Chapter 6 Free For A Week

Same Day:

After lunch, the Lycan King and his men prepared to leave for the village under siege. It wasn't just a patrol this time-it was an investigation. A hunt. They were going to trace the strange beasts that had been decimating towns on the outskirts of the kingdom's reach. Something ancient stirred in those forests. Something that not even the Lycans fully understood.

Darius stood at the entrance of the great hall, tall and unshaken. His eyes flicked over his soldiers-tight formation, hardened gseyes, weapons forged with silver and runes. He turned slightly when Mia approached, kneeling at the bottom step with her hands folded, her head bowed in complete submission.

"You will clean my chamber every day while I'm away," his voice was low, gravelly, but steady. "You're the only one permitted to enter or leave."

She lifted her chin slightly at that. Her lips parted, almost to ask something, but then she stopped herself and gave a respectful nod.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

To Mia, it was just another command. Another task. She didn't realize the weight his words carried-or the layers beneath them.

Minutes later, as she returned to the servant's quarters, the headmaid -met her by the hallway. Her voice was soft, almost like a whisper carried on a breeze.

"The King will be gone for at least a week. You needn't prepare meals. Only tend to his chambers as instructed."

Mia bowed slightly again. "Yes, Headmaid."

And just like that... for the first time since she was sold, Mia felt something close to freedom. A crack of light in the prison-like routine that had trapped her since the day of the auction.

She stood at the edge of the terrace, the afternoon sun warming her pale skin. The wind brushed against her face, playing with the loose strands of her golden-blonde hair. For a second-just one-she let herself smile. A real one. The second time she had smiled in this strange, cruel palace.

From up here, the village looked vast. Bigger than she'd imagined. The cobbled streets twisted around tall stone buildings. There were stalls filled with fruits, fabrics, and silver trinkets. Children ran barefoot, laughter echoing faintly. Wolves of all shapes and sizes mingled among the crowd. Lycans and werewolves coexisted. That puzzled her.

Lycans and werewolves had always been enemies. That was what she had been taught. That was what history whispered in her nightmares. Yet here, they walked together. Worked together. Laughed together. And still... it felt wrong. Or unfamiliar.

She sighed and stepped off the terrace, deciding to explore the grounds further, her soft shoes barely making a sound against the stone walkways. She hadn't seen Barbara or Luciana around the servant's quarters, which was unusual. They were always close by.

As she wandered further toward the edge of the palace gardens, she spotted someone walking alone.

Sandra.

Tall, quiet, composed. She was the fourth girl in their shared chamber-rarely speaking, never engaging beyond what was required. Mia remembered the polite smile Sandra had given her on her first day, and nothing since then.

As they neared each other, something unexpected happened.

Sandra stopped.

Her posture was stiff at first, then she turned toward Mia with an unreadable expression. "I'm sorry about your back."

Mia blinked.

Sandra looked around, lowering her voice. "Don't worry about the herbs. I have a friend who can gather them for you."

"The herbs?" Mia repeated, unsure.

Sandra's eyes narrowed slightly, but not unkindly. "Yes. The ones you and Luciana were planning to get in the forest tonight."

Mia's lips parted. She hadn't told anyone else.

"I can't-" Mia started.

"Don't worry," Sandra cut her off. "Just... take it as an apology gift from me."

Apology? Mia thought, confused. But before she could ask what she meant, Sandra turned and walked away swiftly, disappearing between the hedges.

Mia stood still for a long moment, watching the spot Sandra vanished into, heart ticking strangely in her chest.

Then-

"Hey, Mia!" a voice called brightly.

Mia turned to see Barbara rushing toward her from the path, waving.

"I heard the King left! That means you're free!" Barbara grinned, panting a little from running. "We could go into town tomorrow! It's our free day!"

Before Mia could respond, another voice joined.

"She used all her savings to buy strawberry cakes," Luciana said from behind, poking playfully at Barbara's hair.

"I love it!" Barbara giggled, swatting her hand. "Even if you act like a 25-year-old wolf, I know you're 40 and practically my grandmother."

Luciana raised a brow. "You wolves are always so dramatic. I'm barely older than your second transformation."

Barbara gasped. "You Lycans age slower! It's cheating!"

Luciana laughed, her smile warm, radiant. "That just means I'll be around longer to care for you two troublemakers. Especially Mia. She's the youngest. She gets all the care."

Mia's smile faded a little. Their light banter was warm-comforting-but her heart was already drifting away from the moment.

"When's your birthday?" Barbara suddenly asked.

That question hit Mia like a blade between the ribs.

Her breathing paused.

The memory surged without permission. Her sixteenth birthday. The joy. The feast. The handmade crown her brothers made from flowers. Her mother's laughter. Her father's proud smile.

And then-

The attack.

Screams.

Howls.

Fire.

Blood.

Her people torn apart. Her mother dragged away. Her father-dead with his eyes open. Her brothers-shredded like paper.

The sound of tearing. The smell of burning flesh.

"I... I guess I'll be turning 18 in the next two months," Mia replied, voice brittle.

And with that, she turned away and walked off, her steps quickening.

Inside, her stomach clenched. That pain-the one that never left -- roared back with a vengeance. The image of her past played behind her eyes like an unwanted film. Her fists clenched. Her throat ached from swallowing down the scream.

She didn't let it escape. She never did.

"She's hurt so deep," Barbara muttered behind her.

Luciana's eyes followed Mia, concern darkening her features. "We can try to fix it."

Barbara shook her head. "No one can. It's not our pain. We don't know the extent of it."

They fell silent.

Unseen to them, not too far away, in the shadows near the garden wall, Veronica stood still. Her arms crossed, her expression dark with curiosity.

Beside her, a tall, elegant woman with red eyes and black lace gloves stood with her gaze locked on Mia's retreating figure.

"Who is she?" the woman asked.

Veronica's lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile.

"An interesting piece on the board," she murmured. "She is the one Serving the king... and one I intend to uncover."