Rebirth of the Werewolf Princess: She is back for Revenge

Nine

Mitena patiently listened to Keme going on and on about her interfering with slave management. She didn't try to interrupt him but kept a stern gaze on him. Keme noticed the look, too, but he tried to ignore it as he banked on the fact that the Alpha and Luna were there as his backup.

“Mitena, is it true that you are interfering with slave management?” The Alpha asked.

“I wouldn't call what I did interference. I will call it saving a human life,” Mitena said coolly without losing her temper.

“No. You are putting your nose in the affairs of the pack which is totally unacceptable,” Keme said fiercely.

Mitena laughed bitterly, then placed both hands on each side of her hips, her shoulders held high.

“Tell me Keme. Why do you think I should not know anything about the affairs of this pack?” Mitena asked raising a brow.

“I didn't say you shouldn't know about the affairs of the pack,” Keme said defensively. He took one look at the Alpha and knew he had said the wrongest words.

“What are you saying then Keme?” Mitena asked.

“What I am saying is that your husband doesn't like it when you stress yourself with the affairs of the pack. You are a princess and you shouldn't stress over such things,” Keme said.

Mitena scoffed before she spoke. “Are you saying that you were so concerned about me stressing myself that you had to report me to the Alpha?” Mitena asked.

Mitena was intentionally putting Keme in a bad spot. She felt no remorse for putting him through emotional stress. He deserved it and more.

“I am not reporting you. I am only asking the Alpha to tell you not to involve yourself with slave management. Managing slaves is not work for a female,” Keme said.

The Alpha and the Luna tried to speak but Mitena broke in and spoke first. She didn't want them interfering before she could put Keme in his place.

“It is my duty as the princess to see that every rule in this kingdom is upheld. There are rules guiding slave management and I doubt that beating them to death is a part of that,” Mitena said.

“I….” Keme tried to ship in but Mitena stopped him by raising her hand to indicate that he should be quiet.

Mitena wanted to quote the laws guiding slave management in the kingdom but she came up short. She realized that her privileged life in her former life had made her very unfamiliar with the rules and laws of the kingdom.

Mitena's parents had been very protective of her and thought she didn't need to know basic things about the pack. She, too, had thought nothing of it. Hence her inability to quote one law about slave management.

Seeing that she had come up short, she quickly came up with another means of avoiding embarrassment and still defeating Keme.

“I remember my father's teaching clearly about slave management. In fact, I …” Mitena paused dramatically, then turned to Leotie and said, “You are just the Beta, and I am the princess; I shouldn't be explaining things to you. Leotie please tell him all he needs to know because obviously Beta Keme here clearly knows nothing about the rules guiding slave management.”

“My princess, I believe that every Beta should know the rules guiding buying, selling, and keeping of slaves,” Leotie said, subtly delivering the insult.

“I know everything about slave management,” Keme said to Leotie angrily.

“Then you should know that beating your slave to death is prohibited in this kingdom,” Leotie said.

“I wasn't beating him to death. I was simply correcting him,” Keme said.

“To correct a slave does not include corporal punishment. If I am not mistaken, it was signed into law in this kingdom during the reign of the fourth king that corporal punishment is prohibited,” Leotie said with the confidence of someone who knew exactly what she was saying.

“A few strokes cannot be classified as corporal punishment,” Keme argued.

“Really? But from what I heard, there were welts and blood all over the slave,” Leotie said.

“Those were superficial wounds. There is nothing wrong in putting a slave in his right place,” Keme said as his anger and impatience at being addressed by a maid grew.

“I believe the number fifteen of that particular law clearly states that there must be no sign of maltreatment on a slave. A slave must be fed, clothed minimally according to the purse of the owner,” Leotie said and it made Mitena proud to no end.

Mitena vowed in her heart as she looked proudly at Leotie that she would make sure to rectify her past failures. She promised herself to know every rule and law that guided every aspect of the kingdom.

“The slave was bought with the pack's money,” Keme defended.

“That is exactly why the slave must be well taken care of. An individual might be excused for hurting his slave once or twice because he or she lost his temper, but a pack Alpha is answerable to the Parliament on the well-being of the pack slaves,” Leotie.

“Says who?” Keme asked. He obviously had never heard of such rules. Maybe like every other high-ranking wolf, he also had no knowledge of the law.

“Says the rules and laws guiding slave management,” Leotie answered with a smirk only Keme could see and it infuriated him to no end. This made Mitena happy.

“And if a pack doesn't take proper care of the slave what happens?” Keme asked proudly.

“It depends,” Leotie said shrugging.

“On what?” Keme snorted.

“It depends on the level of maltreatment. If it is an individual, his right to purchase slaves will immediately be revoked if he has knowingly or unknowingly inflicted injuries, life-threatening or not, on his slave. If it is a pack like this one, the Alpha will be affected depending on the severity of the case,” Leotie answered.

“Really?” The Luna asked. She, too, was one of the high-ranking wolves with no deep knowledge of rules and laws. No wonder they behaved the way they did. Nothing guides their behaviors.

“Yes. If the slave was deeply wounded, the Alpha might have to pay fines to the parliament for three months but if the slave dies, the parliament will ask the Alpha to immediately hand over to his successor because he is obviously not capable of taking care of his pack,” Leotie explained.

“Slaves are not pack members,” Keme said with insistence.

“That is where you get it wrong Beta Keme. Your slaves, after spending time with you in this pack, start to smell like the pack. That is why no slave can escape into another pack. He or she will be immediately found out. Therefore an Alpha is expected to extend his care of the pack to them,” Leotie explained patiently.

“What you are saying in essence is that Keme's action will put the Alpha and his household in trouble,” Mitena concluded triumphantly.

“Yes, my princess,” Leotie said then allowed herself to smile a little.

“You are only spewing nonsense. The…” Keme's angry words were cut off by the Alpha who growled angrily at him.

“Shut up Keme. The princess has only saved my entire household from a problem that your recklessness could have caused. You have no right to get angry at her or report her. Apologize to her this minute,” the Alpha said in anger.

Keme had no choice but to apologize to Mitena. Although he did it grudgingly as his angry eyes were filled with vendetta. Mitena, on the other hand, smiled at him sluggishly while she held her shoulders high with pride as she told him she had forgiven him.

“But please next time try to control your temper. Don't put my family in harm's way because you can't control yourself,” Mitena said with pride pouring out of each word.

Keme grumbled something before he stormed out of the Alpha's office. Mitena sighed. Although her aim was to strip Keme of his right over slave management, she still believed that what had happened was a good start.

Mitena vowed to change her fate step by step. She would not be trampled upon again and her parents would not suffer the consequences of her foolishness again. Never!