Prologue
Prologue
“I want them all killed!” Eliminate them. I’m not interested in seeing a single soul alive."
The man hissed with venom. The folks in his immediate vicinity cringed at the fury in his voice.
“Yes, your majesty,” his second in command said with a bow before fleeing, his eyes bulging.
The troops in the hall trembled in response to the man’s rage. He reigned as their king. He wielded tremendous power over them all. He had a long and healthy life. He maintained a dignified demeanor and never slept with a single soul. Women kept hurling themselves at him. But he desired none of them. He was just anticipating one. Many females were introduced to him. But none of these women survived to see the next day. Nobody knew who murdered the women; no one dared to inquire about whether it was the king. His grandfather had him shackled and caged. He had lost all humanity in him. When he sends his warriors in quest of the one, if they return empty-handed, he will slay them all. His beast was incapable of withstanding it. He would always resurface if they arrived empty-handed. It made no sense to send people into the abyss with no idea what to look for. Even he had no idea what she looked like or how she smelled. How would the troops be able to tell? He was caged. The nation understood their king for years as his grandfather assumed the duties of a king. They loved him for who he was, regardless of his deeds. He was a great king. They were aware of his frustration. The king was a trustworthy man who made sound judgments. They were well aware that when his beast took control, the monarch had no say. It may last years before he regains control of his body, once the beast takes over his body.
Years pass while the king is still on the throne. At that same time, his grandfather brought a woman to serve as his queen. His beast awakened. He remained in command. He was fed up with getting imprisoned each time anything like this occurred. He was fed up with murdering people. Then he committed the unspeakable just before his beast overcame him.
“Eros! Hurry up,” he said to his second in command.
“I don’t have the entire day. I’m running out of time."
The man was horrified when he saw his king. He dashed off to retrieve the shackles, but the king snatched his hand.
“Not anymore, Eros. I’m losing it, and we’re both aware of it. You are my trustworthy and obedient servant. I’d like you to look into the kingdom's affairs. I’m leaving. Every month, I will open the gates for you to report on the kingdom’s progress to me. My sovereignty has been entrusted to you. I empower you with the authority to lead and the ability to be heard. This is your moment to blossom, Eros. Now, take that disgusting creature my grandfather brought to be my queen before he murders her."
He grumbled and regarded the woman with such venom. Then his beast fully manifested itself, and he bolted into the woods. That was his final sighting.
9 years later,
It irritates me greatly. I detest the lack of affection I receive from both my parents. My only source of tranquillity is trekking through the wilderness. It’s strange, I know. However, I am without friends. My sister abhors me. It breaks my heart, but I’m forced to explore the wilderness. Nature is one of my favorite things. My grandma purchased me a small camera as a gift, which I cherish. That is what keeps me occupied. While photographing deep in the woods, I often hear that one should not.
I ventured far into the woods, but I was unconcerned. I’ve been fascinated by nature for a very long time. Grandma used to accompany me when she was well, but she no longer does. She’s getting on in years. My footwear became entangled in a twisted vine suddenly. I attempted to regain my footing but slipped on a large rock and got hold of a large black object lying beside the rock from which I stumbled. I squawked and attempted to rise, but the fur’s softness enticed me. I began caressing the creature in front of me with my fingers. I overheard a faint groan. It appears to be dozing. My attempt to rise off the animal resulted in me falling right back on top of it. This time, I came face to face with the most horrifying beast I had ever encountered. To my astonishment, I didn’t let out a cry. I locked my gaze on its pupils. It was just stunning. I found myself reaching out and touching the animal’s face, amazed at my audacity. It was frightening, but it did not frighten me. I felt completely submerged in it. I was drawn to its gaze.
“Hello, my name is Angela. What’s your name, by the way?” I examined it.
It was enormous, truly enormous. Its hands were rough, with scales running over the tips of its knuckles. As if I were looking at a baseball glove. Like something that has been bathed in blood and exposed to the sun for a long period of time. It had long, piercing claws that helped to control them somewhat. It had the appearance of a deadly weapon. However, I was not afraid of it for some reason. I was blown away by it. Everything about the creature in front of me was appealing to me. I should have fled, but it looked lovely. I chuckle.
“You look stunning. What’s your name, by the way?” I received no response once again.
“Okay, you appear to be a jungle king, so I’ll refer to you as Vladimir, Vlad, because of your appearance. How do you feel about it?”I overheard a whinge.
“Thus, Vlad, the matter is resolved.
I looked around and saw that he was without a place to stay. Because my family seemed unconcerned about me, I decided to build him a little hut so that I could visit him more frequently. I’m not sure if it’s for him, but I’m going to refer to it as a
“he.”
“Follow me.” I extended a hand to him and he followed.
We spent the entire night constructing the hut. I was confident that no one would notice my absence, given Grandma’s illness. We entered the hut after it was constructed, and I fell asleep. I ran home the next morning, took a bath, and walked to school. My father never permitted me to enter his car. They only took my sister, the princess, to school; I had to walk to and from school on a daily basis. I’ve grown accustomed to the treatment. I am in and out of the orphanage on a constant basis. They will return to me whenever it is convenient for them.
I carried some blankets and a basket of fruits with me after school. I could see a hut made of turf and a rough wooden house with reeds in the center of the jungle, enveloped by tangles of plants and trees, from a distance. To my astonishment, this is not the way Vlad and I built it yesterday. This time, it was more fortified. I could see the area’s grandeur, as when I turned back, I noticed a tiny lake. I grinned. I’m not sure how Vlad accomplished this, but it’s lovely. I wouldn’t mind spending more time with Vlad in this small hut in the center of the wilderness. I entered and was greeted by a man who was both gorgeous and tall. The man smiled as he glanced at me.
“I’m assuming you’re Angela.” I grinned. However, how did he learn my name? Is it possible that Vlad told him my name? How did he speak to him?
“Are you acquainted with Vlad?” The gentleman gave a nod.
“I’ll get going now. It was my pleasure to meet you, Queen of the Jungle.” I laughed.
4 years later,
I turned thirteen years old. I’m aware that I will not receive any birthday presents. As a result, I headed to the woodland to meet Vlad. I now know that Vlad can hear me, but he’s unable to respond. Eros informed me of this. He stated that I was free to share anything with him because he could hear anything I said. Surprisingly, his given name is Vladimir. I’m still perplexed about how Eros knows this. I pushed my hand into the trees in search of Vlad.
He was lying down at the time. I smiled and adjusted the blankets before lying in front of him. He stared at me; by this point, I was familiar with his language. He does not speak, but whenever he feels like doing anything stupid, he always gives me that look. Yes, he makes a puppy-dog expression. I climbed onto his back as he waved his finger. He grumbled and took off running. He was swift, truly swift. The location he took me to was just stunning. We began exploring the forest’s fringes in the misty sunlight. Vlad is well aware that I adore nature and everything that comes with it. We sat beneath the tree, and I felt something chilly being pressed against the back of my neck. My hands were on it. It was a lovely golden key necklace with a diamond accent and a howling wolf in the center. The V & A was noticeable. I drew the letters V & A on the little wolf using my fingertips. I grinned.
“Vlad and Angela?” I heard a grunt. I grinned.
“You promise?” I inquired, and he nodded.
Then Angela did the unthinkable: she hugged and kissed Vladimir. Vlad got a kiss from me. I have no idea why I did that. However, I did it. I noticed a shift in his gaze. He was taken aback. I caught him off guard. He caressed my face and kissed the creases between my brows. After that, we fulfilled our pinky vow. Vlad bolted immediately after we exchanged pinky promises. He fled and never returned. I continued returning to our hut, but nothing happened. I occasionally slept there in the hope that he might appear. However, he did not. I met Eros after a month. He informed me that Vlad had stated that he would seek me out. I should wear the necklace at all times. I should never, ever take it off. I nodded, and he also warned me about returning to the jungle. He would come for me when the time was right.
However, I have lived with guilt for all of these years. Vladimir was driven away by me. My first love, my true love. I am aware that I am insane. Who falls for a beast? To be honest, I fell in love with him. I shall never forget the azure blue color of his eyes. My precious Vlad will remain in my heart forever.
