Chapter 67
POV: Queen Tamara Pierce
She let out a loud gasp as if she had been holding her breath for an extended period of time. Then, she felt like her strength had been taken off her body and had to stay and lay down on the comfy bed.
Tamara attempted to open her eyes, but all that she saw was blurry shadows of the people around her. She grunted as she felt her body becoming heavier, and she firmly closed her eyes.
“She’s finally awake.” Tamara could hear voices around her, but she was just too weak to even process them.
“Let her rest for now. She needs it and don’t tell her about what happened yet.”
Those were Raven’s final words that she heard before her consciousness left her mind.
***
POV: Lamina Darkwood
“What news do you have now?” She boredly inquired to the man hiding in the shadows.
“The Queen is sick. It is a perfect chance for you now.” He simply stated, before bidding his goodbye.
“What do you mean that she’s sick? What happened to her?” Lamina seriously asked before he could even close the door.
Her interest suddenly heightened disregarding the man’s impoliteness.
“I don’t know. No one knows except the Prince and the salutary wolf of the Lunar Pack.” He plainly replied before leaving the room.
Lamina viciously smiled as her plans were now falling accordingly.
***
POV: Prince Raven Pierce
“Good thing that you made it on time.” Elder Zeparu worriedly commented as he stared at Tamara and the King on the separate bed.
“We must move the King to another room for now. Tamara’s lycan side might have been triggered when she saw him like this.” He carefully suggested.
“I agree. But what happened to the King?” Elder Zeparu was still curious as to why his brother was hurt and poisoned.
The old and wise Were Elder knew that the King was truly an unbeatable fella, but the thing was, Raven couldn’t disclose that particular information to anyone just yet.
Not yet that he knew that someone was being a spy inside the palace. He knew that a mole had entered their territory and he wouldn’t let it pass.
It’s just that, he knew that even how cold and ruthless his brother was deep inside him he truly cared for his men. Loyalty, trust, and brotherhood weighed too heavy for him; once he had given it to someone, he would protect and care for it, no matter what.
Even though, he might really be an *ss most of the time.
And knowing that there was a traitor, who might be close to him, would totally break him inside.
“Prince Raven! Where’s the King?” Elder Courdamus instantly greeted him as he entered the meeting room with Arlan, who just glanced at him and pretended that he didn’t care about what the cunning old man had just said.
But he knew him better. He could smell nervousness and worry digging inside his every bone.
He smirked at the conniving Were Elder of the East.
“I will preside over this meeting on behalf of him. He is still busy with some matters. And you already know that they just got married, so, I don’t have to spell it out to you, right?” He sardonically stated as he playfully stared at the Elder, who just squinted his eyes and pretended to be fine with his sarcastic remarks.
“So, what is this meeting all about, my Prince?” The greedy Elder Nord followed as he smiled deviously at him.
“Well, I am just curious that you haven’t called the King for a meeting. Aren’t you all excited for the Hunting Game?” He mischievously inquired.
“Oh, my Prince, we are truly just following the King’s order not to hold a meeting even when the council is already worried that the Hunting Game wouldn’t push through. It is our ceremony for a productive and bountiful feast for the entire year. We must do it for the Moon Goddess to bless us with another year of generosity from her.” Elder Mondar instantly replied to his query.
Raven couldn’t help but to grit his teeth inwardly but his sardonic smile never faltered from his lips. It was too obvious that they were already trying to manipulate him and pointed something out. He knew that they were already planning something.
“Don’t worry, we will surely prepare a festivity for the Hunting Game. I will talk to Arlan about the details. Do you still have more suggestions?” He tried to throw the bait.
Elder Nord suddenly cleared his throat as he acted like a polite Were Elder council member.
“Are we still doing the ceremony in the palace, my Prince?” He cunningly inquired.
He mentally smirked at his question.
“Of course. We don’t want to raise another wave of unjust and unfairness if we choose one of your respective locations, right?” He playfully replied.
“Or you might want to suggest somewhere, Elder Nord. Might be the South Side perhaps?” He instantly seconded his words making everyone gasp in horror.
“What the- what are you saying, Prince Raven.” Elder Courdamus instantly called him.
“That is an insane suggestion, my Prince.” Elder Mondar seconded.
The other were elder council members just stayed silent as they listened to everyone’s own reaction.
Raven burst out laughing as he slightly shook his head.
“Oh, my bad. I am just kidding everyone. Don’t be too serious.” He smilingly stated as he mentally raised his left brow.
“In the meantime, just wait for the further details of the Hunting Game. If you don’t have any more questions-”
“With all due respect, my Prince, but is the order for gathering isn’t lifted up yet? We must also prepare for the Hunting Game, right?” Elder Courdamus suddenly interjected.
His facial expression suddenly hardened, and everyone instantly turned silent.
“Whatever the King orders will be followed. Besides, is there anyone you still need to communicate with other than your pack, Elder Courdamus?” He menacingly inquired.
He saw how the elder of the Dark Wood Pack swallowed hard as he saw how serious the prince was.
They might be used to the King being too ruthless and menacing all the time. But not to Prince Raven who seemed like a happy-go-lucky guy. They couldn’t deny that a kind and gentle person could actually possess a dark aura just like his brother was totally alarming and petrifying.
“N-None, my Prince.” He nervously stammered.
Raven smiled softly as if nothing had just happened.
“Very well, then. The meeting is adjourned.” He smilingly stated before walking out of the room.
He knew that they would ask him to talk to the king and lift that order just like what he and the King had been portraying for the past decades.
Yes.
They were just acting like they couldn’t stand each other. But in reality, they were just doing it to lure their enemies. Now, they would be slowly taking that mask off, for he knew that the war would slowly be starting.
***
POV: Kage Esmeray
“You’re here again.” Dreyson suddenly appeared in front of him in the backyard of the infirmary.
He was sitting at the bench where he and Tamara were having a conversation.
Kage was still mad at the King for not letting him visit Tamara. He knew that she was already the Queen but…
He grunted in frustration as Dreyson just watched him curiously. He didn’t even spare him a glance, for he was still sorting out his own thoughts… and feelings.
For the past few days, he suddenly felt like something had changed inside him. He suddenly felt like his connection and relationship with Tamara had suddenly changed. It was a scary feeling, but when the King blurted those words out, his heart confirmed it all.
“So, keep your feelings to yourself. Because it is slowly showing already, she might discover it and hate you in the long run.”
And it was also scaring the hell out of him, too.
He was scared that once Tamara finally discovered it, the King’s words would truly be true that she would loathe him and would never talk to him again.
“Kage, are you with me?” Dreyson suddenly interrupted his thoughts again.
He groaned in frustration and his brows furrowed as he took a glance at his friend’s face.
“What the heck, Dreyson. I am thinking of something here.” He frustratedly replied.
Dreyson let out a loud breathy sigh.
“I know. And you’ve been like that for the past few days already. Get a grip on yourself, bro. I know what you are trying to do. And I am telling you, you can’t be possessive of the things that you don’t own.” He seriously stated.
His heart instantly thumped faster inside him as his jaw slightly dropped.
Dreyson chuckled at his shocked reaction although it never reached his eyes.
“I know what you feel, Kage. We’ve been friends since time immemorial and I know you. Cut that emotion like what you’ve been doing for your feelings for Shahara since you met her.” He pointed out.
And he couldn’t believe that even that small thing, he knew!
“What the f*ck!” He blurted out.
Dreyson just mischievously grinned at him and opened the bottled water and gave one to him and the other to himself.
“I know that you liked Shahara and gave up because you thought that I liked her, right? And you’re right. I liked her, but I know that I can’t, and I mustn’t. She was in love with someone else and she was destined to be with the one she loved.” He seriously said.
“And now, look at her, she’s gone.”
Those words were too harsh and insensitive, but he knew that he needed to point it out. He didn’t want that to happen to Tamara either. Not if he could help it.
Dreyson just shook his head.
“Do you really think that I would regret my decision to let her go? I know that Shahara fell off that cliff with the thought that at least she tried her best to be with the one she truly loved. She wouldn’t regret a thing, Kage and our friendship remained. I wouldn’t want to risk it because I knew that it would just be futile. And Tamara is a sacred emissary. She was destined to be with the King, and she was now. Just don’t be stubborn and do not let your emotions control you.” Dreyson worriedly reminded him.
Then, a memory of someone suddenly flashed in his mind. Her deep purple eyes instantly sent shivers down his spine.
“By the way, don’t be driven by your emotions when the time comes. You shouldn’t be foolish and look at the moon instead of your roots.”
“What does she mean by that?” He lowly whispered under his breath.
“Huh?” Dreyson curiously commented.
But he just stood up and shook his head. All of his thoughts just led him to another more intriguing thought, so he would take a break for now.
“I need to check the patients. I will be needing their files.” He turned like a professional salutary wolf now like he was back to his normal self.
Dreyson just shook his head as he stared at him like he was a hopeless case.
“Come on, Dreyson, I don’t have all day.” He even changed his expression into a stoic one to prove that he was serious now when he leaned against the bench and nodded his head at him like he was now surrendering to his stubbornness.
“Just go to Elder Zeparu’s files for now. He is too busy, and we didn’t want him to get a huge stock of files once he gets back. It’s on his desk.” He let out a deep sigh as he said those words.
Without any goodbye, he marched towards Elder Zeparu’s office and checked the patient’s files. He had been neglecting his duty for the past few days and focused himself on the minor cases. He didn’t want to handle the major ones not if his mind was drifting away.
He was about to get the files that he needed when something caught his attention. A certain folder was hidden under the piles of papers which were already slightly torn apart.
His forehead creased as he tried to pull it out, but his eyes widened when he heard the papers ripped apart.
“Oh sh*t!” He was in a panic as he held out all of the papers above it so he could pull out the torn papers.
He and Dreyson weren’t allowed to rummage through Elder Zeparu’s files because they were confidential matters. But he just didn’t want it to be totally torn apart. He knew how the old kind elder treated his files well and he might have written that file again because it was already torn and was written on old paper.
“I will be scolded again.” He whispered to himself because it wasn’t far from reality.
He, once, came with Dreyson in Elder Zeparu’s office and got their earful of sermons and litany when they were being caught by the old man.
Kage let out a deep sigh as he placed the folder on the table and searched for the tape so he could just tape it instead. But then, his world suddenly turned upside down when he saw what was inside the folder.
He felt like he had been thrown in the pit of hell as he read all of the details inside the old and torn folder. He unconsciously let the papers fall from his hands as his entire body trembled because of the uncalled truth that he couldn’t even comprehend.
“H-How can she be my m-mother? H-How can L-Lamina be my m-mother?”