The Curse Of Violet Wraith

Welcome To The Pack

ROSALYN

The water surrounded me, and I found myself not being able to breathe. As the currents dragged me down the river, I tried hard to keep my head afloat, but they were too strong, keeping me at the bottom. 

I was finally able to reach the surface and gasped for air, coughing out all the water from my lungs. That’s when I realized I was lucky to be alive. 

The sun was high up in the sky, hinting that it was the peak of noon and I found myself alone in the middle of the desolated parts of the woods. 

In an unknown area...

Father never let me wander too far from the castle, and the only place I could reach was the East side of the river, just because it belonged in our lands. 

“The reason your father doesn’t want you to stray away is because those grounds across the river, in the West side are dangerous. Dark creatures lurk around at night, and it is said that a witch lingers, looking for her next prey, to sacrifice to the wolves.”

Mother used to tell me stories about werewolves and vampires as if they were real, but I was never able to see one, so I always thought they were just made up stories to scare misbehaved kids. And I was one of them, always giving her trouble. 

I was surprisingly grateful for her patience towards me as I was not easy to deal with.

As I was getting out of the water, I noticed my dress was ripped and soaked and my hair was ruined, falling flat. I groaned angrily, as I hated looking like a wet dog. I was a princess, for God’s sake. 

“Do you need help, princess?” I heard a sweet voice talk to me as I made it to the shore, looking up to see a woman with a black cloak on. Her copper red hair shone under the light of the sun, and her bright lavender eyes made her look stunning. 

“I don’t think so. I can get up by myself,” I replied, rudely as if it was my attitude. I struggled to stand up, my dress was already heavy, and with all this water, it was not helping me keep my balance. 

Before I could even stand up straight, I stepped on the hem and fell down on the ground again, my face flat on the mud, giving me the finishing touches of a dirty hobo.

“Stand up, child. I didn’t bring you here so you could show me how weak you are,” the woman scolded as she turned around and walked away. A few steps further, she stopped on her tracks, turning around to face me, her eyes glowing bright. 

It made me think maybe my mother’s stories were true, or is it all my imagination? 

Not knowing where else to go, I decided to follow her and find out what she wants from me. As we walked through the quiet and eerie woods, I could feel my body shiver. As warm as the sun was, I felt cold. 

I looked to the side, and my eyes opened wide while my body froze in place, just staring at a few animals behind the trees. Their glowing orbs looked like they were studying me from afar, pacing back and forth while their growls filled the air. 

Do they know who I am?

“Don’t just stand there, dear. Keep moving, or you might be a wolf's meal,” she mentioned. I picked up the pace and caught up to her, still trembling. 

“I didn’t catch your name. It is the least you could do,” I ordered, still thinking I had power over these people. I was the king’s daughter after all. 

“Oh, dear child…”

“I’m not a child. Stop calling me that.”

The woman turned around, and her eyes glowed once again, but this time, they were a shade of red. 

“You’re forgetting where you’re standing, princess. This is pack lands, not your father’s. So I suggest you show a little humility for once. No one likes a spoiled Sassenach.”

“What did you call me?”

“What you heard, dear. Now, let’s move along.”

I wasn’t sure why, but for the first time in my entire life, I felt the urge to shed tears. I was alone and afraid. All I wanted was to go back to my family. 

“Don’t cry, dear. You’ll see your family soon, if you prove yourself worthy of it.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, confused. 

She stopped once again, but this time her back was facing me as she looked over her shoulders. 

“I’ll explain it to you when we arrive at my cabin and I give you dry and warm clothes.”

There was no point in asking anymore, just be patient and listen to what she had to say. As we kept walking, I could still feel the wolves’ eyes on me. 

“Can you tell them to stop following us?”

“Who?” She asked.

“Those animals. They’re frightening me.”

“Oh, they’re harmless. They’re just the pack’s warriors, watching the woods to make sure pack members are safe from your father’s soldiers.” 

“They’re the ones that fight with my father’s men?” 

She nodded.

We finally arrived at the cabin she mentioned before she let me in and gestured to me to sit down on an old rickety chair at the corner. 

The place looked cozy and warm, a fireplace lit up the small living room and there was a firepit with a cauldron on top, steam coming out of it. The smell of stew hitting my nostrils made my stomach growl. 

“Oh, to answer your question from earlier, my name is Amara. I am Misty Willow pack’s witch. I serve the Alpha, more like helping him when he needs me,” she cleared. 

“I didn’t know you all existed. My mother would tell me these stories, but I never wanted to believe in them. Even when I would hear the howls out of my window at night when I was a kid. I thought they were all stupid fairytales.”

“Well, there’s proof out there that they’re not. And I sure am not either. We are as real as we could be, every single creature in these woods.”

Amara approached the cauldron, stirring its contents before she poured them in a small clay bowl, handing it to me with a wooden spoon. I was hesitant, for she was a witch and wasn’t sure if she would poison me.

“It’s just deer stew. Very good to get your energy back,” she said, pushing the bowl towards me. With my stomach asking for it, I decided to accept it. The warmth of the broth as I took the first spoonful felt amazing in my soul. 

After being done with my meal, I changed into some warmer clothes she had found for me, and as I was drying my hair, I noticed something different about it. Looking down at my strands, they were not as long as before. 

My beautiful hair was now shorter, possibly up on my shoulders, and it was a weird blue-ish color, not to mention how flat it looked. It didn’t have the gorgeous waves I was always proud of.

“What did you do to me? You witch!” I screamed, looking for a mirror around the house. As I stared at myself in one on the wall, I realized I wasn’t the princess anymore. I was someone else.

“Your father has harassed our people for so long. Sending his soldiers to kill many, not knowing he needs a special type of material to even injure them.”

“What does any of that have to do with me?” I was angry.

Amara smiled softly, showing a hint of kindness on her face as she stood behind me, looking at me through the mirror. 

“I didn’t do this to hurt you, Rosalyn,” she said, not surprising that she knew my name. “I’m doing this to help the pack. My curse has everyone in the kingdom thinking you’re dead. They already found your body by the river.”

“What? It can’t be!”

“I’m sorry, dear. But until you prove that you can change for the better or stop your father from attacking the pack, you won’t go back to your own life.”

I sobbed, hugging myself. I didn’t deserve this. 

“No,” I whispered to myself. 

“Welcome to Misty Willow, Violet Wraith.”