Chapter 22 The Pieces Fit

Zander had run all the way to the Grundolf border but the frustration he was feeling because of the girl, was still fresh. She was so stubborn, temperamental and her attitude made him want to knock some sense into her. Had she been a werewolf, he would have used his alpha dominance on her so that she could at least learn to listen to what she was told. He held on to the tree trunk with one hand while the other rested on his knee, he had run out of breath because after shifting, Zane had wanted to turn back and go to Angela. His beast seemed to be so crazy with the girl that had he not known any better he would have thought she was his mate. There was no way the moon goddess could mate her with a human, and a stubborn one as Angela.

The only thing that made him tolerate her was the fact that she could be Celestine's long lost daughter. Zander loved Celestine as he would love a mother; she was the only person he had left that took care of him when Luna Samara died. He remembered the times she would take him piggy riding through the forest to a clearing that was surrounded by thick trees. She used to call it her sanctuary because it was the one place where she could be free to practice her magic and shift into her lycan without having to worry about someone walking in on her and learning her secret. Only three people knew Celestine was a lycan, her mother Luna Samara, her father the emperor and Zander. Both her mother and father were werewolves but they had the lycan gene. Luna Samara had been worried that if someone found out they would try and kills her because it was believed that they were unstable mentally. Their temper too made it easy for them to kill without second thoughts. A lycan with magic was unheard of; this made Celestine the most powerful lycan alive.

Zander would act as her guard while she practiced her magic and after watching her for years, one day he asked her to teach him. She laughed it off and lovingly told him that he had have magic because it was not something that could be learned. Zander remembered the look she had on her face, it pained her to deny him anything and if it was in her power, he felt she could have bestowed the gift of magic on Zander. He too had secrets to hide, he could not tell her just yet who he was and that he too had magic. He could not remember whom it was that had warned him against revealing his identity but he knew it within his heart that he had been warned against it.

So he just watched Celestine, she was such a beautiful woman that he used to think that if he was of an age that he could mate with her, he could have claimed her. However, their age difference was as clear as day and the only relationship between them that was viable, was that of a sister and brother. He loved Celestine just as much as he loved Luna Samara, he had found a family with them, and they made him feel completely accepted and loved. The emperor loved him as well and treated him as the son he never had. He would always joke and tell Zander that he would ask Luna Samara to give birth to another girl so she could become Zander's mate.

One day she had left the house in a huff, she walked towards her sanctuary, but before she got there, she met with a rogue; Zander was about to reveal himself to protect Celestine because he thought she was in danger but a voice stopped him. He looked around to check whom it was that had spoken to him but he did not find anyone. Since he was a toddler, someone always spoke to him, sometimes to warn him, other times to prevent him from doing something and other times just to teach him how to harness his magic. He in turn would try to make suggestions to Celestine while she was training, he would pretend to have just thought about it, but the truth was that in a way he was her trainer. Most of the little magical tricks, she knew, she had learnt from Zander.

Zander stayed hidden when Celestine met Liam, he could tell that he was smitten with Celestine as much as she was; theirs was love at first sight. He would stay at a distance when they secretly met, sometimes Celestine knew he was around but sometimes he just followed without her knowledge. The couple spent most of their time frolicking and chasing each other around the forest and when they tired, they would sit under the trees at the sanctuary and talk. Liam knew Celestine was a lycan and he accepted her fully, he had even promised to keep her secret until she was ready to reveal it to the world. They made love almost every hour; they could not keep their hands off each other, and even before Celestine knew that, she was pregnant, Zander already knew.

Unfortunately before she could share with Liam the good news, he was killed by the rogue wizard. Celestine was taken to live with her grandmother in another pack, far away from Grundolf. It was the first time they had ever been separated; Zander fell sick from the separation. Nobody could understand why he fell ill, after trying numerous healing herbs, the pack doctor had diagnosed his malady; he was sick from separation.

He could not be taken to where Celestine had gone because the emperor refused to allow him to leave. He went as far as telling him to his face that it would be better if he died. That was when Zander started to suspect something was wrong with the emperor, he was not his usual self. He was grumpier, ruthless, he cared for no one, and even the death of Luna Samara did not seem to affect him. The only thing he cared for was his throne and those that previously knew him thought it was his way of dealing with the grief of losing his mate.

The voice in his head confirmed what he had already suspected to be true; this was not emperor Casper. He was an imposter who wore his face, and his body using magic. The voice also warned him against telling it to anyone, it said that fate should be allowed to go full circle. The only thing Zander could do was to watch out for Celestine, she came back from her grandmother's pack with a beautiful baby girl.

Zander loved her immediately; he would watch her as she slept. Whenever she started to fuss, he would run and get Celestine so that she could attend to her. One day, an oracle was summoned as it was the custom of Grundolf, to come and declare the new born child's destiny to the kingdom.

There were preparations for a huge celebration as it would also mark the day that the royal Princess was being brought out in public, it was the time Grundolfians welcomed their princess, but before the welcoming ceremony the oracle had to hold the child in her arms and declare to all people the child's destiny. That day Celestine had dressed Zander in a white tunic with a silver grey sash at the waist as it was custom. The baby and mother wore all white as the rest of the citizens of Grundolf. The emperor wore was custom. The baby and mother wore all white as the rest of the citizens of Grundolf. The emperor wore his golden tunic with a purple sash, a symbol of authority. The ceremony was held at the arena, where thousands of Grundolfians and people from other kingdoms who had been invited came to witness the unveiling and declaring of the princess's destiny.

Young Zander, who was twelve at the time sat next to Celestine holding the baby's hand in his, Behind Celestine was Greta, her nanny and now baby Kharisi's nanny and next to her sat the oracle. The time for declaration came; the oracle stood from where she say and approached the podium. She was wrapped in white fabric that went around her body like an Indian saree while on her head rested a flower wreath made of silver roses, Celestine followed after, baby Kharisi in her arms and Zander trailing behind them.

When the oracle saw Zander trailing behind, she jerked her chest forward; eyes closed and started to say an incantation. She opened her eyes after a while, looked at Zander at length then smiled and said, "The pieces fit together"

She took baby Kharisi in her arms and lifted her up, the audience roared with excitement, "Behold the princess." She then turned around in all four corners doing the same and every time she showed the princess to the people, they roared with excitement. At the back of the audience, a way parted for someone, she could not be seen as she was veiled from head to toe in white. She walked regally but was barefoot, coming towards where the oracle stood holding baby Kharisi in her arms. Both held each other's stare, nobody knew what was happening until the veiled woman went up the steps to where the oracle was standing. Guards had moved to protect the baby and the oracle but with just a sweep of her hand they fell away.

Realization came onto the oracle's eyes and she immediately bowed on one knee still holding the child. "Rise," said the veiled woman. Her voice was melodious but it also held authority. She stretched her arms towards the oracle wanting to take the child; she handed baby Kharisi to her and stepped back. By now nobody was saying a word, waiting to see what was about to unfold. The veiled woman held baby Kharisi against her bosom and started to hum, she started at a low voice until her voice and tempo went higher and higher then as suddenly s she had started humming, she stopped.

"divinity visits the mortal world, as a human she comes

Her destiny rests on humanity

Her greatness in overcoming evil

Evil cannot withstand her sight

All seeing eye, all hearing ear

Evil shall be conquered

The moon shall rule

To end tyranny and evil

The world is blessed to have you

Ase"

Gasps could be learned all around, everyone was wondering who the woman was who dared interrupt the oracle. As mysteriously as she appeared, she left again parting the sea of people with her presence.

When she reached the end of the path she had made, she stood and waited. The oracle came all the way from the podium and bowed to her waist, she said, "Blessed queen mother" The woman touched her head with one hand and then handed the baby to the oracle. Immediately she disappeared in a flash as if she was not there a moment ago.

The emperor was fuming; he roared to his soldiers, "After her, I want that woman brought to me. How dare she disrespect our customs and barge in unannounced? Bring her to me?" he said as he stood and left immediately after.

Zander knew the woman, she had looked his way and winked at him and then left. He was smiling because he knew nobody would ever find her and suspected that the emperor knew too. He looked at baby Kharisi and smiled, he knew she was going to be great one day.

Zander compared the little chubby sweet girl he knew to the current stubborn, temperamental and rude Angela and seriously started to have doubts as to whether she was his little sweet Kharisi.

He went back and found himself in her room where she was sleeping soundly; Greta was by her side holding her hand. He asked her what was happening and before she could answer, he noticed the glow shining all around her body.