Chapter 1

On the highest mountain in a faraway land lives a king, he is said to be the most powerful creature that ever existed. With wide eyes and attentive ears I listened looking into my mothers eyes. They say he's feral, with a blink of an eye your bones are crushed, they also say his temper is like a teenager, I giggle. "honey! could you please stop telling our daughter scary stories, what am I here for, you're supposed to tell her about princesses and girly stuff" my mum chuckles "that's because you're such a softie, so ill leave the princesses to you" he's shocked but then explodes into laughter "I thought you said you liked my muscles, and that they made me look manly, but now I know better" he says feigning to be hurt.

Well that was 15 years ago, when my parents were still alive. Now I was rethinking my career choice which I dearly loved but gave me headache. My mum was a successful historian and archeologist, her curiosity and adventurous spirit was one thing I picked up from her, her career and discoveries inspired me to also read history and archeology. I landed a real job after college but my colleagues and inability to make a breakthrough discovery kept me in the same position for two years while my colleagues were promoted. I sat in my office sighing. At least I had a job.

"Iris" my boss walks in through the door "are you done with the research work I gave you?" "yes" "did you find anything different?" He says taking a seat "yes that was what I wanted to tell you yesterday" "can you bring it to my office now" I didn't want to tell him that I hadn't finished the report he had given me two weeks ago but I was busted my lie couldn't go on "can you give me an hour to finish up" he was visibly angry now "Iris, you need to stop daydreaming, the reason I gave you this work was because of your keen eyes, an the fact that you're good at what you do, but with you're attitude towards work many think you're a slack and the reason you got this job was because of your fathers affiliate with me, while we both know that's not the case; you keep proving them right by sleeping and daydreaming in the office, while I might be the boss of this division, I'm not the final boss, if words gets up there, no matter how much of an asset you are you may loose this job, its not a good look on me who recommended you" "I'm sorry ill finish it up right now" he gets up from the seat 'ill be expecting you in my office in thirty minutes" I sigh pulling out my laptop. Dr Petras was my fathers childhood friend and my godfather, after my parents death, he kept an eye on me, and although I lived with my grand parents he always came to visit as he was on good terms with them.

"ah I'm done" I get up leaving my desk to submit the report. I hear snickers as I pass, someone grabs me by my arm "don't mind them they're just jealous" he whispers in my ear "jealous of what? I'm a slug" he laughs "jealous of the fact that you're the best here" "N/A if I was the best the higher ups would have promoted me by now" I say as he follows me through the office corridor "well if you weren't such a slug they would have promoted you" he smiles teasing me "I admit I'm a slug but we both know that's not the reason why I haven't gotten a promotion yet" although I was a pesky worker I always met the deadline and my works were always praised whereas others were asked to learn from me. I knew he was about to go full blown motivation on "truthfully you might be a slob but you're very resourceful and you always deliver excellently" "if that's so I should be on a research crew or have my personal research crew by now" I say one, of the reasons I hadn't gotten the promotions was because I had been hung up on one of my mothers projects, the one she was on before she died, but it was proving unsuccessful, so I might as well drop it and take another project since I was struggling financially, I needed to make a discovery for my project to be acknowledged and although I had made some on my mothers project they weren't funded because they believed that the facts couldn't be proved and it was a waste of company resources since it was extremely dangerous. I sigh finally stopping at Dr Petras office "take it easy ok" I nod" he flicks my head before running off "what was that for" I knock but he wasn't in his office so I drop the files on his table sending him a quick message. I check the time it was 5 o'clock time for me to go home.

"ah this is nice" I say as I soak in a hot bubble bath, with hot chocolate in my hand. I reminisce about two years ago when I got the job and I was happy and loved. But ever since Thelma released the false rumors about the non existent favoritism, things went a bit down hill. I had pitched my mothers unfinished project about the mountain king, if he was a beast or human; some said I was still living a fantasy. Sometimes I thought so too but I couldn't shake off the fact that something was off. My mum was a renowned archeologist and she dedicated such amount of time to such a project, she didn't spend as much time on her other projects. Maybe I was over thinking things, maybe it really was a fantasy project. For a year I was teased about, "I think its about time I let that project go" I shouldn't have pitched the project that was my one opportunity and I blew it over some fairy tale my mother told me. "what a rookie move on my part". I wrap the towel round my body and step out of the bathtub, I silence as I watch the water slowly drain out. Few minutes later I'm in the living room, in my pajamas trying to complete some of the office work before the deadline, so that I can have some days off to myself. I sigh my mental and physical health was at stake, remembering Dr Petras all thought of sleep vanishes. It wasn't always like this, the job was nice I had three days in the office, one day on the field and the remaining to myself, recently it seamed like work was piling, I needed to power up so that I could have my one day to myself .

Stretching my arms "I'm finally done, I just need to email this" I do a little dance giving myself a thumbs up. I hear the door open, my roommate walks in, we've been living together for almost a year, she works for the same company as me, we both met on our interview day and I think it was fate, because we've been inseparable since then. We both got the job thankfully, but she works in the tech division and we hardly see ourselves at work. She was a pretty blond, with wonderful curved features sometimes I think she should have been a hot model if she wasn't a hot techie girl, what a career choice, which is why she got the secretary role in the tech department even though her resume reads techie and she was mad good at what she did.

She drags herself inside diving into the sofa "how was your day Ronnie?" I ask "I swear I'm this close to killing my boss, the bastard is perverted". Ronnie applied to the tech department but wasn't given the role even though she was extremely qualified, I think she bruised the interviewers ego with her grace and intelligence, so instead of giving her the qualified role, he offered her to be his secretary; but then Derek walks in seeing the commotion, walks if offering her to be his personal secretary since he was about to fire his own. Ronnie agreed because she would also work closely with the tech department and her pay was higher than the previous role seeing she was in a financial crisis and that was how she got the role.On the highest mountain in a faraway land lives a king, he is said to be the most powerful creature that ever existed. With wide eyes and attentive ears I listened looking into my mothers eyes. They say he's feral, with a blink of an eye your bones are crushed, they also say his temper is like a teenager, I giggle. "honey! could you please stop telling our daughter scary stories, what am I here for, you're supposed to tell her about princesses and girly stuff" my mum chuckles "that's because you're such a softie, so ill leave the princesses to you" he's shocked but then explodes into laughter "I thought you said you liked my muscles, and that they made me look manly, but now I know better" he says feigning to be hurt.

Well that was 15 years ago, when my parents were still alive. Now I was rethinking my career choice which I dearly loved but gave me headache. My mum was a successful historian and archeologist, her curiosity and adventurous spirit was one thing I picked up from her, her career and discoveries inspired me to also read history and archeology. I landed a real job after college but my colleagues and inability to make a breakthrough discovery kept me in the same position for two years while my colleagues were promoted. I sat in my office sighing. At least I had a job.

"Iris" my boss walks in through the door "are you done with the research work I gave you?" "yes" "did you find anything different?" He says taking a seat "yes that was what I wanted to tell you yesterday" "can you bring it to my office now" I didn't want to tell him that I hadn't finished the report he had given me two weeks ago but I was busted my lie couldn't go on "can you give me an hour to finish up" he was visibly angry now "Iris, you need to stop daydreaming, the reason I gave you this work was because of your keen eyes, an the fact that you're good at what you do, but with you're attitude towards work many think you're a slack and the reason you got this job was because of your fathers affiliate with me, while we both know that's not the case; you keep proving them right by sleeping and daydreaming in the office, while I might be the boss of this division, I'm not the final boss, if words gets up there, no matter how much of an asset you are you may loose this job, its not a good look on me who recommended you" "I'm sorry ill finish it up right now" he gets up from the seat 'ill be expecting you in my office in thirty minutes" I sigh pulling out my laptop. Dr Petras was my fathers childhood friend and my godfather, after my parents death, he kept an eye on me, and although I lived with my grand parents he always came to visit as he was on good terms with them.

"ah I'm done" I get up leaving my desk to submit the report. I hear snickers as I pass, someone grabs me by my arm "don't mind them they're just jealous" he whispers in my ear "jealous of what? I'm a slug" he laughs "jealous of the fact that you're the best here" "N/A if I was the best the higher ups would have promoted me by now" I say as he follows me through the office corridor "well if you weren't such a slug they would have promoted you" he smiles teasing me "I admit I'm a slug but we both know that's not the reason why I haven't gotten a promotion yet" although I was a pesky worker I always met the deadline and my works were always praised whereas others were asked to learn from me. I knew he was about to go full blown motivation on "truthfully you might be a slob but you're very resourceful and you always deliver excellently" "if that's so I should be on a research crew or have my personal research crew by now" I say one, of the reasons I hadn't gotten the promotions was because I had been hung up on one of my mothers projects, the one she was on before she died, but it was proving unsuccessful, so I might as well drop it and take another project since I was struggling financially, I needed to make a discovery for my project to be acknowledged and although I had made some on my mothers project they weren't funded because they believed that the facts couldn't be proved and it was a waste of company resources since it was extremely dangerous. I sigh finally stopping at Dr Petras office "take it easy ok" I nod" he flicks my head before running off "what was that for" I knock but he wasn't in his office so I drop the files on his table sending him a quick message. I check the time it was 5 o'clock time for me to go home.

"ah this is nice" I say as I soak in a hot bubble bath, with hot chocolate in my hand. I reminisce about two years ago when I got the job and I was happy and loved. But ever since Thelma released the false rumors about the non existent favoritism, things went a bit down hill. I had pitched my mothers unfinished project about the mountain king, if he was a beast or human; some said I was still living a fantasy. Sometimes I thought so too but I couldn't shake off the fact that something was off. My mum was a renowned archeologist and she dedicated such amount of time to such a project, she didn't spend as much time on her other projects. Maybe I was over thinking things, maybe it really was a fantasy project. For a year I was teased about, "I think its about time I let that project go" I shouldn't have pitched the project that was my one opportunity and I blew it over some fairy tale my mother told me. "what a rookie move on my part". I wrap the towel round my body and step out of the bathtub, I silence as I watch the water slowly drain out. Few minutes later I'm in the living room, in my pajamas trying to complete some of the office work before the deadline, so that I can have some days off to myself. I sigh my mental and physical health was at stake, remembering Dr Petras all thought of sleep vanishes. It wasn't always like this, the job was nice I had three days in the office, one day on the field and the remaining to myself, recently it seamed like work was piling, I needed to power up so that I could have my one day to myself .

Stretching my arms "I'm finally done, I just need to email this" I do a little dance giving myself a thumbs up. I hear the door open, my roommate walks in, we've been living together for almost a year, she works for the same company as me, we both met on our interview day and I think it was fate, because we've been inseparable since then. We both got the job thankfully, but she works in the tech division and we hardly see ourselves at work. She was a pretty blond, with wonderful curved features sometimes I think she should have been a hot model if she wasn't a hot techie girl, what a career choice, which is why she got the secretary role in the tech department even though her resume reads techie and she was mad good at what she did.

She drags herself inside diving into the sofa "how was your day Ronnie?" I ask "I swear I'm this close to killing my boss, the bastard is perverted". Ronnie applied to the tech department but wasn't given the role even though she was extremely qualified, I think she bruised the interviewers ego with her grace and intelligence, so instead of giving her the qualified role, he offered her to be his secretary; but then Derek walks in seeing the commotion, walks if offering her to be his personal secretary since he was about to fire his own. Ronnie agreed because she would also work closely with the tech department and her pay was higher than the previous role seeing she was in a financial crisis and that was how she got the role.

.