Chapter 3: Chapter 3

REYNA

“Wake up, Rey, or you’ll be late again! I don’t know what to do with you. Come on, get your lazy ass out of bed, now!” My nana’s loud yelling yanked me from my sleep.

“God! I need earplugs,” I grumbled, tugging the heavy bed sheets that were being rudely pulled away from my body.

I was so sleepy. I needed to rest, but would she let me?

Usually, my nana was a short, rounded, bubbly woman with the softest voice. But she turned into a frightening banshee in the morning, screeching while she made a mess of the room, all so I could wake up.

“Get up now, Reyna. If you don’t want your mother to punish you,” Nana yelled as she tried to tug away my cover.

I grabbed it and held it tight.

“Today’s the third day of the month.”

Instantly, my hands slackened. My head peeked out of the covers, eyes wide. “The third? Wasn’t the ceremony last month?”

Nana used my surprise to yank the sheets away, leaving me cold and shivering. “No, that was three months ago,” she panted.

“I suggest you hurry, unless you want a repeat of what happened the last time. Only this time, it won’t end with physical punishment—she might make you repeat the year as an example. Do you want that?”

Just thinking of how I was whipped in front of the entire queendom made my stomach knot and my cheeks flush with shame. Public humiliation was Cassandra’s form of punishment for me, and no, I couldn’t repeat the year.

My mother would die of embarrassment if I did. After which, she’d make my life more difficult and miserable than it already was.

It wasn’t the pain I was afraid of. Physical pain was ephemeral, and I was no stranger to it. Humiliation, however, was a different matter altogether.

Although it wasn’t new to me, Cassandra had a way of inventing new ways to humiliate me and make me wish the earth would swallow me.

I quickly got out of bed and jumped into the bathroom to freshen up for the day. I was done and back in no time.

I sat down at the small table and started on my breakfast of bread, boiled eggs, ham, and a hot cup of tea. I scarfed the food as fast as I could.

“Nana, is my mother okay?” I asked, remembering what happened last night.

“Why wouldn’t she be?” Nana Maria replied flippantly as she folded the cover she’d taken away from me, making my brows arch.

The instant she recalled the events of last night, her face turned red.

“Oh, about last night,” she quickly amended, waving her hand.

“I told you she’s okay. I saw her leave the castle a little while ago, probably getting ready for the ceremony.”

I was relieved to hear that. I thought Cassandra was sick, with the moans and screams.

I thought she had contracted a virus.

Nana went about her daily chores as always while I finished my tea.

“You know I love you, right, Nana?” I walked to her and hugged her.

Nana hugged me back, smiling. “I know, Rey, and I love you even if you could potentially give me a heart attack one of these days. Now stop wasting time and get dressed.”

She pushed me lightly back, grabbed the dress I hadn’t even noticed was draped on the chair, and handed it to me.

I stripped out of my white cotton nightdress and dragged the green dress over my head. The dress was a short, flowy green gown that I was sure came from our family vault.

It had sleeves that stopped just beneath my elbows. The hem brushed my knees, and the fabric was so soft and silky. It felt nice on my skin, making me feel guilty.

Everyone was going to be wearing their uniform for the ceremony that was going to take place in less than an hour. I would have preferred the uniform so I wouldn’t have to stand out so much.

Princess Reyna, a disappointment.

I sighed. There was nothing I could do to change my mother’s opinions of me. The only thing I could do was play my part and make sure I didn’t screw up.

Nana sat me down and brushed my hair until it shone, then she braided the thick mass, weaving a long green ribbon through the braid.

When she was done, I put on the black boots she’d set aside and put on the long coat that would protect me against the autumnal cold.

Together, we left the south wing, where the queen’s quarters were located and where my room was situated.

On our way, we met others who were trickling in from other parts of the castle. They greeted me respectfully, though I could see that some of them hadn’t forgotten my humiliation of months ago.

I kept my face blank and smiled at them, as Cassandra said appearances must be kept.

All of them wore the uniform of brown pants, long-sleeved shirts, and waterproof boots, just like my nana.

***

The ceremony was nothing special, just a day when all the citizens of Marlenia gathered and got vaccinated. The shots were given to every woman and child on the third day, quarterly.

In the months of March, June, September, and December every year.

Although the women were immune to the virus, my mother didn’t believe our immune systems would continue to hold.

The ceremonial ground, which was the village hall, was where the ceremony took place. It was a large brick house with rows and rows of long benches and a dais where the queen and council got to sit.

It was close to the gates. Going near the gate was the closest I and most Marlenians would ever get to the outside world, due to the magic barriers.

My duty was to smile and talk to the little girls, who got squeamish and jumpy. Most of them started crying from the moment they arrived until they got their shots.

My mother and the council of women were already seated when I joined the last group of girls my age into the hall. I walked toward her, my heart in my throat.

I bowed and said, “Good morning, Mother.”

My mother’s blue eyes narrowed as she ran a critical eye over me.

I was expecting this and more. Fortunately, I was saved by Dr. Elizabeth.

“Reyna! You look beautiful as always, so graceful,” the petite, beautiful older woman said, smiling at me.

She kissed my cheek, greeted my mother, and then slid into her seat.

Besides my mother, she was the busiest person I knew.

“The ceremony is about to begin.”

I nodded, happy with the dismissal. I smiled at Elizabeth, who sent me a wink, and went to stand beside the medical personnel.

Soon the ceremony began. Cassandra got her shot first. I was next.

The sting of the needle hurt, but I ignored it. I even managed a smile for the little girls waiting in line.

Everything was going as it should. The girls were complying. They’d eaten the baked goods Nana had made and were playing with their peers.

The adults whispered to each other, taking turns getting their shots from different medical personnel. The children were almost done; only a few of the girls remained.

Suddenly, loud, deafening, blaring sounds—emergency lights flashing. Startled and confused, it took me a moment to realize what the sound was.

~The alarms!~

This had never happened before, ever. For a few seconds, everyone was suspended in immobility.

And then time snapped—everyone began to run, scattering in all directions, screaming. Panicking, people pushed and trampled over each other, the children screaming.

I grabbed little Emma, whom I had been talking to just a moment ago, before she got crushed to the ground; her mother was nowhere in sight.

“Marlenians!”

“Marlenians!!”

Cassandra’s voice whipped through the hall, ricocheting off the walls, her eyes hard as icicles, a megaphone in hand.

“Get your children to safety. You all know what to do: form a line and get moving, slowly. I assure you, everything will be all right. Get moving now!”

The people were frightened, but sure enough, they did as she said. Cassandra walked out of the town hall through the rear door.

The council members followed closely behind her guards. I hurriedly passed Emma to her mother, who was crying and looking for her little girl.

Then I ran after them.

***

I finally caught up to them a few feet outside the castle, near the magic barriers.

My mother was in the lead, with Amara beside her, who was busy chanting, her soft voice low but powerful. The rest of the council was silent as death, too shocked.

Guardians passed weapons among themselves, guns in their hands. The Roses were standing with them in their scarlet dresses.

I grabbed a bow and arrow from a passing guard who was holding more weapons than she could use at a time. With the bow in hand, I was ready for whatever the hell was coming our way. Well, at least that’s what I told myself.

We could all feel it—a strange sense of impending doom that threatened everything we held dear. Marlenians held their breath—women going about their daily tasks after their vaccination, girls playing with their peers… Everyone had stopped what they were doing.

Even the wind seemed to have ceased moving. We all waited with trepidation, fear, and anticipation.

My heartbeat was loud, my heart tight against my ribcage. A vibration that seemed to come straight from the very foundation of our queendom shook the earth.

My stomach bottomed out. Screams pierced the air as everyone started running, trying to find cover for themselves.

An ominous, loud rumbling like thunder boomed, drowning every sound. The barriers that had held for more than a century glimmered, lighting up the entirety of the queendom so beautifully.

I could have wept in awe if I weren’t panicking inside and if it hadn’t been a sign that everything we’d feared was about to occur. The beasts that, up until now, we had thought were myths had come for us.

As though in a final hurrah, the barriers sparked with a blinding light that hurt my irises, and just as fast as it came, the light was extinguished. The barrier that had protected us for almost a century and had kept our queendom hidden was suddenly…gone.

The sadness and devastation never came. Chaos ensued.

Six large figures flew over the walls and through the nonexistent barriers.

In the blink of an eye, Marlenia was thrown headfirst into pandemonium. Guardians descended on these strange beings who dared to invade our queendom with fury, firing their guns, arrows, and tasers.

Yet those creatures didn’t die. Screams turned into cries as guardians were flung around like rag dolls.

The beasts…were nothing I’d ever seen in my life before. They had no weapons, no guns, and no arrows.

Only sharp claws, their eyes and upper bodies glowing unnaturally.

I caught sight of three Roses and several guardians making a tight circle around them as they intensified their attacks. I nocked an arrow, my hands shaking, heart pounding.

I inhaled, remembering everything I’d learned. I ran in front of my mother when I saw one of the creatures land a hundred feet away from her. Its features were indiscernible from where I stood.

“Get Reyna out of here,” Cassandra ordered her two guards, sword in hand.

“No, get the queen to safety!” I yelled, not looking back as I released my arrow and quickly nocked another in its place.

“I will kill you,” I warned.

The huge beast that was previously far away was right before me. I gasped and staggered back, shocked at how lightning fast he’d moved.

My mouth parted as I took in the beast before me. He was beautiful and terrifying.

Long golden hair framed a slightly long face. Emerald eyes that glowed neon stared back at me. His nose was straight and slightly broad, his mouth wide and generous.

His skin was a golden light-brown color, except for his upper body, where I couldn’t decide if it was golden brown, glowing blue, or just blue. The beast tilted his head and inhaled deeply.

He growled—a sound that seemed to rattle all the way from his chest to his throat.

~Feral.~

He exposed fangs sharper than anything I’d seen. I visibly shivered, goosebumps racing over my skin. Whether in fear or something else, I didn’t know.

He took a step closer, eyes glowing red then green. Enthralled, I did the same; everything faded around me.

I lowered my bow and arrow, uselessly. Nothing existed but the urge to get closer to him.

He suddenly growled. The sound was guttural. It pierced my ears and tugged at something deep inside.

His knees buckled. Three arrows had torn through flesh and bone, lodging deeply. My eyes widened as I thoughtlessly rushed forward.

Strong, calloused hands yanked me back. In the same moment, several guardians and Roses tasered him.

His eyes still on me, he snarled with rage, then passed out.