Dethroned…
I woke up early the next morning, my mind still troubled from the conversation with Simon. The accusations, the doubt-it all lingered in the back of my mind like a storm cloud that wouldn’t clear. Lucas and Simon are still blind to Veronica’s manipulation, and there is nothing I can do to change their minds.
But I am not powerless. Not anymore.
I dressed quickly, pulling on the plain tunic I had worn for the past few weeks since returning to the castle. The corridors were quiet as I made my way through the halls, but I could sense the tension in the air. Everyone knew what today was-Veronica’s day of reckoning. She would face the council for her incompetence in the recent attacks, but I suspected something much deeper was at play.
I needed to speak to Lucas. He had been distant, caught up in his duties as not just king, but also in the recent training sessions Luke and Simeon had been undergoing. However, I couldn’t let things continue like this. I wouldn’t let Veronica get away with her deceit any longer.
As I approached the throne room, I saw the guards standing at attention outside the large double doors. They nodded as I walked past, opening the doors for me. Inside, Lucas was seated on his throne, deep in conversation with one of his advisors. His eyes flicked up to meet mine, and for a moment, I saw a flash of something-guilt? Regret?-before his expression hardened again.
“Ashley,” he said, his voice formal, guarded. “What brings you here?”
I swallowed, keeping my voice steady. “I need to talk to you about Veronica. About the truth.”
Lucas sighed, dismissing his advisor with a wave of his hand. He rose from the throne, stepping down to meet me. “Ashley, we’ve been over this. The council is handling it.”
“They don’t know the truth,” I countered, stepping closer to him. “Veronica has been lying to you for years. She’s the one behind the betrayal, not me.”
Lucas rubbed a hand over his face, clearly weary from the weight of everything. “Are we really still going back to this?”
“Of course we are. In case you aren’t aware, Simon came to me yesterday asking about this same topic, so yes, we are going back to it. I’m not the one responsible for the issues-Veronica is.”
“Well, do you have any proof? Anything to back up these claims?”
“I know it sounds impossible, but you have to trust me,” I pleaded. “Simon is still blind to the truth, but I know you. Deep down, you’ve always had doubts about her.”
Lucas stared at me for a long moment, his gaze searching mine. I could see the conflict in his eyes. He wanted to believe me, but the years of deceit had left him unsure of who to trust.
“Even if I do have doubts,” he finally said, his voice quiet, “Veronica is the queen now. Until the elders pass their judgment on what is going to happen with her, I don’t want to address this or even look into the possibility of her supposed betrayal, as you claim.”
I shook my head. “You can’t let her keep having her way. That woman is the queen of lies. She’s dangerous. And I’m a hundred percent sure that she’s the one who leaked the secrets to that Fabian guy Simon mentioned last night. She destroyed everything and pinned it all on me. What a witch!”
At the mention of Fabian’s name, I noticed that Lucas’ expression turned deadly serious. “Fabian? What do you know about him?”
“I don’t even know who this man is or what he looks like. Simon mentioned him last night, saying he was the one I supposedly sold the kingdom’s secrets to. If he’s the one who received them, then I’m sure Veronica is more involved with him than she’s letting on,” I said, my heart pounding. “You have to believe me when I say she’s the one who stole the kingdom’s secrets, not me. She’s been working with him all along.”
Lucas took a step back, his expression darkening. “If what you’re saying is true…”
“It is,” I insisted. “You need to confront her, Lucas. Before it’s too late.”
Lucas was silent for a moment, lost in thought. Then, with a sharp nod, he turned his back and walked towards his throne without saying anything to me. I stared at his retreating figure for a while before making my way out of the throne room. I could tell that he didn’t believe me completely, but at least he was considering what I had said, and that was something.
—
**VERONICA’S POV**
I entered the council chambers with my head held high, but inside, I was seething. They had summoned me so quickly; it had to be Ashley’s doing. She was trying to destroy everything I had built, but I wouldn’t let her.
As I stepped into the room, I locked eyes with Lucas, who stood at the head of the chamber, his expression unreadable. The council members were seated in a semi-circle, their eyes all fixed on me.
“Veronica,” Lucas began, his voice steady but cold, “we need to have a serious discussion before we begin with the subject in question for this gathering.”
“Oh, alright then, go ahead,” I responded, taking my seat as I patiently waited for them to begin.
“Now, as you already know, Simon and I have been trying for a very long time now to find Fabian,” he began, and I gulped nervously at the mention of that name, “and it is no surprise to anyone that we have no issues finding any single wolf no matter where they might be in the world. However, this nut seems to be extremely hard to crack, which is very unusual for someone as small as Fabian. In essence, a lot of questions have been asked regarding his disappearance and constant escape every time we are close to getting him, so it could only mean two things. One, he could be very skilled in this art, having some of the best experience in hiding, or, he probably has someone tipping him off.” The moment he said this, his gaze immediately turned excessively cold and full of scrutiny, making me squirm in my seat.
“Wh… what do you mean, Lucas? Why are you telling me all this? I mean, if there’s anyone tipping him off, it would be Ashley.”
“Exactly what we thought, but this has been happening right from the time we began looking for him, and mind you, Ashley wasn’t even here. How could she possibly know our plans early enough to inform him?”
“I… I don’t know! Why are you asking me all these questions? You should be asking her. For all we know, she could even have an informant in the house that we aren’t aware of.”
Lucas raised a brow, then relaxed back in his seat. “Hmm, okay then, I guess I’ll take your word for it. Let’s go straight to why we’re here,” he said, his tone shifting from tense to casual. If he had done that to ease the tension, it didn’t work, because my anxiety had now spiked even higher.
Elder Baron cleared his throat after Simon urged him to begin, and I took a deep breath to calm myself for what was about to unfold.
“All right then, we’ll begin quickly so that everything can be done and over with on time. As we all know, the reason for our gathering today is to discuss the future of the kingdom, which has sparked a lot of controversy among the various packs. In respect to our previously conducted meeting, our agenda for today is brief. The council still upholds the decision to have Her Highness, Queen Veronica, dethroned with immediate effect, which also includes the annulment of her marital ties with the kings.”
“What? I have the right to object!” I said, standing from my seat and slamming the table. Lucas and Simon turned to face me with the most threatening looks on their faces, and I had no choice but to sit back down. Elder Baron looked at me as if waiting for the end of my outburst, which made me gnash my teeth in frustration.
“So without further ado, I would like to hear from the kings on their take. Will they agree to have the queen dethroned, which automatically ends their marriage with her, or would they prefer to have her remain as a wife, but not as the recognized queen mother?” he asked, and the entire room turned to Lucas and Simon. They quietly looked at each other and began whispering as they deliberated. While we waited for their decision, I prayed silently to the moon goddess. I knew my fate hung in the balance, and my only hope was that they would choose the second option. If I could remain their wife, I could still find a way to reclaim my position. But if they chose ultimate dethronement, everything I had would crumble, with no way to turn back time.
As everyone waited, Elder Raymond scoffed at my whispered prayers, but I ignored him to avoid further incrimination. It didn’t take long before Lucas and Simon finished talking.
“Alright then, we’ve discussed it and come to a conclusion,” Simon began, and I felt my hands and feet grow cold as my heart raced. “Alpha Norway has been one of our strongest supporters, maintaining a healthy relationship with us even after our parents’ death. We all respect him for that. So, out of respect for him, we have decided not to have Veronica dethroned.”
The entire room gasped, and I finally released the breath I’d been holding. My wolf celebrated, and I could hardly contain my relief.
“We understand and respect the council’s decision to lower her status from that of Queen, but we do not want the marriage to be annulled,” Simon concluded, and everyone began whispering among themselves. I just sat there quietly, my face buried in my palms as my body slowly returned to normal. Sure, I wasn’t going to be recognized as the main Queen anymore, but at least I wasn’t completely thrown away. This would give me a chance to claw my way back to the top in time.
“Order in the room, please!” Elder Baron yelled, and the room quickly fell silent.
“Alright then, we all understand and accept your decision, and so it shall be, as witnessed by us elders and the Moon Goddess herself,” they all howled in unison, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, we would like to urge His Highnesses to prepare for the marriage ritual within the next three days, in accordance with the customs and traditions of the lycanthrope. The mother of the heirs to the throne must be married and acknowledged as Queen Mother as soon as possible.”
I bit the inside of my lip in frustration. It hadn’t even been ten minutes since I was dethroned, and they were already discussing the marriage of Lucas and Simon to that useless slave. To make matters worse, their howling had likely announced it to everyone in the kingdom, ensuring my new status would be implemented the moment we stepped out of the chamber.
I looked around silently as they began rounding up the meeting. What a terrible day.
As I walked down the castle corridors after the council meeting, my mind was ablaze with fury. How dare they strip me of my title, my power? To be reduced to just a wife, after all I had done for this kingdom? It was infuriating. But I wasn’t finished yet. Not by a long shot.
I could still feel the lingering gazes of the council members, their judgment heavy in the air. But none of that mattered now. The real game had begun.
Ashley thought she had won a victory today, but she had no idea what was coming. I smirked to myself, already plotting my next steps. The council might have succeeded in stripping me of my crown, but they couldn’t take away the influence I still had. Lucas and Simon may not have fully trusted me anymore, but that could be fixed.