CHAPTER 5

"Your highness, Princess Anastasia Nikita Furthrone, our own future queen! Her—" I jolted up, my eyes moving over the jet as Belinda shook the sleep from her face.

"What is going on princess?" she asked perplexed.

"I think they are here." I said, standing up, trying to see outside. Car lights, a lot of car lights and a thin crowd collected. I could only see their long shadows, making them seem longer and thinner which had my heart hammer in my chest as they seemed like scary creatures.

I took a deep breath, feeling for my crown and finding it in place, my bun was probably a bit messed up but what could I do. I turned to Belinda who was as white as paper, fear making her shake as I took a step.

"Can you please open the door, Belinda?" I asked, my confidence back, knowing that I had to do this, knowing that I could not run from this. It was time to stop acting like a teenager and start acting like a full-grown princess ready to fight her way through hate, abuse and hopefully come out breathing. That was all I could ask for.

The young woman who was probably five years older than me walked up, her legs shaking while she worked the door, my palms sweaty.

"Her royal highness the princess!" Another voice came, laughter erupting, it seeming like a group of girls mocking me with my title but at that point I would take it, I could not keep the jet there any longer. I had to let them go.

"Wait, wait! Her majesty the queen." They all burst laughing, my eyes filling with tears yet I held them back, wanting to cry but I was not going to cry. I was a mockery really and that was okay. It really was okay, I just had to be strong and learn to take the blows because I knew they were coming. I had to have thick skin, then and only then would I maybe have a chance to come out breathing. Belinda's eyes turned to me, filled with tears, her lower lip trembling while she worked the door.

"They are mocking you princess." She said, a tear sliding down her cheek, looking like a cute puppy.

"How long do you think she will last?" Another asked, they were now talking to themselves but our super hearing could hear everything and they weren't even whispering, I guess they did not care either or.

"I say a day." One spoke.

"I say he will kill her as soon as he smells that wet dog awful stench."

"Yeah, yeah, I can smell it from here and I am not a vampire. I don't even want to imagine how 'he' would react, definitely kill her."

I turned from Belinda's eyes as she fully wept for her own princess while trying to work the stiff door. I could not look at her for her tears had my heart break, they made me realize the situation I was in.

The door finally gave out swinging, the harsh snow blowing in, biting my cheeks, my already cold skin burning from such cold. It was so cold I thought my saliva would freeze, totally below negative ten degrees. Belinda quickly rushed from the entrance view, surprising me with a long tight hug as my arms went around her and held tight, not wanting to let go. It was my first hug and I never wanted to let go but I had to. I finally pulled away, wiping away my tears, knowing that beyond that door there was no crying but only thick skin.

"I will be okay Belinda. Just take care of yourself." I said as she pulled away, walking off and nodding her head.

"Know that we will always love you princess." She said as I smiled, feeling my heart warm up, knowing that her words were genuine. She was not in love with the idea of her princess but loving me as Anastasia Furthrone.  I wiped away my tears, looking ahead, my head high up and taking a step, never to stop, only to turn and fully come into view. The lights of the cars were all on me, making it impossible to see them but hell they could see me, my head so high I thought I would fly, Anna gone replaced by the princess herself. My mask was on, never slipping, not showing how scared I was but putting on nothing but confidence.

Everything went still as I stood at the door of the jet, I could hear the intakes of air, nothing besides that being heard. My heart beat in my ears, making it impossible to hear anything with it drumming so hard I could even see it with my eyes, just pounding there. The air seemed to freeze as if someone had pressed pause before I heard their voices welding together, strong with no mockery this time.

"Her royal highness, the werewolf princess Anastasia Nikita Furthrone," They kept on saying over and over again as I took each step, walking as if I owned the land and I could just imagine all my ancestors behind me, walking with me, proud and strong, giving me the power to be stronger. I took the last step, finally seeing the people.

A group of thirty probably, led by four women from different ages, all bowed down yet their eyes not moving from me so I held their stare with the same power. I held their stare with the strong determination, matching the hate they held, not being able to hide it.

Taking the last step and touching the cold white ground, my knees began bending, determination having me bend through the pain as I curtsied down to the floor in a level I had never reached before. My eyes never left them as the four women held a smirk, challenging me as I went lower than them and I was on heels to add on that. I curtsied, not giving out until my knees touched the snow where finally I bent over, my forehead hitting the cold ground before my lips touched the floor. My eyes closed as I kissed the land, embracing it as home, as tradition states. I stayed there, feeling my lips turn cold, felt the burn of the snow on them and when a minute was up I finally got up, standing straight with all of them still bowed. I took another step, the four women coming towards me.

The king was not there but at least I could feel the power from the ladies and I won't lie it scared me at how much power they yielded, sending my wolf cowering yet I stood strong, not having the curtsy to show weakness like she did.

You betray me.

They were three simple words that hit the spot as my wolf whimpered. I could really use her strength right then but it was okay, I could be strong for the both of us. The jet came to life, nearly scaring the shit out of me as I had forgot it was there just for a second. I turned around, the door was closed, Belinda standing and staring at me from those tiny windows. I swallowed, turning back to the four woman that were all older than me, the youngest probably twenty-six while the eldest around her early forties.

"Welcome princess, we welcome you on behalf of the king to our vast lands." The eldest said, staring at me and analyzing my every move. I held her stare, not cowering under her very scary stare especially because she had purple eyes that should have been beautiful really, yet they had my body shudder and the way she spat the princess, as if she would kill me with the word itself.

Before I could utter a word, they all turned around together, leaving me there, whiplashed. What? It was like they were linked, even the way they walked. It was hypnotizing yet I followed suit, noticing all the other people suddenly. The rest of the group consisted mainly of men, old and young. They were all the same, scary looking, like they would eat me right there and then. The hate riled in waves over their bodies, not hiding anything, their nose scrunched up and a scowl in all their faces. I swallowed the lump in my throat, suddenly realizing that the four ladies were not vampires. Their skin glowed with life and heat, definitely looking normal.

As scary as they were, they were nothing compared to these men that seemed to want to snap my head there and then. I walked, moving past them only for four of them to turn, hissing right at my face and nearly making me scream. Their fangs were out to play, eyes suddenly red. They lusted for my blood, wanting to see me dead and nothing could stop them. One jumped on me but I was ready as I ducked, kicking him on the stomach but as much as I was fast and strong, their speed alone just tipped the scales and when we add strength, hands down I was dead. He quickly held my foot, swinging me, my body flying. The air rushed past me as I did a spin and hit the ground with my knee as another came at me. My fear had me shake, thinking of how I would truly die.

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and using my other senses, knowing that they were too fast for my eyes yet not for my ears and skin as I felt the wheeze. I caught him by his throat, my claws shooting out and drawing blood only for me to rip his throat out. I heard another wheeze, quickly spinning around. My heel went into something only for me to twist it all around, blood spurring over my whole leg, feeling it coat my skin as I withdrew the heel. I opened my eyes only to see that all the vampire were about to pounce, wanting blood for their fallen brothers.

My heart felt like it would pump out of my mouth. There was no way I was going to take all of them at once, there was no way I could survive that. Suddenly, there was a stir in the air, cold harsh wind nearly sending me flying away as the large jet moved. My eyes fell over to the window, seeing Belinda standing there, panic written all over her being. She saw all that was just to happen to me. I snapped my eyes quickly, not wanting to be distracted only to fall to my death.

"You have had your fun boys, I have somewhere to be. You will continue next time.” One of the ladies said, snapping her fingers. The men all snapped out of it, their eyes going back to normal with their fangs retreating yet their eyes holding a promise that the fight was far from over.

Next time? Wow, talk about girl power.