THE OUTSIDER
Chapter 1
ROYANNA
The village of Stone Peak wasn’t exactly a bustling village. It was quiet, tucked away in the shadows of towering cliffs and dense pine forests in the Kingdom of the Windstorm pack.
A place that seemed like it had been forgotten by time. Most people here lived simple, predictable lives; farming, hunting in wolf form, and throwing raucous celebrations during their mating periods. Nothing ever really changed.
Except me. I have always been the exception.
I am Royanna Zerati, daughter of Epsilon Alejandro, the head warrior and guardian of Stone Peak village, and Ivy Zerati, best-selling marketer in the village known for her beautiful artifact collections. Two respected people in the village.
At first thought, my life should be amazing, privileged, and carefree. But that wasn't the case, because from the moment I was born, I was different.
My skin, brown, like the earth. My parents' skin, pale like snow, was a vast difference from that of their supposed daughter.
My eyes were an unsettling shade of green, and my hair? A red blaze no one else in Stone Peak has ever had.
I had been called cursed,Witch, unnatural, even a changeling. As a child, people were curious about me. I could see the past through dreams and the future through visions that happened out of nowhere. My abilities caught the attention of everyone, including the Alpha king.
But when I hit adolescence and my… oddities started changing, I saw misfortunes more than I saw victories or happy moments, curiosity turned to fear as they blamed me for the kingdom's misfortunes, and then they began to hate.
Today was no different.
I sat on a flat stone at the edge of the village's river, my lute balanced on my lap. The strings hummed under my fingers as I strummed a soft, bittersweet melody.
A few children sat around me, their faces lit up with that wonder only kids seem to have.
A couple of the older villagers lingered further back, their weathered faces softened with nostalgia. I could almost convince myself that, for a moment, I belonged.
But then it came, sharp and venomous as always: “Witch.”
The word cut through the air like a blade. I didn’t look up. I had heard it a hundred times before.
My fingers didn’t miss a single note. If anything, I played louder, daring the hatred to drown out my music.
By the side, two market women had stopped to gawk, their eyes practically spitting fire. They didn’t even bother lowering their voices, in consideration of the children.
“Why is she out here again? Playing that… thing. Didn’t Beta Graden declare to the villagers that she would stop?” one hissed.
“Oh, please,” the other snapped. “That family has more lives than a pack of cats. Her father probably begged his way out of trouble again. But this can’t keep going. My husband and his troops of hunters led a complaint yesterday. If it doesn’t stop, she’ll end up in the Alpha king’s dungeon. Or worse.”
“Let’s go before her sorcery rubs off on us.”
They stomped off, their skirts swishing as they left me to my “sorcery.”
The kids clapped as I hit the final note, oblivious to the venom dripping from the villagers’ words. A little boy, Charon, grinned up at me, dirt smudged on his cheeks. “Play another, Royanna!”
I ruffled his hair. “Oh, Charon, you little rascal. Always wanting more. What a hungry lad you are, I bet you eat all the food in your mother's pot.”
The kids chuckled heartily.
“You are right, Royanna!” his sister, Chara, chimed in, her eyes wide and full of life.
I laughed softly. “You are both such sweethearts. But I have got to get going before my ma sends out a search party.”
One of the elders, Pa Holland, nodded at me from his spot on a tree stump. “Your music… It is a gift, dear. Warms the hearts of us old fellows, even if the rest of them don’t see it.”
“Thank you, Pa Holland,” I said, giving him a small bow. His words meant more than I could say.
I didn’t get to savor the moment, though, because a sharp voice shattered it like glass.
“ROYANNA!”
I froze,tilting my head to the side to see my mother storming toward me, her face flushed with anger. Her pale skin stood out even more under the midday sun, and her tightly pinned hair made her look even harsher.
“You stupid girl, let's go,” she snapped, grabbing my arm. She turned to the children already frightened by her presence,“ And you lot, go back to your families before someone accuses us all of witchcraft!”
The kids scattered like startled birds, and I let her drag me away. “I was just playing music,” I muttered, clutching my lute protectively.
“Music isn’t going to save this family,” she hissed. The coachman opened the door, and she pushed me in and followed behind. The carriage soon began to move and I clutched my Lute.
“Do you think the villagers care about your songs? They despise us, Royanna. They despise you. Stop drawing attention to yourself,” she ranted nonstop, repeating everything she had always said. The ride all through was a constant reminder of my father's wealth and privilege being the only reason I was alive.
Arriving, the tension was suffocating. My father sat at the table, his head in his hands. My younger sister, Orphelia, peeked out from behind the kitchen door, her big blue eyes wide with fear. She raised a brow, trying to give me a sign, but I couldn't understand, especially with my mother's thundering.
“Alejandro,” she started, her voice trembling, “we can not go on like this. Every day, the villagers get bolder. Today at the market, they… they said she is cursed. That she will bring ruin to Stone Peak. They blame me, as if…”
“Enough,” my father interrupted, raising his head. His face was pale, lined with worry. “I… I have made a decision.”
A sinking feeling settled in my stomach. I had been dreading this moment. Weeks of hushed arguments, stolen glances… it had all been leading here.
“What decision?” I asked, even though I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
He hesitated, glancing at my mother, who gave a grim nod. “We… we are selling you off. Merchants will be arriving tomorrow and you will leave with them.”
The words knocked the air out of me. I stared at him, unable to process what I had just heard. “ No. You can't do that. We don't even know who these merchants are.”
“They are from the high kingdoms,” he said, not meeting my eyes. “They are passing through tomorrow, after their finished business with the Alpha king. They will take you with them to wherever their trail leads, as long as it is far from Stone Peak.”
Orphelia gasped, stepping into the room. “Papa, no! You cannot! She is our family!” She clung to me, as if her gesture would change my father's mind.
“She’s a danger to this family,” my mother snapped. “Do you want the villagers to burn our house down? For your father to lose his title as Epsilon? For them to drive us out into the woods like rogues? This is the only way.”
Tears blurred my vision, but I refused to let them fall. I squared my shoulders, forcing myself to remain strong.
“If you think selling me will rid us of our problems, fine. But don’t pretend this is for my sake. This is about you,your title and wealth.”
My father flinched like I had slapped him, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he averted his gaze, stating clearly that he was done talking to me.
That night, I sat by my window, clutching my lute like a lifeline. The moonlight bathed the village in an eerie glow, making it look almost peaceful.
My door opened without warning and Orphelia walked in, “Sister.” She joined me by the window, her face dull and gloomy.
I held her cheek. “Why do you look sad?”
She scoffed, “Why would you ask that? You are being sold off. Nothing good comes from that, I have heard the whispers of the villagers. What if you become a slave?”
I placed my palm over her mouth, “Do not say such words Orphelia, you are too young to focus on such gossip.” She snapped my hand off. “I an sixteen Royanna,I am old enough to know that I would never see you again. Soon, Father will send me off to get married to the Zosar family,and we may never cross paths in this life. You know this,so why are you so calm?”
I looked out the window, heaving a deep breath,letting the tears slip out,as the walls I put up crumbled, revealing all I wanted ,was just a little love and reassurance.
“The Zosar family is well known, Ryker will take care of you. As for me, I will get what fate has in store for me.”
Orphelia shook her head, she didn't agree with me. “I saw it.” I reminded her of the vision I had. “You were happy. All you have to do is look forward to it.”
“What about you? What did you see for yourself? Is life going to be alright for you? Is that why you are so calm?”
No, my dear sister, my visions or dreams have never taken me to my future, they have only constantly shown me the lives of others, but never mine.
But how could I put her troubled mind to rest? “Yes. In my vision, I found a really good man who loves me dearly. A knight in Shining armor.”
The worry lifted in a puff, she looked brighter now, a little relieved. I smiled. Her happiness meant more to me than any other thing.
“Will you play for me one last time?” she asked and I nodded, my hands brushing against the strings of the Lute. “Anything for you.”
