Ch. 206..210: Alpha King’s Lost Luna Chapter 206-210
Chapter 206
Wegalla was a tough nut to cr ack.
This diplomatic visit hadn't yielded any beneficial results, and as sat at the head of the table in the formal meeting room of Vlokwell’s palace, | wanted to slam my head into the pale white wood furniture
The voices of the diplomats in the room melded together, and the grating sound of their complaints and agitations was almost enough to make me want to leave this meeting entirely. For the most part. | didn’t mind being the king of Yurene. but at times like this, | loathed it entirely. The monarchy was full of trivial matters like these, and | hated any instance that pointed out my shortcomings.
As | sat there with my head pounding in agony from the sheer exhaustion of the trip, the diplomats complained about the shrewd councilors in Wegalla. Their glances often veered toward me while making their reports and justifying their failure to secure an agreement advantageous to our country.
As much as | regarded Asher Collins as weak, | had to admit that the Alpha King of Wegalla possessed talents fiir superior to these foolish diplomats. He was smart, cunning, and utterly brave when it came to the functions of his country. While he had not been trusting of me, | couldn’t blame him completely.
These diplomats, though | wanted to snap and remind them of their inadequacy, but instead. | considered that sometimes fools had their uses. Fools required nothing more than a little manipulation. They were easily manipulated, and if | wanted to be strategic and smart about my next steps. | needed to sway their minds
So, | smiled and cleared my throat, and in the process, Finterrupted the young man who was speaking. When | made the disruptive noise, the poor guy sat back in his chair and forced down a gulp. | knew he had more to say, but even someone as young as he knew better than to speak over their king.
“Thank you for your presentations,” | said loftily to the entire room, making eye contact with each diplomat. | agree with your complaints about the obstinacy of Wegalla’s councilors and would like to thank you for your efforts during our visit to Anemond Considering our long hours of travel. | think it would be best for this meeting to adjourn so everyone can some rest. A welcoming party will be arranged for the following night, as per the traditions of Yurene.
Though the meeting had been rendered inconclusive by my statement, the councilors and diplomats knew their place and seemed relieved to be dismissed. They rose from their seats, and each offered me a fist over their chest in respect. | accepted the gestures from the group, and as they departed from the meeting room, the forced smile left my face
I sat back in my tall, white leather chair and glanced out the tall window beyond me. The sky was brighter here than it had been in Wegalla, and while I’d admired much of their land, there was a strange feeling about being home.
If only | hadn’t spent the first hours of my return locked in such a boring meeting.
Suddenly, a laugh interrupted the newfound silence, and | glanced over to see that Anubis hadn’t left the room. His black eyes bure into mine with an agitating intensity, and | fought the urge to groan
“What | demanded as | rolled my eyes at him. He’d remained silent for the suration of the meeting so | had no idea what he intended to bother me with now.
“Nothing” he said with a mocking gran “I just find interesting, that’s all Thank you for your presentations You couldn't
out their presentations | could feel your insincerity all the way over there Are you playing the role of a kind
Trused a broavat tum “What are you talking about. Anubis??
just artam
“I'm jou wondering why you will wish to ta thene diplomats he said with an annoyed sigh. You and | both know that
they're utterly useless and have been since your father was king”
He then lowered his already low voice. “It might be better to have them. taken care of.”
“Taken care of,” | repeated back slowly, and my eyebrow shot up higher. “I don’t think execution is the right course of action. Anubis.”
“All I’m saying is that treason isn’t beneath these fools,” Anubis replied, and his large mouth drew into a thin line of disgust. “They could have allegiance to the Southerners-”
“We both know that the men that were in this room lack the intelligence and ambition for treason, | dismissed him with another eye roll. “That would require them to be forward-thinking, after all.”
“It's just a precaution,” Anubis countered. “Especially considering the insecurity of your position”
| raised my hand to halt the conversation. “That's enough. The choice is mine alone, as is my judgment on the matter. | won’t have you telling me what to do.”
“If you intend to be a kind ruler, it’s too late,” Anubis continued anyway, “Besides, | didn’t align myself with you because of your friendly disposition. If you're somehow going soft on us, I’m not sure if you'll continue to have my loyalty-
“Oh please, | chuckled, and | shook my head. “You wouldn’t wayer, Anubis. Who else is there for you to align yourself with? You're free to leave if that’s your desire, but you'd be a fool to think there’s better for you elsewhere.
He frowned, and his entire cruel demeanor shifted. He knew | was right, and | could see that fact confirmed in the expression on his angular face. His black eyes darted elsewhere, and then | continued.
Our cooperation was never based on consensus or loyalty but mutual benefit,” | continued, leaning forward in my seat. “If you can find a better king to serve, you're free to leave.
Anubis turned back to me and stared for a moment. We carried on in silence for a moment, and then he nodded simply in acknowledgment.
Without another word, | stood up and headed for the door. | was exhausted from all of this and didn’t desire to continue on any further. Between Anubis and the diplomats, my brain felt full of thoughts, and my disposition was poorer than usual
“Are you planning on visiting the healer?” Anubis called out sarcastically, and when | turned back around, there was a sneer on his face. “She’s a liability, you know, as well as a risk. You should really confine her to the prison tower.”
“No,” | stated firmly. “I won't do that.”
“She’s making you weak,” Anubis continued, and anger surged within me.
“Enough, | hissed, and after | took a moment to compose myself, | released a sigh. “Now, where’s Roxy?”
The dark-haired man frowned at the sudden shift in conversation and then shrugged. “I don’t know. At this hour, she’s probably conducting her training course
“Call her over,” | demanded. “I’m tired of dealing with all of this nonsense. It’s time to visit our g uinea pigs and check on their progress”
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Chapter 207
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Chapter 208
CASSANDRA
Much to my surprise,
Kaleb didn’t come searching for me until the next day, and even then, he didn’t meet with me in person. Instead, he sent Ms. Benn, who arrived at the door of nly room with a garment bag in tow. The heal servant's icy eyes were blank as they met mine, and she handed me the bag without a word.
“What's going on?” | wondered as | accepted it hesitantly. “What is this?”
“The king sent me to invite you to a party tonight, she explained in her low, heavily accented yoice. “To celebrate the return of the diplomatic corps. You will come alone while your maid and your son remain in the room.”
| wanted to shove the garment bag back at her and tell her to leave me alone, bt | knew that | didn’t have the right to turn down an invitation from the king. Though we had our own chamber, we were still prisoners of a sort, so | needed to do as instructed. So. | nodded.
“The king wants you to wear this tonight.” Ms. Benn continued, and after her strange eyes trailed over me, she gave one last instruction. “And he wishes for you to wear your hair up.
The head servant turned on her heels and left, and once she was gone, | closed the door and then brought the garment bag over to Erika. The maid laid it down on the bed and carefully unzipped it, revealing a silk dress. The color was so dark it was nearly black, but when she held it up. | could see it was actually sapphire.
“Oh my,” Erika noted as she spun the dress around, and when she did. my lips parted in surprise. The dress was gorgeous and much like the one I'd worn during the banquet back in Merliscire Palace, but it was much more revealing. It was sleeveless, with a high neck, and the skirt was long, but it had an incredibly high slit, and the entire back was exposed. It was much more daring than anything I'd ever worn before, though | wasn’t all that surprised.
Along with the dress came a pair of high heels, and | winced at the sight of them. | was quite petite, so | wasn’t a stranger to heels like that, but | rarely wore things like that nowadays.
“This is a deliberate humiliation,” Erika said through pursed lips as she studied the garment. | wanted to agree. | didn’t know what Kaleb intended to do. Though | was a prisoner with no hope of escape, | knew | needed to protect myself.
So, two hours later, after Erika helped me twist my long copper hair into an elaborate updo and applied some makeup to my tired features, | put on the dress and hid two syringes of anesthetic and a long needle | could use as a weapon into my handbag. Better safe than sorry.
Though the dress was revealing, it was quite beautiful. It hugged me tightly, but the color was a perfect contrast against my fair skin and fiery hair
Ms. Benn came to collect me once the sun went down and she escorted me down the stairs and out of the side building of the castle: | walked very slowly, as it was difficult to keep my balance on a stone-paved lane, especially with it being so dark. The night was so cold that | shivered and held my arms. This dress provided no warmth at all, and | felt chilled to my bones.
The lights were sparse outside, and | couldn’t help but wonder if that was also a deliberate arrangement to avoid being found by their war opponents. Things here were so strange and guarded that it seemed to make sense
Ma. He led me into the main building, and | was surprised to see that Kalebs was waiting for me outside of what 1 paruumed to be the banquet hall. He straightened up at once when he saw me
11 wore a finely tailored suit, pa back, and lus shiny goldenrown lau had been tied back with a black velvet ribbon. His avy eyes were bright, and when they trailed over a shiver traveled down my spine. The tall foreign king was incredibly mention but | felt like comerof prey in his gaze
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Ms. Benn bowed her head and retreated as Kaleb walked over and gestured for me to take his arm. | didn’t speak a word but complied and followed him into the room
The banquet hall was very large, maybe as large as the one of Merliscire, but the decoration of it was much simpler. The walls and floors were white, but the stone glittered in the candlelight. It was like we were in a castle of ice, though the room. was heated.
There were many people in the hall. Women were
sel just as sparsely as | was, their dresses exposing their lovely
frames. Heat spread to my checks at the sight. | wasn’t a prudde, just wasn’t used to things like this.
Some of the people in the room were tangled with their partners, their bodies and lips kissing and touching. It was almost more like a mating party than a welcoming one. Was it mating season now?
Raven was right.
Things were more civil in the North.
| avoided eye contact with those lust-filled wolves and instead paid attention to the more polite ones. Kaleb was greeted by a few people when we entered the hall and introduced me at once as an “excellent healer.
Though they all made weird faces, just as Raven had when they heard the word “healer,” they all showed their respect for me. It was probably just for Kaleb’s sake, but | didn’t mind it anyway.
Suddenly. | heard a cheerful voice call to me, and | turned to see it was Raven. Her hair was shiny and fell in perfect waves to her shoulders, while her tall, elegant frame was highlighted by a tight, burgundy silk dress. It was low cut, but her chest was. modest enough not to show too much. Her full lips had been painted dark red, and at once, | thought of Adalyn, though Raven somehow looked much more lovely.
“Hi Cas sandra,” Raven gushed as she reached me, and she gave me a big hug. “I knew he would bring you here.”
Her smile was bright and she gave me a mischievous wink. It was clear she believed he had a crush on me, but this was a huge misunderstanding. But what else could | say? | couldn't tell Raven that | was a pawn or a hostage. It would sound too pathetic, and besides. | didn’t know if she could be trusted, even though she'd saved Finnick. Sure, she was hospitable and kind, but | couldn’t let my guard down.
Before | could say something, an icy voice called out to Raven, and when a figure appeared behind her, | thought I'd lost my mind. The woman had the same face, eyes, and hair as Raven’s, though there was a more serious expression on her features. She was also slightly taller, and her muscles were more defined. | knew from her powerful, confident gair that she had to be a trained warrior.
Raven’s twin bowed her head at Kaleh before turning to face me. Her stare was sharp, and | fought the urge to shiver as her blue-
e-green eyes trailed over me. She was like a jungle cat, poised and ready to pounce
“Cas sandra, this is Roxy Carter, the king of Yurene introduced us, and then he glanced at Raven. “And | see you’ve met her twin Raven though I’m not sure how that’s possible.”
Just as | was about to explam, Raven spoke up first.
“Her son had been poisoned by the mist, she explamed “I brought her a cure and then showed her sorceries. She seemed quite shocked
file continued to rande on until Roxy cut her off
That’s enough her tat sand harshly “We don’t need every detal
Sony Bases sald quietly and then she offered an apologetis jassion was just
14 say so thing audire sur m
Chapter 209 Sorcerer?
CASSANDRA
Ronald Adams was Kaleb's cousin. He was two years younger than the king of Yurene and was the son of Kaleb's father's brother. When Ronald's father passed away, Kaleh's father adopted the boy and raised him alongside his son, making the two like brothers. Raven told me all of this information in a hushed tone as the two spoke in the distance. It seemed no one in the banquet hall dared to interrupt their talk. People around them maintained a certain distance and ensured they had the space and privacy for their conversation.
I studied them from across the room. I wished I could read lips so I could gather useful information, but I couldn't. The only thing I could surmise was that Kaleb disliked Ronald. His body language, which was usually relaxed and arrogant, was cold and off-put. His dark blue eyes had turned icy, and his expression was bored.
still, the king didn't protest when Ronald hugged him. He accepted the embrace, though he appeared nonchalant about it all.
The Northern king's cousin was nearly as tall as him and had similarly long, brown hair, though his was darker and had less gold than Kaleb's. Ronald's cool blue eyes were far more eager as well, and though his smile was kind, I could sense a bit of desperation about it. It was evident he liked Kaleb more than Kaleb liked him.
"Does the king have other brothers?" I wondered, and Raven's expression shifted immediately. Gone was the amused look of passing gossip. She now seemed panicked and nervous.
"Well, that's a bit hard to explain-" she began to say, but before she could finish her sentence, Roxy cut her off.
"Raven!" she uttered in annoyance, and her nostrils flared in irritation. "That's enough. Stop talking"
Raven, as if knowing something was wrong, pursed her full lips immediately and quit speaking. Meanwhile, Roxy stared at me with her cold eyes. Though she was nearly identical to Raven, I was unnerved by the differences between the two. Raven was so kind and bubbly, but her sister was mean and calculated. Even her dress, a slinky swath of black velvet, was much more severe and revealing. I turned away from the sisters and looked around the hall. Strange, exotic music had started to play, and some of the werewolves had begun to dance. Their bodies moved and swayed against one another in such an indulgent, sensual way that it could almost be argued that it wasn't dancing at all.
A few of the tall, male wolves started to approach us with eerily lustful smiles on their faces, but before they could get too close to us, Roxy shot them a death stare and Raven's scarlet lips curled into a snarl. I was taken aback by the suddenly feral behavior, but when they backed down, I couldn't protest much.
"Those ugly dogs never learned their lessons," Raven complained.
"They're newcomers who haven't learned any lessons," Roxy countered, her voice full of contempt. Her sister simply shrugged at the remark and then turned to me as if she'd remembered something
"Can you tell that Roxy has a crush on Kaleb?" Raven whispered in my ear.
"What?" I blurted out, and when I glanced over at her sister, I watched Roxy frown. It was clear that Raven wasn't used to whispering and had asked her questions a little too loudly. Roxy had heard what she said and looked vexed by the question.
Her cheeks reddened, and for the first time, her expression wasn't cruel but timid.
"Stop," she hissed at Raven. "That was back when I was a child. Why do you keep bringing it up?"
Raven grimaced. "Why do you always need to pretend? We're identical twins, sister, and I know what you're thinking about. Your stupid loyalty to the king could only be explained as a crush"
"That's nonsense," Roxy hissed, and Raven chuckled.
"You're a wimp," she teased, and Roxy's hands curled into fists at her sides.
"At least I know what to do with my life," she countered. "Unlike you, who's utterly incompetent but too afraid to admit it." Raven seemed hurt by the remark, and her lower lip trembled. "It isn't my fault that the research hasn't made any progress. I don't know why you need to be so harsh, Roxy, since you know how difficult it all is. Besitles, it's a waste of time to stay cooped up in the lab."
Research?
Lab?
What were they talking about?
What kind of research made Raven so desperate? It was clear that whatever the sisters were talking about, Raven was passionate about it. I tried to study her face and waited for her to speak more on the subject, but the conversation concluded before I could learn more.
Just as the talking ceased, Ronald and Kaleb approached. The king of Yurene's cousin appeared much softer than he was, and when he smiled at me, the gesture seemed genuinely warm.
"Ronald, this is Cassandra Keller," Kaleb introduced us, and then, much to my surprise, Ronald lifted my hand and placed a gentle kiss on it.
"A pleasure to meet you," he said in a smooth, silky voice. "It's an honor to have a marvelous lady here in Yurene. Would you do me the pleasure of dancing with me?"
Before I could answer, Kaleb spoke up again.
"I think it would be more proper if I danced with Miss Keller first," he insisted, and before another word could be said, he took my hand and led me to the dance floor.
My heart pounded in my chest in anticipation, but before I could panic too much, we began to dance. Thankfully, our dance was more Southern than Northern, so there wasn't anything unsavory about it. Kaleb remained silent, and I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but he was conducting himself like a gentleman.
Once the dance concluded, there was applause, and Ronald was one of the clappers. He seemed completely enthusiastic about our dance, and when we returned to where we'd left him, he gushed about us.
"That was the most beautiful dance I've ever seen," he remarked, and then he procured a soft pink rose from behind him and held it out to me. "I would be grateful if you would honor me with a dance next, Miss Keller."
I glanced at Kaleb, who made no comments and had an expressionless face. I'd half-expected him to deny his cousin the request outright, but to my surprise, he didn't speak a word about it. Though I didn't want to do any of this and wished I could go back to Erika and Finnick, I couldn't find any reason to decline, so I nodded and took the rose from his hand.
The moment I touched the beautiful, pale pink flower, its petals fully bloomed. I widened my eyes in complete and utter surprise and stared at Ronald in disbelief.
Magic!
The rose had been magic?
"How did that happen?" Tasked in shock.
Ronald flashed me a warm, pearly white smile. "It was your beauty that made the rose bloom."
While the line was smooth and kind, I knew it was total nonsense.
Was it an act of sorcery?
Was Ronald, the king of Yurene's kind and handsome cousin, a sorcerer?
Chapter 210
| stood there in shock for a moment. completely taken aback by Ronald’s sudden display of sorcery. The rose was incredibly beautiful and its petals were the most perfect shade of pink I’d ever seen, but | was so surprised by its sudden blooming that | didn’t know how to react.
The crowd around us suddenly erupted into laughter and applause. Heat spread to my cheeks as | jumped, startled by the sudden raucous, and as | glanced around the banquet hall. | realized that every set of eyes was on me.
My hands began to shake as the court members of Yurene began to comment on the show of magic. | heard a few utter compliments while others mentioned the gesture was romantic
| held the rose in my hand tentatively and tried to examine it closely. It looked so real, and yet. | had doubts in my mind.
How could Ronald use sorcery: Raven had mentioned that he was Kaleb’s younger cousin. So, how could he be a sorcerer? Amidst the murmurs and chatter around me, | heard Raven grumbling behind me.
“He’s so pretentious, the dark-haired beauty remarked, her deep red lips a thin, pursed line as her bluish-green eyes remained locked on Ronald. “Can you believe this?”
| wanted to talk to her about this, ask questions, and demand an explanation. However, as | prepared to turn around to face her, Ronald spoke up.
“If you do not wish to dance, Miss Cassandra, perhaps you would accompany me on a walk outside!” he suggested in an effortlessly charming voice. “I have something else yo show you.
The moment the idea left his lips, he turned to look at Kaleb, as if he sought approval for spending time with me.
| glanced at the king of Yurene, and when | did, | met his gaze, but his navy blue eyes were difficult to read. He said nothing. but | assumed by his expression that he had granted me some sort of silent permission. | hated the feeling that | could do nothing without the Northern king’s approval, but | knew very well that | was a hostage, not a guest.
| turned back to Ronald and gave him a polite nod. His lips curled into a contented smile, and then he held out his arm to me. | accepted it and after | took a short breath, the tall man escorted me out of the crowded ballroom.
| had no idea what he was about to show me, but at the very least, | was relieved to be away from the Yurenian dancers and their lustful gazes.
Ronald led me outside, and much to my surprise, he led me down a different route than I’d taken when I'd arrived earlier at the banquet hall. | shivered a little as the night breeze danced around me and silently cursed at Kaleb for sending me such a revealing dress.
Soon, we found ourselves in front of a greenhouse. It wasn’t a large space by any means, but it was still a nier one nonetheless. | had never expected a greenhouse in this bleak fortress
Pale blue moonlight glinted off of the thick glass walls, but it wasn’t bright enough to illuminate the space. Darkness cloaked the interior until suddenly, Ronald flicked his wrist, and somehow conjured light.
The moment the greenhouse was lit, | noticed the expanse of lush, fragrant flowers around us. | glanced around, impressed by at all | supposed no one would dislike flowers. Personally, | found them lovely and soothing, though to be honest, | didn’t fam y them partu ularly.
| had heard from my father that my toother used to love flowers, which was why we had a relatively large garden in the hour of Fein. Roses of all colors and varienes, violets, lilies, we had them all. According to Father, Mother had been good at
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nurturing them.
1, however, had no talent for keeping plants alive, though Ector was rather gifted. He loved being in the dirt. tending to the flowers, carefully preening them with an expert Touch While 1 had desired to be a warrior. Ector had always carried a dream to be a gardener
But it was an impossible dream for a high-rank werewolf. Our social standing wouldn't allow for Ector to pursue his wants. so he never told our father.
As | thought of my dear, kind brother, my heart ached a bit. If only he could see these beautiful, exotic blooms now.
“| love flowers, Ronald remarked, interrupting the heavy silence. His soft blue eyes twinkled in the light in his hands and he smiled at me warmly “I love planting. It’s the only honest thing in the world, you know?”
| followed him wordlessly through the greenhouse as he spoke. Many of the flowers around us were only half-blossomed. but they were still beautiful.
“Flowers never lie, Ronald remarked strangely. They will only blossom under proper care, die if not treated wisely.”
Before | could speak, the king’s cousin turned to face me.
“| heard from Kaleb that you’re from Wegalla,” he remarked in his heavily accented voice. “It must be quite warm in the South now.”
| nodded. “Yes,”
As the thought of my homeland reached me, | felt a wave of sadness run through me. Wegalla. What was happening there now? Was Becky okay? Marley? How was the cure coming along?
And Asher.. my sweet Asher.
How was he?
Had he received my note? Was he looking for me?
My brain began to spin out as | considered these possibilities. As much as | was accepting of my circumstances, all | wanted was to be back home with my beloved. Instead, | was in this foreign land, cornered by a man | didn’t know who clearly had something on his mind.
| fought the urge to sigh and forced the lump in my throat down
Ronald didn’t seem to notice my melancholic disposition and smiled again. “Why did Kaleb bring you here, Cass andra?”
So, that was the reason he wanted to walk with me.
He sought intel about the new guest in the castle.
| began to stroll through the greenhouse and observed some of the flowers. | took a moment to use over what to say and then spoke.
“| would think your cousin would have told you why I’m here. | remarked vaguely as | stared at a pale purple flower.
The king’s cousin chuckled. “Yes, Kaleb did say something, but my cousin’s explanation was vague. As your answers are, Ma Cas sandra So, | gured | would just ask you myself
He took a stepertoser to me, and the moment he did, the scent of its cologne reached my nose. Just like the flowers, there acarthuness to his sent, lan there was something, elevated about it something unique that | couldn’t place.
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The Northern royal’s handsome but strange face studied me with an amused expression. His soft blue eyes trailed over me with an eagerness that sent a chill through me, and as he awaited my answer. | knew there was something more here. something he wasn’t saying. | knew he wanted to know more about me.
| just didn’t know if | could trust him with the truth.