Anika | A Wolf Tale

ONE

𝘕/𝘈: 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘯𝘪𝘬𝘢.
𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. 𝘏𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨/𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘹𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘦, 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 other violent  𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘴. 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

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ONE

-THE GUARD-

The carriage rumbled along the road, jostling me in my seat.

It was almost enough to distract me from the rapid beat of my heart, or the strange tightening of my chest.

"Anika," Father began. He was going to scold me. It always started with that tone. "At least try to look happy."

I moved my gaze from the passing fields of daffodils to the ebony interior of the carriage. My father sat across from me, his mouth set in a thin line, brows drawn. He seemed to be in a constant state of disappointment, the slanted wrinkles of his face ageing him far more than the years had.

"I am happy, Father," I replied. "This is a rare opportunity I am ever grateful for." I held back a wince at the straightness of my tone. The line was one I had heard my lady in waiting say innumerous times. Though, the elation was not mirrored in my own version of it.

Father tsked, settling back into the plush cushions. "When you are happy, you must smile. Not look as though you are attending your own funeral."

But I was. A funeral for a life I could have had, but never would.

"Just look at Nadya!" he continued. "She is elated."

I did not have to so much as glance at my sister to know what my father spoke of. She had been practically vibrating out of her skin all morning with excitement, her bright-eyed stare fixed on the Northern horizon as if she could see straight to the prince himself.

I offered him a placating smile, and settled back into my corner by the window. We were descending from the hills of the countryside, flower fields giving way to crystal lakes lined with forest. There was no doubt that the Kingdom of Falah was beautiful, but it was no home of mine.

A knock came from the small window above my father's seat just before it opened a crack, the coachman exchanging hushed words with Father before it shut again.

"Well, girls. The checkpoint is just up ahead. Once we pass through, the castle is but an hour away! " he said cheerily.

Nadya squealed so loudly I thought the windows might shatter. "I wonder if the prince will be there to greet us!"

"I'm sure he has far better things to do," I countered.

Father shot me a sour look. "I am sure there is a chance of His Highness being present upon our arrival at the castle. All of the maidens arriving today are there upon his request. It is only customary."

"I wonder if he looks as they say he does," Nadya pondered. She spun so fast in her seat that her thick ebony waves, as dark as my own, whipped my cheek. "Stories say his hair shines like real tendrils of gold," she whispered.