The Alpha King and His Human Queen

Long Live The King

Alexandra

One of the girls comes to me and takes me by the hand.

“Come, you have to be ready for tonight. “

Then she adds sadly, pointing at my split lip.

“This looks bad. It will take a while to fix everything. And the hair…”

Her voice trails off.

She takes me to the bath and helps me remove my clothes. She also helps me clean the blood, removing all traces of what happened earlier.

I let her brush my hair, I don’t stop her as she puts fragrant oils and silks on me. I just stay there obediently. I am not myself anymore. It's a strange feeling, not knowing who you are anymore. It’s like watching yourself from a distance you are no longer in your body but somewhere near it.

So it doesn’t matter what happens to it. You simply let things happen to and around you.

“There, “she says after I don't know how long, “Maybe that’s better. “

She seats me in front of a big mirror. And that’s when my vision blurs. I manage to see through the tears that my split lip is swollen - but I have to look better because she’s managed to cover it so well with red paint for lips.

The bruises on my cheek are also covered so well. She is an expert in this. She has probably done this so many times before.

The girl has also managed to do something with my hair. I run my hand through it. It’s softer now. Not caked with blood like before. It reaches a bit lower than my ear.

I have never had my hair so short. It’s like I’ve lost part of myself. The silks I am wearing are long and reveal my breasts but not my ribs where my bruises are. And I doubt anyone would care about those bruises. The ones on the face matter because they are the obvious tell-tale.

The others- I could have simply been clumsy and fallen.

But then the girl stands next to me and smiles.

“Hey… It’s not so bad, I promise you. “ she is trying to sound comforting. “You have pretty features and nice hair - it will grow in no time. And you look different from us, you can use this to your own benefit. Do you know how many girls would kill to be in your place now? All of the women here are jealous of you. And not only here, in the palace, but the ones throughout the whole kingdom would do anything to even touch Nathaniel. You should be happy and take this as an advantage.” “

Happy? Me? Take this as my advantage... To what? To be more interesting to the men who will use my body…?

Yet, I no longer have the strength in me to feel sad, to prove her wrong. I just stand there.

“I was surprised at first that they chose you to be sent to the prince tonight, “ she points out. Then she added, “No offence. But now that I look at you better I see why. And the prince never takes bed slaves. “

Does he never take bed slaves? I consider her words. Ah… but…

Of course, he doesn’t. Considering he killed his own brother he most likely is too cautious for this. Anyone who approaches him might want to avenge the loss of their true king. And as Sirius said - that’s not Nathaniel.

“Then… why are they sending someone if he doesn’t do that?” I manage to ask, surprised by my curiosity and she says simply.

“It’s just part of the ceremony. There’s nothing special behind this. But make sure he doesn’t return you. It will cause a lot of trouble for us because it will mean we haven’t chosen well and we should have sent someone … experienced with this. “

“Why… why didn’t you choose someone suitable?“

The girl lifts her hands.

“Orders. I do what I am told. “

Then she gives me another look, changing the subject.

“You are not from here, are you?” she goes on, maybe she's trying to help me relax, who knows…

“Where did you live before?”

I glance at her, and then at the rest of the girls who are preparing for tonight. No one knows anything, not even that I was a gift to the prince.

“I …am just from the north. “

“What did you do before you came here? She asks, searching for jewels to decorate my wrists and ears with.

“Because I can tell you were not a bed slave, “ the girl remarks, “Although you are pretty. “

“I was a servant, “ I lie and she looks at me in disbelief.

“You don’t speak and look like one. “

she says, tying a bracelet on my wrist.

“But I won’t ask further, “ the slave adds, “here, you can tell me anything you want and no one will know if it’s true or not, right?” She ties the bracelet and continues with the earrings, “Besides men love interesting girls with dark pasts, you can come up with whatever story you want. “

Once she is done she gives me up and down look and declares that I am ready.

A guard comes.

“She is to be taken to the prince’s bedroom. “

The guards frown, confused. His look says :

“He… he never takes bed slaves?”

The girl just shrugged and pointed at me to follow the man.

Perhaps the slave didn’t lie to me and the prince really doesn’t take lovers. But at the same time, he looks so cold I doubt he even cares about anyone but himself.

The guard leads the way as we move towards a different part of the castle.

Just as he opens the door of one of the most beautiful rooms I have seen, the cheers reach us.

“Long live the king!” Long live the king!”

The greetings filled the whole castle and the guards began cheering too.

“Long live the king! His majesty Nathaniel!”

He has been crowned.

And there’s no going back from this. Nathaniel is the king of the whole Infernia kingdom.

We are all his subjects now.

****

Hours pass and no one comes. I hear the music and chatter from outside. The whole kingdom is celebrating while I stay here, locked. Waiting for… what? To be raped by him?

Fear runs through me and I let my body slide to the floor. It’s like now I understand what I am supposed to do.

“Oh, no…” I cry and hide my face behind my hands. The girls had told me not to cry because that would ruin their work. But I can’t stop.

I start crying harder, losing track of time.

I must have fallen asleep but I wake up as the noise from outside startles me.

Then the door slams shut and I spring to my feet.

“What are you doing here?!”

The prince looks angry. He is standing a few feet away from me still wearing the royal coronation garments.

I also catch the scent of alcohol. He's probably drunk which explains why he didn’t sense my presence earlier. Even wolves can get drunk.

Nathaniel starts walking towards me threateningly and it’s too late for me to run. Not that I could, anyway.