Fan Fiction ❯ Earth's Reflection, My World ❯ Royally ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter Four:

Royally

"So what does that mean?" The prince said. "You could not take ourivai from the girl? What did you do then?"
Xel moved to the side, and for the first time, both prince and the woman behind him noticed.

The woman's smug face dropped, and the prince roared. "She looks like father!"

Neouri's eyes widened, and the remark about her birth mother rang fiercely in her ears. Though not in any ways a really mother, she proved her love by giving her to a family that would care for her, and protect her. So, Neouri would protect her mother's reputation and honor.

The prince had leapt from his seat and was glaring at her, and she glared right back, openly displaying the stubborn jut of her jaw, and the fire in her mystic eyes. Both seemed to just glare at each other for minutes before the prince spoke again.

"How do you know she possesses ourivai?" The prince demanded, looking at the two who had brought the wench. "She is the mere daughter of a whore, and I am his own legitimate son. Why give it to her in such a way that she is unable to part with it without losing her life and the gem?"

Xel and Eede looked at each other. "We do not know." Xel said.

The prince sat down, his eyes never leaving Neouri. "Wench," He said, a tone of anger in his voice. "Tell me your name!"

Neouri tilted her brow. Eede sensed a fight coming on. "Your highness?" He called. "Permission to tell you her name?"
Neouri noticed the woman smile, and decided to not care about her. Then she spoke, and Neouri wanted to pulverize her. "Why?" Her voice was smooth as silk. "Is she stupid? Can she not speak our tongue? Or perhaps she is mute?"

Neouri ground her teeth. She knew why Eede wanted to talk for her. She slapped a smile on her face, and bowed at the waist. She visualized Eede's tilted brow, and this time a real smile appeared. Her voice was somewhat huskier than usual when she answered, "I am none of those, your highness-" She spat out the name like venom. "It is just that Eede feels I am much to. .how shall I put it. . .uncontrollable?- to speak for myself when remarks such as the ones you've made about my birth mother, have been said to my face. I have an overwhelming urge to retaliate, but, I am an adult, so I can control myself, and speak for myself." She paused as she witnessed the prince's wide eyed stare, "My name, is Neouri."

"Neouri?" The woman. . .Reyana?- sneered. "What kind of a name is that for one such as yourself?"

Neouri sighed, her anger was mounting, but she forced herself to calm down. She hated when people judged her before they even knew her. But, Reyana already proved herself to be someone that wouldn't get along with her, so what should she care about the stupid woman.

She looked up at Reyana, her eyes meeting the other woman's. "I think you need to be told to watch your tongue." She said coolly. "Because there will one day be someone who doesn't like what you have to say, and I'm sure you won't like the bruises they'll give you."

Reyana gasped. "Are you threatening me?"
Eede knew Neouri wouldn't answer. She would just smile, one that showed a brief flash of fangs, and an animalistic fury in her eyes.

Sure enough, the reaction from Lady Reyana proved what he guessed was right.

The prince must have caught the exchange, for he said, "Dare you threaten my fiancée?"

Neouri blinked up at him. "Was I? I was just saying what I assumed had already happened."

The prince glared down at her. "She is to be m bride, and no one will dare to lay a hand on her."

"Perhaps the daughter of a whore would." Neouri snapped.

"You little-"

Xel came up from behind Neouri and squeezed her shoulder. With no reaction, he increased his hold until she fell to her knees, but not a sound was heard from her, only her face scrunched in fury and pain.

Xel released his hold. "You should behave in the presence of those higher than you."

Neouri turned to face him. "Touch me again and I'll not hesitate to kill you."

Eede shivered, Xel was proving to be unresponsive. The prince and his lady had heard the threat, Reyana looked thoroughly pissed, and the prince a little bored.

"You lay one finger on him and I'll-" Reyana started.

Neouri stopped her by turning to look at her, "And you'll what Lady Reyana?"
"I will hurt you."

Neouri laughed. "You don't even know what I am."

* * * * *

She was locked away in the dungeon.

They had placed her in the dungeons, the ones farthest from the first level. They had chained her to the wall in the darkness, and locked the gated door of her prison. The rank smell coming from one side proved to be the remains of someone else who had pissed of Lady Reyana.

As she was escorted below by Xel and the prince, she had seen prisoners who had food, and water, and clean straw for a bed. Though they were not alone in her cell as she was. They also had light source, while she waited in the dark.

No matter. She would shape shift.

Or she would have had they not placed the chains on too tight.

So, she sat there in the darkness, with the stench of rotting flesh, and the sounds of the other prisoners conversing, and the rustle of mice in the far corner.

Mice? Her mind went on red alert.

The squeaks from the corner proved she was right. There were mice right there! She heard the family of them. Six babes and two adults. One was scrounging around on the floor, the other with the babes in the crack that was entirely too small to get into, but big enough, and warm enough inside.

She opened her eyes as wide as they could go. But, with no luck.

Neouri sighed. "Great, first I get taken from home, insulted by a prince and his bitch, now I'm locked away in he dungeon." She laughed. "It was worth it though!"

She pulled on her chains, and heard the sound of the weakened metal. She pulled again. Hey! These aren't as strong as I originally thought!

She could transform!

The realization hit her. She could transform, and not get stuck.

With a smile on her lips, she closed her eyes and concentrated.

Wild. She was wild. She was free. She was fire. She was wind. She was water. She was earth. She was the forest. She was the ocean. She was the mountain. She was a volcano. She was the breeze.

She felt her muscles begin to ripple over her body. She felt her bones grow, lengthen, and move. She heard the ripping of her clothes, and knew it had fallen from her changed body shape. She felt her teeth sharpen, and her ears move from the side of her head, to the top of her head. She felt her nose grow longer, and move with her mouth, not so far away from her face. Then, she felt the fur growing. She felt it spring up all over her body in even lengths, and change. She knew her eyes were changing too. She watched as the pitch black of the cell was lifted, and she was able to see as if it were as bright as day. Her ears grew into triangular points atop her head, and her fur changed from black, to snowy white. She felt the tail pop out of her behind, and lengthen.

She was complete.

She resisted the urge to roar as the chains fell from her wrists as she dropped to all fours.

She was breathing deeply, and silently.

I am alive.

Then she looked at the door to her cell. . .

But imprisoned.

* * * * *

Eede was glad when his brother and the prince allowed him to fetch his friend. He was afraid she was going to do something, chained in the darkness and all. He expressed his fear to both, and both laughed.

He had always hated Lady Reyana, and felt that Neouri should have been praised, not punished. But, the prince was led to believe that his intended was as innocent and faithful as she claimed.

Eede knew better.

She had made several shameless passes his way, and his brothers. She had already gone to several other knights, but her prize was the prince, and she would wed no other unless he was richer, and more powerful than the soon to be king.

He was walking down the winding staircase that lead to the dungeons when he heard the growls, roars, and shouts from below. Fearing that one of the prisoners escaped, he rushed down wit his sabers drawn.

When he arrived to the first floor of the dungeon, he paused.

The prisoners were cowering in the back of their cells as the guards were fighting a giant beast. They themselves had their own beast, most of which rolled over on their bellies, and submitted to the more powerful creature.

The creature was snow white, except the places where it's blood dripped down, and stained it's beautiful coat in great splotches. There was a spear in it's side, but that only added to the power of it.

It had long fangs that lengthened when it opened it's mouth and roared. The fangs were still pure white, meaning it had not taken a bite out of it's enemies. It was the size of a horse, and looked like a panther with pointed ears. It's eyes were the color of stardust, with swirling black pupils that made it look more menacing.

Then it roared.

Eede shivered in his broken in boots, but was strangely comforted.

"Milord Eede!" One of the guards called out. He had a gash in his forehead, and blood trickled from his lips. "This creature is unlike any we have witnessed before! It pushes us away with a mere look!"
Eede was intrigued. He fought monsters that threatened the village, but this one had obviously appeared within the castle. This one was also strong indeed, for to push it's enemies with a mere look must mean it was semi-psychic.

Eede nodded. "I'll take care of this." An image of Neouri appeared. Had the creature gotten to her!?

The creature looked at him, it's eyes widened, then they closed.

Before he could even draw in his breath, the white fur molted from it's body as it shifted gracefully. The muscles and bones could be heard reorganizing themselves to become it's original form. The hair upon the head receded to the top to become long, flowing, silver hair, that darkened to black. The flesh darkened to a soft sun kissed color.

And fallen to the floor, was Neouri.

Her body had bruises, cuts, scrapes, and gashes. The spear had fallen out of her side, but the blood was freely flowing from the wound. The guard that had done it, retrieved the weapon, and was going to pick her up when Eede shouted, "Leave her!"

The guard backed away. The beasts that were sent to attack her circled around her neatly, head on their paws, they whined.

Eede went over to her, and carefully picked up her naked body. Blood clothed her, and her face was scratched. The spear had caused a deep gash by her hip. He was hurried to cover her body with his cape, making it look like he carried nothing beneath it when he carried his most precious friend in his life.

He carried her, blood dropping onto the marble floors, to the princes room. He felt her chest steadily moving as she breathed.

When he reached the door to the throne room, he kicked open the door, his brother, the prince, and his woman looking up to see him.

He walked on the wool carpet, blood seeping into the floor, causing a straight red line to go down the aisle. The prince signaled servants to clean the mess that had been made, and looked amusedly at Eede.

"What is that?"
Eede reached the prince, his fury unmasked. "This," He knelt down, and moved his cape aside to show her battered face. "Is what happens when you put her in a place, she did not deserve to be."

Xel and the prince had horrified expressions. Reyana gasped, her hand covering her mouth. "Poor dear!" She gushed. "What happened!"

Eede ignored her. "Your highness," he said, holding her tightly against him. "She is like a sister to me, I hold her in high regard. Please summon someone to heal her!"

The prince only stared. "Tell me how it happened."
Eede looked up. "She is her mothers daughter. She fought for what she wanted, and when she saw me, she was satisfied. And this is what happened in the process."

"How." Xel growled.

"She transformed." Eede said. "She became a beautiful, and powerful creature. One that the Guard Beast's couldn't handle."

"The most ferocious animals we could tame? They were defeated by her?" the prince asked.

Eede shook his head. "Intimidated. The rolled onto their backs, and when she changed back, they mourned her."
Neouri shifted in his arms. "Please heal her!"

The prince shook his head. "We can extract the gem now."

"NO!" Eede's denial bordered insolence to his prince.

"Are you shouting at the prince?" Reyana called out merrily.

Neouri shifted again. Her breathing was coming in short pants. He felt her body shuddering, and moving restlessly. "Please help her! She's dying!"

Neouri's eyes shot open. Eede looked down, and noticed her eyes were that stardust color, and watched as they darkened over. She smiled. He noticed her wounds had healed themselves already. "The worst of it is over, Eede."

Still drenched in blood, she struggled to stand up. Eede removed his cape, and allowed her to use it to cover her body. She stood now, with minor bruises, and cuts on her face and neck.

"You want me dead." She said to the prince. "We share the same father. If anything, we share the same blood."

The prince stood up. "True." He admitted. "But we do not share the same name, and unlike you," He growled. "I am pure."

* * * * *