The First Queen *Sample Only*

Chapter 5

After about a minute, though it felt like no time at all, everyone had cleared out of the ballroom aside from me, the king, and a handful of guards.

I couldn't meet the king's sharp brown eyes as we stood in silence though I knew he was staring intently at me. I could feel the heaviness of his gaze on my skin and it made my chest rise and fall with labored breaths. His hand was still holding onto my arm tightly, like he was afraid I would disappear. Maybe werewolves could read minds and he knew how I wished I could just fade into a mist and vanish out of this room, back to my farm and my dreadful owner.

I didn't know what was happening, or why I had been chosen as it surely couldn't have been because he deemed me to be queen material. I was small and fragile, too uneducated and far too mouthy. Perhaps he needed a lady's maid. Or maybe I would be one of those girls who never made it home and no one knew why, but everyone assumed. My heart clenched almost painfully in my chest at the thought and I had to blink away sudden tears. This could not be happening to me. This must've been a dream.

"Who are you?" King Archer demanded.

I wanted to respond to him. I wanted to make this as easy and as quick as I could so I could go back to my master, but the words were all stuck in my throat and my mouth refused to open a centimeter. All I could think about was the way his hand felt on my skin and what his actions would mean for my future. I just stood completely still, staring down at my dirty, modest dress as fear took over my body. In the back of my mind I could almost hear my master asking where my brave mouth had gone.

"Who are you?" he asked again, his voice rising with anger and authority.

I still remained silent, despite the fact that I did want to answer him. I would've even settled for making any noise at all, even if it had just been a scared whimper at best. But I didn't, I just started trembling all over again.

The king released my arm finally, and took a step back. For the briefest instant I had thought he had given up and he was going to find some other girl to torment, but it seemed he was just trying to get a better look at me. I wanted to hide myself from his view, from his intense gaze. Everything about him was dark, his hair, his eyes, his boots, and all of his clothing. But the thing that was the darkest was the unwanted feeling that floated around me when his eyes scanned me over. The way he looked at me had my heart stutter like I was a pathetic damsel and I loathed it.

He took his time, looking at my knotted hair, my flimsy shoes that were falling apart, and my dingy dress. I felt awful in his presence. He was tall, and appeared to have strong arms, broad shoulders, and good legs. The result of the best upbringing. I was thin as I was only given enough food to survive, my hips jutted out severely enough to be seen under the dress and unlike the women who had surrounded me previously I had to breasts to flaunt around. If I was tossed out of the castle now people would simply think I was a spinster who couldn't work and had been begging the king for money.

With a heavy sigh, the king shook his head, "Well, I suppose it doesn't truly matter who you are. I just have to bed you." He murmured. His voice was so soft I almost didn't hear it.

Whether it was his intention or not, his words caused me to finally take action.

"No." I blurted out.

The king watched me for a second, his eyes staying on my face that I knew was bright red with fear and embarrassment.

"No?" he repeated, "Who are you to tell me, the king, no?"

I took a slow step back, shaking my head as I tried to assemble a sentence again, "M-my owner," I stammered out, "he won't let you have me. He needs me." I protested meekly. I was impressed that I could even form real words that made sense. The only thing that was running through my head at the time was that the king had said something about bedding me.

"Your owner?" The king's dark brows furrowed for a moment, then he shrugged, a gesture that was almost too boyish for him, "Very well. Guards, please find this woman's owner and have him brought to me immediately."

There was the sound of footsteps, then a door being opened and closed, but I was unable to turn around and watch the guard leave for myself. I could only stare at the king, scared he might suddenly pounce on me or something of the sort. Though he seemed human enough I was all too aware that a beast was lurking beneath.

"So you're a slave then." The king stated.

I didn't answer him. He seemed to have expected this as he didn't say anything else until we both heard the door reopen and more than one set of footsteps enter. Now I wasn't sure who to be afraid of, my master who would be furious with the position I had put myself in, or the king who was part human and part animal.

"Are you this slave's owner?" The king asked, his voice sounding almost kind.

"Yes, your highness, I am. Has she done something to displease you?" my owner answered. Even with his fear I could hear the warning, if I had done anything to upset the king I would be punished severely, maybe even right here in the room in front of all these strangers if the king permitted it.

"No, not yet. I would like to purchase her from you." The king declared.

My heart plummeted in my chest and I had to fight the urge to grab my owner's hands and beg him on my knees to keep me away from this man. I would plead with the man I had deemed to be a fat pig to keep me for the rest of my life if it meant I never had to see the king again. But causing such a scene would surely get me punished. And I couldn't even begin to imagine what the king would do if he was shown such disrespect.

"This slave? Why?" My owner sounded as bewildered as I felt, but significantly less afraid.

"Never you mind." The king snapped, "I will purchase her for twice her worth and if you refuse to take that offer then I will have you hanged."

My master paled at his words, but nodded in agreement. He was not strong enough or foolish enough to refuse. I wanted to weep openly as they discussed the price for me. I had no one to fight for me. I was going to be sold to a king that was more feared than loved and no one knew the purpose I would serve. I was certain I was never going to be seen again. And the whole exchange that would forever change my life- or maybe end it- was over in less than three minutes. A few gold coins exchanged hands and my old master left me, this time for good.

The king seemed satisfied enough with the whole trade, but I was now unable to fight off my tears. They began streaming down my cheeks so I bowed my head to hide them, hoping I wouldn't be punished for showing emotion.

Evidently, my concealing tactic worked because the king simply attempted to carry on a normal conversation.

"What is your name?"

"I don't have one." I replied, trying to hide the sound of my sniffling.

"I suppose most slaves don't have names, but what do your parents call you."

I debated staying silent. I didn't have a name, I couldn't remember my given name, and my owner had never bothered to give me a new one after my mother had abandoned me. But I didn't want to have to explain to the king that not only did I grow up as a farm slave, I had also been dumped by my mother when I was hardly about to fend for myself. The beast didn't need to know that I had been unwanted throughout the entirety of my life.

"Willow." I lied.

"Willow, please follow me. We have some terms I would like to discuss with you in my study."

***Six is close enough to eight, right? I hope you enjoyed chapter five.***