Forbidden Queen

Katy

I change quickly into a t-shirt and jogging bottoms. I am keen to get back to training. I have loved meeting my advisors today, but my brain feels so crammed full of facts I can no longer concentrate. Physical exercise will help me to unwind. It has been a few days since my last training session, and I don’t want to fall behind. If I am going to take on Lucius, I need to be able to hold my own against any of the warriors.

When I walk down to the entrance hall, Joseph is waiting for me. He takes me round the side of the palace, along a path that leads into the forest. We are not in the forest long before the path takes us into a wide clearing. I can see two single storey buildings, and a large fighting area, with thirty warriors practising their fighting techniques.

“Our warrior training centre is very similar to the set up you had at the Lunar Eclipse Pack although it is larger. We have two gyms, changing rooms, a physio area and a canteen. Most of our training is carried out on the fighting field, but we also conduct exercises inside the forest.”

“I can give you a tour of our facilities if you would like? he offers.

“That would be great. I would like to see how the Royal Guard are trained. Afterwards I want to fight. I know I am not good enough to win yet, but I want to be able to undergo the same training as any other warrior.”

“OK, but we will need to give you a compressed training programme. My warriors train ten hours a day, six days a week. With your royal duties you will only be able to manage a couple of hours training a day at the most. We need to concentrate on building up your strength and stamina, something that we couldn’t easily do while we were travelling.”

Joseph proudly gives me a tour of the facilities. I can see that he is right that the gym and changing rooms are much bigger than I am used to, and even though he has said that the setup is similar to the Lunar Eclipse training facilities, I can see that they have a lot more state-of-the-art equipment. I am going to enjoy continuing my training here.

“Before we start your training, I just need to pick up some equipment from my office, it is just over here” Joseph says pointing to a corridor to the left.

I follow him down the corridor, we pass by closed doors. I can’t see any other people around.

Joseph sees me looking. “The senior warriors share offices along here as well. At this time of day they are likely to be out training”

Suddenly we hear a loud bang and someone curses. I look around trying to work out where the noise is coming from, and I notice blue smoke is drifting out from beneath one of the doors.”

“Adrian,” Joseph says with a grimace. He walks towards the door and knocks sharply before opening it. I stare inside, but I am unable to see anything, the whole room is clouded in blue smoke.

“What have you done now, Adrian?” Joseph asks.

“I have just been experimenting with a new form of smoke bomb that will incapacitate our enemy’s.”

“Just our enemies? The stuff seems to be going everywhere.”

“Yes well, the next phase of development will be to target the bombs better. I have invented a small gun that will allow us to fire the smoke bomb at our enemies, it is designed to stop the smoke spreading so quickly in all directions.”

As the smoke clears, I notice that we are in a small room, covered by metal parts and strange equipment. In the centre of the room, I can see the young wolf that we have been speaking to. He is no older than thirty, skinny with dull blond hair and pale blue eyes.

“This is Adrian, our resident inventor” Joseph tells me. “This Adrian is your queen.”

“Your majesty Adrian says bowing his head. “I am sorry if my experiment has inconvenienced you in any way.”

“Not at all. What kind of things do you invent?” I ask, suddenly curious, and keen to understand what Adrian is doing.

“Surveillance equipment and weapons mostly.”

“What kinds of surveillance equipment.”

“Sensors, that can be used to detect incursions across pack borders. Most of our borders are too long to be effectively guarded by patrols. We risk the danger of rogues or other enemies, managing to slip onto our territory to carry out raids. With the technology that I have invented we can place sensors across the pack border. They will be undetectable, but as soon as someone steps on them they will trigger an alarm which will alert the warriors.”

He stops talking. I can see that he is afraid that he has said too much.

Joseph certainly seems to think so as he stands impatiently by my side tapping his feet on the floor.

I however am interested. All packs rely heavily on their warriors to keep them safe, but having additional equipment to monitor and protect packs, sounds like a good idea to me.

“Tell me more” I say to him.

His eyes brighten and he starts talking fast. “Well, I have invented weapons that will automatically fire if any of the sensors are triggered. If we use these we might not even need warriors to repel an attack. He continues, warming to his theme. I soon understand all the different types of weapons that he has invented to automatically kill enemy wolves.

I am fascinated but Joseph is clearly getting impatient.

“These gadgets are all very well and good, but they will never be able to replace a fully trained warrior. Wars are fought and won using warrior wolves, not gadgets.” He pronounces.

Adrian’s head droops, but he remains silent. I have a feeling that this is a conversation that they have had many times before.

“Of course, Joseph we could never replace warriors, but if Adrian’s inventions work then they would a useful tool.”

“They do work your majesty, I have conducted trials, it is just commander Joseph hasn’t decided where best to use them.”

“That is enough for today, thank you Adrian. I am going to take her majesty to the forest to begin her training.” Joseph announces as he gently directs me out of Adrian’s office.

Ten minutes later we are outside in the fresh air.

“We will start with an hours run through the forest in human form. I will give you a warrior pack to carry it weighs 20 pounds. Once you are finished, I will pair you up with some of our new recruits for fight training.”

“Good, thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet, I am not going to go easy on you, by the end of this training session you may be cursing me” he tells me with a smile.

“I won’t. I want this.”

…….

Two hours later I make my way back to the palace. Every muscle in my body is aching, I have bruises across my chest, and scratches down my arms from trying to defend myself. Joseph had been right it had been a tough training session, but I was proud that I had managed to inflict as many blows on my opponents as they had on me.

I was improving. Still no match for an experienced, battle trained warrior, but I could at least hold my own with the newest recruits. More than I would have been able to do only a couple of months ago.

When I reached my rooms in the palace Alex was waiting for me. “Ouch, you have been in the wars. Come here so I can kiss all your bruises better.”

I smile at him. “All of them? It will take you a while. I am bruised everywhere.

“We have all night.”

Anna

Daniel and I have been assigned rooms close to the palace, with the rest of the Lunar Eclipse Pack Warriors. It has been amazing to have our own room where we can spend time together, but it has felt strange being at the centre of the Royal Pack. I have grown up believing that the Royals are my bitter enemies, that they will stop at nothing to wipe out our pack. Instead, I find that they are nothing like the wolves that my father portrayed them to be. Everyone has been so warm and welcoming.

I am surprised at how many different roles there are for wolves in this pack. The Black Moon Pack is a pack made for war. The most important wolves in the pack are the warriors, and anyone else is of lower status. Here wolves are respected if they run business, work as healers or trainers.

I can’t wait to get started. Diane has promised to take me to the hospital and introduce me to the other healers once I have settled in. Daniel will be busy training with the royal guards so I will have plenty of opportunity to train to be a qualified healer.

We haven’t told anyone that I am Lucius’ daughter. It would be too dangerous. Everyone here hates my father and fears my old pack. Daniel is worried that if people know who I am I will be persecuted by the rest of the pack.

I am not sure how long this approach will last. Enough of the wolves that we travelled with know of my heritage and I can’t see them keeping my secret for long. We are meeting with Alex today, and I am hoping that he will help us.

…….

We meet Alex at the packs training ground. He has been coaching the Lunar Eclipse Pack Warriors. I watch him as he takes on two warriors at once. He is fast and vicious, and it only takes a few minutes before the warriors he is fighting are lying groaning on the ground. He still looks fresh and unharmed. The warriors haven’t even managed to land a blow. I shiver thinking how terrible it would be for Alex to be your enemy.

Daniel notices my discomfort and squeezes my hand.

Alex spots us and approaches.

“Good to see you both. Anna how have you been settling in?”

“It has been great so far. Everyone has been very welcoming.”

“Good. I understand that Diane is going to continue your training as a healer at the Royal Hospital.”

“Yes, once we are settled, she has promised to begin my formal training as a healer. I am really looking forward to it. I want to add value to the pack.”

“There is, more than one way that you can help us. Your knowledge of your father and the workings of your pack will be invaluable once war breaks out again.”

Inwardly I groan. I feel no real loyalty to my father or my old pack. I never felt that I belonged, and my father saw me as more of a tool to be used than a daughter he loved. Is that enough though of a reason to work against them?

I have been shown nothing but kindness since they found me in the woods, and I am loyal to Daniel my mate. Maybe it is time to pick the Royals as my side.

I nod in agreement.

“Thank you. I want to arrange some sessions with Joseph and myself to learn as much as we can about the Black Moon Pack. Your father has been increasing his attacks on the weaker packs, and we have intelligence that he is planning a major offensive against us. Anything you can tell us about how the pack operates will save lives. Daniel, of course can join us if it will make you more comfortable.”

“Please. I would feel better if he was there.”

Daniel squeezes my hand again in a gesture of support.

“I know that this will be difficult. That you must feel as though you are betraying your family, but the wars need to stop, and the only way to do that is to defeat Lucius. Besides it won’t be long until the rest of the Royal Pack figure out who you really are. This will prove your loyalty.

I will be in touch tomorrow.” He nods dismissing us and returns to training with the warriors.

“I know it will be difficult for you, but this is for the best” Daniel tells me. “This will prove your loyalty to the Royals and help keep you safe.