I took a deep breath. I was finally here at the palace. I showed the royal decree to the royal guards, and they led me to the training grounds. Everything felt so foreign to me at the moment.
Men were exchanging glances at me, there were also a few women, but none of them came to speak with me. I didn't care. I simply started asking them one by one for my instructor.
"Please, do you know where I can find..."
The woman I was asking, taunt wide-eyed, just scoffed and looked away. I didn't understand why they were treating me this way. I just arrived here. I tried to ask someone else, but he had the same reaction as the woman.
I would be a fool to continue asking. I just sat quietly in one spot. He would show up at some point, and then I would meet him. I consoled myself with that and continued minding my business, assessing the training grounds.
Shortly after, a man approached me.
"Hi, my name is Luke. Nice to meet you."
"Hi, I'm Bella."
"Don't mind the way they treated you just now. They're just annoyed and feel you bought your way into training to be a warrior. They also think your training would be for show, just to uphold the compulsion."
I laughed. "Really? And what do you think... Luke?"
"Well, I think they are too quick to judge. For you to show interest in being a soldier is already quite commendable," Luke said, his voice steady.
I looked at him for much longer than I realized. He didn't have striking features, but his gaze was warm—very warm and soft. It was alluring, and the way he spoke seemed to put me at ease.
I muttered a quiet thank you to him.
He smiled, "You're welcome."
I was expecting him to leave immediately, but instead, he sat right beside me and began whistling casually.
I found it a bit funny, and before I knew it, I found myself asking, "I'm looking for Trainer John. Is there a way of getting through to him?"
He nodded, still whistling lightly. "Yes, you can. He stays in the south wing."
I stood up, preparing to leave.
"Or," he added with a teasing glint in his eyes, "you can just wait a couple more minutes. He should be here soon."
I laughed, shaking my head. "Why didn't you just say that first?"
I waited a bit, and very soon, I saw a very muscular man emerge from the crowd. His presence was commanding, and he exuded strength in every movement.
"That's him," Luke said, nodding toward the man.
I took a deep breath, standing straighter, and prepared myself to approach Trainer John.
Hello, John. I'm Bella. I was sent to undergo the training under your instructions."
He stood with his arms crossed, his eyes narrowing as he assessed me.
"You're Bella, the one that got here through the king's favor?" John's voice was rough, his tone skeptical.
I lifted my chin, locking eyes with him. "Yes. I'm here to train."
He grunted, his expression unreadable. "We'll see if you can keep up. No special treatment for you. You'll train like everyone else."
I didn't need special treatment. I didn't need anyone to go easy on me. "I'm ready."
He seemed to study me for a moment, his eyes piercing. Then, he nodded. "Good. Let's see what you've got. No one is allowed to make use of their werewolf abilities. Just use swords to fight."
The first test began—sparring with a fellow recruit. She was the woman who had scoffed at me earlier, the one who had looked at me with disdain. Her name was Annie. I couldn't back down now.
I wasn't expecting it to be easy. In fact, I welcomed the challenge. I needed this, needed to prove I could stand toe-to-toe with these warriors.
The clang of swords echoed in the air, the sound of feet sliding across the stone, the sharp breaths of my opponent filled my ears. She was fast, ruthless, aiming for my chest, but I dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding her strike. The crowd of soldiers that had mocked me at first murmured in approval. Even John's lips twitched upward, a barely-there smile.
"Not bad. For a beginner," he said, his tone gruff.
After the training, I couldn't find Luke anywhere. Even though they had cheered for me earlier, I could tell they still had reservations about me. It was hard not to notice the skeptical glances, the whispers just low enough for me to hear. But I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of knowing that it bothered me.
I tried to focus on finding the soldiers' accommodation. But as I rounded a corner, lost in my thoughts, I wasn't paying attention.
Suddenly, I collided with someone.
"Ow!" I exclaimed, stumbling back. My hands flew out instinctively, trying to steady myself.
The person I bumped into caught me by the shoulders effortlessly, keeping me from falling. I looked up and I found myself staring into the eyes of a man who looked like he belonged in a fairy tale.
His features were soft, almost otherworldly, and his eyes—deep and captivating—seemed to see straight through me. My heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
His face was handsome, but it was more than that. He had an ethereal type of beauty. I quickly averted my gaze, not wanting to seem flustered, but it was hard to shake the strange feeling he stirred in me.