Chasing My Rejected Luna

TEGAN'S P.O.V

I awoke from my sleep from the vibrations of my bedroom door slamming into the wall as it was opened roughly. This was a normal occurrence if I was still asleep when my father woke up. The moment I opened my eyes, my father was already across the room, yanking my closet door open while tossing all my clothes out and onto the floor. I sat up abruptly, confused at what was going on. Before I knew it, he was grabbing my arm, yanking so hard I could feel a pop in my joint as he dislocated it from its socket once again. Pain coursed through me, yet no words left my mouth. I could feel the tears as they were brimming the edge of my eyes, threatening to fall. I looked up at his face for any sign as to what might be happening. His expression was only blank.

"You're leaving today." I read from his lips as he tossed my weak body onto the ground.

"Gather your shit and come to the dining room." He said before storming out of my room.

Where could I possibly be going? I barely remember ever being allowed out of the pack house to roam the lands, let alone go outside of the pack lands. The only time I have seen any outsiders is when there is an Alpha meeting and they come here. I, however, have never left before.

I sat up grabbing my shoulder as pain once again coursed through my body. This wasn't the first time I had been hurt, and I doubt it will be the last.

My name is Tegan Declan, the daughter of Alpha Drake Declan of the Red Blood pack.

I am a werewolf, or at least that's what my family is. I haven't received my wolf yet. As wolves, we are supposed to get our other half at the age of 18, but I am now 20 and I have yet to receive one. My father states it is because I am useless and not worthy of having a wolf.

I have the senses of a wolf, however, meaning my sight and senses are impeccable. My hearing, however, is still gone. I was born deaf, which was also uncommon with werewolves, but my ability to sense another's presence was well above other wolves' senses, even without my hearing. I made sure to never tell him or any of the other pack members about that part, aside from my caregiver.

Having the bloodline of an Alpha made it also uncommon to not have received a wolf yet, unheard of really. But I know in my heart that she is there, she must be. Maybe she was just hiding from all the trauma I endured in my short life? I hold on to that hope because I have nothing else to hold onto for myself. I am already different from everyone else with my inability to hear; this just makes it even worse. I'm not sure of the answer as to why I have yet to feel my wolf's presence. Helena, my caregiver, calls it being a late bloomer, while everyone else calls it unworthy.

Helena has been the only light in my dark life. The only person that truly cared for me. My heart aches that my father and pack hate me so much, I never did anything to deserve that kind of treatment. At least, nothing that I could have controlled.

They all blame me for my mother's death, who was their Luna. I was the last of my siblings to be born, making me the third child in the Declan family, being the only female. However, my birth brought a traumatic ending to my mother's life. She hemorrhaged while giving birth to me. The doctors did everything they could but nothing they did could save her life from what Helena had told me. To top it off, I was born with the disability of not hearing. My father always says being born with this ability makes me useless. He would always state that if we were to be attacked, I would die due to not being aware of my surroundings. I was no different from anyone else aside from not being able to hear, but that never stopped them from treating me cruelly and hurting me any chance they had.

While lost in my thoughts, Helena came in switching off the lights on and off to let me know she was there. Something she always did so it wouldn't startle me.

"You shouldn't keep your father waiting." She signed to me.

Helena was the one who helped me learn sign language. We learned together to communicate. Nobody else cared to learn, they didn't care to communicate with a degenerate like me. Including my family.

A sigh left my mouth as I clutched my arm. I used my eyes to look between Helena and my dislocated shoulder since I couldn't sign.

"He dislocated your shoulder again, didn't he?" She signed to me, her eyes showing how hurt she felt. I shook my head up and down in response. Helena came over to help.

"This is going to hurt." She said without signing. I have come to be an expert at reading lips, especially since nobody else would learn sign language. Helena grabbed a discarded shirt and put it in my mouth for me to bite down on. She then counted to three and at three she pulled my arm, rotating it around the shoulder joint to pop it into its place once again. Tears began to fall freely down my cheeks as I bit down extremely hard on the shirt. The pain was overwhelming and hurt without any sedatives.

"There, better?" Helena signed. I then used my hand on the non-injured arm as I balled it into a fist, shaking it up and down for yes.

"Do you know what is going on, where am I going?" I then signed to Helena. A sad look on her face at the question. That can't be a good sign.

"H?" I signed. It was the way I signed her name. Only a deaf person could give a hearing person a name in sign language from what Helena said. I went with a simple H which is signed by holding out your dominant hand horizontally, palm facing in, with your index and middle fingers held out together, straight and stacked horizontally, index at the top. The rest of the fingers and thumb are curled in. She shook her head as tears started to slip out.

"I can't say, your dad wanted to tell you." She then signed as she began to gather my hand-me-down clothes from my half-sister. My dad remarried shortly after my mom passed away, stating that "the pack needed a Luna". He married a widowed woman with one daughter of her own. She was the same age as me. I had longed for a sister, but to no eval she treated me like everyone else, shattering my hopes and dreams of ever having someone other than Helena.

I shook my head and headed downstairs while she remained upstairs gathering my clothes. When I made it to the dining room, a woman no older than 40 with long raven black hair, olive-colored skin with soft green eyes was standing there with my father.

"Ah, she is a beauty indeed, she will do." The woman said as she shook hands with my father. The lady then handed over a pen with which he used to sign a document. The lady then signed it after him while another person signed below both of their signatures before stamping it. I assume they were notarizing whatever document it was, making it a legal agreement.

As I inched closer, my father looked up to me.

"Perfect, you're here. This is Lilyanna, the former queen of the werewolf kingdom. You will be going away with her now." He said with finality written across his face. What does that even mean?

TEGAN'S P.O.V

I looked between the beautiful woman named Lilyanna and my father before asking the question raging in my head.

"What do you mean? Why?" I signed, knowing my father had the slightest clue what I was saying. His face contorted to anger.

"The girl can't speak?" I read off the lips of the previous Queen.

"She can, she just sounds weird." My father replied to her.

"What do you mean, sounds weird?" She asked the next question curiously.

"Well, the document has been signed, so she is your problem now. The girl is as useless as she is dumb." He said, breaking my heart some more. Lilyanna then turned to me, addressing me for the first time since I had arrived.

"What is your name dear?"

"Her name is-"

"I asked her, not you." She said, cutting my father off.

As much as I tried to get the words to leave my mouth, they just wouldn't come out. I could speak, of course, I just had no clue of my pitch nor what I sounded like. Every time I tried to speak to anyone before, they would always laugh and ridicule me for sounding weird, as they called it.

"Don't keep the queen waiting, answer her!" My father looked as if he was yelling at me.

"TETE-" I tried to get out before my father interrupted my attempt.

"TEGAN, HER NAME IS TEGAN. FOR GODDESS SAKE CHILD SPIT IT OUT!" He roared while grabbing my recently injured arm again, making me squint my eyes in pain once more.

"That is enough. Release the girl. I will take her. Have her packed and ready in 30 minutes, we will be leaving." She stated as she turned around to leave.

I turned to my dad with pleading eyes.

"Daddy please! Please don't do this!" I begged with my hands.

He shoved me aside, letting go of my arm, not caring about what I had to say.

"You know I can't fucking read sign language. Speak or get out of my face!" He screamed. As much as I tried, I couldn't speak. With being deaf comes a language barrier, especially when everyone treats me worse when I get the words out. This is a disadvantage to me compared to everyone else. I was worthless to my father and my pack, unwanted, unloved, and unneeded.

"It's done, Tegan, the contract is signed. You will leave tonight to be the Alpha King's mate; you will bear him an heir within three months, or you will regret it!" He roared out, his face showing me just how angry he truly was.

Was I being given away to be a baby-making machine for the Alpha King? How could he do this to me? Like I was nothing but the dirt on the bottom of his shoe. I was the blood of his blood, I was his only biological daughter, yet he was just willing to trade me off like some street whore? My heart was rapidly beating in my chest about my situation. How was I, a virgin, to please a king, the Alpha King at that? I've never even hugged a man, let alone kissed or even had sex with one. No man ever looked my way. I have never even had a real conversation with anyone. Unfortunately, I was avoided like the plague.

"But daddy!" I signed as I grabbed ahold of his arm.

"STOP DOING THAT!" He screamed as he shoved me hard enough to make me lose my balance and fall. I knew at that moment that no matter how long I begged against this, I'd never win. My fate was sealed by that damned piece of paper and my life would now be in the hands of another man. That man who was known as the cruelest Alpha known to our kind. Alpha King Ezra, of the Blood Moon pack.

"Grab your shit, don't make the Queen wait any longer for the likes of you. She may even kill you before y'all even make it to the Kingdom. It wouldn't be the worst decision although I wouldn't get paid if that happened, so you had better be a good girl and do everything they say. This is the only good purpose you could possibly serve our pack. You are no longer my problem now; you are their property." He said, before leaving me alone in the room. I felt like the walls were closing in on me. How could he do this to me? I knew he hated me, but this was another level of evil that I had never expected to happen. He called me their property as if I weren't even a person.

I remained motionless on the ground when Helena entered. She dropped my bag before quickly darting across the room, taking me into her arms as we both sobbed uncontrollably. She rubbed my back trying to soothe my aching heart. Just then, my eldest brother entered the hall and looked between us.

"Helena, escort her out. It is time for her to go." He said without any sense of care on his face. I was his sister, yet he treated me like common folk. Hell, even common folks were treated better than me. Helena stood as she helped me off the ground. When we walked towards the door, she picked up my bag and urged me forward. I looked around the pack house one more time at having to leave the only place I knew as home. Hopefully, I wasn't leaving this hell hole to be thrown into another. Maybe I had a chance at real happiness? To not be treated as a murderer or a nuisance to everyone around me. Maybe just maybe I will have a better life? For a moment, I had hope of something other than receiving my wolf. I had hoped that I would be treated normally. Or as normal as a deaf person in a werewolf world could be. What's the worst that can happen, death?

I can't remember not ever wishing for death, so if that is what awaits me, then so be it. This life has been so depressing, and I was always seeking a way out, even if that way out was death. I just never had it in me to take my own life, something inside urging me to live, that something was out there waiting for me, something bigger than this life. But I was not afraid of death. I would welcome it if that was my fate.

As we exited the pack house, many people stood along the pathway looking on with judging faces. I could see some of them whispering to one another, but they were too far away for me to read their lips. None stopped to ask what was going on or why, none cared to truly know. Once I got to the car, Helena pulled me to her chest, holding onto my body tightly as if I would float away if she let go. Which, in a sense, is exactly what was happening. I was leaving with the queen and probably never returning. When she let me go, tears were actively streaming down her face. She then held her hand up. Her thumb, index finger, and pinkie finger were holding upwards while her ring and middle finger were downwards. More tears sprang forward while I held onto her tightly again, signing that I loved her too, before my father pulled her backwards.

"Let her go, she is no longer this pack's problem." He said with what I assumed to be his Alpha voice as she backed away slowly with her head downwards in submission.

"Go on, get." He said, looking directly at me. I turned to the car door as a driver stood with the door open for me. I slid into the back seat of the car, my heart pounding in my chest once again as he took my bag from Helena and put it into the trunk.

A moment later, the car went down the long driveway. I watched as Helena's face became nothing but a blur before completely disappearing as her and my pack lands became nothing but trees in its wake. I looked out the window, placing my face on the cold glass. This was my fate. Nothing or nobody could change it for me now.

TEGAN'S P.O.V

After a little while of driving, I felt a soft tap on my shoulder. I looked over to see the queen's shining green eyes staring at me. She truly was a beauty with her raven black hair. Nothing like my vibrant red hair. I never got to go to the salon, all my hair cuts were administered by Helena, and she was no beautician by any means. However, she knew enough to chop the dead ends off. I had long flowing curly red hair. Helena would have me sit at my vanity while she would gently brush my long hair. She always loved me having long hair. She said it reminded her of my mother, which didn't bring me much comfort, especially when my family looked at me with such disgust. Maybe if I hadn't looked like my mother, then they would have loved me? It was a blessing and a curse, as my mother was gorgeous. But even I knew I couldn't compare myself to her. However, being told I looked like her made my heart swell. It was a compliment whether they meant it as one or not.

Helena was never blessed with a child of her own. Her fated mate died early on, and she chose not to ever mate again. Instead, she dedicated her life to raising me. She treated me as if I were her own, she always told me I was the daughter she never had, and the Goddess placed her with me for a reason. Now that I am no longer there, I am not sure what will happen to her. I wished with all my heart that she was coming with me, but she belongs to the Red Blood pack, her fate was not to be with me forever although I wished it had.

"Can you read lips?" The queen asked slowly. I shook my head up and down for yes. Me being deaf and having a communication barrier may not help me with talking to them either. I doubt any of them knew sign language. She shook her head in response.

"How are you feeling?" She asked. I tried thinking of the best way to explain how I felt without saying how I felt. I rubbed my chin thinking, when her eyes lit up in recognition. She turned her body while sifting through her purse before handing me a pen and paper.

"I don't know sign language, unfortunately, and I understand if you don't want to speak, so maybe this will help?"

Her words registered in my head, making me think about how many times I had tried writing to someone that I was trying to communicate with, only for them to rip the paper up while laughing at me before walking away. I nodded my head before I wrote down my words carefully. I didn't want to upset the Queen and make a wrong move that would end with my death. As much as death sounded nice, my father's words rang in my mind about how this was the only way I could serve the pack. I knew I shouldn't feel a duty to serve that pack, especially after the way they had all treated me my entire life, but I couldn't help wanting to please my father as terrible as that sounded. I lifted the paper showing her what I had said. 'Truthfully, scared.' She nodded in response.

"I remember when I was your age and my father signed a contract for me to wed the previous king, to create unity in the realm. I had no say in it either. Although I hated it then, I couldn't have been more pleased with the way my life turned out. You will learn to love your contracted mate, as did I."

I never knew she was also a contracted mate. In the werewolf world, fated mates were our strength, but the kingdom, however, did not take to the idea of fated mates. They said it was a weakness. Therefore, many years ago, they stripped away kings from ever sensing their fated mate. They put a curse on them at birth to never sense their fated mates so that when it came time to marry, they could marry for power and money. Which also has me questioning why I was chosen. I was not from money, only a pure bloodline, but not money or power, which is weird. The queen offered to pay my father too. Normally it was the other way around. Plus, I was not even a good option. I was broken on the inside and disabled. Nothing a king would ever want for a mate. I would not bring power, or money. Only disappointment.

Sadly, me and the king did have something in common. The king's fate was not his choice either. He didn't get to choose his mate; a mate was chosen for him. Helena told me the love that fated mates shared was like no other. Someone not being able to sense or feel that love breaks my heart. But it was the way the kingdom worked. It was said that if a fated mate to the king ever met him, the elders would know. I guess the curse also made the female fated mate act in a certain way which, in turn, the elders would know who she was to the king, and they would kill her so that it would not disrupt the law of their ways of life. With the king still not knowing they were mates; he could not sense or feel the pain of the loss of his fated mate when she died.

I never really had hope of myself finding my fated mate. I prayed nobody in my pack was my fated mate. I couldn't bear the humiliation of the rejection. Nobody in my pack would ever love or accept me for what I was known for among my peers and then also for my disability. I guess the goddess answered at least one of my prayers because on my 18th birthday no mate appeared to reject me. I also don't have a wolf, so I thought maybe that was a reason I couldn't sense them, but surely, they would've been able to sense it and reject me, so when nothing happened, I was relieved.

"How old are you?" The queen asked next, breaking me away from my thoughts. I used my fingers instead and put up a 2, then a 0. That was simple enough to understand.

"And no mate?" She asked. I shook my head no in response.

"Well, maybe it is for the best. I never knew my own mate either. At least not my fated mate."

I then wrote on the paper. 'How am I supposed to go about being a mate to a king when I am not worthy?'

"Worth is defined by what you can bring to the table. Just because you cannot hear does not deem you unworthy, there are so many other qualities that make a woman fit for a king's mate."

'Like what?' I wrote down next.

"Like being a virgin so that the king can breed a legitimate heir, meaning no other man has laid a finger on you. Virgins are hard to find, you see. There is also the bloodline. You are of an Alpha bloodline, one that dates back for centuries. Then there are also other qualities such as strength. What a woman has gone through speaks measures. But not only strength, but knowledge and wits. A mate's qualities go beyond simple things like being able to hear. I wished I could not hear; it would be so much better than listening to the ignorance of so many people. Do you understand what I am saying?"

'Virgin?' I wrote down next. Her smile faltered a little bit before she recomposed her face.

"Unfortunately, by law, a king shall not take a mate that is not purely innocent. I have looked all over for such things, and so many girls spread their legs so easily anymore that virgins are a rare find now, unless you want to take a child, which could be an option as a last resort, but not one I was hoping for. A few Alphas have claimed their daughters are virgins, but they forget that we have a witch that can do a magic spell that shows the truth. She can bring forth any smell from a female. She can know how many men have scented on a woman, meaning how many have had intercourse with her."

Her words reeling in my mind before I wrote something else down. 'How do you know I am a virgin? This is our first encounter.'

"It is indeed; however, my witch has made contact with you and sensed the truth, you have laid with no other. Which is why I made the trip out here to retrieve you."

I felt violated in a sense, disgusted. But she was telling the truth. I have never been with anyone.

"We have a long drive, how about you rest up?" She said, ending our conversation. I nodded in response. I had too much on my mind to be able to rest. The main thing is, what the hell am I going to do now?

TEGAN'S P.O.V

I watched out the window the entire drive, taking in the beautiful surroundings. I had never imagined how vibrant and beautiful the outside world would look. If I knew what I was missing, I would've snuck away more. With not having a wolf, I did not have the urge to run on a normal basis, so I would just lock myself away in my room with a cup of tea and a nice book. I would often sit in my window seal and read as the sun shined down, giving me a sense of peace. I had never seen anything outside of my pack lands, so the beautiful mountains and roads spoke to my soul on a deeper level. We soon passed a sign 'Welcome to Colorado'. I have lived in Texas my entire life; this was all new surroundings.

Texas was hot, while here I saw the white crystals of snow peaking on the mountain tops. We have snow sometimes in Texas, but nothing like this. The temperature adjustments will be something I will have to get used to. Although I did not spend any time outside, I still experienced the Texas heat while indoors, especially when sitting at the window and the rays beating down on me. The sun did not look to be out too much here, which would explain the nippy coldness I could feel on my face as I laid it against the window. After some time of driving, we finally pulled onto a dirt road. I am sure when the snow melted, leaving this street was not an easy task to do. Trees lined the winding road until a humongous home came into view.

The house was more like a mansion, suitable for a king, no doubt. It stood tall, bricks on the bottom painted white in color which blended into a wooden structure that was painted a light gray, giving welcoming vibes. The porch was held up by long twisted columns that served its purpose of maintaining the structure of a massive balcony just above. In the driveway stood a beautiful fountain with a wolf in the middle, water coming from its mouth as it went back into the base until it was redistributed. To the side of the pathway is a flower garden leading to the home itself. These were special flowers planted that surprisingly survived the winter's cruelness. There was a variety of evergreens along with other colorful options such as Orcus, Daphne, Camellia Siberian Scilla, Pperis, and even some splashes of a white flower, with the lily of the valley. Everything was breathtaking. No doubt the Queen's doing. The car came to a stop as I looked over my shoulder to the Queen.

"We are here." She said as the door was opened for her to exit the car. The driver then went around the back of the car, opening the door for me. I exited the car still looking around at the beautiful scenery. I envisioned myself sitting on the bench in the winding garden with a book in my hand. I hoped they had books here. I live my life through books. They brought me sanity while living my life, they also brought me peace I didn't have otherwise. A light tap was on my arm, my eyes breaking away from the garden to see a small figure in front of me. The girl had brown bouncing hair as it curled around her face, her hands clutching my bag. A hinge of redness on her plump cheeks. She let out a breath, the air in front of her turning to smoke in the coldness of the air. Her brown eyes looked in my own for a moment before speaking.

"This way, madam." She said before turning around and trotting away in the direction of the house. I followed suit. When entering the house, I gasped. The interior designers really have outdone themselves with this. It was like a section from home garden magazines. The pale white walls made the inside look bigger, although it didn't need help, it was already huge on its own. There was a big opening that served as the entrance. On each side were stairs that both led to the first floor, a balcony that overlooked the entranceway. At the top was a crystal chandelier that dangled down. Below the balcony was a hallway that led further into the house. I was sure to get lost on my own. It was so entrancing with its beauty. I had never had the pleasure of seeing anything more stunning with my own eyes. I was so caught up in my thoughts about how my life could be, that I almost forgot what was happening. I was sent to serve the King in bed for an heir. I needed to remind myself of that so that I didn't lose sight of the truth. I was damaged and he would never truly want damaged goods like me. The queen found love in her contract, but I had this churning gut feeling that I was entering a loveless contract no doubt. How could I, the worthless, disabled, and useless daughter of an Alpha, ever have true happiness? The answer was, I wouldn't.

"Follow me, the King is waiting." The lady from before said as she took my arm within her own.

We walked below the balcony before entering a very long hallway. There were several doors along the walls with hidden rooms behind them. We finally reached another huge door that was open. When we entered, I saw many tables cascading throughout the room. It was the dining hall, no doubt. To the side was an open kitchen that had hotplates in a window-like structure, which was separating the kitchen from the hall, used for a buffet, no doubt.

I could see a bulky man facing away from us. His back ripped with muscles; you could literally see everything through his tight shirt. In front of him stood the Queen, or previous Queen, Lilyanna. I assumed they were talking, but I couldn't be sure since I couldn't actually hear. His arms moved from his sides to cross in front of his body, making the muscles pronounce even more. He had short raven black hair just like his mother. Would he also have her button nose and beautiful eyes? Or would that part of him favor his father? I had this sudden desire. No. It was more like a need to see his face. Seeing his backside made a sudden desire wash over me that I couldn't explain. Something inside of me begged for my body to move closer, to smell his scent, to touch his ripping muscles. A desire I had never had before. I contained myself, however, he was the king and did not need someone like me grabbing at him, no matter how much I wished I could. The need confused me. But the thoughts of desire consumed me. I needed to see his face. As if he heard my thoughts, he turned around.

"You must be Tegan?" I read on his lips. My body went limp at that moment, completely taken back. Shit. Fuck.

TEGAN'S P.O.V

I was starstruck at his gorgeous features. He had the most vibrant golden eyes I had ever seen, nothing like his mother's. I assume he must've inherited this from his father. He had a chiseled face with a beard to match his hair. I wanted to run my hand inside his hair and beard to feel the texture difference. I was so lost with myself that I missed what he had said. A panic coursing through me that wasn't there a moment ago. His face turned into a scowl at not answering whatever he had said.

"Forgive her Ezra, she cannot hear." I read from Lilyanna's lips.

"What do you mean she cannot hear?" He addressed his mother, but his eyes never left me.

"She was born deaf," Lilyanna replied, immediately making my eyes dart away from his gaze, wanting to look anywhere but at his face. I don't think I could handle the disgust on his face about having contracted a mate such as myself.

I then felt a rough hand grab my chin, bringing my green eyes to meet his golden orbs. I shiver ran down my body at the contact of his skin on my skin. I felt electrified all over, the feeling bringing on another wave of need I had never experienced before.

"If you cannot hear me, how should you talk to me if you do not see the words leaving my mouth?" He asked.

I couldn't sense if it was a gentle or harsh tone, his face giving me no indication as to how he felt. The vibrations from him talking also did not help me. He must have his expressions under lock and key. I normally can read a person's emotions from their facial expressions alone. Not being able to read him had me curious, leaving me wanting to figure him out even more.

"I.I.I.." I stumbled over my words afraid of how he would react to my voice like others before he had.

His eyebrows arched up, indicating he wanted to hear my reasoning. I gulped down the pooling saliva in my mouth before I pushed myself to speak once more.

"I do not know sir," I said out loud, praying he didn't make fun of my voice the way so many others had done. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips before he released my chin and shook his head.

"When we speak, you look at me. Understood?" He said, I had this wave hit me with power as if he was demanding. Something that never happened even when my father tried using his Alpha tone on me. I never had the urge to obey the tones, even now, which is weird since he was the King to all werewolves. I guess since I couldn't hear them, it all affected me differently, or maybe the part of having no wolf played a part too. However, this feeling that surged within told me I should just submit and nod in respect to the King, so that was what I did. I bowed my head slightly before I nodded in understanding. I then quickly looked back up to see if there was anything else he wanted to say.

"Good girl." He said before looking to my left at the lady who had brought me here.

"Here is my phone, put your number in it in case I need you." He said, handing me his cellular device. I looked up to him not knowing how to tell him. I had no such device of my own.

"Well, are you going to take it?"

"I do not have one, your highness," I said, praying it sounded okay and it came out what I intended. He shook his head in understanding before putting his phone back in his pocket. He then looked over to the woman who brought me in.

"Escort Ms. Tegan to her new room. Once she is settled, you will help her with anything she may need. From here on, you will be her personal handmaid, starting now. Dinner is at 7 in the evening sharp. Make sure she is presentable and on time."

The woman whose name I still did not know then bowed in respect before turning to me, once again looping my arm in her own to lead me away.

"Oh, and Imagen?" The King said, making her stop in her tracks to listen.

"She will be the new Queen, treat her as such. Let go of her arm. She is not a dog. Show your Queen some respect." He said with his face still void of emotion. Something about him that was already driving me crazy.

The lady whose name I think I read as Imagen, quickly released my arm. Holding on to every word he had said. He then turned away to address his mother once again. I felt a very soft tap on my arm. My eyes left his body for the first time since he had made me look into his eyes. I turned to see Imagen's face staring at me. She looked absolutely petrified.

"Please follow me, my Queen." She said before turning around to leave the dining hall. I turned back around to steal one more glance at the King before I quickly fell into step with Imagen.

Once we left the dining hall, we turned down another pass way which eventually led to a set of stairs. We climbed them up two flights before we reached the level she needed. She stopped at a door, opening it to reveal the magnificent room. A huge white Colossus king bed with a soft pink bedspread was placed right in the middle of the room. Across the way was a vanity that had all sorts of stuff on it. All in a wrapper and unused. Next to the vanity was a door. I assumed that was either the adjoining bathroom or a closet. I walked across the room to the glass double doors, peering out to see that it led to a small intimate balcony. A door is also out on the balcony. I wonder what that could be. I turned to face Imagen. She was standing there, not moving. I waved hello but her eyes shot to the ground. She was so afraid, but surely not of me. I was a nobody. Yes, he addressed me as the future Queen, but I was no real Queen. I lacked the confidence that Lilyanna had. I was just like the woman standing before me. Timid and afraid of my own shadow. I started walking around the room to explore what it offered. I opened the door by the vanity, revealing a closet. It was already completely stocked with random assortments, tags dangling from them still. How did they know my size? Suddenly a question arose: where was all his stuff?