The Shattered Court

My eyes sting as sweat pours down my forehead and into my eyes. Breathing heavily I smirk at Simon preparing for his next attack. We've been sparring for over an hour now and I have forced him to tap out countless times. I've got garden duty here in a few minutes. this round is his last chance to make me eat dirt. If I can get him angry I'll have this in the bag. "What's wrong Ace?? Tired of coming in second place?" I taunt. That's all he needed. Perfect. Launching into the offensive Simon and I begin our dance again, we both become a whirlwind of punching, twisting, blocking, countering, and dodging. Meeting each other step by step blow for blow spinning, and kicking... Our dance can't go on forever though one of us will mess up, slow our movements and give the other and opening to land a painful blow. "Are you going to be around for my birthday this year?" Simon asks huffing as he throws a wicked jab right at my face. I side step and try to sweep his legs out from under him. I hate it when he does that. Starts a conversation amid our dance when I thought I taunted him. I suppose it's his turn. Tumbling to ground I grin at his mistake and my coming victory, "I've got to this year, you're turning 18" Faster than I can detect, he kicks behind both my knees and I plummet to the ground. We fight harder, and more ferociously than humans. Being werewolves has it's benefits extra strength, speed, smell and hearing. "Okay!! I am done, I got you on the ground and it's time for you to kiss up to the Luna!!" Simon says as he sits up and groans clutching his ribs. "We look terrible!" I laugh loudly as I look at myself and Simon, we're both bloody, sweaty, and our clothes are ripped from sparring with our claws earlier. He gently touches my shoulder to examine the ripped shirt and nasty looking claw marks he left there. "Man!! I got you good, I'll tell you what, you got me thing that you were invincible there for awhile, but both our techniques and fighting has improved a lot" He smiles at me and continues "I'd apologize for my marks but you got me worse, I think I might need stitches!" I reach out and see his left pectoral muscle is ripped open from where I sliced him up. "Yeah, no need I got you too, we're even. Let's head to the pack doctor to speed up the healing process, Luna Mallory will have a heart attack if she sees me like this!!" I joke as we stand up and head towards the packhouse. For the last five years we've been virtually Inseparable, before I got here, Kayla and Simon were crazy close but now they just hang out when they get the chance. Simon and I spend training and our free time together, while Kayla and I do the packhouse laundry at the ass crack of dawn. She then goes to the kitchens to help cook breakfast while I train with Simon and work in the gardens after breakfast. Luna Mallory joins me in the afternoons. "I do have a confession though," I sigh "That you kiss every rose in Luna Mallory's Garden to keep them alive?" he teases I don't know how you keep all those damn flowers alive, it's like you live in that Garden!" "Ugh, no I don't! And besides I'm not there all the time, I'm here with you aren't I?" I snap back. I always find it a tad unsettling when Simon remembers things about me and pays attention to me when all the other wolves never pay me any heed. Even Kayla doesn't watch me the way he does. I mean, what can I say? When you just want to work in the garden and Blend in, you do. "Anyway look..." I begin. "I never told you because I didn't want things to get odd but we have the same birthday and the reason I never told anyone except the Luna is because of what I would and normally do every year and be gone in the woods all day." "Oh right, your mom and dad..." he says softly, "I know you never talk about it, but do you ever hate the princess for going into hiding after your dad died to protect her? I mean, she should be 18 by now her power should be stronger than that of King Isaac, so why hasn't she challenged him for the throne?" I was taken by surprise but not just for what he knows about the Royal family, but what he knows about me and doesn't even realize it. Yeah, I am the Lost Princess, and I can't ever seem put into words how badly I wish I wasn't. "You know for someone who knows so much about the Royals, you forgot one thing." I say in a low voice. "She won't be able to unlock her full might without her mate. Why do you think my~our King is always searching for his mate and the princess? He may not have special abilities, but with his mate they'd be equal in power if she remains unmated." "That's true, but why didn't she try to fight him back then? How could she be so selfish and just forget about her subjects like that?" He persists. My anger suddenly lept forward in a raging wave, Simon hates the real me. I've been in hiding from my tyrannical brother for the past five years because I am powerless to stop him. He is not the older brother I grew up with that played with me, made me laugh and first showed me the Royal gardens when I was little. No, now he lets vampires torture, maim, and kill his subjects with no remorse. I was only thirteen years old and he was 23 when he and the vampires laid siege to palace, I tried to fight him but if it weren't for Hendrick's desperate sacrifice to save me, and everyone else... I would have died. I turn to Simon stopping dead in my tracks meeting his confused gaze unable to listen to a minute more. "You may have read the reports that the king published but you don't know anything." I speak in a broken harsh whisper as a tears begin to fill my eyes. "Pelle! I didn't mean to hurt you, just let me try to understand!" he called out as I stormed away to the gardens. He knows nothing of what I've been through absolutely nothing. ~~~