His Cursed Luna

9. Treachery

The Lycan King of Goldenrealm paced back and forth in his office while his Luna, Queen Charlotte, was sitting lazily on the chesterfield.

“Calm down, William,” she spoke finally while admiring her long, manicured nails.

“Calm down?” William yelled, smashing an expensive vase.

“How can you ask me to calm down? I spent years getting where I am, and that b!tch took away my position in a snap of a moment,” he growled. His aura increased, showing his authority over others.

The Lycan King tried to bargain with the Ancient Assembly after the ball. He wanted to hold a trial to find a worthy future queen where his daughter, Princess Isabella, would have to go against Penelope. Penelope grew up in the corner of the castle. She lacked in mannerisms, she had no physical training, and neither was she well aware of the political situations. On the other hand, he had raised Isabella for this job. She was one of the strongest warriors among the Royal Lycan and had a sharp mind. Penelope would have failed the trial for sure. But the Ancients didn’t even give much thought to his words.

“Princess Penelope is the sole heir to the throne of Goldenrealm, and she will be crowned on her eighteenth birthday in the presence of all five Lycan Kings. You should arrange for a grand ball, William. If the Goddess is happy with us, she may end up finding her mate as well,” Ancient Gerald, one of the very first Lycans, mentioned earlier.

“She will be only eighteen, your supreme, and she is not very strong either, if I may add. Will it be wise to put a show out of her coronation? Especially when we are not on good terms with all other Lycan Kingdoms. It will showcase our weakness only,” William tried to pursue them.

“She has plenty of time to learn. Besides, she has proved her worthiness in the trial. Goldenrealm will have our support, and hence no other Kingdom will dare to go against you,” Gerald assured.

“What about Azacunta?” William even brought up the Kingdom of Azacunta.

There were five Lycan kingdoms - Goldenrealm, Silverknight, Northmoon, Inarica and the oldest of all, Azacunta. The Lycan King of Silverknight was a pure-blooded Lycan, a descendant of one of the ancients and the same went for Northmoon. Inarica was ruled by werewolves. Though all five continents weren’t on good terms, they never tried to declare war by going against the Ancient Assembly. But Azacunta was different. The Lycan King of the great lands of Azacunta himself was one of the ancients. Some tales say he was the reincarnation of the devil himself. Above all, her sister, Princess Avery, was also another ancient. The bother-sister pair was undefeatable. Even more, he held a grudge against the Ancient Assembly. There were rumours that he was waiting for a chance to destroy four other Kingdoms in the name of vengeance. All four kingdoms were frightened of Azacunta. William also had heard about the rumours of the Alpha King of Inarica being acquaintances with Azacunta.

Even the Ancient Assembly remained silent at the mention of Azacunta; their decision didn’t change.

“She is the legacy of Nicholas. We have faith in her. She will do better than a half Lycan,” they mentioned in a chorus before leaving the castle of Goldenrealm.

William gritted his teeth as the final words of the Ancients rang over his ears.

“She harmed my daughter. Look at Isabella, Charlotte. She is still with the medics. Her wolf was left weak and defenceless. That wh*re caused our daughter this pain,” He snarled.

“Everything started from the ball, William,” the Queen spoke. “She danced in front of everyone, taking away Isabella’s limelight. She was supposed to be standing in the corner. Where did she get such audacity?”

Penelope was only allowed in the balls since William wanted to show the world that he had treated both the princess equally and also to keep an eye on her, making sure she was mingling with anyone in secret. Two guards were supposed to be with her all the time. How could that stranger walk past the royal warriors and take her to the dance floor? She even proposed the trial, and their daughter had to pay a high price for that. Above all, she questioned the Lycan King in front of the Ancient Assembly, indirectly blaming him for his daughter’s condition. Penelope pointed out at the trial that only the Royals of Goldenrealm were well aware of the puzzle of death, and only a few wolves had access to the maze, including the Lycan King. William couldn’t push this matter further since further investigation would only cause disaster for him.

The Queen straightened her posture as deep creases appeared on her forehead, “that man she was dancing with, who was he?”

“I have no clue,” William replied in frustration.“And why do you even care? I even sent some hybrids to take care of her the other night, and they all ended up dead!”

“You are being reckless, William,” Charlotte warned him., but he was beyond angry.

“We have a bigger problem here, Charlotte. Isabella will never get to be the Queen unless that wh0re disappeared,” he pointed out.

“You are right?” Charlotte threw a meaningful gaze at her mate.

“How about another mysterious death? Another unfortunate accident? I still have some contacts among….” Charlotte couldn’t finish as William stood up, stopping him from talking further.

“Are you out of your mind, Charlotte? Have you forgotten the havoc we had to go through? What about the sacrifices we made? The death of Nicholas caused enough problems for us; even some of the Ancients still don’t trust us completely. Above all, Gerald and Maya are now suspicious of us again due to your little stunt at the trial. Do you take them for a fool? If you mingle with those dark creatures again, the assembly will pick up the trail that we have been trying to bury for the last ten years. We all will be prosecuted,” he warned the Lycan Queen, staring into her eyes.

“And what will happen once Penelope ascends the throne? Do you think she will remain silent and do nothing? Do you think she won’t retaliate and look into her father’s untimely death? Look what that b!tch has done to our daughter,” Charlotte questioned.

“I don’t have answers for you, Scarlotte,” the lycan king looked distorted. He still couldn’t believe the simple, timid girl could harm Isabella.

“We have only one way left, Charlotte. The Ancients will go against us sooner or later. We need to find a way to get rid of that b!tch, and the only way to do it is to take help from the hybrid warriors,” the Lycan King proposed.

“Remember, William, sorcery comes with a cost,” Charlotte tried to remind him. The dark witches were certainly helpful in getting rid of the former Lycan King, but their black magic, sorcery, had a high cost.

“What do I do then, Charlotte?” William sat on the couch, sighing loudly.

“Find out who the male she was dancing with was. She had never defiled our words. Where did she get the courage this time? Find out William how she got an acquaintance,” Charlotte asserted.

“Till then, we will proceed with caution. For the time being, we will play nice, William. We will have plenty of occasions to show the realm how unworthy Penelope is. Remember, she can be the crowned princess, but you still remain the King,” her words brought back light of hope.

A gentle knock on the door got the couple’s attention. Charlotte took a deep breath to regain her composure, whereas William went to take his usual seat by the huge wooden desk.

“Enter,” Charlotte stated as she took her usual position on the velvety chesterfield.

A maid entered the study and curtseyed, “good evening, your majesty. Alpha Elijah from Royal Moon Pack has arrived. He is expecting your visit. Princess Isabella is with him.”

William and Charlotte exchanged a series of glances, each one conveying a sense of deep respect and admiration for the Royal Moon Pack. It was widely known that this particular pack was one of the strongest in the entire territory, and for a good reason. The previous alpha was a wise and strategic leader who built up an impenetrable wall of defence around the border. He was a true ally to William, and his son, Elijah, has followed in his father's footsteps. Since ascending to the alpha position, Elijah had shown unwavering dedication to Lycan King William, proving himself to be not only strong but also wise beyond his years. It was without a doubt that Elijah's presence would be invaluable in times of need.

In conclusion, it is clear that the Royal Moon Pack was a force to be reckoned with, and their unwavering loyalty to their king was a testament to their strength and character. There was no doubt in William's mind that the Royal Moon Pack and their young alpha would prove to be a crucial ally in times of need. What was Izzy doing with him?

“Proceed,” William spoke, hiding his bitterness.

As Isabella and Elijah made their entrance, the Lycan King stood up, his gaze immediately drawn to the intertwined hands of the two young lovers. The possessive look in Elijah's eyes and the sparks in Izzy's revealed the depth of their connection. It was clear to all in the room that they were soulmates.

“Good evening, your Majesty,” Elijah showed the proper respect, bowing deeply to the king, while Izzy broke away from her lover's grasp to approach her father.

“Father, I found him!” Her eyes shone with joy as she shared her news with him, and for a moment, William was speechless.

He had always hoped his daughter would follow in his footsteps and ascend to the throne. However, the revelation of her true love threatened to drive her away from the castle and from the crown, especially because Penelope was chosen as the crowned Princess. Finding a mate at this time would only mean Izzy had to leave the castle. The king was torn between his love for his daughter and his desire to see his chosen successor, his beloved daughter, take her rightful place as queen.

“Pardon me, my King, but I never meant to add the concern to your current situation,” Elijah added.

“What are you implying, Alpha Elijah,” William spoke for the first time in a while.

“The coronation, my King,” Elijah smiled.

"Penelope is my niece, Alpha Elijah, and I am happy with her succession," The Lycan King hid his intention as he spoke.

"Is that so?" Elijah chuckled. "I wonder why his Majesty asked for some hybrid assassins to invade the south tower of his own castle."

Elijah's cold gaze brought a shiver down William's spine. He knew! But how?

"I must admit, Alpha Elijah, your knowledge of our affairs is concerning," William said, his voice low and controlled. "But I assure you that the attack on the south tower was an unfortunate incident, and we have taken steps to prevent such a breach from occurring again."

Elijah raised an eyebrow, "Is that so, your majesty?"

William maintained his composure, "Yes, we have increased security measures and are investigating the matter thoroughly."

Elijah's smirk grew wider, "I see. Well, I am glad to hear that you are taking it seriously, your majesty."

William's jaw clenched as he listened to Elijah's subtle jabs. He knew he had to tread carefully around the alpha but couldn't let him get the upper hand. "Is there something else you wanted to discuss, Alpha Elijah?" William asked, his tone curt.

Elijah's expression softened, "No, your majesty. I simply wanted to reassure you that my intentions are honourable and that I will do everything in my power to support Princess Isabella's ascension to the throne."

As the Lycan King considered the implications of the upcoming royal court vote, he knew that Penelope's success hinged upon the support of the powerful Royal Moon Pack. Without their vote, her chances of ascending to the throne as queen would be significantly diminished. William also recognised that if the majority of packs were to throw their support behind Izzy, his own path to crowning her as queen would be much smoother. In fact, even the powerful Ancients would be unable to prevent her ascension. The stakes were high, and the king knew he would have to employ his political prowess and strategic thinking to ensure that the vote went in Isabella’s favour.

William was taken aback, “what are you proposing?”

“I have a way to eliminate Princess Penelope without making our hands dirty, and Princess Isabella will take her place in no time,” Elijah finally disclosed his plan.

“And what is there for you, Elijah?” William asked, measuring Elijah carefully. He knew how viscous Elijah could be.

“Nothing, my King. I am only helping the future Queen to be. As her soulmate, it is my duty,” Elijah smirked, making his intentions clearer. Of course, he wanted to ascend the throne.