The Imprisoned Princess

Chapter 8

The General waited for a few moments but when it became clear the other wolves had no intention of going back inside, he sighed and led us in. I assumed he had hoped for more time alone, but I was grateful for the interruption. The General was far more experienced than I was, and I was quite overwhelmed by his attention already.

With the big announcement already over, the party was starting to die down. Some guests were leaving while others were just enjoying the free drinks and company. I was glad that most had already paid their respects and they were now leaving us alone for the most part. A lot of wolves stopped to talk to just the General, asking about the troubles in the western territory and his next moves. I noticed the General was very vague about what he planned but seemed very sure they would squash the rebels and end the fighting quickly.

I knew a lot more about the politics of our territory than some realized. I know my Mother and Father had kept me ignorant, choosing to shelter me and I never really understood why. If I was to be Queen one day I would need to learn how to rule and to govern my people and felt that I should be taught some of that. I was educated to be sure but a lot of my education was instructions on how to be a good wife and mother children. I was taught the basics of course. I knew our history and all the details of the great uprising. I knew how our kingdom was formed and the laws of our land. I had also been taught to read, write, and do simple sums. I had enjoyed those lessons and had been upset when I had been denied more study. Instead, I was shown herbology and given music and riding lessons. I hated riding. We spooked the horses and it took so long for them to become acclimated to us. I never understood why we needed to ride horses in the first place. We were wolves. No one outside of our nobility would have bothered. It was a strange and frivolous sport. I did not enjoy it any more than the horses did.

Despite being the princess, I was able to keep a low profile most of the time and go unnoticed. Especially when I was younger. They seemed to assume I wasn't paying attention or was some vapid, silly child and would discuss serious topics around me as if I wasn't there. I learned a great deal of what was happening both personally and of the kingdom this way. Sadly, as I aged, it became obvious I was eavesdropping. No longer was my ability to listen doubted and I was caught listening into an important conversation my Mother was having while I was in a nearby room. Milena and I had both received twenty lashes. She was lashed for not stopping me and I was lashed for being brazen and disrespectful. It took Milena weeks to fully recover from our punishment, while it only took me a day. I felt horrible every time she winced. I stopped eavesdropping like that. I got sneakier, tuning into different conversations during functions and rooting information out that way. This way, I wasn't being obvious and was only attending the function as I had to do anyway. Still, with this being my only way to find out information, I was woefully ignorant of the current state of our territory. I knew there was unrest among the humans and I could even understand why. My parents were cruel masters and they looked down upon the human population. Humans were seen as disposable and not important to our society and were all basically slaves. Milena, despite the abuses she suffered, was probably treated far better than most humans. No wonder they rebelled. No one wanted to be treated that way, but it wasn't in my power to change any of that. Not yet of course.

I retired late in the evening. I was so tired I could barely stand as the servants removed my clothing and dressed me in my night clothes. I dismissed all of them but Milena as soon as my face was washed and my hair had been taken down. She brushed my long blonde hair and added some light oil to make it shine, then braided it into a long loose braid.

She asked me about the night and I told her about the General kissing me.

“Your first kiss?” She asked, knowing the answer. I nodded, feeling suddenly embarrassed.

“Yes. It was different than I thought it would be. Thrilling, yet terrifying. I think I liked it.” I admitted.

“Well, it's a good thing you did. He will be your husband.” She said as if she were a proud mama. On more than one occasion I had wished Milena was my Mother. She was the only person in the world who was truly kind to me. I loved her dearly but she had to keep some distance or we would both face the wrath of my Mother. She didn't like the idea that anyone could take her place in anything.

I went to bed and Milena went to sleep on her cot across the room. I laid there for a while and thought about the evening. It had gone far better than I thought it would, hugely because of the General coming to my rescue. I thought about his kisses and the desire I saw in him. Maybe being married wouldn't be so bad. Maybe the General would be kind and loving. I thought of his icy blue eyes and the way he looked at me. I really felt like he liked or admired me. It made me feel like I might be special to at least one person. I went to sleep dreaming of a future where I had a husband who loved me and protected me.