The Lost Lycan King

Anastachar's POV The morning started off like every other morning, my handmaiden Mauve (yes like the color) woke me at 7:15 for my morning routine. I rose slowly off my bed and sat at the edge of it not wanting to face the day, for it was my eighteenth birthday. Yes your eighteenth is supposed to be a joyous occasion, where you finally cross over into adulthood and get freedoms that you didn't have as a child but for me my life was about to end.... I am Princess Anastachar Swan of the Kingdom of Raya. Heir to the throne and only child of King Marko and Queen Isabella. Nineteen years ago my mother was kidnapped by rebels and many of our soldiers were assassinated trying to rescue her, things looked bleak and they demanded no ransom, their only aim was to weaken my father, send him into a state of grief from losing his mate. If he didn't die immediately he would wither away and eventually die. Everyone knew of my parents love, it was said to be iconic, Every person wanted a mate to cherish them as my father did my mother and my mother did my father. I wanted a mate to cherish me like that and I him in return. Sadly I would never have that, never would I be able to get marked by my true mate because this was not to be, as today would be the day that I'm shipped off to marry the notoriously evil King Leopold of Asgard. On the day the rebels threatened to kill my mother, my father's forces were outnumbered and he was losing men by the second. King Leopold came in and assisted, his armies destroyed the rebels and saved my mother. My father promised him anything he wanted in thanks, he didn't demand gold, or men, or even women of our Kingdom. He demanded my father's fealty and the hand of his first born daughter to be married into King Leopold's line. My father thought this to be a simple request as he had his mate back and they were not expecting a child. They never would get children if she had died that day, so he thought no payment too large. He also knew that King Leopold's wife was expecting, due any day so my father expected that I would be wed to the prince. However King Leopold never got a son, as the child had died at birth, years later he also had a daughter that died at birth. His wife was assassinated a few short years later. How sad for him but unfortunate for me, that now the only one in his line is him! "Come on Princess, we have to get ready, your parents are already waiting in the dining hall" Mauve said, a hopeful smile on her face, but sad eyes. She would be shipped off too, it was customary that the lady's maid follow her to her marital home, but King Leopold demanded that I come alone. I would not stand for that, I refused to go so my parents wrote and made it clear that Mauve would be my companion. "I don't want to see them" I spat, "They caused this, they caused me to have to marry that vile man. They ruined my life!" I shouted, storming across the room and into my bath chamber. I sat in my already heated tub and let the hot water soothe me as I cried. I love my parents dearly but how could they not put a stop to this. The man was older than my father!!! I've heard he's not an ugly man but he is rumored to be as evil as they come. I wish the Saints would change my fate, I've prayed every day since I was thirteen and learned of this arranged marriage for the Great One to stop this from happening, but here I am, nothing's changed in my circumstance and I am to be the Queen of Asgard in just thirty days. Mauve entered quietly and started to wash my hair, she knows I'm not angry with her, or my parents; five years of friendship will help you to understand a person. Yes Mauve works for me, and I guess other maids feel inclined to agree with me, but not her. She speaks her mind and tells the truth no matter how hard it is for you to hear. Sometimes I think she's unable to tell a lie, I chuckle at this and Mauve pats my shoulder reassuringly. I have not laughed in a month and I dont it would come along any time soon. Mauve finishes washing my hair and my body and wraps me in a drying cloth. I stand in wait as she dries my hair then helps to dress me. I sit by my vanity desk and she brushes the tangles out of my hair. "You know it may not be as bad as we think. The King could be nice to you and you may be happy. Maybe one day you might even grow to love him." I know that she believes this because of the dazed smile she's wearing, but I don't want to 'grow to love my husband', I want to meet my mate and share a love like my parents. Have a beautiful, happy life like theirs, excluding the fact that I promise my daughter and only child to a tyrant. I want to smile all through the day knowing that my mate is waiting for me, and through the night when I'm asleep in his arms. "There, beautiful!" Mauve says and breaks me out of my day dream, I take a look in the mirror and shes right, I do look beautiful. All dolled up for the King. My frown deepens even further. Now that I'm ready to meet my parents for breakfast, I feel a sense of dread take over. A finality. I say one last prayer to the Great One, one final plea, to stop this arrangement and let me be happy. I rise off my seat and walk to my Chamber door, Mauve following closely behind; this was it, the last day with my parents, well half a day as the Kings carriages are expected to ship me off at dusk. 'Who chooses to travel at night!' I know the King isn't a Vampire, Hes actually a Lycan, an Extremely powerful, ancient breed of Warewolf. My father is Half Lycan, half Wearwolf and my mother is full Werewolf. So that makes me quarter Lycan, I'm stronger and faster than all the she-wolves my age because of my Lycan blood so I can imagine the kind of power the King holds. My father is a great warrior, he's strong, fast, smart, and fearless. I know he has contemplated going to war with King Leopold to break the marriage arrangement, I've eavesdropped on him with his General discussing it. His army is larger than what it was when my mother was abducted but so is the King's, He has the fealty of many nations, but his fealty is to the King. Besides the fact that my father is completely honourable and wouldn't betray a vow of fealty I was happy to know that for me, his Pumpkin he would put away his honour and consider it. As I entered the dining room, a gasp escaped from my mother, she had a hand on her throat and a look of complete pride on her face. This was going to be even harder than I thought. I sat down and my breakfast meal was placed in front of me by one of the servants. I picked up my fork and moved it around my plate, I had no appetite. "Good morning pumpkin" my father greeted, breaking the silence. I've been a lucky girl... I've had a wonderful life, even here in the dining hall, most do not live in such splendor, the ceiling is thirty feet high and covered in exquisite white marble with gold inlays, the Chandelier was imported from Barth one of the richest regions of the world and holds a total of two hundred and forty-two, six inch clear crystals, thats enough to feed an entire small territory for at least three years. In the day time the Chandelier lights up the dining hall without lantern making the room as bright as if you were out in the sunlight. At night only one lantern will do and the crystals sends thousands of sparkles of light like little stars all around the room along with a beautiful bright glow. The dining room is not the only exquisite room in the castle however, all common rooms are lavish and my parents Chamber is a dream. There is a floor to ceiling mirror that takes up an entire wall..! oh how I wish to have one of that for me some day, you never have to move very far to see yourself. My mother must have such fun with it. Their four poster bed is so large that when I was a child I would do flips on it and never fall off, sometimes triple and quadruple flips... Who am I kidding, mere months ago Mauve and I had a secret play date in my parents Chamber when they were out and we flipped for hours. Such fun I've had here. I would miss my home and my family dearly. "Good morning Daddy, Mom" I finally responded to my dad and tried to offer a smile. It hurt though. we continued to try to eat our breakfast, none of us actually eating when a footman rushed into the hall, "Excuse me your highnesses, sorry to interrupt but the carriage is here for the Princess. I told the General that the Princess is not set to leave until dusk but he is insistent that she come now, said that the King has ordered it sir" he rushed out, after bowing to my parents. A look of devastation on his face to be the news bearer. I too was devastated and heard little after here for the Princess. My father started to protest then a blood curdling scream stopped him. "NOooo.... I will NOT gooo!" it was only then that I realized that the scream came from me. I felt so numb, so defeated, so lost. The last thing I saw was my father rushing off his chair and his hands outstretched to me as the world went black....