Jackia's Point Of View
Going back to the palace with a new mindset gave me the strength I needed to scale through the games. Winning was the option that I chose. Losing was no longer on the table.
"I think at this point you have to calm down a little bit, okay?" My wolf's voice was so clear to me.
"I should calm down, you say?".
"That is the only way you can think properly, hope you know? What is at risk if you win?". Sarai asked me, looking at me through my head, and said in a low voice.
"There is a lot to lose if I still don't win."
I woke up and went to the hall, but I was stopped by someone.
"Jackia, where do you think you are coming from, you bitch?" She just called me a bitch, and I turned around to see an angry-looking Layla.
What was she thinking? "What did you just call me?" I questioned her, and she looked at me.
"I just called you a bitch. What can you do about that?" Our little show of shame was out as soon as it started.
I was still trying to comprehend her outburst towards me. Why did she choose to attack me in this way? Or was she trying to pull a fast one on me? These were the thoughts running through my mind.
My wolf was restless, and she kept on pacing in my head.
"We should have dealt with her; I don't know why I despise her." That was a strange word to use at this point, but I do not blame my wolf; she asked for it, and Layla was always getting on our nerves.
My maid was at the entrance to my room.
"I heard!!" She said, giggling. I looked at her smiling also, because her giggles were somewhat contagious.
"You heard what exactly?"
"I heard that Layla confronted you today; I knew this was eventually going to happen but never knew that it would be this soon," she said, sitting on the edge of the bed with me. Her face lightened up as she spoke to me.
She was too kind to be a maid, but still. She did her job with so much happiness: "She did confront me, but I would not allow her to walk over me like she does with the rest of the girls; if she thinks she can kick me out, she should expect the opposite.".
My words brought a lot of happiness and laughter to my maid: "I can't wait for you to be the next chosen Luna, even though there will be a lot of atrocities that would be committed in the course of this. You sure will win, and I will make sure of that."
It sounded more like a promise than an assurance to me. We giggled and laughed out loud as I explained the expression on Layla's face when she realized that she didn't scare me one bit.
The rest of the day was spent in my room. During the evening hours, we were all called out to sit with the king once again. Even though I didn't like how this was going, I still had no choice but to obey and honor the alpha's dad call.
"My lady, are you ready for the little get-together party with his grace?"
My maid came into my room to check up on me. "No, I haven't, and I am tired. Can't I decline? Just thi once?" She did not bother to answer my question as she made her way to pick a dress for me. I struggled to keep my eyes open and get my ass off the bed.
Seeing what she could pick up for me, I exclaimed, "A ball gown !!!??"
"Miss Jackia, it's a ball gown, and you have to look different and exceptional. Since you may attend or may not, you have to make sure you are the center of attention," my maid said, walking towards me and expressing herself like a mother to her child.
"Isn't it just a get-together with his grace and the other maidens? I'm sure there is nothing special about it," I said, walking towards the bed to sit on it, looking like I was suffering. My hair was scattered.
And I had no make-up on; oh, I must look so horrible at the moment.
"No, it's not just a get-together with the maidens and his grace; the most important people will be around, and they will judge you according to how they appear and behave; one person will be going home tomorrow.".
My maid said to me as she made her way towards me and, as soon as she got close, she raised the gown so high before me, "Isn't this gown so beautiful? it complements your hair, and the crown stones on it complement your deep blue eyes.
My maid complimented me, just to make me smile. I wasn't moved by all these compliments at all; I just wanted to be left alone and to think about my life and the next step. My life has been affected by this competition.
When I think of the blood mages, the border, and everything, it pisses me off to know that we waste more time by going ahead with this audacious trading and ceremony,
"Miss Jackia, it is almost time for the ball".
I had to stand up to take off the in-house clothes I was putting on as I was already prepared to sleep for the night. Not knowing the alpha's dad had other plans for us, why do we have to go through the validation of other people? In order to get validated?
I know this is an old tradition, but there are certain things that should have ended with the decade that passed and not continued with us into the future. My breath dangled, and I bent down to pull off the dress.
I stood there in all my glory, waiting to be dressed up for a party I wasn't willing to attend but had no choice but to obey his grace. She opened up the dress as wide as it could go in order for me to step into it.