The slave's night

Aria's P O V

"Aria, come on, we are running late. You have to save your mother remember?" Lara dragged me with her out of the house.

"We have to get there on time, they'll close the gate once it's 9:00 am, it's already 8:33 am, we can't waste any more time," Lara explained as she ran with me.

"No, this won't do. Let's run through the woods, it's faster there." She suggested.

"Well, I'm...I can't transform to my wolf form yet Lara." I reasoned with her.

"Ah, that's true. Why don't you use this money to take a cab then, meet me in front of the palace." She squeezed some notes into my hand.

I bobbed my head and thanked her as she took off. I sighed and ran to the point where I know I can find a cab. A few minutes later, a cabby man stopped and I got into his cab.

"Where to?" He questioned.

"To the royal palace," I answered, he turned to stare at me briefly before driving off.

I got down in front of the royal palace and looked around for Lara.

"Hey, come on here. I'm right here," Lara yelled to me.

"You are here," I smiled as I walked to her.

She grabbed hold of my hand. "Let's go in," she dragged me towards the guards and explained to them why we were there.

The guards stared at us with eyes I couldn't explain before they finally opened the gate.

"Lara why...."

"Let's go, don't bother, just pray to get picked." Lara interrupted knowing what I was about to ask her. It's as if she knows everything that goes on in my head.

We got to the entrances after passing lots of magnificent views, I think I'll take a proper look later. We have got to go now.

"Sir please let us in. We are here for the job," Lara said to the mean-looking guard guarding the door.

Why are they all looking so serious? I wondered to myself.

"Hey, let's go in." Lara suddenly pulled me in with her.

I stood frozen at the view before me immediately. There were ladies, a lot of ladies, both young and old wearing the same dress and they were cleaning the whole place.

What is going on? I was lost in thought again and didn't realize when a middle-aged woman walked up to us to inquire about the reason we were there.

"Ma'am, we are here for the job. We need it please," Lara pleaded.

"I'm an orphan and need the money to help myself and she..she needs to save her mother with the money," Lara explained our situation to the middle-aged lady.

After carefully observing us, the woman called. "Anyone there?"

Two maids, wearing the same attire as the rest of the ladies came forward.

"Search them, make sure they didn't bring anything that will harm the royal family." The woman instructed and the search began.

Not that I brought anything tho. I came empty-handed, I just need money for mom's surgery.

"Madam, we didn't find anything on them." The ladies bowed as they said to her.

"Alright, you can go." She waved her hand and they took two steps back before turning and joining the rest of the people cleaning.

"Follow me." She ordered and turned. Lara grabbed my hand and started following the woman.

We got to a place and stopped, a room precisely.

"Sit, wait for the madam." She ordered before turning and leaving the room.

Finally. I turned towards Lara immediately.

"Lara, what is going on here? Do you think they are expecting a visitor?" I inquired.

She sighs, "you don't even know anything about the royal family, do you?"

"Today is the slave day. Men of high authority will gather here today and the slaves will perform for them," Lara explained.

"Perform for them? I don't understand." I was really curious.

She opened her mouth to keep talking when a woman, a much older woman with grey hair entered the room.

"You came late." She sounded displeased.

Lara immediately stood up and I stood up with her.

"We are so sorry ma'am, we heard of this late," Lara explained.

"That's not how it's done here." She suddenly half yelled making me flinch.

"You apologize and not give excuses, this is the royal palace where the king and the queen stay." The woman glared at us as if we killed someone.

Lara surprisedly went on her knees, pulling me down with her.

"Please madam, we need this job." She pleaded with her head hanging low.

The woman let out a sigh before nodding once.

"At least you learn quickly, I'll accept you only for that reason." The woman revealed making my eyes widen.

"Thank you so much. We are grateful," Lara bowed, her head almost touching the ground. Like what on earth is wrong with her, I don't remember her being in much need of money. Although she is an orphan, she still runs a small coffee shop where she gets money from.

I was surprised when she offered to take me here and also work alongside me so I wouldn't feel discouraged.

The woman's eyes shifted to mine and I immediately hung my head low.

It looks like she has a hot temper. I don't think it's good for her health tho.

The woman turned and walked out of the room, leaving Lara and me alone.

"So, what's next? We start working immediately?" I asked her.

"I don't know, we'll have to wait and see." She shrugged her shoulder. Just then a lady with a much kinder look showed up.

"You have been selected, congratulations on that. I'm going to explain the rules to you now." The woman started.

"Once you are in, you can never go out. That means you'll work for the king till the day you die." She explained making me jerk up.

"Why??" My eyes were wide open in shock but Lara pulled me to sit down.

The lady ignored me and continued.

"On the slave's ceremonial day, or the day the royal palace host visitors, you'll have to act more mature and do anything the visitors ask you to do. That includes if you are asked to sleep with them." She continued.

Again, I stood up from my sit.

"That's impossible.." Lara covered my mouth and dragged me down to my sit.

"When serving the king's special guest of the royal family, you'll have to kneel and serve them. You can't be on your feet while serving the royal family, do you understand?" The woman concluded.

"Yes ma'am, we understand everything you said. We'll adhere to the rules of the royal palace." Lara sounded excited.

Huh, is she joking? All these rules because I want to serve the king.

"Now, let's begin your training. Follow me." She turned and walked out of the room leaving us to follow behind.

*

"Lara, I don't think I can do these. I want to go home, I'll find some other ways to raise money for my mom's surgery." I said to her.

"You know once you officially start, you will no longer have your freedom."

"Fool, do you think that is possible? We have been accepted, we can't leave. There is no way." Lara shook her head as she arranged her side of the bed.

We have been given a room after we were asked to practice how to serve while kneeling.

"But... I won't be able to see mother, how do I get the money to her if I get it? I won't have a life again." I protested.

"Look at you, you don't understand do you? You can leave the palace to visit your parents but with a note handed by the madam who is in charge here. As for not having your life anymore, just take it that you exchanged your happiness for your mom to stay alive." Lara smiled.

I huffed and hit my foot on the floor.

"Why do you look so happy tho? You have a coffee shop. Who will run it?' I questioned.

"Nope, I've closed it down already and sold the shop." She winked.

"What? So you already knew about the rules beforehand and you still brought me here?" I was furious now.

"Aria, calm down. I don't know about the rules, it's the first time I'm also hearing it but I closed the shop because I know there was no way the shop could wait for me and also, I planned on getting into college remember?" She tried to make me calm down.

"You are breathing fast. Calm down." She kept saying until I was calm.

"You can sleep now. Lie down and sleep." She suggested before walking out of the room.

I lay down and closed my eyes to see flashes and faces of people that I don't know.

I opened my eyes again, panting heavily. I see them almost every day, they call out to me but I don't know who they are.

Mom and dad said they aren't real people and I shouldn't worry about them.

Mom and dad are old, I'm their only child and they are both nice to me. They are both omegas, but me...I don't know what I am. I haven't been able to shift, but since mom and dad are wolves then that automatically makes me one. I'm 17+ now and I'm the only one in the whole pack that hasn't shifted, literally everyone my age has shifted. Lara is 18 and has been shifting even before she got to that age. Mom and dad said I'll be able to shift once I turn 18, I'm hoping, I'm hoping because I want to know what my wolf looks like.

Mom said my wolf will be as beautiful as I am, of course, I'm really beautiful but also really skinny, almost bony. I sometimes look like a walking dead when I don't eat.

I'm of average height, most of my age mates are way taller than me.

*Sighs* I'm poor too.

The door opens and Lara walks in.

"You aren't sleeping?" She asked.

"No, I couldn't fall asleep. I had flashes again." I told her the truth.

"Just ignore it, they are nothing I've told you." Lara sighs.

I know my parents always convince me that the flashes I get are nothing but Lara is always trying to force me to forget about the flashes once I get them. I don't know the reason for this but she is hellbent on making me forget any face I see when I close my eyes. One time she had given me something and after taking it, I didn't get those flashes again for a week.

But I realized that I got weaker than usual. I don't know why but I felt really weak that week that I took it, when the flashes started coming back, I became stronger again.

I'm not saying that I'm really strong. I'm the weakest around here, I mean someone who hasn't shifted even once, who hasn't met her wolf yet.

I feel sorry for myself.

I watch as she sits down on her side of the bed before bringing out clothes from the drawer.

"We start tomorrow. Check your drawer for your dress." She informed.

"Tomorrow? Isn't that too soon? Can't they let us rest for a week or so, I mean this is what I'm gonna be doing all my life anyway."

"You should thank the moon goddess that we aren't asked to start tonight. Tonight is the slave night," she scoffed.

"The slave's night again?"

I sat upright from the bed.

"So what happens? How is it done?" I asked with curiosity cutting through my flesh.

Why haven't I heard about such a thing?

"I think you should come with me to watch it tonight. I'm also really curious as to how it's done here. Only the people at the palace and the guests are allowed to see it. I guess we'll pretend to be maids to watch the performance.

What do you think?" She asked, staring at me with curiosity.

"I'm in," I smiled nodding my head.