Six
1465 Words
“I will be returning now, Father,” Mitena said to her father the next morning as she prepared to take her leave and return to her husband's pack. She had spent the whole day with them and also spent the night to calm herself and prepare her mind for what lay ahead.
“I was thinking you would spend one or two more days with us,” the king said with the longing of a father. He was worried that his daughter might be harmed especially when the family of her husband realised that she knew their hideous secret.
“I am sorry, Father. I can't stay further than this. You should understand why it is important for me to return quickly. Time waits for no one,” Mitena said. She, too, wished she could spend more time with her parents, but she also knew that there was a time constraint, and she had to start taking action.
“I do understand, you, princess. I am just talking like a father that cares so much for his only child,” the king said smiling at her to let her see that she had nothing to worry about him.
“You are still here?” The queen asked walking into the throne room. She acknowledged Mitena's greetings before she went to sit on her seat beside the king.
“Yes, mother. I am just bidding father farewell,” Mitena said smiling at her mother. She had bid him farewell earlier but her mother had thought she would have left already.
“And I was asking if she could spend one more day with us,” the king said and the queen rolled her eyes. The queen was about to say something, but the king quickly added, “But I totally understand why she needs to go.”
“I will be on my way, Father,” Mitena said, smiling a little.
“Before you go. There is someone I want you to go with, and I wouldn't want you to refuse,” the king said, and Mitena nodded.
She waited patiently as her father's mind linked to whoever it was. The throne room door opened seconds later and Leotie walked in.
Leotie was a maid specially skilled in the art of combat. Mitena closed her eyes briefly as she let the memory of how Leotie was killed by Koko in her previous life play in her mind. Leotie had been a loyal maid until her death.
Mitena opened her eyes and sighed. She promised herself to change the fate of Leotie as well as hers. She vowed in her heart that their fates weren't going to be like the way they turned out in her previous life.
“Meet Leotie. I want you to go with her. She is good in combat and I know she can protect you,” the king said.
“My princess,” Leotie greeted Mitena with a bow.
Mitena acknowledged Leotie’s greetings before turning to her father to say, “Thank you, father, thank you, mother. I appreciate this.”
“You are welcome. And please contact us immediately if you need anything from us,” the queen added.
“I will mother,” Mitena said.
She said her goodbyes to her parents before she set out with Leotie to her husband's pack.
Without wasting time, immediately they arrived at her husband's pack, Mitena decided to take Leotie around the pack. She knew she didn't have much time to waste, so she brought Leotie up to speed, and they both started going around so that Leotie could familiarize herself with the pack grounds.
In her previous life, Mitena had trusted her husband and his family so much that they manipulated her so badly that she thought Leotie was her father's way of putting asunder between her and her husband.
Mitena didn't spare Leotie from her hatred. She was so convinced that she was an evil weapon fashioned against the prosperity of her marriage. Leotie had died protecting her in her past life, and she had regretted it, but she wouldn't let that happen again. They were going to fight side by side protecting each other.
“The market ground is big for a small pack like this,” Leotie observed as they got to the market area.
“Yes. That is almost the only good thing about this pack. If they can treat their future Luna the way I am being treated among them, they are no good,” Mitena said and Leotie only growled lowly as they moved further into the market.
“There must be something in the air causing hallucination. I am sure hallucinating your presence,” a voice said very close to Mitena as she and Leotie walked by some stores.
Mitena didn't have to turn around to know who it was. It was Makya, her husband's cousin from her mother's side. He treated her the exact way the rest of the family does. Makya was fat with his stomach as big as that of a five-month pregnant female. One could easily see that he was a jobless male feeding fat on the Alpha’s family.
In her previous life, she had simply tried to respect him or walk away from his provocations, but not anymore. She turned to face him.
“I guess you should get something to cure your hallucination before you mistake a knife for a belt,” Mitena said smiling mockingly at him.
Makya was surprised that Mitena talked back at him, but he hid it before the people who were already gathering to listen to them could see it. Mitena did, and her smile widened.
“You have never visited this market except if you decide to be seen like a trophy in Cusa’s hands,” Makya said with bitterness.
“That bothers you because?” Mitena asked without her smile once slipping.
“You are parading yourself around the market, as if you own the place, like you own us all with a stranger. She could be a spy for all we know,” Makya spat.
The crowd gathered began to whisper and grumble but only a female dared to speak.
“We do not like or allow strangers to walk around our pack this way and Makya is right. This girl is a stranger and who knows what evil she wants to do amongst us. She is not welcome here. We don't want strangers meddling in our affairs,” the female said with malice.
Mitena felt Leotie go tense and she instinctively placed her hand on the dagger in her pocket. Mitena placed a hand on hers to calm her down. She then turned her burning gaze to the crowd.
“Number one. This is the maid that my father appointed to attend to me. She is totally under my protection and any disrespect to her is disrespect to me. If you dare touch a hair on her head, I will destroy you,” Mitena said with arrogant fire burning in her eyes.
No one said anything but they grumbled. That didn't bother Mitena as she turned to Makya with the same arrogant air.
“And two, I am only fulfilling my duties as the future Luna of this pack. I have to know the nook and cranny of the pack I am to govern very soon. So Makya, I am not parading myself as you have presumed or hallucinated. I am doing exactly what I am supposed to do. Besides, if you have any reservations about me doing what I am supposed to do, you should petition the parliament or, better still, take it to the Alpha,” Mitena said, glaring at Makya.
Makya was short of words. He had never seen Mitena talk back at any member of the pack, not to mention a family member like him. He opened his mouth to give a comeback, but he was interrupted by the Luna and Alpha of the pack, who came to see what the ruckus was all about.
The Alpha and Luna of the pack were Mitena's husband's parents. They didn't treat her any better than the other family members; they were just mostly subtle about their own mistreatment.
“What is going on here? Who is disturbing the peace of this pack at this time of the day and what would the person likely want?” The Alpha's gaze was fixed on Mitena in a glare.
Mitena rolled her eyes because she knew that look was quite all right. She knew that her father-in-law had already convinced himself that she was the one causing trouble and disturbing the peace of the market. To them, she was always at fault. She never did anything right. Nothing at all!
- Writer
