When We Meet Again

Chapter17- Willow: Here Comes Trouble

~Not edited~~

It was different. I have walked these same halls for nearly four years now and nothing had changed, yet today it was different. Those who knew who I really was bowed their heads in respect and those who didn't just stared. I tried to keep my cover and walk as I had before, however remembering my royal days also brought back my good posture and grace. The Queen really made sure it was engraved in our subconscious. "A princess never appears small, for she holds her kingdom on her shoulders. If she looks small so does her kingdom. You must radiate power." She would say. I have never missed one of her lectures more than I did now.

"Freak!." My eyes find a freshman boy who stood somewhat tall as he tried to show dominance and bravery. I could laugh at his feeble attempt, the Queen would not approve.

I raise a brow at him and his courage dissolves into fear. "I would watch what you say." I breathe as I pass him. "You never know who you may be speaking to." I felt bad scaring the human boy however, it was not him who I was trying to get the message to. His little friends behind him where werewolves and though they had not known my identity before I am sure they knew now. Any disrespect they showed to either my sister or I will not go unpunished as per the request of their Alpha. As soft-hearted as he was, he really was tough in disciplining.

If that wasn't bad enough, there was Damien. He never did take well to others disrespecting us...

I had not seen him all day, which I was mostly grateful for. The longer it took me to see him, the longer I could prolong telling him about the engagement. He would not take the news well and I could only hope he would hear me out before going ballistic. On top of that, the real Cadence was not talking to me for some reason. She was avoiding me like the plague. What on earth did I do this time?

***

"Cadance calm down!" I desperately try to calm my sister as she paced my room.

"No Willow, I will not calm down! This is the worst thig you could do and the exact opposite of what I was talking about. Do you know how much you are hurting Damien? Does it all really mean that little to you?'

"Of course not! Just listen to me. I Love Damien... That's the problem. Not That he is the prince of our enemy Kingdom or that mother never approved. I love Damien too much."

"You are not making any sense."

"The other Cadence, my conscious, told me I might have been repressing my memories without wanting to. I took the time to let everything come to me and all my missing memories were of Damien..." I plop on my bed as I stare at my hands. "Looking back at the memories I noticed that behind Damien things look a little off. The way certain guards acted or the gap between patrols being too long... I saw it all. I ignored it all because I was happy... he made me happy. Damien made everything better and I didn't want something bad to ruin it... so I ignored it. I let my love for him blind me for so long and look at where we are."

"Willow it wasn't your fault! None of us noticed."

"I need you to understand that this is a sacrifice I need to make to make it better. I love Damien and I always will, but I can't let myself be blinded anymore. Just please don't tell him, I need to explain things right to him and hope he won't lose it. I know it will hurt him but he won't be the only one hurting. So please don't say anything."

"I won't but do you really think this will stay a secret..."

"MINANI TELL ME IT ISNT TRUE!" And there goes my newly fixed door.

"And that is my cue to leave." Constance sheepishly smiles before bolting through the door.

I roll my eyes and let myself fall back on the bed. "Do not ignore me Minani!"

"I'm not ignoring you. I am trying to figure out who I will have to kill."

"How about you try your fiance! Jonathan couldn't wait to rub it in my face that you were engaged. Now, tell me he is just being the jackass he is so I can kill him myself."

I sigh, the stinging in my eyes nearly being impossible to handle. "Come on." I stand and grab my hoodie. "Let's go talk."

On our way out Jonathan was on his way in. His eyes protest but the look on my face is enough to keep him from speaking. He was not my favorite person at the moment and with good reason. It had been agreed that I would choose when to tell the others, especially Damien.

It wasn't until we reached the willow that Damien finally snapped, "Minani, are you going to answer my question or not?"

I sigh and climb up the tree, my body buzzing with the anticipation of transformation. My powers were finally awakening, not strong enough to fully transform but enough for me to feel it. Damien doesn't follow me. "Do you remember the day we met?"

A look of confusion takes over his feature but he answers. "Of course, I do."

"I was a stranger followed by shadows and even then you trusted me not to kill you. Even when I wasn't so sure. I need you to trust me now like you did then."

"I want to, but I do not like where this going." His eyes avoid me. They have been doing that a lot lately...

"The King and Queen of the Dragon Kingdom have agreed to send six hundred of their men to help our own protect the people and take back the castle." The muscles in his arms tense, his perfectly chiseled jaw following.

"Six hundred men..." I nod knowing he couldn't see me. I wish I could see his eyes, then I would know what he was thinking. Then I would know if he was about to lose it. "And what will they get in return?" His voice was rough and broken, his breathing hard and uneven. He knew the answer, but he needed the words to come out of my mouth. Or maybe he was hoping they didn't. I couldn't tell, his eyes avoided mine.

"Once our land is taken back and we return... I... I will marry Jonathan." I watch his fist crash into the tree next to mine, my eyes following the poor thing as it hits the ground. "Damien..."

"Six hundred men... SIX HUNDRED MEN WILLOW." He repeated over and over, my heart almost shut down. He never called me Willow... "You sold yourself for six hundred men?! Had I known it would be that easy I would have paid in full when I had the chance. Who knew a princess was so cheap." 

His words hurt my heart but I was too angry to fully feel the pain. I jump off the branch I sat on and watch as his arms twitch. As though he would catch me. I didn't need him, I landed with the grace of a cat. "I sold myself for my people," I said as calmly as I could. My words coming out as rough as his. "How dare you call that cheap! I am doing what I can while I am still useless! I had to do something!"

"There..." I throw a small shadow of black on his face, taking his voice. Control. I repeat to myself over and over. Control.

 "I know! There is always another way.  My sister seems to always remind me of that fact every chance she gets. But the thing is any other way would have taken time, and though time works much faster in this dimension, it is still time our people would suffer in. I needed to do this. It is the least I could do."

I return Damien his voice, but I knew I wouldn't like what he has to say. His look of disbelief said it all. Or so I thought. His eyes find mine and I watch as the wolf takes over and he hauls himself at me. For a terrifying moment I believe he will attack me, but then he doesn't. He shoves past me deeper into the forest.

Damien lost it.

As I make my way back to my sister's house I found myself wishing he would have said something, anything. His silence only meant there was no going back, there was no fixing this. So I made one last desition. I would go back home with Erika. I would not put Damien through the pain of having to see Jonathan and I together.

***

Before I enter the house I stand next to another wolf. "I'm done hating you." Arkadius turns his head questioningly. "I am done coming between my sister's happiness, so I am done hating you. Please take care of her for me, she will need your company in the coming days." I roll my eyes at his grin... his attempt at a grin. "Mark my words mutt, hurt her again and I will castrate you." With a final roll of his wolf eyes, he ran into the house. "Please take care of her..." I whisper to the air.