《Pride and Ashes: A werewolf Story》Chapter 10: In Which I Slip Past
Advertisement
Sometimes, I think of the Sun and Moon as lovers who rarely meet,
always chase, and almost always miss one another.
But once in a while,
they do catch up,
and they kiss,
and the world stares in awe of their eclipse.
I couldn't understand why this was happening to me.
No, more like HOW this was happening to me.
Did these people forget that I'm just an omega?
I had tried not to let my rank in the pack put me down before, tried to keep up my mantra in my head of being brave to Be the sun, but there was always this thread of doubt, this knowledge of the darkness that I knew that was inside me- that lead me to be what I am today- an omega.
Most people did not look down on us openly like in the old days. I heard stories of those times from the elder omega's- saw the scars on their backs from the lashings they had received or the twitches in their eyes that would never go away, caused by the unholy suffering they went through.
The King had changed that.
Or the omega's told me, Queen Isadora had changed that.
It's why I had admired her so much as a child and even more when I was demoted to an omega.
But I couldn't understand that single question that kept running through my head, 'Why Me?'
Why would Mr. Joseph choose me to be honored? Why would I feel just an easy attachment and love for the new Queen? Why was she trying so hard for me, to make the Ceremony a magical night?
I couldn't understand it. In my mind, I could be honored all I wanted to be, but I was still, just an omega.
The sigh that escaped my lips was loud as I walked down the hallways towards my destination- The Queens Hallway.
Advertisement
She had asked me to come by and pick up my blue tooth ear clip, along with the final words of, "I'll need to tell you what time and where to be so we can get you ready tomorrow."
A passing butler had pointed out the way to me as I walked to the royal side of the palace- the side where the King, Queen, and Prince resided and walked through.
Lizzy had squealed with delight when I came from my dream fitting.
"Tell me everything!" She shouted.
So while we peeled potatoes that an angry LeFair had assigned to me, I told her every detail of what had happened.
"I can't believe it!" She jumped up and down in her stool. "Of course Jane and I will help while you talk to us! Omy gosh Fayette this is a chance of a lifetime! You could see the Prince!"
I laughed at how single-minded Lizzy was. Always about the Prince.
"Thank you, Lizzy," I said, smiling to her, "I'll try to sneak you and Jane some of the desserts from the table," Lizzy smiled broadly at that and started to laugh excitedly.
"Omygosh Fayette! This will be a night you remember forever!"
I couldn't help but catch some of her excitement. It was infectious. Maybe I was a little excited to go to the Ceremony. Maybe it was okay that an omega like me would be there.
But away from Lizzy's warm laughter and smile, I quickly felt myself darken to my previous thoughts of why fate should play out this way.
My thoughts kept me company until I reached the Queens Hallway.
There the door that leads to her study was obvious to see- it was a thick redwood, majestic with gold leafs swirling around in an arch and golden handles to accompany it.
Pulling down on the fine material, I opened up to a room of bustling work and an air of no-nonsense. The Blue Moon Ceremony was tomorrow and the Queen was taking it very seriously.
Advertisement
I tried to move quickly with the people, so as to not get in the way of anyone as they sprinted by with huge stacks of paperwork.
I spotted the Queen in the back near the windows, looking down on a layout of the ballroom.
"I think we need more blue trimming in the balcony, and get those doves out! Who even thought of such a ridiculous thing?" The Queen said to a group of men. They quickly nodded and made notes then rolled up the paper and left.
I waited until the Queen was done signing something, but she had already noticed me.
"I'll have to be quick about this dear," she said, "I have important things I still need to do." The Queen sighed loudly and said, "like get a new suit fitted."
I frowned a little at the Queen in confusion, was she wearing a suit to the Ceremony?
She turned to me and handed me the Blue Tooth clips and other wires of sorts.
"Here is all you need dear, though I would suggest that you be the one to do the midnight light show and not one of your assistants."
I nodded to the Queen. I had already planned on doing that- the midnight show was too big for Lizzy and Jane to handle.
"The Ceremony starts at midday but only those.......," the Queen paused at this but held her head back up and said, "It's boring anyway and you'll be better off not going."
I nodded in agreement.
"The real fun begins at nine. Dinner has already been served and guests will start making their way to the ballroom. You, my dear," the Queen gave me a firm nod, "will go to the same room where we found your dress earlier today. Once there, my maids will help you get ready. I told them you would be present at seven."
"Two hours?" I gasped.
The Queen gave a small smile, "The price of beauty, but they will wash you first so that should take you around an hour at most."
I stood dumbstruck at the Queen. I had never taken two hours of my life to get ready for something.
"Don't worry dear," the Queen said, patting my cheek, "You are beautiful now, I can see it, but when they are done with you, I'm sure I'll have to pry you away from all the men in the room myself," She laughed at the joke she had made and started walking to the door.
I followed closely behind her.
"Sorry that we can't talk longer dear, but I'm expecting a fitting to come by at any moment."
I nodded and smiled at the Queen.
"Thank you Queen Rienna," I said, bowing slightly- glad that I had asked Lizzy her name before coming up.
She smiled with her teeth flashing at me. "Anytime dear," was all she said, before turning around and proceeding to yell at a man who had tripped and spilled papers everywhere.
I smiled. She was definitely not what I had expected, especially with such a cold greeting she first gave to Lizzy and me.
Walking out the door I closed the majestic redwood and studied the golden leaf archway for a second.
My head snapped up when I heard voices coming from further down the hall.
I quickly started to walk back down the hall.
A man's voice came floating to my ears, "Really August, it won't be that bad and I'm sure the Queen will be swift with it you just....."
Not wanting to be caught in the middle of the Queen's Hallway alone I raced around the corner before the men could see me- turning out of their sights before they rounded the corner.
Advertisement
Wildcards: The Dread Captain
At the District One Invitational, a rookie eSports team defied all odds and reached the finals. Their underdog story and humble beginnings elevated them to worldwide acclaim. Media corporations dubbed them, The Paragons. With their main competition eliminated from the tournament during the semifinals, the rookie team sailed through the live finals and won by a landslide. Their prize was to become the first ever players in the most exclusive VR game yet, Abidden. The Paragons never celebrated that semi-final victory. They lost a friend in that match, who never appeared online again. Ten years later, the gaming landscape has changed and Abidden with it. Helena is the last remaining Paragon. Her team now consists of celebrities, influencers and musicians. Abidden has been reduced to a shadow of its former glory, but is the most streamed and viewed game in the world, despite having only a handful of players. None of this matters to James Sylvester. Finally out of hospital, things aren't good for James. He's found himself crippled with medical debt, his gaming licence has been revoked and he's permanently lost his place in society. He now spends his days competing in illegal slum arcades to manage the repayments. When a high-profile job comes along, James gets temporary backdoor access to his blacklisted gaming account. After reactivating it for the first time in ten years, James receives an invitation that could change his life forever. Disclaimer: This story is in no way or form associated with the works of George R. R. Martin and has no link to the popularised series, Wild Cards. This is a LitRPG story of my own creation that shares that name.
8 126A History Buff Brought to Another World
Death comes unexpectedly for the high school senior Adam. He is reading a work of history, minding his own buisiness, when Death takes him to purgatory. The problem... It's wasn't his time to go yet. Given a second chance at life, Adam is brought to another world. His new home is a land of magic and adventure where he has nothing but his wits and knowledge to survive. Cover image "Albion Europe 2012 Photo Contest" by Albion Europe ApS is licensed under CC BY 2.0
8 139Winded
Fenn Farrow longs for adventure, but sneaking away from home in the back of a tinker's wagon may not have been the best way to go about it. She awakens, disoriented and confused, in a land she's never heard of, with no recollection of how she got there. And as Fenn soon discovers, the City of Yarde, home of the Duke and his prize turnip, is on high alert. The Beast is afoot. And it's devouring everything it can get its claws on. The townsfolk are terrified. No one knows what--or who--will be next. Dreams of adventure forgotten, all Fenn wants now is to get home to the quiet forest town of Wynne. But she has got no idea where home is. And the longer she spends in Yarde, the more the gnawing fear grows that her presence and that of the frightful Beast are somehow tied together. She's not the only one that suspects. Lost and alone, with no friends to speak of and danger round lurking round every corner, can Fenn find her way before disaster strikes again? ...Or will she too wind up at the bottom of the belly of the Beast?
8 161Queen of Monsters
Lydia Johnson hasn't done much with her life - working at a video game company isn't exactly the most prestigious job. After an exasperating day at work, Lydia gets into an accident, and she finds herself at the feet of a mysterious being claiming to be from the world of Sorceress: Love Springs Eternal, a game that had been proposed to her company. Of all the people in the world Aen, Mother of All Monsters, Conqueror of the Abyssal Planes, came to her with a tall order; return the world of Vostea to the way it once was, with humans and monsters coexisting again. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done. To start with she's not Lydia anymore, now she's the disgraced Lady Protea of Frostenden, the villainess of Sorceress. Now she has to contend with the Maiden of Light, a cadre of society's best warriors that want her head on a plate, and Protea's own dark past in the house of Frostenden. But one thing's for sure; Protea's willing to do whatever it takes to make things right because her life and millions of others are on the line. Updates every Thursday!
8 177Write Better: Tips and tricks
The guide for aspiring fiction writers who want to improve, sharpen, review, and/or learn. Warning! This book encourages editing and contains many tips that often require revision. Practice makes perfect, and it's good to workout your mental muscles. The more you do now, the better your writing will be later (because you'll correct yourself *before* you get it on paper). If you think your writing is perfect or you're lazy or unwilling to try new shoes on your baby, just turn away now. You'll find this guide about as useful as hoarding frozen peas.
8 202Twitter | cellyu
Aonde Rafael Lange e Flávia Sayuri se conhecem através do Twitter.~~~~~Obra concluída.
8 229