The King's Decision

"No! I object! You can't force me to marry a stranger!" Princess Natalia exclaimed.

An hour ago, her father, the King of Etholia, announced that whoever marries her youngest daughter would be the next ruler of his kingdom.

Etholia was located in the northern part of Telluria. It was ruled by the ruthless and mighty King Lucius—considered to be the most powerful lycan.

His kingdom was the most powerful and biggest fortress in Telluria. Even the vampire and the dragon clan were afraid of him. He was undefeated in countless battles and had won the hearts of his people.

Although, he was feared by many, but to his family, he was a loving husband and father. He had three daughters—Princess Naila, Princess Nilenia, and Princess Natalia.

Princess Naila was supposed to inherit the throne, but she was sick and was bedridden for four years now. While Princess Nilenia rejected to be the next heir.

The youngest daughter of King Lucius was chosen to be the next ruler of Etholia. That was what everyone thought until a proclamation was given by the king itself.

"I have an announcement to make! As ruler of the most powerful kingdom in Telluria, I wanted someone to rule and protect my kingdom when I'm gone. You all know that my eldest daughter could not fulfill her duty because of her illness and my second daughter rejected the throne. I do not blame them for that. My youngest daughter would be in her eighteenth year of existence and is the rightful heir to the kingdom of Etholia. But I couldn't bare to give all the burden to her. So I have decided to choose a man for her and whoever my daughter marries would be the next king of my kingdom. He would rule beside my daughter and would have the same power and authority as her."

Everyone was astounded by the king's sudden announcement. Some were glad and just accepted the decision. But rumors spread fast that the reason the king wanted a man for her daughter was that he didn't trust the princess.

"My decision is final Natalia! This is for the good of the kingdom and yours." King Lucius said.

Natalia wanted to take the throne. That was her dream ever since she was a little girl. She accepted the fact that she was third in line, but she thought her dreams came true when her sisters could not ascend the throne.

She was in her room, burying her face into the soft pillow. She wasn't crying. She was screaming.

She was mad at her father's decision. But she couldn't blame him. She wasn't the best choice to rule the kingdom. Out of her father's three daughters, she hadn't proved herself to be worthy of the throne.

Her eldest sister, Princess Naila, was smart, sophisticated, and kind. She had every trait of a ruler Etholia needed, except for the fact that she was diagnosed with a rare disease. The doctors said she would not live long and that her body should not take any burden so she could at least live for ten more years.

Her sister Princess Nilenia was a genius. She was always on top of her class. She was also good at using swords and guns. She was a free-spirited woman and wanted to explore the world.

While she was nothing compared to her sisters. She studied and was trained to become the next ruler of Etholia, but she knew her father and the elders did not trust her completely. She felt like there were eyes following and observing her every move. Waiting for her to fail.

"Natalia, my dear sister." It was Nilenia who came to her aid.

She fixed herself and sat on the bed. Nilenia held her hands and smiled.

"You know already that this would happen. It may seem unfair, but father did it for you and the kingdom."

She pouted. "I know that. But I felt like he doesn't trust me. I can rule without a husband. Maybe I have not proved anything yet, but I know I can."

"You can, and I believe in you. Nalia too. I'm sorry for giving this burden to you. But I know that your dream is to rule our kingdom. You have the heart of a leader, Natalia. If father and the elders couldn't see that, then prove them wrong."

Nilenia always knew what to say to encourage her. They couldn't talk to Nalia every day so she and Nilenia were closer to each other. But the three sisters formed a bond that no one could break.

"Do you think I should obey father and the elders?" She asked.

Nilenia sighed. "I'm against it. But you have no choice. Unless you want to give up the throne. As I said, obey them now and at the same time show them what you're capable of even without a man."

She let herself fall on the bed and Nilenia lay down beside her. They silently stared at the ceiling for a moment.

"Why do you think the Moon Goddess let the new generation choose their mates? I mean it would be easy if I just have to wait to meet him. At least I know he's the right one." She said.

"I don't know either. Maybe she saw you and the others were different from the rest of us." Nilenia commented.

She frowned. "Different? In what way?"

"Well, you're stubborn and short-tempered. Your generation couldn't be controlled anymore. And even before you were born, there were creatures who chose their own partner and rejected the mating pull. So I think the Moon Goddess saw that and to avoid any pain and scars, she gave you the ability to follow your heart."

They were Lycans. They've been in existence for a thousand years. The Moon Goddess Selene created them. They were supposed to have a mate chosen by the Goddess, along with other creatures, but it all changed on the day she was born.