ROME
The convoy of carriages finally arrived the palace in Hanaerum and there was only one thing occupying the king’s mind, the meeting which he had set to depose Erika. The pain he felt at her betrayal worsened as he stared at the stone walls that had housed the woman he had once thought loved him and was loyal to him. He had asked everyone to be present at the meeting with severe consequences for any defaulters. He’d also be deposing Chester from his position as ‘King’s Hand.’ Skye could comfortably hold the office. As it should have always been.
Rome sat in the carriage a bit longer even after the doors had been opened for him. He was hesitant and didn’t want to face the people. It was a feeling deeper than shame. He was disappointed in himself.
How could the Lycan King be a victim of infidelity?
How could anyone trust him to hold a country together when he couldn’t even hold his home together.
“Your Majesty?” Teriel called, holding the door.
He stepped down from the carriage steeling his resolve and for the first time, he didn’t feel the joy of being home or the thrill of anticipating Erika’s warm embrace. Rome had always thought she gave good hugs, but the mere thought of it now repulsed him. How many times had she lain in Chester’s arms just before hugging him?
No. He would never let them see she had broken him.
He breathed deeply closing his eyes and enjoying the clear summer breeze, allowing the warm summer sun to chase some of the chill he felt away.
“Are you alright, Your Majesty?” Teriel asked.
The king’s Advisor was the only friend he had apart from his sister.
He ignored the question. “Teriel, where are the siblings we picked up at the border?”
As if on cue, the beautiful dark brown haired she-wolf walked down from the carriage the very picture of feminine grace, her siblings following quickly behind. She was ragged, and rough, her face stained with debris from the night’s escapade but she was unmistakably beautiful. So beautiful that now under better lighting, he observed that her amber eyes still shone.
“Your Majesty.” She bowed first then fell to her knees.
Just as few hours ago, her siblings followed her cue.
“Your Majesty,” They chorused.
“Elora, get up,” He said, surprised at how much she fascinated him.
He couldn’t quite place it but her aura drew him in so much so he forgot the anxiety that had eaten him up earlier.
He wondered if it was her soulful eyes or the way her hair cascaded down her back that had him so enraptured. Or perhaps her full red lips on her dainty features.
There was something entirely ethereal about the way she carried herself, like she had seen many a battle but hadn’t lost her warriors spirit.
That had to be it, because the longer he watched her, he found remnants of strength returning to him, making him feel he could conquer those bloodsuckers at court.
He shook his head getting rid of whatever notions his weak heart was forming about this girl. It was this sort of weakness that had gotten him in this mortifying situation in the first place.
He had never felt more like his father as he had in that moment.
“Elora,” He continued ignoring the warmth her amber eyes sent through him, “This is Teriel, my Advisor…” He said grabbing his shoulder, “Teriel will personally show you and your siblings to rooms in the palace. You can read, yes?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” She answered.
“Teriel will show you to my personal library once you’re settled. Your job will be to keep and organize.”
“Your Majesty…” Teriel whispered a warning but Rome held up a hand stopping whatever argument he was about to make. He knew the man was only doing his job and it deem seem foolish to be so trusting of Elora and her siblings but some part of him wanted him to do everything he could to make them comfortable, “Do as I say, Teriel.”
“Yes, my king. I’ll be back shortly. Would you like some counsel on the other thing, Sir?”
“I’m not talking about it, Teriel.” Rome retorted and urged him to take Elora and her siblings to find rooms.
As he watched them walk away, he realized she was still hovering over her siblings like a hen over its chicks even though she was the most wounded of them, having scars and cuts all over. She’d insisted she could do anything, even fight, just so her siblings could be taken in.
“Well, I do hope you’ll talk to me then,” A familiar high pitched voice called from behind him. Even before he turned he knew who it was.
It was his sister, Skye. She’d returned from the southern border and from the looks of it and had heard what happened. Skye had never really liked Erika. She had always wondered what the king saw in the woman he had made his queen. She’d warned him from the start that she feared Erika’s father had been a bad influence on their father.
Erika’s father was Kain and he had been the ‘King’s Hand’ to their Father when he was king. He had made his wealth indulging in slavery and running a brothel that entertained all forms of depravity down to using underage girls as sex slaves. Skye hated Kain because she felt he had sponsored their Father’s promiscuous life.
She walked up to him and smiled, gently grabbing his face and squeezing in a gesture that was both familiar and welcoming although not in the eyes of the nobles milling about that whispered behind their fans.
“Skye, I’m still your king.” He scolded with feigned seriousness even though he wanted to hug the woman.
“Ah! Yes, Your Majesty!” She laughed curtsying, “Then why are your cheeks red with embarrassment?”
He melted into the embrace drawing all the strength he needed from her then quickly withdrew. A moment longer and unsavory rumors would start to spread.
“So Erika, huh?” She asked, still holding his shoulder. Rome realized that she hadn’t had the time to go find Erika or Chester.
“Yeah.” Was all he could answer with images of Erika and Chester flooding his vision and sending a familiar stabbing ache in his chest.
“That bitch! She has the gods to thank that I didn’t meet her in that position.”
Rome knew that his sister wasn’t bluffing. She would have torn Erika apart with her hands if she had seen her.
“And Chester…? Where’s the bastard? The nerve of him! You called him brother,” She spat.
“Dungeons. Locked up. You’ll be taking his office as the Hand of the King,” Rome replied. “It should have been you along. I shouldn’t have trusted him.”
He tried his best to repress the ache in his heart at how everything was changing so fast.
“Good riddance,” She said and hugged him again, whispering, “You’ll be fine.”
“Ehem!” He cleared his throat and gave her one last squeeze.
“Rome. Come on in,” She laughed pulling his hand. “We have much to talk about.”
His chest warmed. It was a big mistake making Chester his hand.
From the moment Skye had become chief commander of the Lycan army, she had seen unbroken victories in battle and had never once disobeyed any of the king’s orders but never failed to let him see things differently. She always stood by him.
Even though they didn’t share the same mother, Skye saw him as her hero and only friend. She loved the king’s mother as her own.
The old king had drunkenly spilled the truth about her mother while threatened with a spear.
During one of his battles against the hordes in the south, he’d met a woman. During this time, the land of wolves hadn’t yet settled into packs. The old king had been instrumental in causing the packs to submit again to Lycan rule after they had revolted years ago. It was during this time, he said he had met a beautiful woman. A noble, he said, and they believed him because he had a thing for social stratification and class.
The lady-wolf had been the wife of one of the men who had crossed the sea to help him in battle. Her husband had died in battle and nights later he said he had been drunk, and the woman had come on to him. The child she conceived was Skye. Her mother had named her after the firmament.
When she had borne the child, she couldn’t take the child across the sea with her for fear. So as the old king had said, he’d brought her home to Rome’s heartbroken mother who still poured all her love on the child even though she was born out of her husband’s infidelity.
As Rome and Skye walked into the palace, he briefed her in on the situation. Rome could trust her with his life. His heart warmed from the privilege.