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1536 Words
The afternoon sun bathed the castle gardens in a golden glow, it somehow made the myriad of flowers dance in the breeze.
I sat quietly, letting the cold afternoong air brust my long black hair as I admired the petals of a rare blue rose.
I remember my mom planted some of these in front of our cabin before, I was too young to admire how beautiful it was, then, all I see was how my mother took good care of it, treated it like her own little achievement.
I smiled at the thought before tracing the blue roses's delicate edges with my fingers, I even leaned forward and inhaled sharply so I could smell the scent deeply.
And I felt what seemed like a very rare moment of peace.
"Hey! Are you the newcomer?"
A voice, shrill and filled with excitement, broke myreverie. I turned to see a group of children racing toward me, their eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Not very new, but yes, I suppose I am."
I replied gently and offered them a small smile.
A boy with a wild mop of brown hair grinned.
"That means you're a visitor of the castle! Do you like our kingdom?"
I hesitated for a moment, gazing at the towering castle behind us.
And It was magnificent, with its high stone walls and banners fluttering proudly in the wind.
For weeks of stay here, I can say that people were kind, and the land was full of wonder.
"Yes."
I finally answered.
"It's beautiful."
Another girl, younger than the rest, clasped her hands together and looked up at me with her wide and eager eyes.
"Would you like to stay here forever? For the King?"
The child asked, innocense gleamed in her eyes.
The question, no matter how innocent seemed to struck something deep inside me.
Stay forever? Could I Would I?
My heart twisted slightly at the thought, but I didn't let it show.
"I don't know yet..."
After a long pause, I finally admitted.
"But the kingdom is truly wonderful."
A girl with short black hair stepped forward, her expression a mixture of admiration and determination.
"I saw you train today."
She said, almost breathless.
"I want to train too when I can finally turn into my wolf form! Maybe I can join the Council and fight for the King one day."
A shadow of sadness flickered within me, but I managed to quickly mask it.
Instead, I let another warm smile escaped my lips as I crouched down to the girl's level, I placed my hand on her shoulder.
"You will."
I said warmly.
"One day, you'll be strong, and when the time comes, you'll make a great warrior."
The girl's eyes sparkled with hope, and the others cheered for her. But as the children chattered excitedly, I turned my gaze away, staring at the beautiful castle.
And then thoughts started to swim in my head.
My wolf… It just wouldn't show.
I know complaining wouldn't help me solve anything, but then no matter how hard I tried, no matter how much I trained, I just couldn't transform.
It almost feel as if my wolf was hiding, or locked away where I couldn't reach making me feel incomplete, like a song missing its final note.
What if it never came?
Would I always remain like this, half of what I was meant to be?
I shook my head slightly, I let out a sharp exhale as I tried to push the doubts away.
Now was not the time to dwell on it.
King Marcus and the others adviced me to take it slow, to stop being too hard on myself. Marcus even comforted me with a promise that he would do everything he could to help me, help me find my true power, if there really was.
For now, I guess that is enough.
I turned back to the children.
They were still talking excitedly, the sun continued to shine, and the flowers around me still bloomed in vibrant colors.
Just when I thought everyting was fine, another girl with a long silver hair turned to face me and asked.
"Was it painful? To transform into your wolf form?"
Though I knew how innocent the question is, I couldn't help but think how deep it was.
How difficult that very simple question was.
The little girls's question was only either a yes and a no, but then how can I tell her when I didn't know that myself?
And somehow the words was more than enough to mock me.
I remained quietly still, it took me a second before turning to face the little girl, I offered her another warm smile and shook my head lightly.
"No... It's not painful... It's wonderful..."
I sat quitely on my balcony, enjoying the peaceful aftenoon, my fingers played on the tip of the glass filled with my favorite wine.
It was already late afternoon but the sun was still on its peak, yet I couldn't bring myself to admire the sun, my eyes weren't on the horizon right now.
No, because for some reason, I just couldn't take my eyes off of someone, I couldn't care of how beautiful the sun, as my attention was drawn to the small garden below, where she sat, Foxy.
She knelt beside a patch of blooming blue rose, her fingers lightly brushing the petals, her soft smile seemed to be enough to sink a thounsand ships .
She was admiring the flowers when a group of children ran to her, their laughter filling the air as they chattered excitedly.
I couldn't hear their words, but the way Foxy's eyes sparkled as she spoke to them sent warmth through my chest.
And for some reason, a memory surfaced in my head, one I had tried to tuck away, one I dared not dwell on for too long.
The memory of that night when I had kissed her, when our souls had whispered to each other in a language no one else could understand, not even us.
The first time I saw her, I had already felt the bond between us, its unbreakable.
I could only hope she could see herseld the way I see her, but Foxy...she saw herself as weak. Lesser.
All because she could not transform like the others.
My grip on the glass tightened.
If only she knew how little that mattered to me. If only she knew how fiercely I wanted to protect her from everything, even herself.
"Deep in thought again, King Marcus?"
The teasing voice of Lucas cut through the silence.
I exhaled, I set the wine glass down on the table before I turned to face him.
"You're awfully quiet today."
Lucas continued, stepping onto the balcony with a knowing grin.
"Wouldn't have anything to do with a certain wolfless beauty, would it?"
I gave him a warning glance, but it only made Lucas chuckle.
"Oh, come on. You're not exactly subtle."
He leaned against the railing, looking down at the garden.
"You watch her like she's the moon itself, as if without her, the night would be empty."
I sighed and rubbed the edge of my nose.
"You speak too much."
"And you speak too little."
Lucas countered.
"Tell me, Marcus. How long are you going to sit up here and pine for her? You're the King of Lycans, feared by many, respected by all. Yet, when it comes to Foxy, you hesitate."
Silence stretched between us for a few minues before I finally spoke, my voice low and firm.
"I do not hesitate."
I said, and shot Lucas a glare when he raised an eyebrow.
"No?"
I turned my gaze back to Foxy. My eyes dark with determination.
"I would go to any lengths for her. I would burn down kingdoms, face any enemy, even tear the moon from the sky if it meant keeping her safe."
I said, my face set with full seriousness.
Lucas let out a low whistle.
"That's quite the declaration."
"It's the truth."
My jaw clenched.
"She does not see her own worth, but I do. And I will not let anyone harm her."
Lucas's playful smirk faded, replaced by something more serious.
"You're talking about him, aren't you?"
I griped on my chair's armrest tightly, too tight it made the wood creaked.
"Alpha Alaric Barlowe."
I spat the name like venom.
"The fool who rejected her, humiliated her, cast her aside as if she were nothing. And now, he dares threaten my kingdom to get her back."
Lucas crossed his arms.
"He's reckless, but he's also dangerous. He knows value of the toy he threw away now, and he's not the type to be willing to stop until he gets what he wants."
Lucas said, making my expression darkened.
"Then I will remind him why I am king. He lost his right to her the moment he cast her away. If he tries to take her, I will end him."
Lucas remaines silent for a long moment before nodding.
"Then I stand with you, as always."
I finally tore my gaze away from Foxy and again faced Lucas.
"I will protect her, no matter the cost."
- Writer
