Royal

Chapter One

        "Noelle Elizabeth Drakos, eat the damn Cheerios." Uncle Jamie says, that do-what-I-say-or-die look on his face.

        I meet his gaze, my arms crossed as I stare him down. "I don't like Cheerios." I declare, frowning right back at him.

        "Damn it child, you're going to make me go bald. You've already made me go grey." He says, running his hands through his salt and pepper coloured mane. Uncle Jamie is just over fifty, though he's the type who looks good with age. He's not my biological uncle, simply my fathers best friend. After my family sort of kicked the bucket, I was left to Uncle Jamie.

        I may be seventeen and required to be proper royalty, but I'm allowed to have a temper tantrum when I'm woken up at three in the morning with an hour of sleep after not sleeping for two days. Being a Princess sucks. Royally.

        "I've told you I don't eat Cheerios for seventeen years. I. Like. Cornflakes."

        "Then don't eat breakfast, what do I care? We have to get down to the court."

        I moan, burying my face in my hands. "I don't want to be Queen if I have to go to every trial. It's bad enough I have to go to every other one." I say, standing and holding the fluffy skirt of my dress in my hands so I don't trip on it. Automatically, Uncle Jamie pushes my chair in and walks to the door, opening it.

        I exit the small suite serving as my temporary home when I'm at the court, sighing as I walk down the hall. "What's the case this time?" I ask him as he falls in step beside me.

        "A human murdered an Incubus man. He's facing twenty-five to life, all yu have to do is say it and slam the gavel down. Simple, easy, fast. Then we have to go, Kya wants you to visit." Uncle Jamie says it with a sigh, shaking his head. Kya happens to be my adoptive mother; she and Uncle Jamie had been my god parents. Just before my parents had died, they divorced because Uncle Jamie was too dedicated to being a security guard and she wanted kids, but he didn't have time. Then my family died and, unfortunately, they got stuck with an eleven year old girl who was hardly sane. But they did good with me, and six years later I'm Princess and sort of sane. Ish.

        I roll my eyes, turning and walking down the stair case. "Let's remember that I'm the child she never had, of course she's going to want me to visit. I just hope she doesn't expect me to drink tea and braid my hair." I'm not exactly a tomboy; I can't be, honestly. But I grew around Uncle JAmie and the rest of the security team, always running around doing my royal duties. Naturally, I grew to like sports and cars, since it was what surrounded me constantly.

        "Hey hey, what's up No?" Cara asks as she falls in step beside me. Unlike my auburn haired, short, Succubus self, Cara is a tall brunette Lycan. One of the only three left. It's only her, her sister Callie, and Callies unborn daughter. Callie, who is twenty-four, should technically be the Princess of the Lycans, though she refused; she wanted to focus on being a good mother, not a Princess. So eighteen Cara got the title. Of course, she doesn't pretend to even want the throne. Cara is a boarder line alcoholic party girl who calls the Queen some pretty dirty names to her face.

        "Court." I mutter, yawning as I turn down another hallway, this one smaller and darker.

        "Cool. I'm coming." She declares. One of the royal perks? We can pretty much do anything, including going to things we weren't invited to.

        I roll my eyes and push the doors to the court open. It's practically empty, with an exception to the bailiff, lawyers, a few press people, and the Queen. None of them so much as look up at me, so I go right to the throne and desk in the center of the room, sitting and glancing at the Queen.