him up to his face. I gasped. He did live up to the legend of his beauty. The warlord of the North. Weathered by war, yet his eyes held mercy for me. I winced away from him in fright. Is he going to order my execution for plaguing his father with a sickness?
He lowered himself to me. "They did this to you?" He asked me. I looked up again. His dark hair blew in the afternoon breeze, his eyes held an ember flare, and his skin was strangely pale yet covered in battle scars. His ember eyes gave off his exhaustion, yet there was a flare of anger in them.
Velmira quickly stepped forward, hoping to temper the damage she had caused. "Your highness. Please don't touch her! She's the cursed concubine who brought a plague on the emperor…"
"Has the emperor ordered an investigation?" Prince Daevir's cold voice cut through hers.
Velmira stood back, mouth trembling. She shook her head. "No he hasn't."
"And who do you think you are to act on his behalf?" His voice was a low growl, yet everyone in the scene trembled at it, including me.
Suddenly, Prince Daevir's men surrounded the older concubines and seized them. They cried and struggled against their grip.
I felt a warm, strong hand surround me, and in a second, I was carried up in Prince Daevir's arms. I shuddered, but I was too weak to protest. I should be bowing before him in the dirt, not carried by him. He turned to face the women being apprehended.
"This woman is a member of the Royal Court, the royal harem! My father's harem!" He growled, shocking the whole scene. "She is a member of the royal family and must be treated with decency no matter what!"
In his arms, I watched him scold these women so harshly that I felt his voice could tear them to pieces. Prince Daevir ordered his guard to give the women lashes of cane for their insolence in the royal courts.
I, on the other hand, felt myself slipping out of consciousness in a matter of seconds.
Why was he standing up for me? I don't deserve it.
After all, they were right.
I killed my mother.
When I woke up, I was back in my room, surrounded by eunuch tending to my wounds. My appointed Eunuch, Eunuch Corvin stood at the corner of the room looking pissed. I knew he was going to blame me for what happened today. I shouldn't have gone out of my room knowing there's a damning rumour about me swiveling through the palace walls.
The emperor is sick because of me.
Why does everything I touch turn to dust?
It started with my mother. I was told my father wouldn't even look at me at birth. Because of me, they tore my mother open during labour to save her child and not her. I heard Father was hoping I was a boy. But I failed him. I turned out to be a girl, and because of my unusual birth, I killed my mother.
All my life, my father barely looked at me. I was treated as the curse that I am. Only my Grandmother MiMi stood up for me. I lived with her for a while, learning the ways of the apothecary and how to ward off evil curses and tame angry spirits. I learnt all these, hoping to be free from my curse and finally gain my father's love. But I was wrong. Father hated me more as the days went by and sold me off to Eunuch Corvin for a bag of dust.
Yes, that was my price. A bag of dirt.
"She's worthless to me anyway. Safe for her beauty, I would have given her to be a palace servant." Father said, waving Eunuch Corvin's protest off.
Now I am in the palace, my curse preceding me at every turn. When the eunuchs were done, they all left me alone in my room. Even Eunuch Keal left with them. He must have been so disappointed he couldn't even speak to me.
My wounds had been treated, yet my eyes blurred with tears. Grandma MiMi gave me a special charm made from Alpachipa Crimson Rose petals to be tied around my upper thigh. She gave me shortly before I left for the palace, saying she knew it would protect me in this wild terrain.
I looked down at my thigh and realised I hadn't had it on all this time.
So stupid of me!
No wonder I was bullied and debated. Grandma MiMi said it specifically meant to appease angry spirits. If I had worn it all these while, perhaps Velmira wouldn't have been so mad at me. Maybe we would have gotten along.
Quickly, I pushed myself off my bed, grabbed the chest where I had tucked the charm in, and pulled it out. Grandma MiMi knew I would be bullied so much in the palace, so she made arrangements for me.
I wiped the tears off my eyes. I miss her so much. She died the day after I left for the palace. My sorrows knew no end. I still mourn her, remembering her old stories, tales, and medicinal recipes.
As I sat on the bed sobbing, a thought crossed my mind.
I had not thanked Prince Daevir for standing up for me. He didn't have to, but he did, and for that, it's not only customary, it's mandatory that I offer my gratitude and thanks.
I've heard of a concubine who didn't thank the queen consort for a hairpin given to her during one of the palace festivals. The queen ordered her execution the next day.
Quickly, I tied the charm around my upper right thigh and drew on my pale pink dress. Sadly, the pale pink is the less flattering version of the white dress that has now been destroyed by the older concubine of the royal court.
I exited my room and found my way to the Black Sun quarters, where the Royal Prince stayed. An unescorted concubine strolling around the palace is not accepted; however, today was a different day. The prince had arrived, and the place was in a festive mood. Most guards were drunk or partying hard in their quarters, so thankfully, no one stopped me from getting into the Black Sun quarters.
It was the full moon and the night was beautiful.
I found my way to the only big red door with intricate carvings: The Prince Room, and knocked.
At that moment, there was quiet. I knocked again and then…
Moanings…
Groaning…
Grunting…
I felt my face swell with a blush. The prince must be getting some entertainment after his return from the long war. After all, a full-blown festival is thrown in the palace for his sake.
I…I better stay away.
But wait. My gaze lowered to the foot of the door.
It's customary for escorts and entertainers to leave their shoes at the door. This way, anyone coming from outside knows the Prince is busy and mustn't be disturbed.
But there are no shoes here.
The sound of groaning pitches higher and becomes more intense. I knew I couldn't stay away, so I pushed the door open.
"Your highness?" said my shaky voice as I entered the room. The door slammed behind me.
The room was empty, save for the elaborate furniture and giant princely bed. The silence was back.
What's going on here?
I hardly caught my breath when someone lunged at me and pressed me to the wall in a chokehold.
Oh, the gods!
It's the Prince!
He was a far cry from the warlord I saw this afternoon.
His sharp nails dug into my skin as he pressed me to the wall in a choke hold. His waves of silver hair crawled around his skin and his eyes blazed like glowing embers. He groaned like a wild beast, revealing fangs and a tail that shook me to my core.
He's a werewolf!