CHAPTER 40

***Past***

RUDINA’S POV

I couldn’t forget what my father said to me as he was getting ready to take me to my room while I was laying on the bed thinking about what I could do. To be honest, I had no idea what my mother had with him before since, first and foremost, my father was not nasty to my mother. To be honest, I perceive his leadership of this palace and its inhabitants as quite orderly.

I merely took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and fell asleep immediately due to the exhaustion from the day's activity. When I awoke the next morning, there was breakfast on the side table and a letter from my father ordering me to go to the field to begin my training. I never imagined that my father would be the one to train me or what abilities I could develop on my own at this stage.

When I finished eating, I went out, and I was even surprised when I opened the door to see Farkas. I looked around, then I closed and opened my eyes again because I knew he was with my mother, so it was impossible for him to be here now.

“Can’t you look at me, so you close your eyes like that?” he asked, then I opened my eyes.

“I just don’t understand. You’re with your mother, aren’t you?” I said, then he smiled at me.

“You don’t need to be concerned about your mother because she’s safe,” he said, then I held my head.

“I don’t understand anything. Are you connected to my father?” I wondered.

He nodded to me while his smile faded. I’m still confused, and I don’t know how he happened to have a connection there. “I’ll just explain later. We have to go to the king because he is waiting for you,” he said, and only then did I remember.

We both walked, and while walking, I couldn’t help but think about something. I couldn’t look at him because I knew he was hiding something from me. We arrived at a huge field, and I couldn’t help but look around. If so, this is what a field looks like where they often practice their powers and strength. When we entered, they all bowed to me, which I appreciated because I can’t deny that I am shy around them.

“I didn’t tell you about your father because I know your mother will be angry and will continue to hide you,” he explained as we walked through the center.

“What do you mean?” I wondered.

“Actually, the king has been looking for you for a long time, but because your mother is keeping you away, he can’t bring you back. Another thing is that your mother loves you so much that she keeps you away from your father. But that doesn’t mean the king doesn't love you, Rudina,” he added.

I can’t imagine that my father has been guiding me through Farkas for a long time. But what I don’t understand is what he is really like. I looked at him, and then I examined his face and also his hand; then he looked at me and smiled, and I saw his fangs, which surprised me.

“Whatever you think, you are right,” he said, then we stopped right in front of the king.

I looked at the king, then I looked at Thana. I only saw her face in the light now because she is truly beautiful. I won’t be surprised if she charms many people, but if her breed increases, I will be even happier. While looking at father, I couldn’t help but feel nervous.

The king stood up, then looked at me, and I swallowed my own saliva. “Now that you’re here, I declare to all of you that my daughter is before you. Rudina has the blood of a vampire and a wolf. In my long search for her, now she is here in front of you, and she will show you her skills,” he said which made me nervous.

I still don’t know what hidden abilities I have, but I know that I can bring them out and study them slowly. He came closer to me, then he reached out his hand to me, and I held it. I looked around, and there were so many people there that I couldn’t help but faint.

Farkas looked at me and then whispered to me, “I know you can do it. You are not easy, Rudina. You know in yourself that you are strong, and you know how to control it.” He reminded me that he gave me strength.

I smiled at him, then I nodded, and he also gave me a nice smile. While looking at all those on the field, I couldn’t remove the smile from my lips. I like what is happening now, but I know in myself that when I lose control, I might be locked in that box too. I took a deep breath, then I positioned myself in the middle of the field. Father left me, and Farkas did the same. Those who were left behind were the soldiers and others who were good at fighting.

I know how to fight, but that doesn’t mean I’m skilled. While in the middle, I couldn’t help but feel a strange energy coming out of my body. At this time, I feel that I am not only dependent on those around me but also on myself. I looked at my father, and then he signaled to his men to start the fight.

The man with the dyed hair was the first to dash at me. I quickly readied myself, and then I noticed another person rushing me from behind. Even though I’m frightened, I can’t help but remain aware and do what I have to do. I immediately leaped, then turned to face the man with the colorful hair and booted him, forcing him to jump. I acted swiftly, then I gave the same hand to another man who was trying to attack me. He hasn’t even touched me yet, but when I grasped his hand, I threw him like garbage.

“Whoah?” I said to myself, then I looked at my hands.

I never imagined I’d be able to accomplish it like that. I haven’t done anything yet because I’m frightened of fighting. But now I've had the experience of being put in this scenario in front of so many people. Following that, I was the one who attacked, and I couldn’t let him strike me again. I easily dispatched them and ended the fight. I dropped to my knees, exhausted from battling, and I hadn’t expected to be able to do so. I glanced at my father, then smiled at him, but I was weak, and I started to faint. I could feel someone catching me even before I fell.

I didn’t understand who was catching me because my body weakness was more dominant. I didn’t expect my body to weaken like that, and I didn’t think that in a short fight, I would be able to finish it right away. When I lay down on the bed, I heard my father’s voice before he left the room.

“You did well. Rest first so you can regain your strength.”

Actually, this is the first time someone has complimented me in this way. My mother never once complimented me. I haven’t heard anything from her except that she can defend me as much as she can. I eventually fell asleep due to exhaustion, and when I awoke, Farkas was holding my hand while sleeping on the side of the bed. I smiled because he cared for me, and I had never expected him to watch over me and take care of me until now.

I slowly pulled my hand from his grip, and when I got it back, I stood up and looked out the window. I got up, took the blanket, and covered him. I slowly got down, then went into the bathroom to soak in the tub for a while. While waiting for the water to fill up, I stared at the water in a stupor.

There are still things I don’t understand. If he really looked for me before, maybe my mother and I wouldn’t suffer at the hands of the bad wolves, right? But I want to give him a chance to prove to me that he is a good father.

“Rudina?” I turned to the bathroom door when I heard Farkas’ voice.

“I’m here,” I said, then I got into the tub and soaked myself.

“I thought you were lost,” he said, and seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

“I will just take a shower. Just give me time,” I said and then closed my eyes.

He didn’t speak anymore, and I just sighed. The water tasted good, and it felt good on my body. Its butterfly makes me feel better. After I finished soaking and getting dressed, I went straight downstairs to find my father. When I saw him, I smiled and was about to approach him when I suddenly tripped. I looked at them and immediately stood up.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see any blocking,” I murmured as I covered my face.

After hearing my father's chuckle, I carefully removed my hand from my face and glanced at him. I scowled and was puzzled by his actions, as well as offended by his laughter. I’m not sure which part of what I did was funny, because what I did was embarrassing. Many individuals were around and witnessed what I did.

“You haven’t changed, Rudina; you are powerful in some ways but foolish in others,” he said, making me scoff.

He stood up, then he came to me, then he took my hand and led me to the side of his throne. I never expected to experience this with him, and to be honest, I prefer being with my father over my mother. I feel lighter and have more energy. After sitting next to him, all the soldiers knelt down and bowed, as well as Aunt Thana.

“We are happy to serve you, Princess Rudina,” they all said, then I smiled.

“Thank you for welcoming me,” I said, smiling at everyone.

“There’s one more thing you should know, Rudina.” I looked at my father, then I raised both eyebrows.

“What’s that?” I asked while smiling.

“I will give you some missions that you need to do so that vaewolfves don't spread, which could cause an imbalance for wolves and vampires,” he explained to me.

“I’m glad to be involved in such a mission, my father,” I said while bowing to him.

“I didn’t expect you to agree right away, but I am very proud of you because even though you and your mother have been through a lot, you still choose what will save them.”

“I don’t need their mercy, and I don’t need to explain myself. Even though I still don’t know much about myself, I want to help them even if they have been mean to me.”

He smiled at me, and then he caressed my face, and I smiled at him. I never hated wolves just because of their behavior. But I also understand their situation because there are hybrids like me who can’t control themselves. But I still can’t help thinking about and fearing what might happen.

“Am I doing it right?” I asked my father, then he looked into my eyes.

“You don’t need to ask me that if you know it will be better for everyone, Rudina.”

I just sighed, then nodded at him and looked in another direction. It’s true what he said. Why do I need to ask if I know for myself that this is the best thing? Everyone clapped and welcomed me as their princess. Father sent everyone away, and then the two of us were left. There was silence all around, but I wanted to know what happened to them.

“Can I ask a question?” I broke the silence between the two of us.

“Go ahead,” he said, then I took a deep breath.

“May I know what happened to you and your mother, why did you two broke up?”

He thought for a moment, then he looked in another direction and sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know how to start or how to tell you about that matter, Rudina,” he said, then he looked at the cane he was holding. “Something happened between the two of us that caused us to separate, and that is because they say we build what they destroy,” he explained, and then I grabbed my head.

“So is it because of me that you broke up?”

“Because of me and my fault too. If only I had known that this would happen, I wouldn’t have stopped myself from falling in love with her. Because by the time the child of a vaewolf like me is born, I may also have a child who is much stronger than me. But because I’m a half-vampire, this will also cause your mother to have an unexpected ability similar to that of a vampire because of being pregnant with you,” he explained, making me frown. “Because while you are in your mother's womb, it is her blood that keeps you alive.”