The First Queen *Sample Only*

Chapter 1

~~~Hello, just another warning that this book has been published and the completed version is available for purchase on Amazon~~~

I hummed to myself as I untangled the horse's mane, contentment flowing through me. The tall work horse basked in my attention, so still he was almost sleeping, while I worked away to remove all the knots he had accumulated in the past week and he seemed just as pleased as I was. The coarse black hairs eventually started sliding through the old comb with ease and I smiled to myself. Now it was time for the rest of him, but the old gelding didn't mind. This was probably his favorite day of the week as he adored human contact and because of that he had earned the title as my favorite creature. I brought him joy after long days of plowing fields and he made me feel less lonely when the sun began to set and I hadn't spoken to a single soul yet. The farm we lived on was miserable, and the old beast was hardly cared for considering his aging body, yet he always nickered to me and deeply enjoyed our quiet time together. It seemed he was the only thing I could truly call a friend.

When I moved to go fetch a brush for his filthy coat I winced at the sound of my shackles and the rawness of my ankles. For the hundredth time I regretted the actions that led me to this position. In my younger years I had tried to run away from my owners too many times and they would simply not have it anymore. They were both tired of chasing after me and worrying every night about another escape attempt. So now this was my reality. My hands were free to work, but my legs were shackled together with a thick chain and the clamps were locked by keys that I had no access to. I could shuffle and bumble around at a slow pace, moving with little half-steps, but I wouldn't be able to get more than a couple hundred yards in an hour. At first the shackles had been agony to wear, biting into the skin so angrily, now there was just a constant ache and the occasional twinge that reminded me of my wrongs.

It could've been worse, though. At least that's what I told myself as I began running the brush down the horse's coat with long, sweeping motions. I could've been left on the street to die in the wretched winters. Or I could've been forced to work in a factory where the pollutants that floated through the air would fill my lungs until I died at the ripe age of twenty five. Or, when I had initially been abandoned by my mother, I could've even been sold as a sex slave to some awful man with disgusting desires. Hell, I might've even encountered a werewolf when I was so young, barely six years old.

I shuddered at the thought. This was a much better reality than any of those. True, I was shackled, but my life still held brief moments of joy. Like the old gelding, teaching myself to read using old picture books, and the plants that I managed to grow and sell in the markets.

Unfortunately, though I was safe from many threats now that I had been purchased, werewolves were still a very possible danger to everyone. Rich, poor. Married, single. We were all the same to the beasts.

Werewolves had recently been discovered by humans after a series of mistakes had led humans right into their tribe. Or pack, I think is what they called them. At first the werewolves had been terrified of humans and everything had been fine then. We lived in a delicate balance for the next few years. But within the past twenty years werewolves had become more aggressive and through the altercations they had come to realize they held the upper hand. Werewolf men were usually larger than most human men, and the beasts they turned into were much stronger than the average wolf. Once they realized this they began pillaging our communities, stealing our women, and we were constantly teetering on the brink of war. It was a horrible reality and every week I would hear a story from the other village slaves about another woman who was kidnapped, or a man who had been found, lying in his own cold blood. It was disgusting and gruesome, but the werewolves were too strong to conquer.

The king at the time had tried to settle the whole dispute by marrying a werewolf woman and the couple seemed quite pleased with both the match and the results. They even had a son who was now ruling with his wife, but I would not be fooled. I had heard too many repulsive stories about their actions to believe that one romantic union would cease their wretched ways. Werewolves were animals, simply disguised as humans. They were violent and vicious creatures that had no morale sense what so ever. And I knew I was not alone in my thinking, many humans still feared and loathed the current king. There was nearly constant chatter about uprisings. I was no fool. I knew which side to be on.

A loud clang startled me out of my thought process. The gelding startled at the sound, tossing his head about and stamping his hooves. I whirled around, nearly falling over my shackles to see my owner sneering at me, a pot of left over potato water at his feet and a piece of stale bread.

He was an unattractive man and his wife was hardly any better. In fact, unattractive seemed to be too kind. They were both quite overweight with bulging guts, oily faces, and hair that was slowly thinning. Both of them frequently stank of alcohol, one of beer the other of wine. Neither of them were particularly kind or compassionate, and they only gave me enough nutrients to make it to the next day. I was frequently exhausted because of how little I ate, though it hardly mattered to them. My sole purpose was to protect the animals from thieves who lurked in the dark at night and so far they hadn't lost a single creature.

"The first market of the season is next week. I will be taking your rhubarb with me."

"It's not ready." I grunted.

"It was ready at this time last year, you even had some wild lilies." He snapped, already becoming enraged.

"This year has been harder on them. It's been far too cold for them to grow so rapidly. The Hyacinthus hasn't even sprouted." I countered, glaring at him.

"You watch your tongue."

"Or what? You'll get rid of me?" I demanded, "You'll find someone else in the village that can successfully grow plants from another province in your soil? Please do."

"My God, you are more trouble than you're worth." He spat. "Why did the Lord punish me with such an ungrateful creature?"

His hand flexed by his side. I wondered if he was going to be brave enough to strike me. He had only done it a few times before and though I could not physically fight him in shackles I always found a way to get even.

"Then get undo these shackles and I promise you'll never have to see me again." I encouraged.

My owner stared at me for a while longer, and I watched him back just as intensely, thinking that he was going to say something to me. Over the years he had always complained about my sharp tongue, but he was never foolish enough to get rid of me. I was worth three times what he had paid for me and he was far too lazy to do the work himself. Then, without a word, he turned around and walked away. And the only thing in the world that I envied about that man was the fact that he could walk without having to take small, shuffled steps and drag a heavy chain along with him.

I finished grooming the old plow horse before I sat myself down for my food. Though the potato water would've been disgusting for many normal people I had grown used to the starchy flavor and I saved the stale bread for last so I could wash away the taste of dirt and potatoes. Once I had eaten I ignored the rumbling in my stomach for more and slipped into an empty stall with clean straw. I could hear the rustling off all the other animals around me as they settled in for the night and I laid myself down on the straw, curling up to keep as much body heat as I could. Underneath my body I could feel the hard edges of the books I kept hidden away. I had stolen them so long ago I didn't recall how or why but they had become my most treasured and old possession. Then, for the hundredth time, I reminded myself that this whole situation could be much worse and I fell asleep.

****The first chapter of the first queen is obviously back up. I hope that any new readers enjoyed it and I hope that any recurring readers have noticed the subtle differences.****