ZURI

Even as I lunged the flame at the centurion, I knew it would produce little to no effect. He easily deflected it and grabbed me by the arm tightly, such that I could feel the pulse of blood in my veins.

"Let me go!" I screamed, but the grip on me got tighter. Froky reached for my shoulder, irritation swirling in his pupils, and ripped my dress. The tears fell. My hands trembled as he turned to address the guards.

"Take this traitor into the grand hall. She will be exiled."

I fell limp against the guards as I was dragged to the hall. We passed by familiar paintings and art pieces that I could remember even in a dream. Magnika wasn't just a kingdom. It was a home, a place that was filled with so much love and adoration for my parents despite their demise.

The guards dragged me into the grand hall. My steps faltered as I tried to hold back the tears streaming down my face. My wrists throbbed under the tight grip of their hands, and my torn dress hung loosely around me, exposing the shame of my circumstances to the crowd.

The murmur of voices filled the room as people rose to their feet, looking shocked and confused. I couldn’t bear to look at them. I kept my gaze fixed on the marble floor beneath my bare feet.

“Is that Lady Zuri?” someone whispered.

“What’s happened to her?” another voice asked, laced with curiosity and disdain.

I swallowed hard as the guards shoved me forward. My legs felt weak, but I forced myself to stay upright.

The heavy doors of the hall slammed open, and Froky stormed in. His expression was twisted with righteous fury. He moved with purpose.

“Citizens of the kingdom,” he began in a tone dripping with indignation, “It pains me to stand before you today with such a heavy heart. Lady Zuri, my betrothed, has been discovered plotting against us.”

Gasps filled the hall, followed by an eruption of murmurs.

“She sought to rule the kingdom through tyranny and deceit,” Froky continued, his eyes scanning the crowd for effect. “And now, she stands here as a traitor to her people!”

“No!” I cried out. “That’s not true!”

But my plea was drowned out by the noise of the crowd. Froky turned to me, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

“Silence her,” he commanded, and one of the guards yanked my arm, forcing me to bite back a cry of pain.

“I did nothing wrong!” I shouted. My voice cracked as I struggled against their grip. “Froky is lying! He’s the one—”

“Enough!” Froky roared, cutting me off. “You dare to speak against me in your guilt? Guards, remove her from my sight.”

The hall erupted into cheers and shouts of approval as Froky raised his hand, gesturing for the crowd to settle.

“For her treachery, I sentence Lady Zuri to one hundred years of banishment!”

The cheers grew louder, and I felt my heart sink. The people I had spent my life serving, protecting, and loving had turned against me. They believed his lies. These same people saw how invested my parents were in ensuring peace and stability in the kingdom. They had also seen how I'd struggled all these years to learn the politics of the kingdom. All these were to ensure I was a good queen to them. And now, they were throwing everything away because of one man?

My eyes met familiar grey orbs in the crowd. Denny. My childhood friend. He'd been there for me since my parents passed. But he looked angry. I didn't have time to see who the anger was directed at before I was yanked forward.

The guards began dragging me out of the hall, their laughter low and mocking as they pulled me through the castle gates and into the dense woods. My body trembled with anger and despair, but I couldn’t find the strength to fight back.

“You think you’re special, don’t you?” one of the guards sneered, his grip tightening on my arm. “Bet you never thought you’d end up here, did you?”

The other guard chuckled darkly. “Froky told us to deal with you properly,” he said in a suggestive tone that filled me with horror.

My blood ran cold as their hands began to wander, their touch making my skin crawl.

“No!” Panic surged through me as I struggled against them. “Don’t touch me!”

They laughed and shoved me to the ground. My hands scraped against the rough dirt, and I gasped as one of them pinned me down.

“She’s a feisty one,” one guard muttered in my ear. “Froky said we could take our time.”

I screamed, kicking and thrashing with all my might, but they were too strong. Their laughter grew louder, echoing in the dark woods.

Just as my hope began to wane, a deep, guttural growl ripped through the air. The guards froze and their eyes darted around nervously.

“What was that?” one of them whispered.

Before they could react, a massive black wolf leapt out of the shadows, its golden eyes glowing with fury. The creature’s roar shook the trees, and in one swift motion, it lunged at the nearest guard, sinking its teeth into his throat.

The man’s scream was cut short as the wolf tore him apart. I gasped and backed into the nearest tree.

The second guard scrambled to his feet, drawing his sword, but the wolf was faster. It pounced on him, ripping through his armour like paper. The guard’s cries faded into silence as the wolf dispatched him with brutal efficiency.

I sat frozen on the ground, my chest heaving as I watched the scene unfold. The wolf turned to me, its eyes softening as it approached cautiously. I watched the transformation happen. Bones cracked and flesh stretched back in size, transforming the four-legged beast to... Denny!

“Zuri,” he called out, rough yet comforting.

“Denny?” I whispered. I'd seen him in his wolf form countless times but his fierceness had made him unrecognizable.

He knelt beside me. His face was etched with concern as he removed a towel from his pack and draped it over my trembling shoulders.

“It’s me,” he said softly, his voice filled with both relief and anger. “You’re safe now.”

My body shuddered as I leaned into him, clutching the towel tightly around me. I felt the warmth of his arms as he pulled me close.

“I thought…” I choked on my words, tears streaming down my face. “I thought they were going to—”

“They won’t hurt you anymore,” Denny promised. “Not while I’m here.”

His palms settled against my back, pressing me gently to his chest.

"I swear, I will make Froky pay."