Dagen's POV
There was a gradual orange hue of sunset as we entered through the gates of the palace. The well-trimmed lawns and beautifully sculpted fountains were becoming a bore to me already, even though I had been away for two months. It was getting dark, the shadows grew long in the courtyard, resembling hands reaching out. The night smelled like roses, and the sound of crickets could be heard from the distant bushes.
My butler, the levelheaded Abbot, was standing just inside the doorway, looking as if he’d been panicking. His eyes, which were very dark brown, were fixed on me, studying my every move and as if he was trying to know my mood as I got off the horse. “Master Dagen,” he greeted me with a courteous bow, his words did not hide how apprehensive he was.
I gave the reins to one of the stable boys who bowed slightly and took the horse from me. "What is it?" I said to Abbot, quite annoyed. The anger within me was yet to subside.
"You have a visitor. He has been here for quite a while."
"Is that so?" I asked, cocking my head and my eyebrows.
"Yes your majesty," he said, walking a few feet behind me. "I would not say he is of high importance to you but the reason for the meeting might be."
"Who is it?"
‘Alpha George,’ Abbot responded as he tried to maintain a polite and professional look even though deep within, he radiated fear.
A feeling of surprise and annoyance combined in me. What could George possibly want now? I said to myself, my thoughts reeling with expectations. The tension at the back of my neck constricted as I continued walking into the building.
Lush curtains and a large sweeping staircase in the grand foyer, the crystal chandelier overhead was swinging unusually. It seemed as if the house itself spoke.
"Will you be seeing him, your majesty?" Abbot asked. "Or shall I ask him to leave or be removed by the guards?"
"Leave him... For now."
"He is waiting in here, right," I asked, coming to a door.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Thank you, Abbott." I shoved the drawing-room door open awkwardly; the large wooden door creaked open as it revealed Alpha George.
He relaxed into the deep armchair leaning forward. When I stepped in he stood up, smirking at me in a very peculiar way. His eyes seemed unnecessarily joyous.
“Dagen,” he said casually, his voice oozing charm. He seemed oddly happy which was very suspicious. “What a pleasure it is to see you.”
”George,” I said coldly, formally. “What brings you to my palace?”
He just smiled and laughed at me, and it was not a friendly or light-hearted laugh but a rough, rumbling, dangerous laugh. "Why is it that you cannot ever ask about my welfare Dagen? That is not the behavior of a host.”
"It's so like you to be curt anyways." His eyes looked at me with a challenge.
Instead of getting under his skin, I gritted my teeth and said nothing. “If there is anything that you want to prove or say, it should be to the council of elders, not me,” I told him squarely.
George was smiling a lot more than before. He broadened the grin seeing how uncomfortable I seemed to be with it. "Well, I do have something important concerning that then. Davis and Walker, the elders, will be visiting you tomorrow. They would be talking about my impeachment."
For someone who was going to be impeached, he served oddly calmly.
I folded my arms and leaned against the mantel, not trusting him and giving him the benefit of my unimpressed gaze. The fire flared, and smoke flew around his face, making him look like he was grinning mischievously.
"And you thought that coming here to argue it, you would gain the upper hand of it all? How noble,” I mimicked him with distaste.
George looked at me steadily, a slight frown replacing the smile he wore all through the conversation. "I do not believe you can feel comfortable with me and I can understand your mistrust, Dagen. I am here to show you that I deserve to be on that throne, even if you do not believe so.”
I sensed a flash of annoyance. "That is not for me to say. It is for the elders,” I retorted, in a loud and clear tone.
He approached me and glared at me. “But you realize how much power you have, don’t you son-Dagen? So much power that I was glad you often decided to keep to yourself. You are so powerful that a word from you can change their mind.” His voice became rather convincing.
I raised an eyebrow. "And why would I do that?" I asked, my tone icy.
He looked at me and smiled confidently. He was not scared of anything. There was no wavering in George’s look. "Because you know what power is and you world it so effortlessly. You have too much of it and can use that power to save almost anyone. You realize today that consequences that may follow my impeachment may lead to instability of the entire realm?" For a moment, he paused, as if letting the meaning of his words sink in.
There was an uncomfortable awkwardness between us. I looked at him thoughtfully for a second as I considered what he said.
Finally, I broke the silence. "It will be interesting to know what the elders have to say. Otherwise, you might as well stop breathing. You are wasting your time here George."
George merely nodded his head. He did not seem bothered in any way. "Very well. But Dagen don’t forget that our fates are entwined, much more than you might think now. There are some things that you would wish you had never done. Things worse than what has happened to you as of recently."
With that, he got up and walked out.