The Queen of the Exiles

Family Day

3 weeks had gone by in the blink of an eye for Amanda, this school proving why it was one of the Elites in the opening days as every one of her classes was demanding. Even with her focus and determination, she was finding it a challenge to get all of her assignments done. It didn't help that every one of her classes was an AP Course, worth college credits as well as counting towards her graduation. Today however was supposed to be an interesting day, as it was both the day of the full moon when those old enough would be able to shift for the first time, as well as Family Day at the school.

It was apparently a monthly ritual the day of the full moon, as those parents who wished to support their children in the mandatory attendance of those who hadn't shifted yet. It was so that the school could be aware of those who had, as it automatically meant they were transferred to the shifter part of physical fitness. The demands for a shifter and someone who couldn't were very different, as unlike what most believed they could use the skills of their animal form in their Human as well. There were no classes today, the activities for family day taking over the entire school as she walked to her dorm room. Her mom had been called out of town on business, having arranged for her to have a dorm just in case she had to spend the night on occasion.

Amy Jasper was surprised when the door opened before breakfast, unaware she had a roommate at all because the entire time the other half of the room had been empty. "Hi, can I help you?" she asked nervously as Amanda pulled her key out and walked in with her case. Amy was one of the shyest exiles at the school, although she was top of her class a year behind Amanda herself.

"Just coming in for the first time, I am Amanda-" she began before Amy cut her off.

"Dillinger from the nearby Human city. I thought you stayed at home with your mom?" Amy asked knowing exactly who she was.

Amanda laughed not surprised at all that this girl knew who she was. "Normally I do, but my mom is one of the best Human Attorneys there is and has to go out of town from time to time. When she does, this is my dorm room. I assume you are my roommate?" she asked slinging her duffel bag onto the bed.

Amy nodded as she sat back down on her bed as Amy sat on hers and looked at the shy girl across from her. "So how long are you trapped here this time?"

Amanda laughed a little, liking how she put it. "A week, but I don't see it as being trapped. I may like my own bedroom at home better, but here there is at least company." she said irritated with the people from her old school she thought had been her friends. Not one had returned a single call since the beginning of the school year, nor had they even come to visit her.

"Well I am Amy Jasper, from Lakeview." she said holding out her hand which Amanda gladly shook. "Guess you aren't so excited about family day either than huh?"

Amanda laughed as she looked at her roommate. "Even if my mom were in town she wouldn't be coming to family day. Let's just say there is some history between her and someone of importance that might be here because of his snobby son."

Amy had no idea who she was referring to, as their were children of a lot of powerful wolves that went to this school and would likely be there for the changing ceremony that night. "Yeah, my parents can't afford to come either. Which sucks because I haven't shifted yet and would really like my mom there at least in case I do." she said miserably as Amanda had an idea she knew her mom wouldn't mind.

"Think she could catch a flight?" Amanda asked knowing there were a lot of them into the Royal City every day.

"Even if she could we can't afford it, and I can't ask you to do that for someone you just met." Amy replied nervously.

"You didn't ask, I offered. Call your mom while I look up flights." anda said as she pulled out her laptop and set it on her desk to power on while she plugged it into the power supply.

It was a few hours later that Amanda was wandering the Campus alone, her roommate gone to the airport to meet her mother who had been so surprised by the offer she couldn't refuse. Amanda assured her it was nothing, despite Amy saying it was the kindest thing anyone had ever done for them. The truth was Amanda knew how important having a mother there for the first shift could be. Without her own mother she wouldn't have ever survived her first shift when she was 8 years old.

As she did she was on the gardens when she smelt a man approaching, instantly able to tell by his scent who he was. Family members could almost always identify each other, but because she was concealing her scent she knew he wouldn't be able to as he approached her as she sat on a bench to look at the nearby fountain. She hoped he would just go away as he looked at her curiously.

"Excuse me Miss, what Pack are you from? I don't recognize the scent." he asked her as she looked at him.

"I am surprised you cannot tell I am an Exile your Majesty. I don't belong to any of the filthy Packs that swear allegiance to you and am only here because that stupid law that was passed forced me to attend this school. So if you will excuse me, we have nothing more to discuss." Amanda replied bitterly as he looked at her stunned.

"If what we have done to help the exiles upsets you I apologize. It is meant to encourage better relations between the Packs and those who aren't Rogues. We are hoping more exiles will find space in a Pack this way." King Damien Spencer replied evenly.

Amanda looked at him with a smirk as she decided she was going to take advantage of the situation. "Highness, you will have to forgive me but I call bullshit. You and I both know that the majority of the students dragged into these Packs will never find one to accept them, because the stigma that the Lycans under your command perpetuate. You want to help us, allow us to form our own Pack and give us a seat on the council so that we may be fairly represented in your so called government for the people. Give us equal rights to any Pack Wolf, to be judged on the merits of who we are and what we have done, instead of where we might have come from. Make the law that those who were banished simply for being the Mate of an Alpha or Alpha Heir retroactive so that they may find a home in a Pack if they wish." she said as he was slightly taken back by her idea.

"Anyone who swear loyalty to the crown may form their own Pack if they do choose." he replied as he sat across from her.

"Except an Exile doesn't have the right to even make the request. Also, why should we exiles swear loyalty to the crown, when it is because of the crown itself we are in the position we are in? Why should we give loyalty to someone who has shown nothing but hatred and bigotry to us?" she asked him as she stood.

"How would you have the crown show loyalty to those who follow no one?" he asked in return.

"Majesty, you asked what Pack I was part of when you approached. Largely because you probably believe no Exile would have the smarts to be able to achieve the aptitude scores necessary to attend. However 20 percent of the student body this year is made up of Exiles from across the kingdom. In 3 weeks, not a single one of us has even been talked to by the children of a Pack Wolf, regardless of which Pack they belong to. We are shunned and tolerated because of your law, but it is well known we are not welcome.

"I was born an Exile and never interacted with a Pack before arriving here for school. All I have seen has just reinforced that those of us in positions similar to mine, that no matter where we go we will never be welcome. Pass whatever law you think will make you feel like you are accomplishing something, just know until you allow us the same freedom to create a Pack of our own, it means jack shit." she said before turning to walk away.

King Damien was impressed that she was able to stand against his aura, as he stood up. "Miss, what is your name?" he asked curious.

"Amanda Dillinger your Majesty." she said looking in his eyes unafraid of anything he might try. She could tell she was already stronger than he was by a wide margin.

"Well Miss Dillinger, I have a proposal for you. You draft an equal rights proposition for the Exile's as you call yourself, and I will ensure it is taken up by the council and given the full weight of support of the crown if it is good enough." he offered as she was a little stunned.

"Your Majesty, I will hold you to that." she replied before turning and walking to the school for lunch.

That evening was the Changing Ceremony, everyone over the age of 14 that had yet to change required to be there, regardless of status in the Lycan World. Amanda was alone, waiting for Amy to return with her mother. As she looked both women ran to the clearing where the ceremony was held, Amy hugging Amanda as she felt strange and knew this would be the month she shifted.

"Amanda, this is my mom Patricia. Mom, this is Amanda Dillinger, my roommate." she said as Amanda held her hand to be pulled into a big hug by Patricia.

"Thank you for paying for my ticket and hotel room. You have no idea what it means to me to be here tonight." Patricia said quietly as they watched the King, Queen and Prince enter the clearing.

He had been coming to these since he was 12, required because he was of the Royal Family. He was 15 now, having celebrated his birthday 2 weeks prior and Amanda could tell as soon as the moon rose into the sky he would shift as well.

"Think nothing of it, I know what it meant to me to have my mom." she said quietly as Patricia looked at her a little stunned because of how she said it like she had already shifted.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the ceremony is about to begin. We all know how special a night it is to welcome new wolves into the Lycan Kingdom, and tonight we celebrate that change under the light of our Goddess Artemis. We ask that she nurture and bless each of her children, granting them a quick change to end the pain that signals the transition from childhood to adulthood." The King said just as the moonlight pierced the horizon and a dozen of the children including the Prince collapsed in pain as they began their first shift.

Amanda remembered how painful hers was as she and Patricia knelt next to Amy who was curled into the fetal position as it was clearly heard her bones breaking as they repositioned to accommodate the change.

"Don't fight it Amy, allow it to happen. Think of how powerful it will be to run through the forest in your wolf form. Allow the image of your wolf to form in your mind, and allow yourself to change into it." she said loud enough for several others to hear her as well. Her aura soothing them as the relaxed and allowed the shift to happen.

The adults watched as they stopped thrashing and screaming, despite their bones breaking and shifting as each of the quickly made the change. Even the Prince who had the most painful shift as a full blooded Lycan did it faster than any of them had ever heard of before. By the time the moon was fully in the sky, a dozen newly transformed Lycans and Wolves stood in the clearing, howling to greet it before the parents of those who had shifted did as well and took their children for a run.