Her Dark Knight

The Wolf

The heat was unbearable as it clung to her damp skin like a thick blanket. The stories that everyone had told her could not have prepared her for this moment and its unyielding agony that spread through her whole body. Her legs were numb, whilst her arms felt like someone was stabbing tiny needles into them repeatedly. Arabella cried out for help, for anyone.

One of her father's guards came rushing over, panicking as he saw the young Duchess writhing on the sandy garden floor. “My Lady, hold on please! Danny! Go get the Duke, tell him the young Lady is starting to shift, quickly!”

The pain was utterly unbearable, so overpowering that she could barely draw breath into her tightening chest. Her head was spinning from the lack of oxygen and her gums… Her gums were in utter agony. They felt like something was trying to drill through them into her mouth. She sought to cling to anything, to retain some sense of sanity, but the only thing her weakening fingers could grip onto was the sandy floor. 

It was worsening. She tried to scream out, to see if this could help ease the pain, but all sounds died in her throat. The heat was absolutely excruciating at this point, she was sweating so much that her dress was drenched and clinging to her body. It was with quiet reprieve that her vision started to fade away and she collapsed into sweet oblivion.

---

Arabella awoke with a start. She tried to move, but her sore and aching body would not allow much movement. Her eyes caught sight of her mother, Astara, sitting in a chair by her bedside and staring at her. Arabella opened her mouth to speak but the words remained stuck in her throat as if something were preventing them from escaping.

“Hang on dear, I’ll get you some water,” her mother cooed, standing up and walking into the bathroom, only to return with a cooling glass of water. Arabella took it and immediately swallowed the liquid, humming in satisfaction as she could feel it working to refresh her parched throat. 

“What happened?” she croaked, coughing a bit after forcing the words out.

“You turned, my dear daughter,” her mother smiled happily and exclaimed, “You were so beautiful, I'm proud of you.”

Arabella, noticing that her mother did not go into any details, asked, “What did I become, Mother?”

Her mother opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by her husband’s voice that boomed from the doorway. The Duke strode into the room with an aura of contentment surrounding him, declaring, “A wolf my dear child, a strong and mighty wolf just like me." He moved forwards, rounding the side of Arabella's bed to lean forward and hug her.

The young Duchess was relieved, a wolf! She was a werewolf! She was so happy, thankful that she could transform into a strong form - one that would grant respect immediately from all those that would see her. She was ecstatic; a wolf symbolised a strong but loyal individual, and she was thrilled that this was the form she could turn in to. 

She talked for a little while more with her parents before they excused themselves, telling her to get some rest. As she laid in bed, Arabella wondered how her first shift would change her life in the coming months. How she would soon be able to leave the confines of her father's estate - would finally be able to see her friend's again, and would finally be able to meet her betrothed. 

The young Duchess was happy, ecstatic that it had all worked out in her favour, but there was still one tinge of sadness in her mind. Arabella wished that she could see her Wolf form, that she could meet her for herself, but one of the drawbacks of their kind was that their two characters could not interact with each other. They were but two separate entities living within the same person. Obviously, both halves of the whole shared a similar consciousness, but neither side knew explicitly what the other would do when it was in control. This was one of the main reasons why society was structured as it was, as without a strong leader the Kingdom of the Moon could fall into anarchy, if the more animalistic side of its citizens were allowed to roam free. 

A wolf was a useful Were form, it would show to the higher Nobles that she could be trusted to be part of the “pack”, and that her loyalties would not be swayed. With this thought consoling her mind about the solidity of her future as the Queen, she relaxed back into her warm bed and let herself drift away.

---

The day had arrived, the weeks of meticulous planning finally drawing to an end as the hour of her Debutante Ball drew ever closer. The young Lady of the day was preparing herself in her bed chambers, forcing herself into a tight corset and struggling to breathe whilst doing so. 

“Can it not go a little tighter, Delores?” Arabella asked politely, breathing in, and trying to hold it whilst the maids fought with the ribbons. Everything had to be perfect for her first real introduction to the Crowned Prince. Of course, she had spoken to him before in their various letters back and forth, but this would be the first time that the two would meet in person. She knew that she had to make a good impression.

“Hang on just a little more, my Lady. We just need to tie it all up,” Delores said, panting with the exertion it took. She knew that her Lady had been excited about this event since her first shifting a few weeks back, and that she wanted everything to go exactly as planned. 

The dress that the Duchess had chosen for the evening was a lilac princess dress that swung down to the floor. The waist was cinched tight with a satin belt, one that was a slightly deeper shade of purple. Overall, the young Lady of the house looked like a vision, paired with a diamond necklace and earrings and her blonde hair arranged in loose curls that framed her face. 

When Arabella was finished dressing, she wandered over to her window overlooking the drive. There were multiple carriages and guards accompanying all the guests that were here to celebrate her introduction into high society. She could not find the one carriage she was avidly looking for, with its signature colouring of red and gold to signify the Royal Family, but she knew that they would eventually arrive. As she let her eyes wander down below, she saw Duchess Kylia shooing away the Angelos’ helpers as they tried to assist her in vacating her carriage. This made the young Duchess smile, her best friend had always been so headstrong and always took offense if someone tried to help her. She was excited to finally see her and catch up, but she knew that tonight there would be little chance for a real chat with her friend. 

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. “Come in,” Arabella stated calmly as she turned to face the door. 

An older employee of her father’s, the butler called Igor, entered the room and swiftly bowed to the Duchess, “Lady Arabella, your father has requested your presence downstairs as the Ball is about to start.”

With a quick nod, the Duchess gave a final look around the room to ensure she had not missed anything, and then strode out the door with all the grace of a fine Noble. Arabella walked towards the main ballroom of the house, descending the main stairs gracefully, and once seeing her father waiting for her, rushed towards him.

“Hello darling, I must say you look absolutely beautiful tonight,” her father said as he took her in. As his only child, it still shocked him how quickly she had grown up. He gave her a strong hug and squeezed her tightly, taking care not to interrupt her hair or makeup as he knew how seriously young Ladies took their appearance. “Are you ready?” He eventually asked, secretly wishing that he could just hide her away in these four walls forever, as he had managed to do for the past 17 years.

“Yes Father, I am ready for anything,” the Lady said, looking ahead at the closed doors, face filled with determination to get the night started.

With that, the old Duke offered his arm and, with her entwinement, the pair walked towards the large double doors that would change her life forever.