I FOUND LOVE

I received a lot of gifts on my birthday. Aurora got me a set of lavender perfume oil, Kiran got me a pearl necklace, Yasmin gave me a box of chocolates which she told me the other maids also contributed money to buy it for me. Even Dahlia gave me a jewelry set, though she had sent her personal maid to give it to me not caring to get out of her chambers to wish me herself but still, the thought is what counts right?

Ivan was also the sweetest husband on my birthday. He had the chef bake me a bread filled with chocolates and coconut. Tears had welled up my eyes when the chef had wheeled in the bread for me to eat. It reminded me of my days with Cruzita and how happy she would be if she saw me celebrating my birthday now.

Ivan and my friends had consoled me and I was grateful for their support. To make things better Ivan promised he would escort me to Cruzita's resting place the next day and I couldn't wait.

We woke up at dawn to go to Cruzita's resting place. Ivan had got us horses, he rode a black horse while I rode a white one. Ivan led the way and I followed after him gently. The place where Cruzita was buried in the meadow.

Because of the summer the field was green and there wasn't a patch snow in sight. It was exactly what Cruzita loved, green fields without snow. I smiled as I got down from the horse and looked around while Ivan tied the horses to a tree branch.

Taking a deep breath I approached where Cruzita was buried. Little white flowers were already growing over the pile of rocks where she was buried. I smiled as I knelt down in front of the rock, trailing it with my fingers.

"Hello Cruzita." I greeted with a warm smile on my face as I looked at the rock, "Sorry it took me too long to visit you but this time, I didn't come alone. I came with my husband." I looked over to where Ivan was watching me with a smile on his face.

"I found love Cruzita." I said smiling at Ivan before I turned back to the gravestone. "I also became a queen and made friends Cruzita, with actual people and not animals." I say with a light chuckle, "So I hope you can rest well now, I finally found my happy place. I finally found a place I can call my home, so there's no need for you to worry about me anymore. It's a little hard without you here but I'll carry on, it's what you would have wanted anyway." I sniffed a little as I felt tears well up my eyes, "I promise I'll find whoever did this to you, I won't rest until I do. I'll find them and I'll make them pay. Until then you rest well, goodbye Cruzita." I finished, giving the rocks one last pat before I stood up to leave.

I headed towards Ivan where he was standing with the horses.

"You okay?" He asked me with concern.

I smiled at him in response then headed towards my horse, stroking her head. Tuck, that was her name. I heard her whisper in my mind. "Hello Tuck."

"Tuck? Who's Tuck?" Ivan asked and I could hear the confusion in his voice.

I smiled at that before pointing to my horse. "She's Tuck and that's Maximus." I gestured towards Ivan's black horse, "He's quite offended you don't know his name though, after he has been serving you for seven years."

Ivan turned to look back at his horse in disbelief. "What?" He asked looking at the horse who snorted in response while I laughed at the confusion on his face.

"So it's true, you talk to animals."

"I understand their language, yes." I affirmed still stroking Tuck who nuzzled my hand.

Ivan let out a small laugh. "You truly are a wonder Arianne." He says smiling at me and I returned it, "We should get going, I've got a meeting with the people of the court." Ivan informed me, loosening the rope he had tied to secure the horses.

I nodded my head and did the same before I mounted Tuck. Ivan and I began our ride back home to the castle. We rode in comfortable silence for a while before Ivan asked a question.

"How did you know you could understand animals?"

"It started when I was a child." I told him, "You see one night we were attacked by werewolves, everyone ran to hide while the men went out to go and fight them off. I went after my father because I was scared and alone in the house. My stepmother and Rissa already found a place to hide so I went after him. Along the way I realized I had ventured deep in the woods and I came face to face with a big dark werewolf with glowing amber eyes. I was so scared I almost pissed myself." I chuckled still remembering that night.

"But you didn't." Ivan say looking at me with a small smile.

I shook my head at him. "Yeah I didn't but it was not like he wanted to hurt me though, he was just hurt you see. He shifted back to his human form and I had to carry him back home to treat him. Gods he was the most beautiful boy I'd ever seen, it's not fair you werewolves are created to be more beautiful than us you know." I pointed out giving me a look.

Ivan threw his head back and laughed. "We are abundantly blessed by the moon goddess."

"As if." I scoffed but continued my story, "Anyway he was beautiful but also the most arrogant boy I've ever met! Gods I wanted to punch him in his face!"

"Told you you were going to regret saving me."

"What was that?" I asked looking at Ivan because I didn't hear what he said.

"Nothing." Ivan answered a little too quickly for an answer, "So you saved the boy and what happened?" He asked me and I eyed him warily before I continued.

"Well I saved him and ever since then I just could understand animals." I informed me, "Imagine my surprise the next morning when I found the butchers goats talking me. Telling me how they don't want to be brutally killed by the butcher's cutlass. I set them free and I swear the whole town gave me looks, one would think I committed high treason!" I said shooting Ivan a look of disbelief but Ivan was just howling with laughter probably finding my story funny.

"Well you did set their meal free, I mean if you continued to set all the goats free, humans won't have anything else to eat." Ivan pointed out, "You might as well turn the whole town into vegetarians."

"Well I almost became one, I couldn't eat goat meat for a week!" I pouted at him while Ivan just continued laughing and I rolled my eyes at him, "Fine, you can laugh all you want but you should know Maximus supports me and he thinks you are an ass!"

"What? Really?" Ivan asked jerking his horse to a stop so he could glare at him.

"Nope, that's just me." I smirked at Ivan who narrowed his eyes at me.

"Why you cunning little..."

"Oh save it, how about we have a race?" I suggested looking at Ivan who raised his brow up at me.

"Really now?" Ivan drawled assessing me with a mischievous gleam in his eyes, "You know you are going to lose right?"

"Less talking and let's see if you are can keep up, your majesty."

"Oh, I love a good challenge!" Ivan remarked but I was already riding into the woods.

I could hear Maximus hooves behind me and I snapped Tuck's reigns, urging her to go faster. I could feel the wind in my hair and on my face as I ran into the woods and it was the best feeling ever! I turned to look back at Ivan only to find him a few feet away from me. I smirked at him which he returned and I was about to say something when Ivan suddenly had a panic look on his face.

Wondering what had caused his panic, I turned to face the front narrowly missing the pointy head of an arrow and I heard it faint whoosh as it went past my ear, giving me a small cut on my face. The arrow startled Tuck, causing her to raise her hooves and toss me away from her back.

I fell off Tuck's back and hit the ground with my head!

"ARIANNE!"

I heard Ivan's muffled yell and I turned towards him with a groan but my vision was blurry. I could see Ivan running towards him and behind him armoured guards were coming out from the woods with swords and other weapons, that was the last thing I saw before my vision went dark.