Lycan Alpha's Witch

2 - Life as a witch princess

“Valencia, dear, how are the preparations for your engagement ball going? Any progress with the dress?” I turned around in the gown that was being fitted for the last time before the event, to find my mother, the queen of witches, standing in the doorframe to my room. The moment I saw her, the whole room, which was bustling with noise, conversations and people running around, suddenly fell quiet.

“I’m not really sure about this kind of lace. Probably a different one would be better.” I took a few steps to the table where samples of all the laces were laid out one by one.

“How about this one?” My mother smiled as the lace flew into the air from one of the baskets in the room and replaced the one that was on my dress until now. I slowly spun around, looking at my dress in the big mirror in front of me. “Better, thank you.” I replied with a smile on my lips. Her smile showed she was very pleased with the dress I was wearing. I couldn’t show her how much and how many times I recoiled this evening in my head. I was trying to do anything to keep the evening off of my mind.

I was dreading the moment my mother, who was anticipating it in what felt like her whole life, would make me choose my fiancé. Without asking me if I ever even wanted to marry. Or if I wanted to be engaged. Or if I wanted this ball at all. I did my best to suppress the deep sigh that was reaching my mouth. The seconds she was here felt like eternity.

I didn’t have to look thrilled about all of this to the staff. But I had to show the emotions my mother wanted me to be feeling.

“So, since this is going to be your engagement ball, what do you think? Have you chosen anyone yet? I believe the album with the suitors was sent a while back.” Her thoughts were so obvious. She wanted me to choose someone I had never met before and just say: Hey, I will be with this person for the rest of my long, extremely long life, people!

I turned around, so she wouldn’t see me rolling my eyes up. I just couldn’t suppress it any longer. Even though I knew this question was going to be brought up sooner or later during our current conversation.

Yes, I saw it. I saw every single awful page of it. And honestly, it was a complete waste of my time, not to mention - a disaster. All of them had only their titles to boast, their skills weren’t on the same level as mine. Unlike me, they were allowed to study at the Royal Academy for Wizards, RAW in short, while I sparsely had a teacher by my side. The only education I had ever received I had the huge library of the castle to thank. It had every single book, even the banned ones, about magic spells, mana crystals, politics, history, territorial studies and many more. I read every single one of them. I have been reading those books ever since I learned to read. And yet, from just reading all those books and trying some things mostly in secret, my education was better than what those lazy slouches had received at the RAW.

I sighed as I put down the earrings in my hands that I had just held next to my ears to see how they would look with my ball gown. This was all a pretense, a mockery from my side. I didn’t care about these earrings. Even more about this dress. No amount of wealth or luxury could ever sway me. If only all these false people knew. I picked up another pair of earrings. If I had no choice, then I should at least look my best before the end of my free life.

My life would end if I was to choose anyone, or in other words, if my mother chose, which she would definitely do. My soul would feel as if it was crushed, shattering to millions of the tiniest pieces. I clenched the earrings in my hand hard while closing my eyes to take a deep breath. Was all of this really necessary?

All the efforts I had ever put into my education, life, magic arts and defenses and others, would be rendered completely useless. The moment I would marry, my powers would be locked away by the monster wizard my mother would choose. I would just become a political puppet to lead this kingdom, while he would enjoy all the privileges to my powers. I would lose everything I had ever held dear. I would be just like a doll, sitting in a chair, looking pretty, without even the chance of opening my mouth.

I was thinking about it for a while before I had finally decided to speak. “Mom, I believe there is more to a life than just getting engaged and then married when one hits twenty five. Not to mention… All the wizards are just so useless… and ugly. They have not read all the books that exist in the biggest library in the world, not to mention they even have no sense of fashion! I mean… Look at this guy! He is wearing an awful yellow suit while his hair is purple!” I pulled the book of pictures and descriptions of all the eligible bachelors that was drafted for me for this evening. My mother would have to say that I had a point with this. He really looked awful.

Not to mention, all the wizards presented in this book were growing bizarre beards, having weird haircuts. They weren’t even tall enough, if any of them was as tall as me, that would be actually a victorious situation! But no, most of them weren’t taller than 165 centimeters, while I was a bit above 170. Their bodies were all bony and skinny, as if they never exercised or ate a proper meal. Their skin was so deadly-looking as if they had never even seen a ray of sunshine.

“Well, count Loraine isn’t such a bad catch. His background is outstanding, his education went flawlessly and he is rumored to be very friendly. But even if the count doesn’t catch your fancy, I believe there will be someone that catches your eye at the ball tonight. After all, even I found your father at such a ball!” She tried cheering me up in a friendly way. I wanted to roll my eyes and throw up. I groaned silently in my mind. Moreover, I knew and remembered pretty well how my parents’ relationship ended up. I was born but my father wasn’t around for long. He had died of a weird illness, or maybe a curse, who knew. There was never a proper investigation. Whenever I saw him, he looked like a walking skeleton with skin on top of the bones. I wasn’t even four years old back then. He wasn’t really handsome, either.

Luckily enough, my cinnamon brown wavy long hair, nice eyelashes, hazelnut eyes, small pointy nose and small ears came from my mother’s side. My beauty was passed down through generations of witches, not wizards. I took a deep breath.

“I understand. Now, can you please just go? I need to focus.” I took up another pair of earrings to see if they would fit with my violet dress. I needed to avoid any further conversation with her. My mother was very capable of getting into anyone’s head within seconds.