The Alpha's Unwanted Princess

Chapter Two~Duties and Burdens

The early morning light shined through the windows, awakening Roxanne. As she opened her eyes she realized that during the night she had rolled over onto her back and when she tried to sit up a sharp pain shot down her spine making her cry out. Just then, a light knock came from the door.

"Come in" she called out hoping the pain she felt could not be heard in her voice.

A young girl entered, she had long dark hair and bright brown eyes and looked only to be around fourteen or fifteen summers.

"Excuse me, m'lady, I am Bridget. I have been assigned to be your ladies maid."

Oh, thank god  Roxanne thought as she slowly tried to pull herself into a sitting position but found it to be impossible. Bridget came to her aide and helped Roxanne sit up, being as gentle as possible which Roxanne was grateful for.

"Thank god it was you that walked through the door. I was afraid I would be stuck in bed all day."

"Well, m’lady, maybe you should rest if your back hurts you so..."

Roxanne shook her head and then pointed to the jar of salve she had left sitting on top of the dressing table.

"If you could just spread that over my wound I should be fine enough to at least join the Alpha for breakfast."

Bridget looked at her new mistress with slight surprise before she went to retrieve the jar. She helped Roxanne pull off her nightgown before she went to work spreading the salve over the stitched-up s***h marks.

"You surprise me, my lady, I did not expect someone such as you to have such a strong will." Bridget quickly blushed "I—I mean, I did not mean that I thought you weak it is just that most fine ladies are.... well..."

Roxanne laughed and shook her head "No need to apologize I know exactly what you mean."

Roxanne was reminded of her younger sister who would screech at the sight of a spider while Roxanne had always been the one to pick it up and help it outside. Her father had no sons and Roxanne had been raised as if she was a boy. Her father had made sure Roxanne could defend herself and even let her train with the Knights. Roxanne's mother had died giving birth to her so her father had thought that he would never have an heir to take his place. But at the urging of the Elders, he took another wife and had Roxanne's sister, Odette. Now her stepmother was pregnant again and the whole kingdom was praying for an heir. However, a group of rebels was forming within the Silver Moon Pack saying that their family needed to be overthrown.

Roxanne pushed her thoughts away from the troubles back home and back to the present. Bridget finished applying the salve and put the top back on the jar. She went to wipe her hands on her apron and then lifted her fingers to her nose to take a sniff.

“May I ask, m’lady, what exactly this salve is? It smells of lavender but it makes my fingers tingle.”

“Oh, it is something I brought with me from home. We have our own healers in Silver Moon and they have come up with all different sorts of medicines. This salve helps to numb wounds enough to where they are bearable. Just wash your hand with some water and soap and the tingling will go away.”  

Bridget nodded and then headed over to the basin to do what Roxanne had instructed. She dried her hands with the washcloth and then picked up the basin and turned back to Roxanne.

“I will go fetch you some fresh water and a new cloth before I help you dress, m’lady. Also, I think you should still see Gertrude later today, m’lady. The marks on your back are a little red around the stitching.”

Roxanne nodded, she did not wish to bother Gertrude when she had more important things to do, Like taking care of the soldiers that had saved Roxanne's life. She watched Bridget go and stood up to head over to her dressing table. She had cleaned up a little with the water the servants had left her last night but she had not done a very good job. She hoped Bridget would help her since she was restricted from taking a bath.

Her stomach grumbled with hunger, she had come upstairs last night, washed, and then immediately fell into bed. She had not eaten since yesterday morning before she had left her home to come here. Bridget returned and Roxanne asked her for help with her washing. Bridget was a very sweet girl and it was nice to have someone to talk to. She had thought that no one would speak to her when she came here so having Bridget as her ladies maid was a nice surprise.

Bridget had her washed and dressed in no time. Some men had arrived last night with Roxanne’s trunks but had left them outside the door. Bridget would get someone to move them into her room later. She had picked out a simple grey wool dress with long sleeves. Her Stepmother had had a few wool dresses made for her knowing how cold it was in the Blood Moon Kingdom. Bridget braided Roxanne’s hair in a braid over her shoulder so it would not irritate her back. She checked her reflection in the mirror and was happy to see she no longer looked a mess anymore but rather pretty.

“Thank you so much, Bridget. Now, can you show me to the dining hall? I don’t want to leave the Alpha waiting.”

Bridget led her downstairs and took the opposite way from the great hall. In Silver Moon, the royal family all ate together for every meal. There were only four of them and sometimes they had a few guests. However, as Roxanne walked through the doorway of the dining hall she saw that was not the case here in Blood Moon. The Dining hall was massive and full of soldiers sitting together at long tables. There was a table at the head of the room where she saw Nikolai sitting with Roland beside him. A Chair stood vacant beside him and she assumed that was meant for her.

She turned to Bridget and thanked her again before walking towards the table with her head held high. The room fell silent she could feel all eyes on her as she walked toward the Alpha. It was the first time many of them were seeing her so their gawking at her made sense but it did not make it any less awkward. Nikolai turned his head and watched her approach, his face unreadable. Was he happy to see her? Or was he annoyed that she was here? She assumed annoyed as she approached the table and bowed her head to him.

“Good Morning, Alpha Nikolai.”

The silence in the room was deafening. It was as if they were all looking towards their Alpha to see what he would do. Roxanne had an uneasy feeling that they were expecting him to snub her and if he did they would follow suit. She realized this moment may decide the rest of her life here. Would she spend it as an outcast or was there still a chance to bring their two packs together?

“Good Morning, Princess Roxanne.” He said, his lips curving into a smug smile.

She stared at him for a moment, confused about the proud look on his face. Was he pleased that she had acknowledged him with respect? The room came to life again as the soldiers returned to their meals. Roxanne released the breath she had not realized she had been holding and walked over to the chair beside the Alpha, taking a seat.

A servant came forward and placed a plate of food before her. It was a simple meal of bread, cheese, fruit, and porridge. She looked over the other tables and saw they all were eating the same thing. At first, Roxanne found the prospect of eating along with the soldiers to be intimidating. However, as she began to eat the porridge she started to think that the way the Blood Moon treated everyone as equals was rather nice. In Silver Moon is was all about titles and politics. You had to be careful of every move you made or else you could ruin not only your reputation but the reputation of your family.   

Roxanne devoured her meal in no time at all. She had been starving and as she lifted a napkin to her lips she realized the Alpha was staring at her. She cleared her throat and turned in her seat to face him.

“I would like to know what you expect from me, Alpha Nikolai.”

“What I expect of you?” Nikolai asked, sounding rather confused.

He leaned in closer, the soldiers were starting to leave the dining hall but it was still a bit loud. Yesterday, she had not spent much time looking at her future husband. She had been in too much pain and too worried over the soldiers that may have lost their lives protecting her. She stared into his eyes, they were such a warm amber color yet she saw shades of red reflected in their iris’. His hair was short, much shorter than the men kept it in Silver Moon. He had a scar across the right side of his forehead that went into his hairline, getting lost within the chestnut-colored strands. His chin was covered with dark bristles, the beginnings of a beard. He had a much rougher appearance than she was used to, but at the same time, she found herself rather liking that.

“Ye-es, as mistress of the castle, what is expected of me?” she stammered, a bit unnerved by his close proximity and her wayward thoughts.

He still stared at her, a bit confused, leaning back a little in his chair and grabbing a piece of bread. He took a bite and chewed it slowly before he finally answered her.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean.”

Roxanne sighed, a little exasperated. Was he toying with her or did he really not understand? She tried to think of a better way to phrase what she was trying to say.

“When your Mother was here, what did she do?” She knew that both of his parents had passed away so she hoped he did not take offense to her question.

He looked away in thought for a moment, taking another bite of his bread before answering.

“My mother was a great warrior. She had worked herself through the ranks ever since she was thirteen and when she married my father she had been a General. She spent most of her time training the troops. She was the best there was. When she had me she would strap me on her back while she trained the soldiers. She put a sword in my hand when I was just three years old. “ Roxanne could hear the admiration in his voice as he spoke about his mother, however, she was more lost than ever on what her duties were supposed to be.

She knew how to fight. Her father had let her train with the Knights until she was sixteen and was forced to join society. She had to put away her sword, bows, and arrows and become a lady. The Silver Moon was so backward in their thinking of what a She-wolf should be. Here in Blood Moon, she had already seen several she-wolf soldiers. She was sure she would see more of them in traditionally male wolf roles the longer she stayed here.

It made sense though that a kingdom built on war would allow anyone to join the military. The Blood Moon had more than just the Silver Moon to deal with. To the North of them were The Feys which is why they also had to learn traditional warfare with weapons. Their wolf teeth and claws did nothing against them, only iron could hurt them. Regardless, with all the training she had, she did not think she could ever replace his mother in such a way.

“I see..” She whispered still wondering what her place would be in this new life.

“Sir, we have to go. The troops are lined up already for morning drills.” Roland stated while getting to his feet.

Nikolai was still staring at her as if waiting for her to finish what she was saying. She stood and bowed her head. “Do not worry about me, Alpha Nikolai. I do not want to keep you from your duties.”

For a moment she swore she saw a bit of surprise flash across his face but it was quickly gone and he rose from his chair as well. He nodded in respect in her direction before leaving the dining hall with Roland.

Roxanne looked around the room, unsure of where to go but thought maybe a self-guided tour would be a good place to start. She went back to the hallway and went in the opposite direction from which she came. The Castle was not a terribly large place, built more for function than granger. She did, however, find a gallery with some paintings and more tapestries. Most of them seemed to be portraits of past Alphas and their Lunas. She looked them over wondering which one was Nikolai’s parents until she saw a huge painting of a beautiful She-wolf in full armor. She was holding what looked to be a staff and had her foot on top of a stone. The background was filled with fire and ruins and in the top right was a glowing red moon. There was an inscription on the frame that read “Luna Elsbeth The Conqueror.”

Her features reminded her a lot of Nikolai. With the same amber eyes and chestnut hair, The same sculpted jaw, and a prominent nose. She had a scar across her face as well but hers was across her eye instead of her forehead. She was fearsome and even a little terrifying but as Roxanne stood there and stared at her the more beautiful she became. Roxanne knew then that she had an almost insurmountable role to fill and she did not even know where to begin.