Three
1452 Words
Mitena stopped walking and then walked towards the direction where the slave was being mercilessly flogged by the Beta.
She had heard several times that slaves were being maltreated in the pack, and some even died in the process of their maltreatment. When it had become that the rumour had been too much, she had asked her husband one morning as they sat down for breakfast.
“Sweetheart, I have heard some rumours about slaves being flogged to the extent that some lose their lives in this pack. Is that true?” Mitena had asked her husband Cusa.
“Any slave that is flogged must have done something wrong. No one will intentionally inflict punishment on slaves for the fun of it,” Cusa had said simply.
“I saw marks on a female slave days ago, and I asked who did it, and she said your Beta,” Mitena had said accusingly.
“For a Beta of a pack to descend to the level of flogging a slave himself, then the slave must have really provoked him,” Cusa had said dismissively.
“Back in the palace, a totally different measure is put in place to punish slaves. They might be made to do extra chores but not flogging them to the extent…” Mitena was cut short by Cusa.
“Can we eat breakfast in peace? No slave will be punished if they didn't do anything wrong. Drop the discussion. And don't compare my pack to the palace,” Cusa had said and Mitena had immediately kept quiet. But that was her previous life. Not anymore.
Mitena matched with purpose towards the Beta who had the slave pinned down with his legs and was flogging the slave as if his life depended on it.
Why would a Beta wolf flog a slave like that? No wonder it is rumoured that some lose their lives after the flogging.
The slave was grunting but not shouting. He had no shirt on and bloody whelp covered his body. Mitena winced at how painful it must feel.
“Stop flogging him this minute,” Mitena ordered the Beta. She didn't even try to hide the irritation in her voice.
“My Princess,” Beta Keme curtsied but the hardness in his eyes said he wasn't entirely happy to be stopped.
“What in goodness' name is happening here?” Mitena asked. She spoke with the pride of a queen talking to a peasant, her eyes solidly on Keme, her back straight and her head held high.
“He committed a crime and he must be thoroughly dealt with,” Keme replied. He didn't try to mask his annoyance. Mitena noticed it but she ignored it.
“And what exactly is his crime Keme?” Mitena asked.
Keme was surprised that Mitena addressed him by his name. She had always called him Beta Keme, but not that day, and that was because, unknown to him, she knew better now.
“He he em em committed a crime,” Keme said stammering for lack of a tangible excuse.
“I heard you the first time. My question is what exactly did he do?” Mitena asked folding her hands on her chest and raising a questioning brow. She had never taken that posture with them ever before. She had always tried to respect everyone but that was over. It had a new lease of life and she wasn't going to waste it on being feeble.
“The thing is, he was reported and…” Keme continued his intangible excuse but Mitena cut him short.
“Keme, if this slave was reported to you, there must be something he had done. You can't just flog a person to death without stating their crime,” Mitena said with her gaze making Keme feel like a small boy being chastised for dipping his hands in the cookie jar.
“I I em I …” Keme stammered not knowing exactly what to say. He felt so little with Mitena pinning him with her gaze.
“Since you cannot say what he has done. Stop flogging him and let him go. Damn it?” Mitena turned to leave but Keme’s next words stopped her.
“I can't…” Keme said, but he couldn't finish the sentence as Mitena turned to him with a raging gaze.
“You dare disobey the princess of the kingdom? Who do you think you are? I order you to let him go this minute,” Mitena said without restraint. She wanted Keme to feel the superiority in her voice and gait.
Keme instantly stepped back from the slave and dropped the whip. He was obviously not happy with the order but he couldn't do anything about it. He couldn't go against a princess’s order.
“You know what, get him something to wear. I need a personal slave. I think he will be useful to me,” Mitena said.
“My princess that is totally unacceptable. There are a lot of Omegas in the pack. Why would you want a male to be your personal slave?” Keme questioned Mitena.
“How dare you question me?” Mitena asked Keme with her eyes burning with anger.
“I am not questioning you. I am only saying that it is not appropriate for a female of your status to keep a male slave. It might start a malicious gossip,” Keme grumbled.
“I don't remember asking for your opinion Keme. I command you to get him something to wear this minute,” Mitena said with some arrogance injected into it.
In her past life, she had been gentle, kind, and loving towards her husband's family and the entire pack. Yet, they had tagged her arrogant and overbearing.
In her past life, she had wandered the house out of boredom and had stumbled on two Omegas talking.
“Her pride is bigger than hers because she is the princess,” one had hissed.
“Yes. And the way she walks tells you how prideful she is. I hate her gut,” the other had said.
“I am sure that Luna is only enduring her excesses for her son’s sake. She is such a proud person. Princess my foot,” the first Omega had said.
“A lot of people in the pack hate her but they just have to endure the sight of her for Cusa’s sake,” the second omega had said.
“I do not understand how Cusa fell in love with such a person. A female who cannot be humble. She is just another female who was born with royal blood. Nothing is special about her,” the second Omega hissed.
Mitena had cleared her throat at that moment making them aware that she was there. Still trying to please, she had smiled at them and told them that she was going to be better. Instead of making them rue talking about her like that, she had become more friendly with them.
That memory made Mitena hiss in anger as she glared more at Keme. She had made herself so soft that even the kids in the pack saw her as nothing.
She was not a good person in their sight. To them, she was proud and arrogant. So she was going to embrace that arrogant persona and deal with them. Her past self was dead and gone. The new her was going to show them what arrogance really was.
“My princess, are you still insisting on taking him as your personal slave?” Keme asked and Mitena wished she could behead him that minute
“I am sure that you aren't deaf Beta. So do as I have said this minute or you won't like the consequences,” Mitena said, the hardness in her eyes not shifting a bit.
“I think I …” Keme started.
“You think what Beta. Do you think you have an opinion on this matter? News flash: you don't have any other option than to do as I say, right now, Keme ” Mitena mocked.
“I think I should inform the Alpha and your mate about this,” Keme mumbled.
“Care to repeat yourself Beta?” Mitena asked with a brow raised.
“I said I would have to inform the Alpha and your mate before I can decide to release this slave to you,” Keme said then walked directly past Mitena.
Mitena scoffed. Her years of trying to please her husband and his pack had really made them take her for granted. A Beta from an ordinary pack under her father's kingdom dared to flout her order? Very annoying!
- Writer
