A Kingdom of Wolves

Chapter Ten.

Chapter Ten.

The Ice Palace.

Fitz arose from his restless night's sleep. Baldr his wolf, felt as agitated as he did. There was just something about the Whitestone case that troubled both of them. Normally, Baldr was relaxed when the king’s judgment was requested. But the wolf was as anxious as he was about the prospect of ordering the death of the girl he had met as a child. The king pondered on if it was the addition of the moonstone artifact she had been gifted that was the cause of his unease. But the truth was, he felt uneasy the moment Carson mentioned his belief that things were not as they would immediately seem. Coupled with his image of the little girl, with the angelic face, from his memories, and now his father's entry into his memoir gave Fitz cause for great concern.

The door to his bedroom opened as his personal omega walked in carrying more firewood, as was her practice in the early hours of the morn.

“Your Majesty. Would you like to have breakfast in the king's dining room this morning?” Kari asked as she fussed with the fire in his room.

“No. I will dine with the men for breakfast,” Fitz declared.

He wanted company, to escape his troubled mind, about what he would do in regard to the Whitestone girl situation. He did not want to sit alone in the long dining hall, with only his thoughts for company.

He missed Uki his 14-year-old sister. She brought sunshine and sass to his world. She was very mature for her age, and they could talk for hours. Even at her tender age, Fitz would have sought her counsel in this situation. She was as wise as she was beautiful. He was now her main guardian, along with Carlton, until she reached mating age, at 18. However, Uki was enjoying her first term at an inclusive, and prestigious boarding school in Neutraliss. It was something his sister had longed to do, but his father never offered his blessing. Fitz had wondered if it was because of the unique aspect of the school, where they welcomed all species. Werewolves, Dragons, Fae, and Humans. The ethos was to help teach acceptance, tolerance with a view to work toward a more peaceful future. The school advocated inclusivity, believing education to be the key to easing the tensions between the four kingdoms.

After his father had passed, Fitz had authorised her attending the school. Mostly because Uki was quite determined she wanted to go. However, if the young king was honest, there was rumblings behind the walls of the ice palace, and it was not as safe as it once was. He wanted his sister far away from the political strife, fearing someone could use her against him, she would be safer in the school than their home. He also wanted to free himself from enforced parenthood, allowing him to more fully concentrate on getting to grips with ruling the Snow Kingdom of werewolves. Not that he regrated being Uki’s main guardian, but so that he had one less thing to concern himself with.

It had been a source of concern for Fitz that he had gone against his father’s wishes. However, when he had read his father’s memoirs, whilst searching for information or advice on how to deal with the Whitestone situation, he realized that his father’s reluctance to send Uki to the interspecies school, wasn’t due to its ethos, or the decision of a king. It was because he couldn’t bear to be parted from his young daughter, who reminded him of their mother. The knowledge of his fathers true feelings on the subject, helped settle Fitz, to know that when he had agreed for her to leave for the interspecies school, he was not fully going against his father’s wishes.

As much as the old king was Fitz’s hero, and many of his qualities he wished to emanate, they differed in one aspect with regards to working towards a peace between the four kingdoms. Fitz wanted to support every effort, where as his father had been more concerned with the immediate protection of the people. Something that they now had, with the opening of the pipe line, direct from the Death Sea. The Metropolis of humans, were not an issue for the werewolves. The Fae, although friendly toward the werewolf kingdom, in some ways were more deadly than the fire breathing, scaled beasts of the air. They were certainly more cunning, despite their ethereal looks, and perceived charm. Their mystical gifts, if used against you, were almost always deadly. At least with the sand dragons, they were predictable, and never did anything unexpected.

There was only one other person who he would trust with his inner most thoughts, and advice he would give. Edvard Bederow, the closest person a Prince could call a friend, growing up. However, he too had left the ice palace, permission attained from the old king before he passed, to attend to some family business, in the Storm Pack, in the far west of the snow kingdom. Fitz had longed for his friends return, hence why the king had not yet chosen his beta, gamma or delta wolves. He truly did not know who he could trust out of the men who remained in the ice palace. Yet he understood he would need to make some decisions soon.

Fitz let out a sigh, as he dressed for the day, Baldr becoming increasingly restless. He would normally let his wolf out for a run, but with his most trusted enforcers tasked with transporting the prisoner, he was more open to attack, from those who would plot against him inside the palace walls. It felt to Fitz that he had enemies, seeking to undermine him, challenge his rightful place on the throne, at every turn.

Making his way down to the warrior and enforcers' dining hall, Fitz took a deep breath before opening the double doors and stepping inside. The usual morning chatter immediately halted at the King's arrival.

“Carry on,” Fitz said, before taking a seat at the table, and ladling some of the white clucking birds' eggs onto his plate, adding some of the fresh salmon that had been caught in the palace freshwater ice lake. One of the omega maids rushed towards him, stopping only to curtsy, attempting to serve her king from the food in the centre of the table. Fitz waved her off; he was more than capable of serving himself.

“Your highness, we have some fresh hog meat available for you,” the omega informed him.

Fitz sighed. he loved the thin hog slices, fried, with his breakfast. But hogs, although they roamed in the slightly warmer months of the southern borders in his kingdom, were hard to come by, and an expensive commodity. Therefore, the meat was usually reserved for the King, Elders, and his leadership team.

“Is there enough for everyone here?” the king enquired of the Omega, not wanting to eat anything his men were not enjoying. He was here to build relationships with the warriors, in hopes that they would serve him well.

The girl attempted to hide her shock, but failed, her eyes wide.

“Yes, your majesty, however, it will limit the supplies, and we may not have enough to supply you with your preferred meats after the next full moon,” she truthfully answered.

“That is fine. Make enough so that everyone here gets a slice,” Fitz commanded.

The omega bobbed her head, curtsied, and turned to leave the dining hall.

“Including the serving and cooking staff,” Fitz added.

A low gasped echoed around the dining room, this type of thing had never happened before, and the warriors and enforcers almost salivated at the thought of consuming the delicious meat.

The truth of the king’s generosity was he needed to ingratiate himself with the lower ranks. After all, if those elders who plotted to oust him from power, they would need warriors and enforcers to back them. If he showed kindness, and got to know the men who served him, sometimes with their lives, maybe those who plotted and schemed, would find less ‘help’ than they might expect.

Fitz sat mostly in silence, nobody daring to speak to the king, but he listened intently to his men’s conversations, as they began to relax. Some talked about their families, some about the end of summer, when the thaw would ease, and the thick ice would return. He noted the conversation of one of his younger warriors. It seems the 19 year old had recently met his mate, and was concerned about providing for her, during the winter months. Others sat like the king, in utter silence.

Fitz determined that he should make an effort to dine with his men one meal between the full moons, of both the north and the south, to get to know them, and for them to get to know their king.

“Gentlemen. It has been a pleasure,” the king stated, then turned to the young warrior.

“I am sorry. I do not know your name,” he stated.

“Will Glarer, your Majesty,” the young warrior answered, bowing his head in a show of reverence and submission to his king.

“Warrior Glarer, I do not want your mind concerned about how you will provide for your mate during the winter months. In fact, I do not wish for any of you to feel that way. Therefore, when Elder Carson returns from his duties, I will have him speak with all of you, to better understand your challenges, and ascertain your needs. We will see what we can do to help you,” Fitz informed them, as another low gasp echoed around the room.

Fitz walked out of the dining room, and headed up toward the vault, which contained the former kings of the realm’s memoirs, wanting to continue his search for inspiration on how to deal with the Whitestone girl situation that would arrive just in time for the luncheon, that did not give him long to find a workable solution.

Maybe he was looking for answers in the wrong place, realising that his first question should not be about Eliza, but about Rein, he moved to the communication room, and proceeded to make contact with the Neutraliss medical facility. Maybe they could shine some light on this situation.