CHAPTER 2: A PRINCESS DUTY

"Princess, you can’t go into the throne room dressed like this. The court is in session and all the members of the court are there." One of the guards manning the giant door that led to the throne room tried to explain to the furious Anna.

                      

 "What do you mean I can’t go in dressed like this? I can go in, dressed however I like. I want to see my father. You tell him that I have to speak with him urgently." Anna said angrily.

 She couldn’t believe what was happening, her father was marrying her off to an unknown man, who wasn’t even her mate? What was he thinking? She wasn’t going to believe this, not until she spoke to her father and heard what he had to say about it. She looked at the guards who hadn’t made a move to let her in and her anger boiled.

“Didn’t you hear what I just said? I want to see my father!” She shouted at them.

“Princess Anna, the court is in session now and we dare not disturb. Please do not make things difficult for us.” The second guard told her with a stressed face.

“You think this is about you? This is my life we are talking about here. My future! I don’t care about how difficult things are for you.” She shouted at them and the guards shared a meaningful glance before one of them sighed.

“I would inform the king of your request,” He said before going into the throne room, while Anna stood there stunned.

 It was true, it was really true. Her father was marrying her off, or else why would the guards who have always been so strict with following the palace rules suddenly change their mind? 

 While she knew they were right, no one was allowed to wear shabby clothes to her father’s court and that she should have gone back to change into a dress or something, she didn't care right now. She was mad! She wasn't there to attend court, she was there to see her father, and probably yell at him.

 And it would have been best for him if he didn't have a court session, but now that he did, it can’t be helped. If she doesn't go there and let everyone know that she does not agree to this sham of a marriage, they would think she agreed to it. More so, the greedy Alpha who asked for her hand. Does he think she was a means for him to climb up the back of the royals?!

 She fumed, her wolf was equally angry, they had waited for their mates for so long. It was annoying enough that she couldn't go out of the palace and find him herself, but to think that she would be married off to another?! What would they do if their true mate came along when they were married to another?

 Never. It wasn't possible, it was not going to happen. Anna shook her head and turned to the guard who she realized was gazing at her with pity and she immediately glared at him, before immediately looking away and gasping she was going to lose her mind. 

Everyone already knows!

 Since she had been born, she could count how many times she had been to the throne room, it was about three times, once when she was about eight, another when she was about fifteen, and that time a few days ago when her sister got married to a man from the court. In those three times, she had never met the court session. 

In other words, she had never attended a court session in her life, so how can she be bothered about the rules now? Especially now when she was so mad!

 "The king said to let the princess in any way." The guard who had rushed off to inform the king according to the princess's scolding informed them when he returned and they opened the two giant doors while Anna gave them a smug look and stormed in.

 "Father. Father. I can’t believe you would do this to me! You can’t be serious about marrying me off to a stranger..." Anna trailed off and stopped in her tracks as she saw for the first time in her life how filled up the court was.

 Was it always this full? She wondered as she looked around. 

The throne room was three-story high with seats on all three story levels for the members of the court, which consisted of a representative from all packs in the werewolf realm. Those in higher positions were seated on the ground floor, and they mainly consisted of elderly men. While the lowest-ranked members were seated on the third floor and were mainly the youths. 

Just like that, the court seating was arranged in the order of ranks from the ground floor to the third floor.

The king’s throne was on a two-story level and it was approached through a bunch of roundabout stone cobble staircases. When she was young, she had asked her father why he needed such a huge court when it was always so empty and made him look lonely when he sat there on a day when the court was not in session, her father had just laughed and kissed her head saying nothing at that time.

 Now she knew why, the court was always filled to the brim that was why.

 "Maybe we should have come a little later." Anna heard her wolf say with embarrassment as her face flushed and she nodded in agreement.

 "Maybe we should have." 

“Can we still go back?” Her wolf suggested and Anna sighed.

 "Anna, darling, come up here." Anna heard her father call and she turned to him and felt really embarrassed. Compared to members of the court that wore colorful apparel, she was dressed in…, was this even classified as an apparel? She thought as she looked at her khaki pants and her crop top.

 She could only sigh and approach her father when she saw him beaming at her, while the once silent court finally broke into a murmur, the people finally overcoming their shock. 

 "That is the princess? The one who is to be wed to Alpha Myron?" Someone suddenly asked in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear and the others were shocked.

 Many of the members have never met the princess, not at any banquets, not on their visit to the palace, not on any occasion, she was well hidden by the king. In fact, many didn’t know she existed until yesterday when the king’s decree came. Unlike Clare who was the face of the royal family and acknowledged heir to the throne, this one was mysterious.

 "If that is really her, then I would equally hide her if I was her father." One of the old men seated on the ground floor stated with a hint of envy in his voice and the others nodded in agreement.

 The princess was fair and beautiful, and the color of her eyes could make any man's knees go weak. It was suddenly understood why the king wanted her to be married to the Alpha, a woman like her needs a strong man to protect her, but still, a lot of them were jealous of Alpha Myron almost immediately.

 "Tsk, what a shame, I wish I had seen her earlier." One of the young men clicked his tongue and stated. 

Like that, the courtroom was thrown into murmurs as every single man was mesmerized by the king's youngest daughter and had something to say about her, thus unable to conceal their unconscious words of greed.

 Clare, who sat on the first seat on the ground floor in a dignified manner, not far from the stairs that led up the throne had her ears filled with the greedy word of the men and the praises for her sister that she also couldn't help but stare at her sister, who was now climbing the stairs keeping her eyes only on her father as if to draw strength from him.

 Clare felt a little unhappy, compared to her, this sister of hers had an impeccable relationship with their father. Their father never let anyone climb the stairs to the throne, not even her during court or at any time. Beside his seat was her mother's seat which was now empty and the crown that had once been worn by her mother had been sitting on it for the past thirteen years now and she hoped she could wear that crown someday.

 But no matter how hard she worked, she just couldn't be compared to her sister in the eyes of her father, and she knew why, Anna was the split image of their mother, who their father loved dearly while she on the other hand was not even close. Her eyes were also green, but more of forest green like her father’s, and her hair was also midnight black like his. One could say she was a splitting replica of her father, except for the fact that she took her mother’s face.

But Anna looked exactly like their mother especially now that she had grown up, from her face, temperament, likes, and all. She even had no interest in the court, which made the competition between the two sisters bearable, but now that her father has arranged a marriage for her, did that not mean he wants to get her strong backing? How could she not know what her father was thinking when they were very much alike?

 He wanted to add Anna to the fight for the throne and the political warfare, but then why choose Alpha Myron, an Alpha with no ambition at all? What was her father trying to attain by that? She had always believed she understood her father and his pattern of thinking, but she just couldn’t wrap his mind around the reason why these two people were being mated.

 "Come stand by me, my angel." King Herman said as he stood up and met his daughter halfway leading her up the stairs to his side, causing another uproar in the court that was just about to calm down.

 "No one knew the king favored this daughter of his this much, if the people knew before now, the competition to win her heart would have been fierce." One of the cabinet members exclaimed in realization and others gasped before stating their own minds too.

 Even now that they looked at her, they wanted to fight for her and gain her attention.

 "I am still mad at you Father." Anna, who was ignorant of the things being said about her and finally relaxed when she held her father's hand whispered to him.

 "Of course you are, I would not expect any less." King Herman replied with a smile. How could he not know why his daughter had come? He, himself, has delayed telling her this multiple times, but he knew she was bound to hear from the mouth of another, looks like here it was. It was just too bad, he had hoped she would at least stay one week more with him in her ignorance.

Now that she already knew, it was time to let her go. He thought and sighed with slight dejection before he covered it up with an indifferent look

 "That means you would be canceling the marriage?" She asked and the king shook his head.

 "When have I ever changed my mind after a decree?" He asked his daughter solemnly.

 "Father, I can't believe you would do this. What about my mate? My own true mate!" Anna shouted at him and was about to pull her hand out of his hold but he didn't let it go. The whole court had fallen into silence suddenly at this point as everyone stared at the two people standing by the platform.

 To some, it seemed as if the dead queen had come back to life and was standing in their midst again, but very few people thought of this, the others looked at the ignorant princess and shook their heads.

 If her mate truly came, didn't she know that to have a woman like her, more desperate males would be willing to kill even him and mate her by force instead? As long as an Alpha coveted her, mating her would not be a problem, after all, an Alpha can choose his mate, regardless of who his true mate was.

 "Court dismissed!" They suddenly heard the king thunder, disrupting their thoughts and everyone was shocked.

 They had not even discussed anything important today, and the king was already dismissing the court. Of course, it was as they heard, his daughter was truly favored.

 Anna stood there with her father as they watched the throne room gradually become empty as all the members found their way out of court hurriedly, soon the throne room was empty regaining its serene atmosphere, something that Anna was more accustomed to. King Herman glanced at Clare who was still seated in her seat and frowned.

 "What are you doing there, leave." He ordered sternly and Clare was stunned she glanced at Anna, who didn't refute and felt annoyed.

 She really wanted to understand what her father thought when he choose Alpha Myron, she knew he had a plan but she didn’t know what it was, and she expected to find out when he discussed it with Anna, but he didn’t even let her hear. She stood up with irritation and left the room.

The moment the door shut behind her, King Herman let go of Anna's hand and went to sit on his throne.

 "I am not getting married Father, I am not getting married to an Alpha who sees me as a source of acquiring more power," Anna stated with grievance and her father raised a brow.

 "He did not agree to this marriage, I proposed it. In fact, he rejected it." The king said and Anna raised a brow.

 "Then why are you..."

 "I promised to wipe out the whole pack if he refused to become your mate and make you his Luna." Her father informed her and her face paled. Her father knew she not only hated violence, she dreaded it, yet he still….

“You wouldn’t.”

“I did. And the same goes for you. If you refuse, I would also wipe out that Alpha’s pack.” The king stated heartlessly.

 "Father!" Anna shouted with wide eyes, "How could you..."

 "Now that all the members of the court have seen you, you leave for your new pack tomorrow." The king deadpanned as if he hadn’t heard what Anna was saying.

The moment she heard his words she panicked and fell on her knees.

“Father, why are you doing this? What have I done wrong? Please, Father, I can’t leave. I don’t want to be married to another. I have to await my true mate.” She wept but her father looked at her indifferently.

“Where is he then?” He asked and Anna’s face paled even further.

“Give me more time father, I will find him.”

“No! You would marry Alpha Myron. This is your duty as the princess of this realm.” The king stated rather harshly and Anna wept.

 This was the first time she had seen her father treat her so harshly.

  

 “Father please, I can't just leave like this. Can’t I stay here? I can’t just leave my plants, my life, everything, you!" She shouted not knowing what else to say to convince him.

The king’s face softened as he walked to her and patted her cheek.

 "Even if I do not want it to, I have always known this day would come. You must take up this responsibility. It is the one given to you by the realm."

 "Father!"

 "Your responsibility as a princess."

 "Father!"