Alpha Idareah

Chapter Three

~Idareah, Europe, Dark ages, 1,000 years ago~

I sighed in discomfort and shook my head at the young boy in front of me. He wasn't more than ten summers old.

"Mother, you are very beautiful. I just wanted to tell you that" He said with a slight accent. I smiled at him but shook my head.

"Young man you are in a lot of trouble. If the king gets word of this you will be sentenced to death." I said sadly. I loved this boy as family. When his mother died years ago after giving birth to him I became his mother. Even though we looked nothing alike he was still my son.

When I first arrived in this world I had run into what humans called a witch and she had known what I was right away. A shifter. She promised to help me do everything in her power to help me hide who I truly was. And she had kept that promise thus far. She had changed my eye color, my hair color, and had made my skin less tanned. But none of her magic calmed the need to run. I had to run some nights when every human in the village was asleep and when the guards had already passed my home.

My once bright ruby colored eyes were now a light emerald, and my once black hair was now a light colored brown. And my name was no longer Idareah. It was now Arabella. I was a nobody here, and I was perfectly fine with it.

I blinked when I heard something I was terrified of. The Guards footsteps. I grabbed the young boy whom I had named Henry and stood outside the door waiting for them.

When they arrived I was stunned. It was the royal guard along with the King and his son. I shook my head and beamed a smile towards the men which only the King and his son returned.

"Hello there your highness. And to you too young prince" I said as I nodded and held young Henrys hand. The king smiled again and the prince simply nodded his head at Me.

"Hello there young maiden! We've been searching high and low for you and the young one!" The king started. "You are young and beautiful and my son needs a bride. Soon I will have no choice but to marry him off, to a beautiful princess no less! And I would but, every single princess in the nearest valleys have gotten the Black Death and died terribly. You are young. You are beautiful. And you carry yourself as only a royal would. I need you to marry my son" He finished making my heart drop.

"Uhm. Your highness I'm so sorry but I'm going to have to decline. If I leave than who'll take care of my Henry?" I said shaking my head and pulling my son closer. I would not leave my son for anyone in the world.

"Ahh. I understand young one. But I also know you are not really his mother and yet you treat him like a son. Why so? Why do you go through all the pain and strife of taking care of a child you did not create?" The king asked me.

I gave a grim smile and sighed. "His mother was a great friend of mine when I first came here. I promised on my life I wouldn't leave Henry. It was her dying wish" I replied to him honestly "And I have come to love him as my own. I will not leave him to fend for himself" I added.

The king pondered what I had spoken for only a moment before a smile had lit up his face. "Then you both shall come with us to the royal palace. And you both will be given a Coronation."

As the words were spoken my jaw dropped in shock. Never has a king taken in two peasants.

"Close your mouth. You'll catch flies" a deep melodic voice said. My mouth closed and my eyes snapped to the prince. I had never truly looked into the princes eyes. He was a truly gorgeous man. Deep blue eyes, black hair, and a very strong jaw line. He was attractive to say in the least.

"A thousand apologies your highness" I said as I curtsied to the prince. "I am Arabella. It is a pleasure to be in your presence" I finished as I came up from my bow. The prince flashed a smile at me and I felt my heart flutter.

"Well. It seems my son has taken a liking to you Arabella. Come child. You and your son will be taken to the palace. And in a weeks time you will be crowned queen of the land." The king smiled and waved us to follow him. He and the prince climbed on their horses as I stood on the ground holding my son close.

"Mother where are we going?" Henry asked me. Curiosity burning deep in his blue eyes.

"We are going with the King and his son back to the royal palace" I said with a smile as I picked him up on my waist and kissed his cheek.

"It is time to say goodbye to your home Arabella. We have to be back at the palace before sundown" The princes voice rang out. I turned my head to him and nodded.

It was time to go. And I had this gut wrenching feeling something bad was going to happen. Very soon.