Contest of Crowns

I know what I am about to do is incredibly stupid, but I simply have no choice.

There is only one way out of this pack, and it's through the scouts. So I need to join them–no matter what.

The plan is simple, maybe even stupidly straight forward: join the moonborn trials, pass the tests, join the scouts and desert the first chance I get.

It's technically treason, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

It would be a simple plan–if this hag would just leave already. Hag being my uncle's charming wife. With a smile she informs me for the hundredth time of the multitude of chores she has prepared for me today: clean her silver, scrub the floor, dust the shelves, make the beds, yada yada yada. Nothing I haven't heard before.

"Now, off to it girl" she says, locking the door behind her. I don't move immediately, I know she delayed this morning on purpose, fully aware of what today is and not trusting me to obey their order to not go. So I stay still and listen. I hear her breathing behind the door, no doubt hoping I make the mistake of running out believing she is gone.

A minute later she leaves and I move. I rush to the back but I hesitate. "Do the safe thing, Millie. You need to live, for us" Kael's voice whispers in my mind. I should listen. They gave everything for me to be here.

"Fortune favours the bold, Mille" Varek whispers, I smile and go out the door. The sun is high in the sky, but the air smells of rain. I can still make it if I cut through the market.

The market is busier than usual today but I'm not completely surprised. Today is the start of the moonborn training, a great honour in the pack and if you survive you get to join the pack warriors or the scouts.

Following tradition, parents of today's applicants would prepare a feast for their children to celebrate being accepted. A wholesome gesture if it wasn't the cause of my current dilemma.

I weave through the crowds slowly, I can't rush and risk offending some beta or worse an Alpha. That would certainly put an end to my plans, and I'll have to try again in a year's time.

I am halfway through the market when I hear her. "Let go of me".

I turn my head to the source of the plea to find a hooded girl struggling with a guard. A stupid thing to do, but I can hardly be the right person to tell her that.

From her attitude to a beta guard, I can clearly tell she's an outsider and as expected the guard looks to be getting annoyed with her.

He could kill her, it wouldn't be the first time a beta guard would take a life because of a minor inconvenience.

I look to the sky again. I'll barely make it if I keep going. But I can't turn away.

"Leave the girl" Riven's voice this time, the logical one. But I am at heart illogical, so I do the stupid thing and move towards the girl and the guard.

"You continue to test my patience, girl" the guard growled "show me your entry permit this instant"

"And I told you I forgot it back at my lodgings" the girl replies "I can go back and get it".

"You think I'm a fool?" the guard questions. The guards usually are but the unspoken rule is not to tell them and definitely avoid getting them to assume that's what you think of them. But this girl clearly didn't get the memo.

I focus my sight and I see his aura around him, the appropriate size for a beta, and it's flowing relatively well with small spikes. Meaning he's annoyed but not completely angry yet.

"Apologies sir" I start "why don't I follow her back to her lodgings and return with the permit. Instead of wasting your valuable time"

Getting closer I recognize him and he me. Great, this might be easier than I thought it would be.

"Amelia?" He asks.

"Yes sir" I reply