Ashina The Lost Princess

The cabin I live in now is the same one I've lived in since I was six years old. Looking back to my first day here, I don't remember much of what happened that day. Trauma often conceals memories that are too painful to bear, especially those from childhood, as my aunt once said. I vividly recall chaotic scenes of wolves rampaging and my mother dragging me to my aunt and uncle's house. "Quickly, we must get the princess to safety!" she exclaimed. "Take her to the cottage concealed within the forest. Esther, should we fail to join you there on your arrival, presume us dead." "I'm confused, sister, I can't bear the thought of leaving you behind! I wish you could come with me," pleaded Esther. "It's clear why I must stay," her sister replied firmly. "I'm one of the finest warriors in our pack, just like you and your partner. And as my mate is also the King, we are the leaders—bound to our people. We can't simply abandon them. Right now, Ashina needs to survive, to fight another day. You must go to ensure her safety, to prevent her from being killed." I watched as my aunt collapsed to her knees, tightly grasping my mother's hands. Through tears, she pleaded, "Please, my dear sister, come with me. We are twins, our hearts are linked—never have we been apart. I need you; how can I bear life, knowing you might suffer a terrible fate?" Our escape led us through a series of grimy, shadow-shrouded tunnels. My aunt and uncle, flanked by several royal guards, engaged in a heated debate about the prohibition of magic use. They feared that an adept magic tracker could detect the unique essence of our spells and trace it back to us, endangering our lives and mission. The tunnels were narrow, built thousands of years ago and engulfed in dust and darkness. It was our wolf instincts that guided our way out. Only the Royal family and the Royal guards knew about these tunnels, and it took our group several weeks to travel from where we were to where we are now. We made sure to confuse anyone who might follow us. Getting from where we were living to where we are now has taken our group several weeks through the tunnels. Our group had to make sure anyone who was going to follow us was confused by the scents we emitted. The scents we emitted could also be masked with the spray we had on hand. We could also use the spray we had on hand to mask the scents we emitted. Among the escapees in our group were two shadow walkers, four royal warriors, and my aunt, who was a were/witch, and her mate. There weren't many of us. My baby brother, only a couple of months old, was with us, as well as my nanny and her mate who lived with us. There seemed to be a reason why they were so concerned about me getting back later in my life to save the royal kingdom. Only people born with Alpha blood can inherit the throne, but for some strange reason, my brother was not born with Alpha blood, despite both of our parents being Alphas. As soon as we climbed up the northern frosty mountain, we found the cabin built into the rocks. It was the land of the winter dragons in this part of the world. My parents were friends with the King and Queen of the winter dragons, and they gave them this house to use as a retreat for their vacations during the winter months. Under the cabin, there were tunnels that ran under the floor, and we entered the cabin through the basement. The front of the cabin looked small, but once you walked inside, you could see that it was indeed made to be a packhouse due to the size of the building. Despite the fact that I was still considered a princess, my aunt was also considered a princess, and my brother was considered a prince. Located on the 4th floor of this building, you will find the residences of the royal family. During the night, our nanny and her mate slept in separate rooms between my brothers' room and my own room. What I am saying is the whole fourth floor was for us royals. However, I no longer feel like a royal. In present day, my uncle disappeared going to find supplies, my aunt died of sorrow without her sister and her mate. My nanny and her mate were still with us, but she was more like a parent than a nanny. The guards are no longer four of them. There is only one warrior left. When a warrior leaves for the outside world where the packs reside to get supplies meant to help wolves, they never return. The shadow walkers are the only ones that leave and return. They cannot be seen as they do hide in the shadows. They have both found their mates and have children, whom they are training to be shadow warriors. They will not leave me because their sole purpose is to make certain that no harm comes to me. As far as I'm concerned, it's been too long since this happened, and the kingdom no longer exists. I have a great job in the dragon kingdom, where I have many responsibilities. I have a few friends, and it's true that some of them bullied me because I wasn't a dragon shifter. As a result of my inability to fly, I was unable to train for air combat. The fact that I was able to defeat any dragon in its dragon form in a hand-to-hand fight made me respected. Over the past eleven years, it has been hard to believe that so much time has passed. In retrospect, it seems that it's been a long time since then. Apart from what my nanny and the shadow warriors teach him about werewolves, my little brother attends a dragon school and has a fairly good understanding of dragon behavior. In order to honor my possibly deceased parents, the dragon King and his queen trained and educated me in combat and monarchy. I often question the purpose of all this training, considering the likelihood of my parents' passing and the neglect of the kingdom. Among the dragon princes, one has romantic feelings for me, but my nanny insists I find my mate first. Despite this, my love for dragons has grown, and I now consider this place my home. When not occupied with work or school, I dedicate my free time to studying werewolves, hierarchies, and learning to be a shadow warrior. Essentially, my nanny and the warriors train me as my parents would have in a pack. At thirteen, I transitioned into my wolf form with the help of my nanny and Rector. A dragon shifter can only find a mate at eighteen, and currently, the eldest son of the Winter Kings has been trying to court me. His captivating appearance and the memory of my feelings for him from the past still linger, but I am haunted by a painful experience that unfolded a year ago. I recall the heartbreak vividly, as if it were yesterday. Although he wished to take our relationship to the next level, I wasn't ready, and his hesitation mirrored mine. His parents regarded me as their daughter, further complicating matters. I ran upstairs quickly; I was certain that I was in love with him. I was going to run in and strip off my clothes. When the door flew open, my eyes could not believe what they were seeing. All this time, I thought he loved me too. There he was balls deep in some blonde. I couldn't see her face, just her hair displayed upon his pillow under him. She was matching his movements as he thrusted inside the she dragon. I stood there frozen and my heartbreaking as they were about to finish with the moans that were going on. Sweat was visibly dripping off his face onto the pillow. He didn't see me as I turned around and left, while silently closing the door. I ran home wiping tears away furiously from my eyes and cheeks. I hated myself for being so weak. How was I so stupid to believe Cadma loved me? A couple of hours later, he strolled up to my home. I was sitting on the porch, ready to have the conversation I had been avoiding for so long. I could feel his eyes on me, wondering why I hadn't gone to his house as usual. His beautiful white hair gleamed in the sunlight, captivating my gaze. Each strand reflected the bright beams with a radiant halo effect, making it almost appear as if he possessed an otherworldly glow. The contrast between his stunning hair and the storm of emotions swirling within me was like an impending clash between light and darkness. His muscular chest stood strong, speaking of royalty and power, drawing attention with every movement. The sight of him evoked a deep longing within me, to reach out and unravel the problem that lay beneath his regal exterior. I yearned to scream, to shed tears, to release the torrent of pain and frustration that I had suppressed for so long. Yet, I refrained. Revealing my vulnerability to him was not an option, so I steeled my heart, striving to saturate it with the coldness of the icy terrain that surrounded me. As he sat next to me on the wooden swing, I turned to face him, feeling his fingers reaching for mine. I pulled away. "We need to talk," I started, my voice trembling with pent-up emotion. "You have a true dragon mate out there; someone you're meant to be with. We can't keep pretending that there's a future for us. I've decided to save myself for my mate, and you should do the same." I looked up at him as the weight of my words settled in, seeing the flicker of pain in his eyes before he covered it up. "But I love you," he pleaded, and I felt my heart splinter at his words. The way he said 'love', as if it meant nothing at all. "I don't love you," I said, my voice hollow, heartbreaking with each word. "Please leave." I turned away, my eyes burning with unshed tears, and went back into the house. I could feel the shards of my heart threatening to shatter into irreparable pieces. As a result, even though he tries hard to see me, I avoid him now even though he tries so hard. It's just too painful to face the truth that our paths are leading us in different directions. The mere thought of leaving him breaks my heart, and I find myself crying into my pillow night after night as I think of him. "Is it true that I feel love for him?" I asked myself, tearfully. "Yes, I do." But am I in love with him? I'm too young to know the answer to that question. The cold, hard truth is that I am not his mate; he would have discovered this when he turned eighteen. There's no way he could become a successful future king if he chooses me. As my eighteenth birthday approaches, I can't help but feel the weight of the impending journey I must embark on – a journey to save my Kingdom and find the man who will be my future king. While many of my friends dream of becoming princesses and finding their true love, for me, it's nothing but the wait for my heart to shatter that fills my days with unbearable pain.