The morning fog had not yet lifted as the royal carriage rattled across the palace grounds, heading toward the hunting fields. The air was cold, biting, but nothing compared to the chill in my bones.
Today, the Grand Hunting Festival would begin.
It was more than a tradition — it was a spectacle. The eyes of the kingdom would be on us, on the Empress, on her harem, and on the legendary beasts we sought to capture. It was supposed to be a celebration of strength, but for me, it was a battle for survival.
I stood before the mirror, adjusting the black-and-gold hunting attire that clung to my form like a second skin. The high collar framed my face, leaving only my eyes exposed. The mask remained a part of me, a constant companion. Today, I would wear it proudly. The court's whispers would not shake me. They would never understand.
"Your Majesty," Lucien's voice broke through the silence, as he entered the room, his sharp gaze taking in the ensemble.
"Everything is ready for the hunt. Your horse awaits."
"Good." I nodded, my lips curling into a smile that was colder than the biting wind outside.
"Let's make this interesting."
---
The royal hunting grounds were vast, stretching for miles, a labyrinth of dense forests and treacherous hills. The nobles gathered in their finery, pretending to be the kings of the woods, each eager to catch a glimpse of a divine beast. They didn't know that the true prey was not the creatures roaming these lands, but the game being played behind the scenes.
Prince Damon was the first to approach, his tall, muscular form silhouetted against the sky. His smile was the same as it had been the night before — confident, arrogant, and just a bit too familiar.
"Your Majesty," he greeted, his voice like velvet.
"Shall we race to the heart of the forest?"
"Race?" I raised an eyebrow.
"I thought you were here to hunt, Prince Damon, not play games."
He laughed, the sound echoing through the crisp morning air.
"Hunting is nothing but a game, Empress. The real challenge is in the chase, and perhaps in the game we play with each other."
I smirked, turning my back to him and giving my horse a gentle nudge.
"Then we'll see whose game is more dangerous."
---
The hunt began.
The others were soon lost in the wilderness, tracking their prey, leaving me alone in the deep silence of the forest. The trees towered above, their branches heavy with snow, the ground beneath me soft with frost. But I was no stranger to this place — I knew the woods like I knew my own heart.
As I rode deeper, a sudden rustling from the underbrush caught my attention.
I slowed my horse to a stop, hand instinctively reaching for the dagger hidden in my boot. The rustling grew louder, more frantic.
A shadow darted between the trees. It was massive. A creature of legend — a divine beast.
I had not expected it to find me first.
The beast was a shadow wolf, sleek and black as midnight, its eyes glowing an eerie violet. It was hunting me, as much as I was hunting it.
I dismounted, my boots crunching on the frost-covered ground as I faced the beast. My heart raced, but not from fear. This was no mere animal. This was the chosen — the creature of myth, destined to bond with the worthy.
It circled me, its violet eyes studying me, almost as if it could sense the darkness within me. It stopped several paces away, watching me with an unsettling intelligence. The air between us crackled with tension.
The hunt was no longer about capturing prey. It was about claiming the beast, about proving that I, the Empress, could bend the very forces of nature to my will.
I extended my hand slowly, not in fear, but in challenge.
"Come then," I whispered.
"Show me what you're truly made of."
---
A flash of movement. The wolf lunged, but instead of attacking, it stopped inches from my outstretched hand. It sniffed the air around me, then lowered its head, nuzzling my palm.
For a moment, everything was still. The world held its breath.
Then, the creature stepped back, and in the next instant, a light began to form around its body, swirling in shades of dark and light — like a storm contained within a single heartbeat. It was choosing me.
A bond, forged in the wildest of hunts, between ruler and beast.
---
The world around me erupted as the other hunters appeared, drawn by the spectacle. Prince Damon was among them, his eyes wide with disbelief. But before he could speak, I turned to him, my gaze piercing.
"The beast has chosen its master," I said, my voice carrying across the clearing.
"And it is not you."
His expression twisted, but he said nothing. He had underestimated me. Again.
---
As the day wore on, the hunt came to a close, and the prize-winning beasts were paraded before the court. Elyra had managed to capture a small, delicate creature, one that seemed to glow in the light of the setting sun. The nobles cheered for her, but their admiration didn't faze me.
She had gained nothing today — the true prize had already been claimed.
---
Later that evening, the grand feast was underway.
The royal halls were alive with laughter and music, the aroma of roasted meats and delicate wines filling the air. But as I sat at the high table, my gaze never left the entrance where the others were gathering.
Prince Damon, Duke Alaric, and High Priest Caelan, all still fumbling for power, still blind to the web I had woven.
I could feel their eyes on me, on the wolf that now sat loyally at my side, its violet eyes watching the court with silent judgment.
The rumors would start soon enough. The whispers would spread like wildfire.
But I was prepared.
And in the end, I would rewrite the story.
---
Chapter End.
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