The Alpha King and His Human Queen

New Friends. Or Enemies?

Alexandra

I was ravenous. I finished my food in minutes. When we were kids and we were beginning to stuff our mouths like hungry beasts during meals my mother would give us a look that would make anyone consider twice what we were doing. And if we did it when we had guests or during official dinners- there would be consequences.

A lady doesn’t eat like an animal.

This was directed towards both me and my sister because at that time no one knew I didn’t have a wolf and I was just a girl.

If I had been devouring a sweet roll for example my mother would glance in my direction and I’d immediately start chewing slower.

When I grew up that look was enough to make me give up on my entire meal.

Today I don't even think of this - chewing, making a mess, anything. I don’t care if anyone is watching me or not, I am this hungry. I don’t have time to acknowledge if the food is bad or not, I just keep eating. When I am ready with the meal I lean back and wait for Lave. We agreed he would pick me up from here. When he doesn't show up I get up and prepare to leave searching for him when one of the servants approaches me. It’s the same elderly woman who came to me at the gala and Sirius ordered her to leave.

“Where do you think you are going?” she asks her hands on her waist.

“I am…”

“You are not anything!“ she interrupts me, raising her voice, “Do you think we are going to clean after you?! It wasn’t enough that Cara brought you clothes and food, and now you expect us to clean the table and what- serve you?!”

She points at the dishes and the cup in front of me. “You clean your mess, you can’t just leave your things on the table.“

I hesitate and look down at the plate. For a second I consider telling her she can’t order me around because she is just another servant but at the same time it’s true - no one will come and clean after me.

I pick up the dishes while she is glaring at me.

“That’s right, “she says as I walk towards the water basin where I assume the staff wash the dirty plates and cups, “Those pretty hands have never done any housework, have they?’

She asks, her tone mocking. I resist again the urge to respond and plunge the plate and cup into the water. It's cold but I start scrubbing harder, hoping it will be enough to clean them. Anyway, what will happen if I don’t clean them properly? I wonder but the answer comes to me pretty quickly- I will have to do it again.

So I washed the plates and the metal cup and put them back. The older woman comes to me and examines my work. Most of the dishes are metal because the servants don’t eat in the crystal ones.

But she opens one of the wooden cupboards by the fireplace. She takes one of the expensive plates and drops it to the floor.

At this very moment, Lave appears in the kitchen.

“Do you see what you did?” she snaps, “those plates are planned for the dinner tonight!” the woman yells at me and I gape at her.

This is unbelievable. I can’t believe she just did this…

“I didn’t do it!” I yell back at her and she turns to Lave.

“Ah, Master Lave, “she says and bows to him, “I didn’t know you were coming back. “

Like hell you didn’t know, I think bitterly, You most likely heard him approach long before he came in.

“I am so sorry, “ she says, “I will make sure she is punished for what she did. After she cleans everything. “

Lave looks like he is trying not to laugh.

“Don’t worry, Gelda. “ he says, “I am sure it won’t be difficult to clean. Besides, there are enough plates, right? “

Then he winks at me. The older woman looks stunned. Now she hates me more I am sure.

“Are you ready?” Lave asks.

“Yes, “ I said quickly and wiped my wet hands in the old dress I was given.

It’s terrible and huge on me, but it's still better than what I had before.

The servant Lave was kissing earlier- I think her name was Cara, and I have to start learning the names of the servants if they are the ones I will be spending time with, - gave me what feels like the ugliest and oldest dress she could find.

“They don’t like me much, “ I tell Lave as we head out to the yard. “And I just made another enemy.”

“No, they just…” he waves a hand, “I am sure it’s out of loyalty to Nathaniel. “

“Yeah right, “ I snort and don’t add anything because we are standing before two giant horses.

One of them is red and the other one is grayish.

“Can you ride?” he asks and I shift uncomfortably.

“Uh… in a way. “

Lave reads my confusion and grins.

“What did you think? That we were going to town with a royal trolley” his laughter rings in the empty yard.

Lave is honestly laughing at me.

“Very funny, “ I mutter and he continues laughing as he goes to the grey horse.

“Come, I will help you get on. “

I gather the skirts and manage to get on the horse with his assistance. I settle semi-comfortably and watch him as he skillfully climbs on his.

“You don’t ride much in your lands?” he asks as the gates open to let us out of the castle.

“We do. It’s just… I just didn’t do it so much because everyone around me was a wolf, and they didn’t need horses to move faster. “

Lave shrugs, “We sometimes do. We can’t always shift in the middle of the road, right? Besides, it’s nice.”

I look down at the big horse and when my head spins because we are much farther from the ground than I was hoping we are, I look back ahead.

“It’s also because… I am not sure. I don’t feel like falling and breaking anything.”

“You won’t fall. “ he says, “Molly is a very good girl.”

Molly’s ears move and I almost outstretch my hand to rub her head.

“She is a bit old, a slow walk to town would be more than enough exercise for her.“ Lave explains, “But Nathaniel has always been very fond of her so he keeps her even though no one uses her anymore. “

I instantly put my hand back and changed my mind about petting her. If she is special to him, maybe she is not as nice and sweet as she seems. We rode for a while through a narrow road. Tall trees surround us and I take a look around.

I hate to admit it but those lands are beautiful. Many late autumn flowers grow by the road and Molly approaches a bush, trying to eat some of its fruits. I pull her reins to stop her because I am not sure if the red berries are not poisonous and she actually walks away from them without struggling.

Don’t let her win you over, don’t let her win you over, I tell myself as we continue riding slowly down the path. Lave tells me more about the town we are headed to when I hear noise in the branches above us. I recognize it - wings flapping right above us and I follow the sound.

I gasped, surprised when I also recognised the bird.

Lave follows my gaze and points to the raven.

“Oh. That’s Opal. “

“The bird has a name?!” I exclaim.

“Of course he does,” he says lightly.

I squinted my eyes at the bright sky and at the dark spot that Opal was. He flies gracefully, his wide wings covering such a big part of the sky.

“It doesn't look like the other ravens,” I admit when I looked back down because my neck started hunting.

“He isn’t. ” Lave says, “By the way, this is Nate’s bird. “

“What?” I exclaim so loudly my horse pauses. “The prince has a raven? And is it… why is it following us?”

I look back up alarmed but the bird is gone. Then I see it land right in front of me and on Molly.