The flock of female werewolves appeared unbothered. They discussed in groups and barely noticed her presence; which was incredibly favorable for when things get messy and she decides it's time to slip away and escape.
Phaeryl scanned the area; they were about twenty girls, including her standing in front of an enormous metal gate with intricate designs on it. She wondered why the capital built this in the middle of the forest of Venzor.
She turned away with her nose crinkled.
This was a cruel joke. Some girls a few steps away from her were discussing how excited they are to serve Xhanes Ardegard, hopefully be favored by him and birth his child. Her heart felt a pang at the thought of the fact that most of these girls would probably not survive these next two weeks. Last year, most of the female werewolves died within the first week of staying at Xhanes Ardegard's palace, while few were able to escape but with heaps of trauma.
"Everyone should be quiet. I will now be unsealing the gate"
An old man announced as he made his way to the gate. Phaeryl flinched when he slit his palm with a knife, letting the drops of blood be absorbed by the soil in front of the gate. She swore she could hear the splintered voice of her wolf,Phae, say Do you know what you're about to step into?" There is nothing peaceful about this.
The gate made a loud noise as he pushed it open. The old man turned back and gestured them through the gate with a smile. She could've sworn it was fake.
She watched hesitantly as other girls entered. The door closed behind them with a loud bang, separating them from the man. Phaeryl tilted after she checked out the whole area: They were more than 20 quarters with the palace in the middle, which was a far distance from where they stood. The trees surrounding the palace looked properly maintained, she believed. He had been trapped with possibly nothing to do.
A few people who had glanced Phaeryl's way were probably curious about where she was from; if her auburn hair meant she was from Lanster and why she was standing alone. But clearly, it wasn't enough to enter any circle of discussion.
The only girl that was in the same situation as her was another young lady around Phaeryl's age, dressed in an attire commonly from Erast. No one spoke to her, but they surely noticed her. Her long brown was styled into a bun, complimenting her brown eyes.
Phaeryl headed towards her with a smile.
"I like the way you styled your hair. It is beautiful"
The girl flashed a grin, different from her former expression.
"Thank you" She muttered, her lips curled into a nervous smile.
She cleared her throat "you're – beautiful, I mean your hair. That's not what I mean, I mean— you and your hair– they are both beautiful" Phaeryl watched as the girl clasped her hands behind her back to stop them from shaking.
"I'm flattered, thank you" Phaeryl beamed. "I'm Phaeryl from Lanster"
"My name is Isla Heven from Erast"
"I recognised that the gown is common in Erast."
"Yes. I–"
"Everybody, listen up!"
An older girl spoke up. Her voice sounded authoritative, her eyes skimmed through everybody waiting for each person to stop talking before she continued.
"My name is Esme Zephyr from Venzor. This is my third time being here" Whispers erupted from the girls. "I'm the only experienced one here. I have some tips: Do not speak when you're not spoken to, don't lie when he asks you a question. The revered one is fond of games; do whatever he tells you to do and try your best to survive. Most importantly, DO NOT TRY TO ESCAPE until it is safe to do so. Last time, the group of girls who tried to escape very early into the selection were killed. It will be beneficial for you to respect me since the revered one probably knows me; one of the reasons I was spared the last time"
Isla swallowed as she rubbed her palm on her dress. Phaeryl noticed she and Isla were one of the few girls who had reacted to what Esme had announced. The others were really aware of what they had signed up for.
"We need to head to the palace to announce our presence"
Esme led the way to the palace and stopped right in front of a massive door. The intricate designs on it were the same as the one on the metal gate. We should probably not enter inside, but I feel like we need to.
Phae's voice sounded more clear in her mind than ever. The slight hot sensation in her eye had returned. Was this Phae trying to warn her?
"Glory to the revered one, Honor to the pack of Ardegard. We are here to serve to you"
Esme greeted,with everyone joining in after the first greeting.
The door opened.
Phaeryl waited for some of the girls to enter before stepping through the door with Isla marching beside her while holding her arm tight.
But as Phaeryl entered the cool palace, the air reminded her of nights back home. The girls looked around in amazement. The palace was beautiful with tints of white and golden in the design and structure. A golden throne was centered in its middle with a vast curved
staircase .
"This time, they sent twenty. This will be fun" An instant monotone voice, which sounded just by the door they had walked through, spoke.
Phaeryl spun around, all blood draining from her face. She didn't expect to see him– the man she bumped into at the tavern.