Chapter 6 A Banquet Proposal

The cold water struck her like ice.

Myra gasped, her body shivering as another bucket was poured over her head.

The maids helping her barely looked concerned, as if washing a former princess like an animal was normal, like another chore.

Nora, the head maid-a woman with sharp eyes and a prim mouth-pushed a bar of rough soap into her hands. "Scrub yourself clean. The Alpha despises filth in everything that's his"

Alpha. Myra gritted her teeth at the title.

Hours ago, she was a princess, even though she was in chains. Now, she was nothing more than a slave.

Another bucket was dumped over her head, making her teeth chatter as the coldness stung her.

She scrubbed her body hard, trying hard to wash away not just the dirt, but the shame eating the heart.

Servant. The word hit her harder than a club would. It tore apart her pride, reducing her to a status worse than a commoner.

She heard a cough and turned just in time to catch some pairs of eyes peeking through the half-open door.

Guards. They looked relaxed, arms folded, lewd smirks on their lips. Not the least bothered to hide their lascivious stares.

Her cheeks burned red-hot. These monsters had murdered her people, stolen her freedom, and as if that wasn't enough, they entertained themselves with her shame.

"G-Guards" she stammered to the maids, "Guards are-"

A cold splash of water cut off her sentence. She coughed and wiped her eyes then looked into Nora's flat gaze.

"Shut up and bathe. Do you think you can make demands again like a princess?"

Her lips quivered as another wave of water washed over her.

She clenched her fists and turned her back to the door, holding down her embarrassment and anger.

She heard a few whistles and dug her nails into her palms, wishing she could kill those men or die right there. The heat of her anger burned away the ice-like coldness of the water.

Myra exhaled shakily while scrubbing herself, conscious of the maids's impatient gazes.

She would endure this bitter pill. Revenge would mean nothing if she didn't endure and survive to see it through. But she would never forget this moment.

Finally, a maid noticed the guards and shut the door.

Once she was clean enough to them, she was given a plain, brown dress. The material was rough against her skin as she put it on.

No corsets. No silk. No embroideries.

A reminder of her current status, she thought bitterly.

By the time she was taken out of the bathing room, her anger had cooled, allowing her to think calmly.

They took her down a narrow, dim corridor with cracked ceilings and dirty walls, until they reached a tiny room at the farthest end.

Myra just stood there, staring at the door as if she'd stepped into her worst nightmare.

"This is where you'll be sleeping" Nora hissed, nudging her forward. "Work starts at dawn. Don't fall behind"

Before she could respond, the woman and other maids were gone, leaving her standing alone in the cramped, airless corridor.

She walked inside slowly, because she felt as if the walls were closing in on her. It was harder to breathe. It was harder to walk, to move each foot forward.

She felt a sense of defeat as she looked around her.

The only light was from a narrow window high up in the wall. Cobwebs decorated the ceilings like chandeliers, and the only items in there was a straw mattress in the corner, yellowed with age, and a small brown bowl.

Myra didn't know how long she stood there, absorbing every detail of the room.... and her new life.

She walked over to the mattress and slid down onto it, ignoring the sting of the straws.

Myra felt really scared and useless for the first time in her life.

"She is weak. Just like her sister"

"If she was truly strong, we wouldn't be in this situation"

She closed her eyes, seeing their broken faces filled with disappointment.

They were right. What kind of leader allowed her kingdom to fall, her people to be captured and herself to be reduced to this?

Instincts made her want to kick and fight her way out of there, to stab that Alpha in his heart and save her people.

But she couldn't. Because he had the life of her sister in his hands. One wrong move and Evelyn would pay the price.

The thought made her sick, tormenting her in that dark, confined space.

She had no kingdom. She had no pride left. She had nothing.

Failure and helplessness wrapped around her. She took a deep breath, but it wasn't enough to cool the ache inside her.

A tear dropped. Then two.

A second later, Myra drew her knees to her chest and buried her face in it, sobbing so hard she couldn't breathe.

It went on for a long time, exhausting every single emotion pent up inside her.

She was not a woman taught to believe in God so much, but now she prayed.

For one last chance at redeeming her pride and kingdom, she'd do anything, give anything.

Even give up her dark, empty heart.

************

The council room was brightly lit with torches mounted sporadically along the walls, adding heat to the ongoing discussions.

Arthur sat at the head of the shiny oak table, surrounded by his advisors, ministers and generals.

A large map was spread out on the table, marked with green dots for conquered territories and red for those yet to be.

Beta Lucian-the man with him earlier- was the first to speak.

"Silvercrest is expanding beyond our expectations, which is good. But other packs are not too happy with this. If we strike again, we might invite trouble"

Arthur's fingers tapped against the wood. "And if we don't, we might portray weakness"

General Wesley spoke up. "I received letters from the Red Howl pack today. Alpha Viktor is planning to report us to the Elders"

"On what grounds?"

The general shifted uncomfortably. "He says that we are aiming to upset the natural order by invading the human territories"

A young man, with a calmer aura than the other men, said, "We are already incurring the wrath of other human kingdoms."

Advisor Charles scoffed. "Oh please Gamma Vincent. Vespera was pathetic, their king was down in minutes. It was barely a war"

Arthur's gaze didn't flicker. "And yet, despite their weakness, their princess did not cower"

Lucien smirked. "So?"

Arthur leaned forward. "So we shouldn't let our guards down. A wolf cornered is predictable, but a woman with nothing left to lose? That's a whole different situation"

"What you mean to say Alpha, is that we should be scared of her?"

For a long moment, deafening silence filled the room.

Some advisors glanced at Lucien, utterly dumbfounded at his question.

Arthur treated him to a cold, unblinking stare but the Beta barely seemed fazed.

After a tense minute or two, Arthur's fingers formed a tight pyramid. "Silvercrest didn't get to where it is now by depending on fear. Still, let everyone stay alert and cautious. Their weak surrender looks suspicious"

"Borthoris might decide to launch an attack, since they're an ally of Vespera" Vincent reasoned.

"And why exactly?" asked Arthur.

Wesley explained, "Because that's the kingdom of the Princess' fiance"

"And where is this fiance you speak of?"

Lucien chuckled. "The coward ran back to his kingdom the moment he sighted our wolves, leaving behind his helpless fiancee"

Arthur took in the information slowly. "A man that abandoned his fiancee does not have the balls to lead an attack. Borthoris isn't worthy to be our problem"

"What about the princess? Should we deal with her?" Minister Rudolph asked.

"Not yet. A fire that refuses to die is best studied first. Then if it proves to be a problem, we'll blow it out"

Vincent chipped in, "Speaking of which, Alpha, shall we announce a banquet? The warriors expect a reward"

"Begin preparations then. Invite the alphas of Ironfang and Moonclaw packs. Let them drink and feast but keep all your eyes open. This war is far from over"

"What about Red Howl pack? Should we begin a plan to end them?" Wesley inquired.

Arthur's lips twisted into a calculating smile. "Not so fast Wesley. Let's give them a chance to make the first move, then when they least expect it, we turn the tables and pin them on the map"

Later that night, Arthur stood at the window of his private study, holding a glass of alcohol in his hand, and overlooked the vast lands of Silvercrest.

Lucien lounged lazily in a chair, swirling a glass of wine. "You were staring hard at the princess today"

Arthur's eyes didn't move from the window. "I watch all my enemies"

Lucien nodded, sipping his drink. "So it's not because she's more beautiful than how rumours portrayed her"

His fingers tightened slightly around his glass. "It is essential to study your enemy whether they're as ugly as an ogre or as beautiful as a fairy"

"So she's beautiful"

"She's trouble"

"Ah. Trouble. That explains why you haven't killed her yet" Lucien hummed.

Arthur finally turned to face him. His eyes were cold, indifferent. "If I wanted her dead, she would be"

"Then why don't you? She's defying your authority already. Might as well end her now"

Arthur didn't respond. He remembered her defiance in the throne room, her snappy comments, the fire in her eyes.

She was dangerous. And beautiful. Dangerously beautiful.

And killing her was the most logical choice. Blow out the flame before it became an inferno.

Yet, he had left her. Alive and untouched.

He felt his wolf whimper inside him, an emotion that was entirely foreign to him.

Deeply uncomfortable, Arthur downed his drink in one gulp, feeling the burning liquid slide down his throat.

"She's still the rightful ruler of Vespera regardless of her current status. Killing her would be a waste, she's much more valuable alive"

Lucien shrugged. "You're the Alpha, you know best. Let's just hope she won't be any real trouble"

Arthur set his glass down his desk with an unreadable expression. "She might be stubborn but she has a weakness. She knows the life of her sister is in my palms"

Lucien stood up and switched the topic. "Okay whatever you say. By the way, lord Alistair wants to speak with you tomorrow"

Arthur turned back to the window. "Fix him in before my meeting with the ministers"

Lucien nodded and exited the study, leaving him wrapped in the sudden silence and his thoughts.

"Crown Princess Myra of Vespera" he murmured, his gaze fixated on the black sky.

Even in rags and dirt, she was more beautiful than he would care to admit.

Arthur's jaw tightened as he recalled their conversation in the dungeon. He told himself he had been studying her, not observing the deep blue of her eyes or the soft curve of her lips.

As he stared blankly at the sky, his thoughts were consumed of the fiery princess who had stood up to him.

And for the first time in a long time, the wolf within him was waking up.