Without A Mate

In the year 2023, on the exact day the youngest daughter of King Lucius was born, something remarkable happened.

Two moons appeared that night in Telluria and shooting stars rained from the sky. They thought it was a blessing from the Moon Goddess Selene until a messenger of the Gods came to visit the King of Etholia.

"I am Iris, a messenger from Polus. The Moon Goddess Selene has a message for you, King Lucius."

The King frowned. Everyone was surprised but was excited because it was a message from their beloved Goddess. What they thought was a blessing and grace from Selene became a never-ending wonder to the people of Etholia.

"Your Majesty and to the citizens of Etholia. It is I, the Mother of all shapeshifters, the one who resides and gazed upon you with the light of the moon, your Moon Goddess Selene. From the moment I created my children, I have loved you with all my heart. As your loving mother, I have given every one of you a mate to be with you for the rest of your lives. But as I watched from my kingdom, I am greatly saddened that most of you have rejected what I have given. So I have decided not to pair the children who will be born from today onwards to someone else and in return give them the ability to choose their own mate."

Some were happy with Selene's decision, but a lot of creatures questioned the real reason for it. Some said it was a curse rather than a blessing. That Selene was already fed up with her children.

But the worst part of it was that it was the princess' fault. They said she was a curse because as the lycans evolved throughout time, a mark would appear on their shoulders on the day they were born. The mark was a symbol of good fortune and a blessing to the clan. But Natalia had none.

Even though the king did not believe that her daughter was cursed, he couldn't stop the rumor from spreading. And because of that, to protect his youngest daughter, he sent her to the southern part of the castle.

She was kept in there for years and was not allowed to go out without permission. She had her servants to assist her. Her sisters were allowed to visit and play with her, but only twice a week.

Her mother, Queen Martina, would come often to take care of her. She loved Natalia, but she could not defy the king's order.

In her tenth year of existence, King Lucius allowed her to live in the main castle. She was finally free and most of all, she was happy to be with her family.

"My love?" It was her father who came into her room one night.

"Father! Good evening! I-I didn't expect you to visit me." She stuttered.

The King who looked so dazzling in his royal robe walked toward her. She was surprised when he kneeled and hugged her right.

"Father?"

"I'm sorry, my love. I sent you away." He whispered.

That was when she realized the King was a good father. She admit she hated him for separating her from the rest of the family, but when he apologized, she felt his love and sincerity toward her.

"Father, I perfectly understand. And I forgive you. I love you father, and I will do everything for you."

She cried. All the emotions she kept inside suddenly came out. She thought everything was okay, but her young heart was lonely and in pain.

Ever since she became free, she did everything out of the ordinary. She was a princess, but she would rather play with other kids in town than study. She was stubborn and acted irresponsibly.

"Natalia, how many times should I tell you to stop acting like a commoner? You are a royal, a princess, and third in line to the throne." His father would always scold her.

Third in line to the throne? She didn't want that. She wanted to be the heir and the next ruler of Etholia. For two years, she had seen the different faces of the citizens of their kingdom. She believed that there were a lot of things that need improvement to help their subjects.

She thought her dream to become the next ruler would not come true. Until her eldest sister, Nalia, was diagnosed with an illness and Nilenia rejected the throne. From that day on, she was once again kept in the southern part of the castle, not because of the rumor that she was cursed, but to focus on her studies and training as the next ruler.

For four years, she was molded to be the proper princess and when the day came to introduce her to everyone, her heart was in solace.

So when her father announced that she would have to rule with a husband, her world was crushed. She knew that time will come for her to choose a man, but she didn't expect it to be so soon.

"Do you know the details of father's proclamation?" She asked Nilenia.

Her sister nodded. "Father and the elders would choose the right one for you. They have invited a lot of men from different clans and they would be here in a week."

She stood up. "What? That soon? Sister, I can't allow them to decide for my future. I am the next heir to the throne and I believe I have the right to speak up."

"So are you going to disobey father's orders? What about the throne?" Nilenia asked.

"No. I will do what they asked. I will find a husband. But I will do it my way."

"What do you mean?"

"I will choose my own husband and I will judge them based on my ideals." She answered.