Mated to the Lycan King Fated Betrothal

The very first time I met King Nicholas, I was covered from head-to-toe in dirt, food and red stains of blood−not just mine, but his fiancé’s as well… but I’m getting ahead of myself. Instead, I’ll start right at the beginning, with the damp scent of rain hanging in the cool air and the warmth of an old porcelain cup in my hands.

 “Don’t forget to send my regards to your brother,” Ophelia said from across the table. She was late for work… again. But it didn’t stop her from completing her morning ritual of drinking a cup of coffee with me. She paused for a moment; her brown eyes suddenly filling with that familiar look of sadness it always seemed to carry whenever she mentioned my brother. “And please, tell him that I miss him.”

“I seriously don’t think it will make a difference to him. But I’ll tell him,” And then a little softer I mumbled, “…if I remember.”

Ophelia frowned, shook her head and then said sternly, “And for the sake of Zeus, stay out of trouble today, Ariya.”

Although Ophelia carried the self-proclaimed superiority of the lycans in her blood, she’d become the closest thing my brother and I had to family for a while now and so, it was not uncommon for her to worry about me− especially since my natural inclination to find trouble and general human status made me a walking target to those of her kind that were less compassionate than she was.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll be on my best behaviour!” I said with a wide, cheeky grin. She cocked a thick, violet tinted brow, unconvinced and then left our home in haste. It was not too long after that I too had left for my journey to see my brother. He’d left the house bitterly a few months ago seeking independence and ‘freedom’. According to the last phone call I’d had with him, he’d found his independence somewhere in Zestonia, a warm and tropical sub-region right in the centre of the region of Iris. Iris was further divided into another three sub-regions according to their temperate climate: Kryonne, cold and snowy; Anemodis, windy and dry and then finally, the sub-region I resided in, Vrocher which was characterised by its wet and rainy climate.

I had underestimated the distance between Vrocher and Zestonia and ended up spending most of the day on the road. It was about nearly midday when I finally reached the golden gates in the centre of the giant golden wall that served to create a large, almost mockingly extravagant border between Zestonia and the rest of the other three sub-regions. Beyond the golden wall, almost making it appear as though Zestonia truly was an entirely new world, stretched an abundance of blue skies. I’d heard of how the weather changed as one travelled throughout Iris, but to see it up close and so prominently, was something else entirely. I paused for a moment and stared in awe at how the grey clouds completely stopped, hovering just above the golden wall, almost afraid to touch and taint the brilliant blue skies beyond it.

The wall was lined with security guards who patrolled the border, all of which were human. One of them neared my stationary car, and as she did, I rolled down my window before greeting the tall, unfriendly woman who peered into my vehicle.

She demanded to see my identification papers without so much as an acknowledgement to my greeting. Once I’d handed them to her and she’d returned them back to me she asked a few questions regarding my visit. As soon as she was satisfied, she held a thumbs up to the rest of the guards. Suddenly, the golden gates began to open, revealing the beauty within them. Zestonia was the heart and soul of Iris and was the source of most of Iris’ economic activity. The richest and most powerful of Iris’ lycans stayed here and as such, the place had a certain air of superiority. I noticed as I drove through the streets that the paint still looked new and fresh, the grass on the pavements was cut neatly and not a single piece of litter was in sight. It was quite different to the dullness and dreariness of Vrocher. There, the paint on the streets had faded with the rain and the pavements were always muddy and the grass and plantation always seemed to wash away with the frequent flooding. Even the houses there looked sad, old and worn down by the harshness of the constant rain. Despite its shortcomings, I liked staying in Vrocher with Ophelia. It was safe, familiar and comforting.

It didn’t take long for me to find a large sign baring the name of the restaurant I was to meet Kiyan at. I sighed in relief and parked as close to the entrance as they allowed humans to. The restaurant was divided into two levels. The top was reserved for lycans and their human servants, and the bottom for humans who had come without their masters and mistresses. The place was much fancier than I’d imagined with tables dressed in gold patterned tablecloths and beautiful flower vases placed on top of them. Abstract paintings and intricate sculptures were placed neatly on the walls as well.

The moment I reached the door, the pleasant warmth inside engulfed my body, and I was greeted politely by a waitress who stood by the door. Her name was Lilac, according to her nametag.

“Table for one?” she asked as she grabbed a menu from one of the stacks on a nearby table.

“Oh, no, I’m actually here to meet my brother.” My brown eyes took a quick glance towards the people seated as I searched for a familiar head of short, dark hair. “There he is!” I yelled and pointed towards my brother once I’d finally located him.

Lilac smiled and then politely stepped aside, allowing me to enter the restaurant. Once I’d made it to my brother’s table, I froze, and he did too. We hadn’t parted on the best of terms and the sour words he’d left both Ophelia and I with before he left, still hung in the air between us. And so, we were both temporarily overcome by an awkward sense of caution. But the moment I had decided to take a few more steps towards him− a sign of good faith on my part− caution was thrown to the wind. Kiyan almost immediately let out a sigh of relief, smiled, got up from his chair and wrapped his arms tightly around me. He smelled different and unfamiliar, almost mimicking the bright, rich, opulence of Zestonia. It was as though the place had engulfed him in its scent, claiming him as one of its residents. I also noticed that his skin, which used to be roughly the same golden brown as mine, had changed to a more intense shade of darker brown, no doubt the result of his enjoyment of the warm and sunny weather here instead of the dull and dreary weather back in Vrocher. He’d even gotten significantly more muscular, and his shoulders were much broader and sturdier than I remembered them being. I was relieved, to say the least. During these last few months, I'd been so worried about my brother. I was worried that he’d have trouble adjusting and I was worried that he’d find it difficult to fend for himself. But I could see now that the opposite was true. Here, he was thriving and fuller of life than I’d ever seen him before.

“It’s so great to see you!” he said with a bright, beaming smile as he pulled away from me.

I returned his smile and said, “Likewise, and happy birthday!”

As I said this, I reached into my bag and pulled from it a small box before handing it to him. Kiyan gave out a surprised gasp, took it from my hands and began to open it up as he sat down. I joined him, watching his dark eyes brighten as he pulled out a golden chain from it.