ELORA
Overwhelmed, I collapsed on the bed without getting out of the dress hoping that at least I could forget my problems if I napped, unfortunately the quiet of this wing made it hard to fall asleep, I tossed and turned and even counted sheep but eventually gave up as I was too disturbed to sleep.
I couldn’t help but note the difference between this side of the castle and the servant’s quarters I’d stayed in with my siblings.
Instead of the regular chatter down at the staff quarters, no sound could be heard except the occasional rustle of what seemed like wind moving through the flowers. The sky looked clearer from the large clean windows on the far side of the wall, in a beautiful shade of midnight blue. From my position on the bed, I had a fantastic view of the stars through the large window as they twinkled, teasing me.
At least, they didn’t have to worry about duties as the king’s breeder.
I sighed turning over, my aching as I thought of my mother back at Alkarod. I wondered how she was coping without us and with her condition. Alma… I still hadn’t heard from her.
There was a knock on the door.
Wondering who it was, I sat up.
“Who is there?” I asked standing up and adjusting my dress just in case it was the King.
“It’s me, Your Ladyship.” My best friend’s voice answered through the door.
Oh Lucy!
I rushed to the door, throwing it wide but before I could say a word, she engulfed me in the tightest, most comforting hug I had ever had. My throat tightened as the emotions I managed to suppress threatened to burst out. I sighed into her shoulders surprised at how much the gesture comforted me.
“Oh, Ellie. How do you feel?” She released me staring into my eyes.
Did I really want to tell her how I felt?
How did I really feel?
“Uh. Okay… I think?”
She rubbed my upper arm and pulled me in again for another hug and we stayed like that for a long moment before she let go. And right on time too because if I stayed in her arms for a second longer I was going to cry.
“Wow. This is magnificent!” She said looking around the room then throwing herself on the bed, “This is like sleeping on the clouds! Oh my gosh!”
“Well, yes. I find it wonderful too.” I followed falling beside her.
The King had been very kind giving Lucy to me as a Lady’s maid even if his words seemed like he didn’t care how I felt.
“What a wonderful view! It’s like I’m in the sky! I feel like I can touch the stars.” She giggled and went around the room eyes wide like a child.
“I think it’s a beautiful room too.” I settled on the bed. “We’d have a lot of fun playing princess here if we were little girls.” I giggled.
“Oh, I’m a little girl!”
I laughed.
“Um. Did you by any chance see my siblings before coming up here?” I rubbed my arms. The temperature seemed to have dropped.
“Yes, I did. They’re doing well. I assured them that you were fine… Don’t worry.”
Oh, I was worried. “Thank you!”
“I care about them too…”
I didn’t doubt that and I was deeply grateful for having Lucy around. I couldn’t imagine staying in the castle without her. It would have been so different.
“News spread fast. Immediately Madam Denise told me, I came dashing here. Well, I met Teriel on the way and he informed me that I was to be your Lady’s maid.”
“Yes and I’m so glad!” I squealed. “What do you mean news spreads fast?”
“Oh, oh. News spreads fast in the castle!” She laid emphasis on fast. “There was a bet on who his mistress was going to be but then it was so difficult because the king was never seen with any woman.” She rambled, excited. “One of the council guards, Silas got wind of it and then told his wife who then told Tommy who then told… You get the point.”
“Yes, I do.”
All eyes were going to be on me now.
I realized that I truly wasn’t ready for this attention.
“How did the others feel about me being the King’s mistress?” I asked.
“We were mostly surprised but some of the women were jealous! As you know, they’d do anything to get the king’s attention but it’s all silly to me. The king wasn’t obviously going to choose them.” She scoffed and waved a hand.
“But the king chose me. Why?” I asked more to myself than her.
There were many other women, Lycans even, much more beautiful and better than I.
Why had he chosen me? I wondered.
I was clumsy, shy, and not remotely beautiful.
Oh, how I wished the former Queen didn’t cheat on him. If not, I’d not have to face this predicament.
“Elora… What’s that face?” Lucy asked. “I understand this is quite a change but… Are you doing well? You don’t look well, Elora.”
“That’s because I’m not well, Lucy. I don’t like it here, being cooped up in this gigantic room! Teriel said I was to leave my position as the librarian. I loved it at the library. I loved the books. Life was easy, I could see my siblings easily. Now I don’t…”
My face burned. Now Lucy would think me a crybaby.
“I’m sorry for whining but–” I started before she embraced me.
“It’s fine. I’m sorry this happening. I’ll keep an eye on Olivia and the twins. I’ll be here to help you,” she assured me. “Besides, they also have a better room now.”
I sighed as at least one of my worries assailed.
There was another problem.
I didn’t know what the position entailed.
“Lucy… What do I do as the king’s breeder?”
She cocked her head. “Well, you simply carry and bear the king’s heir or heirs.” She giggled.
“I know that but I mean…like what will I have to do? It won’t be too hard, right?” I asked concerned.
There was no point fighting it. I was a slave and I had no choice but to do what the king says but I needed to know what I was doing if I was going to do it right.
I’d do anything to keep my siblings safe and hopefully, with this position, one day I’ll be powerful enough to send for Mother.
“Well, yes. Especially since you have mated before, It’ll be easy to do again.” She shrugged.
“Mated?” I asked.
“Well, Duhh!? Sex and all?” Lucy said raising one eyebrow.
“Oh that…” I said, getting all sweaty.
“Yeah. The thing where he stuffs you full of his cock and pumps you until you give some waterworks.” Lucy said and laughed at her own joke.
I wasn’t finding it the least bit funny.
I hadn’t thought about sex.
That was the major duty.
I rubbed my palms on my dress and sat still as my face burned. “Well… t-that’s one thing… I haven’t…” I couldn’t bear to see the horror on Lucy’s face so I stared at the bed.
“Um. Elora?” She touched my shoulder tenderly. “You haven’t what? Fucked!? Mated? For a werewolf your age that’s strange!”
My face burned even more and I fiddled with my dress. Lucy wasn’t sparing any words at all.
“Have you met your mate?” She asked.
There was a pang in my chest. “Well, yes but he rejected me…” I sighed, “because of what happened to my father.” Ethan’s image filled my head.
“Elora, what exactly happened? I’ve heard several times that you’re a traitor or the child of a traitor but I don’t believe it so what exactly happened?”
I gave a shaky breath and steadied my breathing. I could surely tell Lucy what happened without crying, right? My heart beat faster and my palms secreted even more sweat.
Then went on to tell her everything, from how my father who fought for slaves got killed and labelled a traitor.
The heat of the fire came again to my body. It was from my mind, but it felt just as real as it did that night.
“Oh, Elora. That’s evil! They frame an innocent man and then go on to hurt his family? That’s evil!”
Lucy was indeed angry but under her burning rage, I could sense pity. I didn’t want her to see me as a charity case or worse, a sad, lonely girl.
“Anyway, you’re safe now. The castle is safe. As long as you don’t come running to help every worker that’s being beaten, that is?” She laughed. “You’ll be fine.”
I understood what she was talking about.
“But I can’t just stay back and watch, Lucy. I really can’t. I couldn’t let her hurt you while I watched. I had to intervene. It’s what my Father would have done. That’s what I’ll do. I can’t let people get hurt while I do nothing.”
An uneasy silence settled over them a moment.
Lucy finally spoke with a sigh. “The men who framed your dad got you into all this are evil. I hope someone makes them pay for it.”
“They will. But for now, there’s no point trying to fight it. I need to keep my family safe.” I shook my head. “What if I make a mess of things? What if I can’t bear him an heir?”
I was scared and unsure. Ruining the king’s chances of getting a son will ruin my plan to keep my family safe.
“You won’t mess it up, Elora. Try not to worry too much.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell Lucy that the king planned on sending us to the Blackfoots when my job here was done. It broke me and telling Lucy would break her too. I had just five years left, I couldn’t afford to mess it up. My family needed me to survive.
“Yeah… I guess so,” I said instead.
“But, Elora, this room is magnificent!” She cried jumping off the bed and going over to the large mirror. “I’ve never spent this much time in the king’s quarters! It’s splendid but also eerily quiet.”
I shifted as Lucy reminded me that the king was around the corner. “You mean peaceful.”
“If that’s what you think…” She pulled out a book from the shelf. “This is wonderful! You’ll have enough time to teach me to read and write. I can’t wait.”
“Of course!”
She went over to the window and stared into the peaceful night. “I think I can see Blackfoot from here…” She muttered.
Blackfoot?
“Don’t be silly.” I chuckled, “Blackfoot’s miles away!”
“They say they host the best parties there. Wine enough to get one drunk for months,” she said dreamily.
I squinted. “That’s terrible.”
“It’s the best! That’s the land of the free and I intend to go there…”
“What? And leave life at the castle?”
“My brother. I need to go find him.” She turned to face me, “I’ve been saving up and with the raise I’m to get for being your Lady maid, it’s easier for me to save even more. In a year, I should have enough to travel down south…” She sighed.
“Really?”
My heart sank. This was Lucy making solid plans for her life and me trapped. I wonder how it felt to have the freedom to travel anywhere one wanted, to visit the wonders of Bale.
I wish I could set out to rescue mother. My mind went to the childish plans I made when I was much younger. Naive, stupid me. I thought I would find my mate and we’d fall in love immediately, have the most beautiful wedding ceremony and then start having pups but as my unlucky fate had it, the first man I was going to be with was not my mate. I was going to be with a man because I was a slave and I had to pay for the sins I knew nothing about.
“… said they saw him moons ago. I believe he’s still there.”
“Hm…”
I was slowly getting to terms with my new life. Everything had changed in a night and I had to do everything to make things work.