The Werewolf Order (Erotica)

As it is the middle of the afternoon, she sneaks her way through the halls, careful not to run into her father or Laren, who are most likely looking for her. Instead of going out front like she should, she heads towards the back of the castle to the kitchen. The chef looks shocked to see her, having thought she left this morning but none the less he makes her a huge plate of cold ham, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes and some left over apple cobbler from the night before.

Namora sits on a stool, slowly enjoying the feast in front of her. She eats all of the ham first and just starts on the fruits when she hears a familiar clicking coming down the hallway behind her. The clicking stops just inside the kitchen.

“Hello, Laren,” Namora says, woefully, before she shoves in a huge mouthful of tomato.

“Hello Princess,” he says. He doesn’t need to say anymore, because she knows exactly what is expected. She looks sadly at the cobbler, wanting to finish it because she is still hungry but she gets up and follows Laren out of the kitchen. Without talking, they make their way through the winding hallways of the castle to the front stairs, where her father waits. She expects him to be angry but he is not, in fact he doesn’t say anything about her absence and simply gives her a hug.

“Good bye, Namora. I will see you in four days,” he whispers to her, holding her tight, “Remember, be strong for just a little while longer. Keep an open mind and an open heart. All will reveal itself in good time.”

She hugs her father back, still confused by his secretiveness. Namora doesn’t say anything, afraid that if she says good bye she will cry, so instead she offers him a warm smile.

Amyee waits for her just down the stairs; she is already crying. The two friends hug tightly, neither speaking. Namora lets go and turns to the carriage. She can see Franklin, Officer Gregory and Officer Jackson waiting patiently for her. No one sits with Greystar, as he will follow Franklin without needing a guide.

Namora climbs into the carriage, Laren waiting to shut the door behind her. Before he does, he leans in, slipping her something that is wrapped in a leather cloth. When she takes a hold of it, she feels the familiar shape of her hunting knife beneath it. Laren whispers solemnly, “None of us would think less of you if you happened to slit that King’s throat for being disrespectful.” Her injured wrist still didn’t sit well with her friend.

“Thank you, Laren,” she smiles genuinely at him before he shuts the door between them.

As the entourage heads out of towns, Namora can hear the calls of the townsfolk, wishing her luck on her journey. She plasters a smile on her face, waving good bye to everyone. It takes a substantial amount of her will to keep her guise up, as more people than usual came to wish her off. Finally, they leave the town and only the rolling royal pastures pass by her window. CHAPTER 10: THE BURWOOD TREE

It has been a long time since Namora left her country. The public road leading from Derven to Alumenia is smooth and worn. She closes and latches the thick wooden shade behind her, darkening the inside of the carriage like her looming marriage has darkened the light in her heart. She had always dreamed of finding the love that her father and mother shared but her duty to the people of Derven would be the only love she would be allowed. She unwraps her hunting knife, pulling it out of the sheath to find that Laren sharpened and polished it. That causes her a genuine smile at his thoughtfulness.

She puts the knife back into its sheath, holding it tightly to her chest. Being Head Huntress was an honor that the other women of her country bestowed on her because of her bravery, skill and cunning. Now, all that she was, was in the past. Her life as she knew it would exist no more; instead she would be nothing more than a glorified servant to a man she hated with every bone in her body.

Her eyes begin to feel heavy and she decides to close them for a moment. Stuck in the realm between sleep and awake, her body relaxes but she still feels the carriage moving under her. The gentle swaying sings to her tired bones. She barely drifts into a dreamless sleep when she feels the carriage come to a halt. Male voices wake Namora; they talk calmly, discussing something she can’t discern. Her eyes snap open, her body jolted into alertness when the carriage remains still. She continues to grow tense until she hears a soft rap on the door, followed by the familiar voice of Franklin.

“Princess Namora? It appears that there is a large tree blocking the public road to Alumenia…”

As his words trail off, she opens the door, exiting the carriage. Franklin waits outside, off of his horse, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. He watches her as she stretches gracefully.

Her eyes wander off of him and through the failing light to the large burwood that blocks their path. The sight of such a mysterious, dead tree saddens her. It is the first time she has witnessed something so catastrophic in her life.

“Well, that does appear to pose a problem Captain. What do you suggest?” Namora asks. Even though she knows the best plan would be to scout a new path around the tree in the morning, she waits for Franklin to tell her his opinion. Like her father, she rarely tells people what to do but instead asks for their thoughts. She has found out that not only does it teach her things she wouldn’t normally know but it also has the effect of exercising the minds of her people.

Franklin looks her over for a moment before turning to study the tree, “Well, your Majesty, it would take two of us several hours to saw a path through the burwood, being that it is one of the densest trees in Derven. If we started now, we could perhaps still get you to Alumenia before dawn,” he pauses looking for a reaction from her.

She turns to him with a soft smile, “But?”

“But it would weaken us to the point that we might not be able to defend an attack,” he says. They both know that no Derven would attack them and that any Alumenian would be too afraid of King Irron to cross their paths. The only ones they are unsure about are those of Sceadu since the public road is near their borders. Though Namora feels uninformed about that country, she isn’t the only one; Dervens don’t mention them much.Content © copyrighted by NôvelDrama.Org.

“Therefore,” Franklin continues, “I would suggest that we pull off the road for the time being, rest for the night and get an early start in the morning. We could scout a new path in the sunlight. The road is always safer during the day,” he adds softly, knowing that Namora wouldn’t mind, “That would, however, postpone your arrival until tomorrow afternoon.”

Namora nods, considering the options. She wishes she knew more about the Sceadu, “Your suggestion of waiting until morning is a good one. I trust you have scouted a fine spot for us to camp tonight?”

The Captain bows, “Yes ma’am.”

She looks quickly away when he rises up, “Very well then, I am in your care.” Namora gives him a tight smile before getting back into the carriage reluctantly. She would much rather walk around for a bit to ease the stiffness in her body but she knows that being out in the open so close to Sceadu makes the Captain and the other guards nervous.

As he follows the guards, Greystar carefully picks his way off the public road and into the shelter of the surrounding woods but even so the ride is jolty over the uneven ground.

She knows that there is a small buffer on either side of the road, what all consider ‘neutral territory,’ where peddlers and traders camp on along their way. She wonders how close they will be to the border of Sceadu. Not knowing much of their country, she briefly entertains the thought of crossing into their land and disappearing from all she knows. Since she does not know them, they probably don’t know her; there she could start fresh, from nothing and without responsibility. Namora can’t help but wonder what their people are like and she wishes she knew more. Her father always said, “They are a country that wishes to be left undisturbed and we are a country who will abide by their wishes.”

When the carriage comes to a halt, Namora gets out eagerly. She helps the men unbuckle all of the tack from the horses, starting with Graystar. He stands patiently for her; when she is done and moves on to the next one, he trots off into the forest. One of the guards gives her an odd look after he sees the horse run off. He is tying rope to the trees to create a coral for the other horses. She smiles at him, “Don’t worry, Officer Gregory, he won’t go far. He is a very mindful creature.”

While Franklin is used to being around Namora, the other two guards are nervous at being around the Princess. Gregory nods stiffly to her. He and the other officer give Namora a wide birth when they walk by. They may not think that she knows them but because of the Festival, she knows them better than she should. She knows that Officer Gregory, who is a few years younger than Namora is recently engaged to a lovely young woman named Tamera; they have been in love since they were kids. The other, Officer Jackson, is the oldest of the group. He is married and has three children, two boys and a daughter. She knows that because his daughter is Talia, the newest member of her hunting party. Namora took a liking to her there, inviting her to hunt with her small group. Talia felt very special about it, since she is not only the Head Huntress but also the Princess.