The Werewolf Order (Erotica)

Their shocked silence permeates the small group; finally, Sheynne turns to Kelvin, “Do as Queen Namora asked-have our men among the prisoners heal those that are wounded.”Property © NôvelDrama.Org.

Kelvin nods stiffly before relaying the command to a nearby soldier. Turning to Mora, as she is obviously in charge of this exchange, he tensely asks, “And what is it that I am supposed to tell my men? They will see those that fought against them as enemies-their corruption will not be easily forgotten.”

“Aye,” agrees Wallace, “I am having a hard enough time considering the possibility of an immortal being-I certainly do not want to tell my kinsmen this.”

“King Irron used dark magic,” Prince Philip offers, “He was able to bewitch the men in his country and when those of Sceadu drank their blood, the spell took them over. They had no control over their actions.”

Heads nod around the group. “It is agreed then,” Mora confirms, “this goes for the Alumenian prisoners too-they will be allowed to return to their country.” Kelvin turns and heads towards the prisoners to dispatch his orders.

“Who will run Alumenia?” Queen Sheynne asks, though from the tone in her voice it is clear she desires the rights to the throne.

“Advisor Laren will oversee it with a contingency of Derven men for security, until such a time that an Alumenian King can be chosen,” Mora says firmly. Laren sits up tall in his saddle, clearly surprised with the decree.

“And what gives you the right to decide this?” Sheynne scoffs at Mora, “Not only does Derven have more skilled soldiers than Sceadu as is now apparent, but giving you control over their resources puts both my country and Geofen at a disadvantage.”

“I am actually in agreement with your choice, Queen Namora. I knew your father well and having Derven run things intermediately makes the most sense; your country is the most neutral of us all. My only request would be that my Advisor Kenneth to oversee it with him,” Wallace says.

Mora nods; Laren bows his head, accepting the offer, “That would be agreeable, King Wallace.”

Just as Sheynne draws a breath to interject, Rick cuts her off, “I also agree with Queen Namora, as I will always come to agreement with my future wife; you have no reason to fear, mother, I will make sure Sceadu’s interests are always considered.”

The surprise on Sheynne’s face is not an expression any of them have seen much of; when she glances to Mora, her voice conveys her expression, “Is this true?”

Turning towards Rick, she rests a gentle hand on his shoulder. She smiles down at him, though her voice is caught in her throat when she makes an attempt to speak. Mora feels that their relationship should not be put on display for all, especially as they haven’t had much time alone to get to know each other fully. She desires to wait on making the proclamation official-after being rushed into an engagement with Irron, Mora feels that going slowly would be the wisest course of action, though she has fully given him her heart, her mind holds steadfast in this.

“Congratulations, Queen Namora, Prince Varickan,” King Wallace offers despite her silence. “Let us leave this discussion on that high note-I invite you all to come to Geofen in a week so that we can further discuss the future of Alumenia.” He lowers his head slightly before turning his horse and leaving. Prince Philip offers a smile, clasping Rick’s shoulder before following his father.

Queen Sheynne clenches her jaw, clearly at an impasse with her ploy to unite the couple; she nods briefly, before turning her horse around, “Come, Varickan. We have matters to attend to before the sun rises too high.”

Rick watches his mother head back towards the borders of Sceadu, before turning towards Namora, hesitant to leave her side again. Lightly, her fingers brush his cheek, “Go. When you are finished, I will be in the castle in Derven.”

He offers her a soft smile, catching her hand to kiss the back of it, “As you wish, Queen Namora.”

Her and Laren watch the others retreat. When they are beyond earshot, his voice is quiet, “The battle now done, the tiger now free, the hunter and her will forever be. Though time’s mystery has yet been unfold, the secrets spoken amongst the orchard to be told. The poet senses intentional half truths, given to the rulers to prevent their coups. The sun has set into its permanence, what shall become of its evidence?”

Mora closes her eyes, struggling through the pain of her damaged body to unscramble his message; she grimaces, placing her hand on her ribs when she tries to draw a full breath. Glancing around to ensure that no one is near before she plainly replies to Laren, her voice a whisper, “Have Franklin and Jackson take Irron’s body back to Derven and burn it on a stone pyre. I want the immortal metal collected once he is ash and have it stored in the royal vault-as my father would say, it is better to prevent someone from committing a crime than to punish them when they do. During your stay at the Alumenian castle, please keep an eye out for more of the immortal metal; I have a suspicion that after Irron killed the others he collected it. Now, what was in the letter my father gave you?”

Laren draws a deep breath, surprised at her bluntness yet he returns the favor, “Irron had a bastard son. Rightfully, per their law, he is now heir to the throne.”

The shock is now hers, “How come no one but my father knew of this?”

“The boy’s mother was one of many women whom Irron took liberties with-all of them were executed if they became pregnant, but she managed to escape to Geofen. During one of your father’s visits there, he encountered her, poor and desolate, her belly swollen with a bastard child. King Nathanial took pity on her, as she reminded him of your mother, at least by way of situation having to flee her country because of Irron, so he provided for her in secret assuring that she raised the boy properly. She lived in Geofen for two decades before she died, at which time the King brought the son to Derven and gave him a home just outside the western village.”

Her eyes drift shut again and she silently curses her father for being so secretive about this, “How long ago was it that he came to Derven? What is his name?”

“His name is Irving and he has lived in Derven for ten years. He’s only a few months older than you, my Queen.”

“Did you know?”

Laren sighs, “I knew about your mother and the immortals, yes. I knew that your father helped this woman out and I knew of the man-I trained him to fight when he arrived in Derven. However, I did not know who his father was and apparently, neither does he.”

Huffing a laugh, she looks at her old friend, “So Alumenia has an heir, though anyone who knew as much or could confirm it is dead. Perhaps we should just let him live out his life in peace?”

Tilting his head, Laren looks out over the field of dead bodies being laid in neat rows by able men, “It is an interesting notion, Queen Namora. In his letter, your father gave me the location of an affidavit written by Irving’s mother as to the circumstances of his conception. It was signed not only by King Nathanial, but by your mother and by King Wallace’s father, who is now deceased. It provides more than enough proof as to his claim on the throne.” He looks over to her, “But, your father left the decision to expose this entirely to you.”

“Of course he did,” she grumbles under her breath. She sighs, “Is he a good man?”

Laren is silent for a moment, “That, my Queen, is something you will have to determine for yourself.” LIES

*******

As Laren made it clear there was no reason for her to remain in the Meadow, she slowly makes her way back to Derven. Behind her Franklin and Jackson ride as her guard, though the spare horse they lead carries the red shrouded body of Irron. Neither of the men questioned the orders of Laren, knowing they had come from the Queen herself. After all they have been through, Mora knows she can trust them to keep their mouths shut and take care of the task at hand.

They reach the main road leading to the castle by midday; Mora gives them permission to take their leave so that they don’t have to walk a dead body through the small town. Greystar breaks into a trot once the castle is in sight, just as eager to get home as she is; her pain is substantial and she is having a hard time keeping her eyes open after remaining awake for over a day.

She takes in the sight of the castle as it unfolds to her, almost looking upon it as a stranger; until a few weeks ago, she hadn’t left Derven since she was a child but now that she has been absent for a while her old life almost seems like a dream. The castle is vast and large, a mixture of rich wood beams and light colored square stones, bigger than the dark stone one of Sceadu. Though the tall structure only houses a two floors above the cellar below, the entire roof has enough surface area to host a large ball. From the stories she heard, when her mother was alive they would frequently celebrate weddings up there because she adored dancing, however after her death her father quickly dismissed the practice as it was a constant reminder of his loss.

The castle is three times as long as it is wide, the orchard stretches half of the length on the west side, the stables and royal pasture on the east. Though the land surrounding it and encompassing the town that lies just before it were laboriously cleared into open fields, the forest just beyond them is thick and dense.

During her trot through the town to the castle stairs, though all know the outcome of the battle, no one cheers for her victory; instead any that are within her path solemnly bow their heads, resting their hands over their hearts. For those of Derven, the cost of war is too high no matter what the results and being one of them, Mora whole heartedly agrees; she is thankful that none of the close friends she has made over the past few weeks lost their lives but that does little to ease her grief for all of those who didn’t fare as well.

A man from the stable greets her at the base of the stairs, ready to tend to Greystar. As she forces herself to ascend them, she discovers Eunice waiting for her just inside the door.