Life As I Know It

“I heard she was born a human and they are only going to change her so she can take the throne.”

“Well I heard that she’s like this crazy mixture of all our kingdoms, total mutt, not an ounce of pureblood in her from anybody.”

“Yeah well I heard that sh–”

I turned away from the door in front of me, pacing back and forth as I tried not to register what the people I was about to be introduced to were already saying about me. Did it really matter that I was a human? That I was a witch in the first place and that they were going to pollute me by making me this thing. This animal. Why did I have to be the one to rule this kingdom of people I never met, that I knew nothing about. The Fallen. A depressing name for depressing people I suppose.

I continued my pacing in the room only three doors down from the ball room of this extravagant palace, playing with the omnipresent black hair tie to calm myself down. It amazed me how I found comfort in such a small, insignificant detail of human life, and yet I couldn’t get rid of it because it felt like I would be throwing away the last of my humanity.

I was frustrated with today, already fed up with this life that was thrown at me all too suddenly causing the tears to well up in my eyes. I traced the part of my tattoo that resided on my forearm and thought back to this morning, when Asteria had discovered me in the shower long after the water had turned cold.

I had been standing in the shower, the task of washing myself long forgotten as I became lost in my thoughts, the cold water having no affect on my concentration. I hadn’t even realized I had been crying until Asteria pulled me out, toweling my body dry and wiping my tears.

“It’s all going to be okay Artemis. You have me, Harmonia, and Hebe. We’re your Coven, I’m your twin, and we will be here for you until the day we die. So stop worrying about this new life, we are going through all of this with you and for you. Please smile, because when you’re hurting, I’m hurting.”

I had attempted a smile and succeeded, figuring that at least I would have the people I considered my sisters there for me and my miserable new life.

A knock on the door pushed my reverie to the back of my head as The King of the Vampire Kingdom came into my room, accompanied by the kings of The Werewolf Kingdom, The Angelic Kingdom, and The Demonic Kingdom.

“Ah! Artemis, you look lovely!” The Vampire King, Harold, exclaimed. I put on a tight, fake smile at his obvious lie, seeing as I was dressed in rags. Literally. He came to me with outstretched arms and gave me a hug that was very unwanted on my part.

All of the kings, which were all fathers, had come to me this past week, all at different times, to try and win me over ahead of time. They had come to my newly acquired palace and offered me gifts of clothing, perfumes, jewelry, and slaves to try and make decision of a mate easier for me. They obviously did not fully understand the human psyche if they believe that all of us could be bought. Unfortunately for them my love does not have a price, and even if it did there is nothing I could have done to deter fate from deciding the outcomes of this night.

“Gentlemen, it is wonderful to see you, but shouldn’t you be with your sons, giving them tips on how to be good husbands and Kings?” I asked, as politely as I could, praying to my Gods and Goddesses that they would give me my last relatively normal minutes to freak out about what was happening to me.

“Our boys are very excited to meet you,” The Angelic King told me.

“Oh, well, I’m very excited to meet them too. If you don’t mind–” I was interrupted by Asteria coming into the room unannounced. She stopped and looked around when she realized there were other people in the room and then curtsied out of respect.

“Your Majesty’s, it is a pleasure to be in your presence, but I must request that you return to your places in the hall, it is time for Artemis to meet your people.” She spoke to them, her head bowed at them so that they would not think she meant any disrespect by politely kicking them out of my room.

They all nodded, bowed, and then left my room, closing the door behind them softly.

I let out a sigh of relief and Asteria giggled.

“Ti, you really need to learn to relax, haven’t you heard a thing anyone has said to you during this past week? Nobody can cause harm to you; you are IT. You are like a god to these people and the most powerful being in this entire universe!” She told me as Harmonia and Hebe made their way into the room, dressed in the same rags as Asteria and myself.

“Is she freaking out again?” Harmonia asked, trying to get the rope holding her rags in place tied correctly.

“Sweetie, it is all going to be okay! We were just out there, y’know, just checking to see what was going on and who was who, and let me tell you something. All the men that could possibly be your husband are fucking beautiful!” Hebe exclaimed at me causing a smile to appear on my face. She always was the optimistic one.

“They really are. Y’know, whichever ones you don’t end up with you should send our way.” Harmonia commented, now fighting to take out the knot she made in her clothing.

Asteria snorted, “Wait until I tell the boys you said that, you aren’t going to be able to walk right for a week!” I giggled at the sexual innuendo causing Harmonia to smirk and Hebe to blush.

“I wouldn’t mind Eros helping me make a Harmonia shaped dent in our mattress,” Harmonia replied giggling at what her mate did whenever he felt she was paying more attention to another man.

“Please spare us the details of your intimacy with Eros, he is still like our brother and I would rather not think of how he pleasures someone I consider my sister.” Asteria retorted, now helping Harmonia fix the rope on her rags.

“Would you two shut up already, I am seriously freaking o–” I was cut off for the second time that night as one of the many servants in the palace came into the room, wide-eyed and panting.

“Sorry to interrupt your majesty, but it is time for your entrance.” He told us, bowing when he realized who he was speaking to.

My eyes widened and I began hyperventilating, my head instantaneously turning towards Asteria, hoping she could offer me some form of comfort. She simply smiled and grabbed my hand, rubbing circles into the back of it with her thumb.

“You’re going to be perfectly fine, just breathe.” She whispered in my ear. I nodded my head and tried to get my breathing under control as the servant lead us out of the room and down the hall to the unopened doors of the ball room.

This is it. Was the only thought that went through my mind as I heard them announce my name and all the people rise as the doors opened.

All eyes were on me as I walked through the doorway and to the landing, everyone taking in the sight of my tattoos, the same color as my flaming red hair, my milky white skin, grey eyes, and healthy body as I tried to stay calm. I saw the Kings at the bottom of the stairs, each accompanied by a young man that looked similar to themselves. I could only assume that these were my potential mates, the ones who were hoping that the universe decided to give them the most powerful being in existence as their wife, and eventual mother of their children.

Each of them wore a smile, some more realistic than others as I made my way down the staircase flanked by Asteria, Harmonia, and Hebe. Finally, when I arrived at the bottom, close enough for my aura to mix with each of theirs it happened. The moment of truth, the whole reason I was here.

Fate decided on my mate, but apparently it didn’t know how to make up its mind. A loud gasp resonated throughout the room as I began to be lifted off the ground, my eyes shining and my tattoos aglow as my soul touched the man I would be spending the rest of eternity with. It wasn’t until I had come back down, and had control over myself that I saw that not only did one of the four princes have my tattoos on them, but all.

My eyes widened in disbelief and horror. Four husbands? I have four fucking soul mates?

Why does the universe just love to fuck with my life?