The First King

Deep in Sella Castle, sitting in a dark, windowless room, was Porter. He sat at his desk, which was covered with papers, books, and scrolls. In his hands was a small letter, freshly delivered by a raven only moments ago. He leaned to his left, bringing the letter closer to the candlelight.

Porter -

Louie and Yousef agree with me that we should create a new title for the Alpha when he is crowned. I worry that if we name him king, he will be equal to the rest of us, though he shall lead our armies. I am sending a raven to Huthwaite to inquire about the thoughts of the Alphas. We shall convene in a few weeks to discuss.

-Jenson

Porter held the letter as he furrowed his brows. They would need the armies of other kingdoms and packs to side with them. But, after the wedding, it would be on Konrad and Prew’s shoulders to do this. Though Jenson had a point. Konrad needed a title to set him apart... no... above the other kings and alphas. Otherwise, why would anyone follow him? Especially once the war is over.

Once the war is over? Porter pondered on the thought. The witches had not come anywhere near his kingdom, and only recently have they been plagued with vampires. But he had heard of the devastation, of the villages destroyed by their darkness. He could not help but sigh as he set the letter down on his cluttered desk. Never before had humans fought against witches in this magnitude. How could they hope to defeat these beings that the gods have blessed with magic?

“Your Majesty?” A voice called to him from the other side of the closed door.

“Enter!”

“There is a problem, Your Majesty. It involves Prew,” the man said once he entered the study.

“What is wrong?” Porter questioned as he quickly stood from his chair. “Has something happened between here and Linfell Lake?”

“No, the princess is back home,” the man answered as he rubbed his hands together. He was visibly shaking, hesitant to speak.

“Then what’s wrong? Speak your words, man!” Porter bellowed.

“The princess is breaking things in the front hall and drawing weapons on anyone who tries to stop her.”

Porter scowled as he hurried past the servant. He went down the corridors until he came to the front hall. Prew was standing to one side, shooting her arrows into a portrait of her father. Her face was red, a mixture of anger and tears filling her eyes. His shoulders sagged as he sighed. He only stepped forward after her quiver was empty.

“You’re going to ruin your arrows if you keep shooting them into the stone wall,” he remarked as he looked at his ruined portrait.

“Go away!” She snapped at him. “I don’t want to see you!”

“Clearly,” he mumbled, removing her arrows from the painting. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I hate you!” She yelled as she took a crystal sculpture, throwing it near his head.

“That’s enough! Stop this childish behavior!” He commanded as he glared at her. “We cannot solve your problems unless if you talk about it!”

“My problem is you! For you putting my name on that cursed list!” She replied as she walked over to him. She attempted to slap him, but he stopped her by grabbing her wrist with his free hand.

“We’ve already discussed this,” he stated through gritted teeth as he pulled her closer to him. “You are a princess; you get no say in who you marry.”

“But why would you choose that man to be my husband?” She questioned as she fought against her father’s grasp.

“Oh,” Porter whispered as he let Prew go. “What happened today?”

“What do you care?!”

“You are my daughter, my flesh and blood,” he answered. “If he hurt you, I shall fix it.”

“He didn’t hurt me. He was just rude and broody. And if he did ever hurt me, I’d tear off the limb that dared to harm me.”

“I know you would,” he chuckled, offering her the arrows. “And I am sorry that you did not have an enjoyable time with him. But wolves are finicky and temperamental. He is probably not used to a strong-willed woman like you.”

“He called me feral,” Prew huffed as she snatched the arrows from her father’s hand.

“Is he wrong?” Porter questioned as he stifled back a laugh. “You aren’t exactly the picture-perfect princess. But I suppose that is my fault. I raised you as I would a son.”

“It made me unattractive as a wife,” she scoffed.

“It made you strong,” he countered. “If his ego feels threatened by your strength, then that is his problem. It would be best if you did not let his words get underneath your skin. In time, he shall come to like you or, at the very least, respect you. But it would be best if you remembered that this marriage is two-sided. If it is to work, you must also make compromises of your own.”

“Like what?”

“Well, for one, maybe not drawing a weapon on him or threatening to do so,” Porter answered. As Prew’s cheeks turned red, he smiled. “How many times did you threaten his life?”

“It’s not like I was counting,” she shrugged. “But I did shoot an arrow at him and then threatened his life a few times.”

“That’s what I am talking about,” he sighed.

“Fine. I’ll do my best not to threaten his life… much.”

“Great, now, I have a job for you,” he said as he walked toward the front door. Prew followed him out of curiosity. Once outside, he scanned the front lawn. “I need you to find an area for the Wild Haer pack to settle down. Preferably somewhere not more than 20 miles away.”

“Why would a pack settle down here?”

“Konrad’s people will continue to follow him after he marries you. And because of that, they need space to build their homes. I’d like for you to designate what land they may take. See it as your first task as their Luna.”

Luna? Right. She would be not only a queen for humans but a Luna for wolves. Would his pack even like her? Or would they despise her as Konrad did? She glanced at her father, who was eyeing her curiously. Her head quickly turned, averting her gaze from his.

“Fine, I shall locate a plot of land that would be suitable for them,” she replied. “But I have something I want from you in return.”

“You want a reward for doing something for your people?”

“No, a reward for being stuck with that man,” she answered as she looked back up at her father. “I want Konrad to have a separate room from me. If I am being forced to be with a man who has not earned my respect, my trust, I do not wish to constantly share a bed with him.”

“But you do understand that you will need to lie with him at some point, right?” Porter questioned as he furrowed his brows. “You do know what a husband and wife are supposed to do behind closed doors?”

“If you are asking if I know what sex is, the answer is yes.” Prew scowled with a roll of her eyes. “I know how children are made, and I know what is expected of me as a woman. There's no need to lecture me on that. But, at the same time, I’d like to have my own space.”

“Alright,” he nodded. “I shall arrange a room near yours for him. Now, I have letters to write. Let me know when you find a suitable piece of land. I’d like to have a few homes built before they arrive.”

Prew stood still as she watched her father walk back inside the castle. Once he was out of sight, she turned her head to look up at the sky. It was the afternoon, but there were still hours of daylight left. She had time to go for a ride. Twenty miles in either direction was not a great distance. The city of Sella was only a few miles away to the East, and she figured the wolves and humans would be apprehensive to live so close together. She then looked to the west at the vast forest.

With an area in mind, she began to walk to the woods. Once at the edge, she whistled for her horse. Though he was always free to roam, he never went far from her. She had raised him since he was a colt, hand-feeding him after his mother passed due to a leg injury. Now, at seven years old, he had a deep, emotional connection with Prew. When together, he often sought her attention, constantly nuzzling against her.

“There you are,” she smiled as Meeka ran up beside her. “The only man who is always kind to me.”

She used a stump to assist her in climbing up onto the back of her horse. Once in a comfortable position, she gently nudged at his side with her heels. Meeka whinnied as he walked forward, making his way into the woods. Prew looked around, her eyes scanning around the forest.

The trees in the woods that were around Sella castle were different than any other that she had seen. They are tall trees with a deep red bark. For some, their diameter would exceed 15, perhaps 20 feet. As a child, she had called them the giants of the forest, believing that their groans when the wind blew were them talking.

She used Meeka’s mane to steer him in a specific direction. Deep into the woods, around 5 or 6 miles from the castle, was the meadow where she and the Alphas had skinned the deer. It was a decent-sized clearing but not large enough for an entire pack. She dismounted from her horse as she walked around the perimeter.

Some of the sequoias on the edge were young, their base not too wide, and their height not too high. As she walked around, she determined that the clearing could be enlarged by several yards in all directions. And with the trees they cut, they would use them to make homes. It was not common to use these trees for building anymore; in fact, it required her father’s permission to even chop one down. But this area was secluded, and the woods were a great place for hunting.

She stopped at the creek, looking at its depth. It was not the most ideal source of water; perhaps in time they could widen it. But, in the meantime, it would probably be best to dig a well or two. Meeka walked up to her, resting his chin against her shoulder.

“Do you think the wolves would like this place?” She asked the horse. “I know my father would say that I rushed to a decision, but it was the first place that I thought of.”

Meeka made no noise as he leaned over, nipping gently at her hair.

“Stop you! I shall feed you grain when we get back,” she stated as she stepped away from him. Then she paused as she looked at Meeka. “They wouldn’t be able to grow many crops here. Perhaps once some of the trees are cut down, they can grow a small vegetable garden. Maybe tomorrow we go into Sella to see about buying some seeds.”

Prew walked up to Meeka and gave his back a few pets. She smiled to herself, happy with her decision. This was the first big decision that Porter allowed for her to make, and even though she did not like Konrad, she would not judge his pack prematurely. She would personally oversee the clearing and building of their new homes while at the same time gathering resources to help with their transition. If she could garner the approval of four Alphas, perhaps she could do the same for the rest of the Wild Haer Pack.