NARA
The guards jostled me around as they dragged me from one end of the palace to another. All my questions and protests fell on deaf ears.
I didn't get any answers as to why I was being dragged around and treated like I was an object and not a person.
They eventually stopped in front of a large door, sharing suspicions looks with the servants already standing outside the door. They didn't say a word to each other, but from their demeanour and the way their expressions kept changing, I could tell they were communicating through their mindlink.
That was one gift these lycans had that I somewhat envied. They could communicate through their minds without having anyone listen in on their conversations. Sadly, being a hybrid meant that it was impossible.
Hybrids are two-spirited and we all have distinct differences in what our second nature could be. My clan were mostly part werewolf, part coyote. Although we have some other variables in there, but the dominant two spirits in my clan were wolves and coyotes.
I, on the other hand, was part werewolf and my other part was something my parents never liked me talking about.
"Go in." They finally ended their conversation, and the guards shoved me towards the servants they had been chatting with.
"What are you..." I barely got a word in before the guards turned to leave and the servants dragged me into the room.
"Why am I here? What's all this?" I questioned, taking in the room and the items around me.
"You're getting cleaned and dressed." One of the servants finally graced me with a response, minutes before the other omega started tearing at my dress.
"Hey, easy with the way you're handling that," I almost yelled, slapping her hands away.
"It is trash. What are you protecting? The dress was minutes away from falling apart anyway." She hissed as she dragged me into the bathroom.
"I don't care if it's trash. It is my trash." I sneered at her.
"It won't matter in a few hours. The king wants to dine with you. You'll be grateful and lucky if you still have all your limbs attached to your boys by the time he is done with you," she sneered back, rolling her eyes as I jumped back when the cold water hit my body.
"Stay still," she hissed in a high-pitched voice before basically slapping the washcloth hard against my skin.
"I don't know why you're taking your frustration out on me, but I can wash myself." I tried taking the washcloth from her, but she snatched it back.
"The Queen Dowager gave specific instructions. You're not about to get me whipped. I must be the one to wash you."
"If so, then maybe do your job without trying to scrub off my skin."
"It's not my fault that you're dirty," she scoffed.
I am no fool. I know when someone is being hostile to me for no reason because I am very certain I have done nothing to this omega to warrant her snide remarks and hostility. "Is there a reason you're taking out your misery on me? I am not the one who told you to become a servant."
"Well, at least I am not a slave," she snorted.
"At least I didn't choose to be a slave. You chose to be here, and you were chosen to attend to this slave. That must hurt, knowing you're being forced to serve a slave when you came to the palace to serve royalty. I guess I can see where the projection is coming from, but I can assure you, taking out your frustration on me isn't going to help your case, not if I decide to tell the Queen Dowager about your hostility."
She slapped the washcloth against the water in the tub as she rose to her feet. "And you think she'll believe the words from the mouth of a scum like you?"
I shrugged as I got out of the tub, and picked up the robe hanging from the stall. "I guess we'll have to wait and see."
She glared at me, probably thinking she could intimidate me into saying I won't tell the Queen Dowager about her behaviour, but I just shrugged.
"What am I supposed to wear, or am I going to the king like this?" I asked.
I was still trying to wrap my head around whatever the fuck was going on. I haven't agreed to the Queen Dowager's demand. Yet for some reason, I was suddenly being summoned into the king's chamber.
Didn't she say she'd give me time to think about her offer and make a decision? That was yesterday. This shouldn't be happening, but I don't even have a way to protest. For some reason, none of this made any sense, but I have no choice but to play along until she shows her true colors.
The second servant stepped into the bathroom with a handful of beauty products. Some of which I have never seen in my life. My clan lived to survive. We didn't have the time to amass such luxury or the leeway to even dream of wanting such things such as beauty products. Moving around a lot meant owning little and keeping only the important things.
So, I was slightly shocked when she started going from one routine to the other. Prepping my skin, spritzing my body with different mists of various scents. She was doing too much, in my opinion, but I guess I was merely a circus doll now. By the time it was over, it felt like I had gained extra pounds on my face, and I was soaked in different scents that dulled my senses.
Some more minutes of being jostled around, and they finally put me in a dress that seemed too extravagant and unnecessary for whatever was supposed to happen.
Despite my annoyance, I couldn't deny that I have never worn anything this pretty in my life. The fabric was too soft for comfort, and the lilac colour of the dress was the perfect blend for my skin. There was a cut at the back of the dress that plunges downward and stops just above my waistline, and the front of the dress had a V-shaped cut that didn't do much to hide my bust. The shoulders were low and the sleeves of the dress had a slit that caused the fabric to flow freely with the wind, leaving most of the skin on my arms exposed.
"Hmmm, you look better than I anticipated." I turn away from the mirror at the sound of the Queen Dowager's voice.
"Your Highness," the servant greeted her with a bow and she waved to dismiss them before turning to me.
"What's all this? I haven't agreed to your demands. You said you would give me time."
"Yes, I had intended to let you think about it, but my son happened to stop by my palace this afternoon, and I mentioned you in passing. He was delighted and wanted to meet you as soon as possible."
My face contorted in a frown. That can't be true. "You want me to believe that the King is interested in me—liked your idea of marrying a slave off to him—and he wants to see me?" I asked.
She smiled bashfully, and I could see deceit dripping off the corner of her lips. "He is besotted with you, and he wants to meet you in person and get to know you before anything else. My dear, my son loves it when I approve of his bed partners. Come, he is waiting for you," she said, grabbing my hand.
"Oh, before we go, here, drink this." She offered a small bottle with liquid.
"What's this?" I asked, eyeing the bottle with scepticism as I brought it to my nose to get a whiff of the scent, but it smells like nothing I know.
"It's a little something to help smooth out the process of conception." I stared at her as she explained the benefit of what she just handed me.
"Conceive? I thought I was having dinner with the king. You said he wants to meet me, get to know me, not... " I waved the bottle in the air to emphasise what I meant.
The Queen Dowager made an exaggerated motion of rolling her eyes. "Come on, don't be naive. Do you think you were dolled up and made to look this pretty just to have him stare at you all night?"
"What? No, that's not…"
"Drink the herbal syrup, Nara. You are not a child and whatever happens tonight, let it happen. It is for your good and the good of the people you care about," she said, smiling as she nudged the bottle towards my mouth, and all I could do was to stare at her in complete shock, unable to utter a word in retort.