ZINA
The façade of innate strength Zina exuded in the palace always wore off whenever she attended the Taga etings. There, all her deceit and true longings were laid bare.
As she listened to the pain of the common people, she was always pit against the realisation that she was far too pathetic than them. Her mind that had always been a grainy ss since six years ago would choose that ti to tornt her.
Maybe you should die?
How could you live after what you did?!
No wonder your pack left you. At the end of the day, you’re ant to be only alone!
No one wants you Zina!
Just die! Die and all this will be over!
Death? I am sure it will et you when the man you pulled down cos back!
Will he co back?! Seeing how hard you try to restore his na and fa he will! And when he does your head will roll!
The voice in Zina’s head belonged to multiple demons. And never for a day did they fail to spew violent, self hateful words. With their presence, Zina never forgot for once that as far as bad people went, she made the list alright. She never forgot that she was the woman who had committed treason. And the likes of the girl grovelling before her just wasn’t enough for her to forget.
"Stand up." Zina said firmly. But the girl only bawled her eyes out, unwilling to stand.
"Stand." Zina commanded in a firr voice, and the girl scrambled up hurriedly despite the severe pain she was in which was evidenced by the strong acrid sll of rejection that still hung on her.
At least, it could be said that Zina understood this woman’s pain. Although in her case, she had barely processed her rejection by Jacen Vampage before she had gone on the mad journey to tell a false vision against Daemon NorthSteed.
In her role as Theta, Zina found out about the law of sevens. Basically, an ancient law that mandated seven valid reasons that a werewolf could reject their destined mate. While Zina found the law conceited at the very least, it was still a much valid law that was supposed to avoid irrational rejection of a destined mate.
Adherence to the law? That was a different matter altogether.
"Does the cause of rejection fall under the law of sevens?"
"No, Theta!" The girl cried out, "my destined mate is of the sa pack with and about the sa rank. However he serves the son of the Alpha of our pack and I fear this rejection was a command. The king’s court has spurned my case. I’ve no other place to go to save for the house of the Supre Theta."
Zina listened carefully. Apprehension tinged to her voice, she asked carefully. "What pack are you from?"
"The IceSavage Pack." The girl answered, causing Zina to sigh internally.
She already knew who the so-called son of the IceSavage pack was, and his reputation was not nice to say but the least. The IceSavage packs were one of the five high ranked packs in the Arctic North that made up the Fifth Council. Brestom IceSavage was a man who loved to flaunt the fact that he was the only son, sure to inherit his father’s position.
Zina had been forced to deal with a lot of cases surrounding Brestom, but commanding a werewolf to reject the bond? That was certainly new as it was horrifying. And the girl was certainly bold enough to lay out such grievances.
"Have you tabled your grievance with the Theta of the IceSavage pack?" Zina asked even though she already knew the answer to that question.
"I’ve. But my case was equally spurned hence why I’ve decided to take this up with the house that rules the entirety of the Arctic North itself." the girl said grimly.
Of course her case had been spurned equally. There were rumours of an affair between the IceSavage Theta and Brestom, and in Zina’s limited experience, cases where sex and power were at the forefront was to be threaded with care.
It only made the girl’s strength much more profound. She had all but lodged a complaint against the man who rejected her, a son of an alpha, and the Theta of the IceSavage pack.
"What is your na?"
"Borgana Blues." the girl answered eagerly.
"I shall begin to look into your matter, Borgana. You will receive feedback once there’s any progress.
"Thank you!" The girl chanted her gratitude before she left. It wasn’t surprising that the next thirteen persons that Zina attended all had cases of tax issues. Their stories were so pitiable, but it wasn’t anything that Zina hadn’t heard about. Anger boiled in her veins as she heard afresh about the abject poverty that the entire region had been thrusted into in the face of the harsh tax that Eldric had imposed.
As Zina reassured them that things would get better, hope blood in their voice while Zina’s demons called her out for the terrible lies she spewed. For it was true that the tax issue was a boundary Zina was not allowed to cross even with Eldric. Zina didn’t understand what he needed that much money for, but the rage he always flew into when Zina mistakenly tried to speak about the heavy taxes was so profound that Zina had resorted to never crossing the line with him.
It only made her guilt stew. If she never told the lie six years ago, the people would be living a good life free of Eldric’s tyranny. With a good leader— inspite the great famine—they would not have to wonder where their next al would co from, or how hard they had to work to pay a tax that assured them of their natural breathing space.
One man lanted that his eight year old daughter died from malnutrition, a woman lanted that her husband in a bid to search for a way to survive had ventured to the GreenLands and was yet to be back after four months, another man lanted that his entire family committed suicide for they could not go forward in such hardship anymore.
Most days, Zina did wonder what the people saw in her twenty-four year old self to bare their heart in the manner that they always did. Despite the fact that the tax issue remained unresolved for two years and counting, the people still did not hesitate to et her and bare their soul to her in the anticipation of the hope she would give them.
For that reason, her resolve to pull down Eldric was only strengthened. Even if it would cost her her life, she was determined to make sure she corrected the sar she caused six years ago.
Facing the man whose family had committed suicide, Zina knew that in his depression, it had taken him everything in him to seek her out. "Do you wish to live?" She asked him.
"I do not." the man muttered in a voice dead and devoid of life, "I wish to pass away and et my loved ones. I do not wish to live this tornting life anymore, not when the Alpha King lives a lavish life while his people suffer!" He finished in a hateful voice.
Voice breaking, the man spoke further, he continued. "Forgive for I cannot stop myself from speaking ill of his majesty. Whatever punishnt the Theta tes, I shall willingly accept."
The man started to cry, and more shocking than the heights of his grief was the fact that it was nothing new to Zina. Inadvertently, she had gotten used to such pain and tornt. This was how she recruited people to the Thralgor Spy Guild; by seeking out those who were at the pits of despair and saw no reason to live. However, for so reasons she didn’t wish to recruit this man for herself.
"Since you do not wish to live, do you wish to take revenge?"
She could tell that the man was stunned by her question from his silence. Undeterred by his silence, Zina continued in her iciest voice. "What if I tell you there’s a way to take your revenge?"
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