The Wolves' Princess

TheHealer

Julieta walked into the queen's chamber and saw her pregnant mother lying unconscious in the large four-poster bed. Her hands flew to her mouth as she approached her quietly, tears rushed out of her pale eyes.

“Surprisingly, the baby is ok.” Physician Sofia said while walking in.

“What happened to her? She doesn't have any bruises.”

Physician Sofia dropped the pan she was carrying on the wooden table and walked towards her.

“You should go see Prince Diego, he's been wailing your name.”

Julietta looked at her and burst out crying, she felt the weight of her pains bearing down on her.

Sophia embraced her tightly and she whispered, "This is all my fault.”

She wiped her tears and departed.

She emerged into Diego's room and pushed open the heavy wooden door. Her eyes adjusted slowly, and she saw Diego widely awake, his body a map of bruises and bandages.

His left leg was wrapped in a thick layer of bandages, and his arm was immobilized in a splint. Julietta's heart ached as she saw the pain etched on his face.

"Diego?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

He gazed at her weakly. A faint smile crossed his lips, but it was quickly replaced by a grimace of pain.

"Julietta..." he whispered, his voice strained.

Julietta sat down beside him, taking his uninjured hand in hers. “I'm so sorry, Diego. This is all my fault.”

Diego was a year younger than Julieta, amongst her siblings, Diego was the closest to her. The two grew up together and loved each other more than they loved their other siblings, some might mistaken them to be twins.

Diego's eyes closed, and he took a shallow breath. "I...I tried to protect them, Julietta. I tried to save them, Our brothers.”

Julietta's grip on his hand tightened “You…You're a hero and I promise you that you will get better.” The tears welling up in her eyes dropped to her cheeks.

Diego's eyes opened again, and he looked at her with a hint of desperation. “Our brothers…..must be avenged.”

She nodded in affirmation, “I must sail to England.”

Her hands mistakenly touched her left leg and he tried to wail in pain but didn't. Julietta let go immediately after seeing his facial expression.

His eyes widened in shock.

“Touch me again,” he requested.

Julietta did and he smiled, from smiling, he suddenly began to laugh.

*******

“I don't feel any pain, at all. It just disappeared.” Diego's words echoed in her mind as Lady Elena scrubbed her body.

She closed her eyes and her legs folded beneath the water. She couldn't comprehend what had happened, how her brother was suddenly healed.

“The water is too cold,” she said.

Lady Adela poured a bucket of warm water into the bathtub, Julietta exhaled softly and Adela knelt beside the tub. She took up a soft cloth and joined in scrubbing Julieta's body.

She remembered her dead brothers, and her unconscious mother and in that instance, tears welled up her eyes.

“Enough!!”

Lady Adela and Lady Elena exchanged glances, their eyes narrowed as the princess stepped out of the bathtub, water dripped on the floor while she stood naked.

Elena hurriedly got a robe and wrapped it around Julieta's shoulders, the length of the robe touched her feet and concealed her nakedness.

“What happened to my mother?” Julieta asked, stepping towards her dressing table.

“The Queen…” Elena tried speaking but was interrupted by Adela.

“Elena!!”

Julieta's eyes widened and she turned her gaze to Adela. “Why can't she speak?”

“The king ordered that no one should speak of it,” Adela said looking away.

Julieta nodded her head and wiped her tears. She sat on the seat before her dressing mirror and stared at herself for a while.

“Bring me my clothes.”

Adela rushes to get them from the soft foam on the wooden bed.

“Not you Adela, you're dismissed,” Jullieta said, still staring at the mirror before her.

“Your Highness, please, you must understand,” Adela voiced out approaching the princess.

“Elena will be sailing with me to England, not you. These are trying times for me, I need loyalty.”

Adele bowed and exited the room. Elena dressed the princess up before the royal guards began knocking on the door.

They had come to sail with her to England. The guards carried the princess's luggage to the ship, they walked through the palace corridor but Jullieta suddenly halted.

“Wait, I must see someone.”

Julieta walked to Louis's cell and her eyes expanded seeing him lying on the marble floor, sleeping like a baby.

“Leave us!” She commanded.

The guards bowed and departed. She picked up a stone and slightly threw it at Louis through the demarcations of the door.

Louis opened his eyes and smiled seeing her.

“You're on your way to England, I wish you a safe journey.”

She moved her head sideways and narrowed her eyes. “I'm sorry about this, that you're going through this.”

“You're here because you have questions. Ask now that I'm willing to answer.”

She looked around her and gazed back at him, her thumbs were sweaty, and her feet were shaking but she knew she had to be bold.

“You said I was more like you,” she paused, swallowed her spit and exhaled. “Can you heal the wounded?”

Louis burst out in laughter, the tension in her face made him believe she was there for something that would sound important to him but he never expected her question to come from such an angle.

Her eyes widened as he stood to his feet.

“We are werewolves, not gods.”

“He said he couldn't feel any pain anymore,” she whispered.

Louis remained silent for a while.

“The only way werewolves take out pain is by taking it in, if you took his pain, whoever it is, you should be feeling it for a while,” he said and stepped forward.

“But I don't, I don't feel any pain. My bedridden brother is suddenly healed and while my father has ordered the royal physicians to run tests on him, I fear there is no scientific explanation, I fear that I might be more like you,”

Louis was certain that pain cannot be erased by a werewolf, it is usually absorbed and the supernatural strength of a werewolf makes it easier for the werewolf to heal from the pain with time. But if she could take away a man's pain without breaking down, then she was no ordinary werewolf.

“Perhaps your brother is a good actor, pretending to be wounded, pretending to be healed,” Louis smirked at her.

Before Julieta could utter another word, Elena walked in.

“The captains are here, your highness.” She said, bowing her head.

“I will be behind you, Elena,” Jullieta said softly.

Elena bowed and departed.

Louis's eyes narrowed, “Elena,” he repeated.

"Elena Lopez is one of my ladies in waiting, you sound like you know her."