Chapter 21 - Daughter’s plea

Althea Zoella Castellanos Silvermoon:

We stay like that for a minute. I give myself some time to stay in his embrace, to feel his love. To be just another girl.

With one last breath, I open my eyes determined again. This doesn’t change anything. The plan remains the same. We leave now. I realise even more, of the time that we didn’t have.

Slowly leaning away from him, I look into his encouraging eyes and nod my head. Once again holding onto his hand tightly, I stand facing the crowd, to my people that remained holding their position, all heads still glued to the ground.

“The plan remains the same.” Then I look down at Alastair. “To those of you that just joined us, we depart at once to the land closest to home then look for a way in.”

“Understood.” They all reply and with a sigh I dismiss them. “You may all rise.”

And they do so immediately. But out of fear.

Of me.

“I’m sorry.”

As guilt prods my heart, the word just comes out of my mouth, making all their heads shoot forward to look at me, all equally surprised. Because as far as their knowledge of me went, the spoiled little princess never knew to make an apology, but they never truly knew me anyways.

Unused to my words and not knowing how to reply, some shake their head sideways, making me smile a little at their confused faces. “Princess- I mean your highness.” Alastair corrects himself as he finally rises up and chuckles after blowing his breath out. “That was pretty intense and quite scary might I add.”

I chuckle along with him and shake my head at his carefree self, the tension finally fading with his light humour. “But we really do have to move now.”

“Are you sure? That would be the last thing he would want—”

“We are heading home, Alastair.”

“Yes, your highness.” With a seriousness in his face now, he nods without any further questions. It was a command of their new Queen, no matter what, it was his duty now to heed my every words.

“Althea?”

I turn around at the wolves, who now had lined up in front of the house with several new faces, each holding their breath as they look at me, my eyes. But none of their eyes held any fear in them. Those eyes glimmered, shocked with recognition, a clarification of some sort as they let go of the breath they had been holding. And Evelyn stands at the very front, eyeing me warily, an emotion on her face that I didn’t understand.

“Althea is that really you?” Her voice shakes as she tries to blink back the tears forming in them. “Althea.”

I don’t know how to reply to her because I wasn’t so sure it was me that she was talking to, neither did I understand her question. But regardless, I was Althea. “This is me.” That was the only answer I had for her. This was the real me.

With the tears now rolling down her eyes, she runs into my arms, and I remain frozen shocked at her action. “Althea, I missed you so much. I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything for you back then. But you are back now. Althea I’m so glad that you came back.”

She hiccups the words out as she holds me harder, tighter to her. Her words as unknown to my mind as her action to my body but even unconsciously so, I bring my arms up to hold her equally tight, comforting a friend as she breaks and shares a story, only she knew of, of a past, only she lived through.

When she finally lets go of me, she has this big smile on her face as she looks at me, although glossed with tears. Her hands tightly hold onto mine. “I’ll do anything for you.” She shakes her head sideways as she takes in a lungful of breath. “A portal. I’ll help you create one. Anywhere you wish to go, I will take you there. I’ll help you with anything. I promise.”

Taken aback by her sudden change of mind, her words of promises, I look at Aries, but his small smile and nod assures me that it will all be okay. So, with a smile breaking on my face and my heart a lot lighter, I turn back to her. “Thank you.” And this time I pull her into my embrace. Forever grateful.

“Thank you, Eve.”

“It’ll take me some time to fully create and open a portal, Althea. I have never been there and a kingdom of Lycans cannot simply be that easy to break into.” She looks at me with a serious look on her face. “But I promise that I’ll take you home, Althea.”

I nod my head again. I was just thankful for the help. It was the most efficient way anyone could think of. “I understand. But I’m still grateful for everything.”

She smiles a little and pats the back of my hand before she lets it go. “Now all I need is one of you with me if you don’t mind. I need someone to visualise. I have no idea where it is or what it looks like.”

Nodding my head promptly, I look back at the Lycans, in hopes that someone will volunteer, but all their eyes glued to the ground saddens me to think that no one was on my side, willingly. No matter how you look at them, they were all bound here, to me, by their duties, not by their choice.

“I’ll—”

“Your highness.” A woman at the back speaks up at the same time, slowly coming forth from the crowd. With a bow, her grey eyes look up with a glint to them. “Please allow me.”

Smiling at her, I nod in acknowledgement for her help. “Thank you…”

“It’s Mya, your highness. Mya Makayla.”

“Thank you, Mya.”

“It’s an honour, your highness to be the first to aid you.” Mya gives another bow before she smiles and looks at Evelyn. “Please lead the way, Miss Evelyn.”

“Evelyn is fine, Mya. This way.” Evelyn smiles back at Mya as she steps to the side, but not before looking my way and giving me a nod in reassurance that she will make it happen.

I watch their back until they were no more in sight and exhale a deep breath. Now that a way home was secured, I still had one more thing to do. Mother had asked me to look for a particular somebody and relay a message.

But the question was, where do I even start. The world outside the kingdom was vast, many lands untouched. Even if I search the lands, the entirety of the sea, how long before I finally find her.

Shaking my head, I squeeze tightly onto Aries’ hand and stand with lips sealed tight. Regardless I had to do something. Even if it will take me a millennium, I had to try.

Determined, I look blankly at the space before me, onto their eyes, shied away, but the tense aura coming off me ends up gaining everyone’ attention. “I still need to find—” But I never get to finish my sentence as Aries does it for me.

“Harmony.”

Regardless of him being present when I was on the phone, it still surprises me to hear him utter her name, almost as if he knew her. I sigh inaudibly, already knowing how impossible it sounded.

“Did you just say Harmony? Harmony as in Harmony Artino as in Geo—” He stops himself and clears his throat. “It may be a very hard task if it is really her, we are looking for.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “What do you mean?”

“Your highness, it’s not the first time we have been ordered to find her. But it’s nearly impossible. It’s like looking for a goddess on land.” He sighs, shaking his head, but I continue looking at him to say the rest. I knew it was impossible to being with but the way he said made it sounded like it would take more than a millennium.

“You see, Miss Artino possess a very unique gift and quite annoying if you ask me. Her gift allows her to erase one’s memory, though no one knows the extent to her gift as no one really remembers much after their encounter with her. So even if someone did find her, nobody ever remembers to tell their stories of her.”

Alastair folds his arms across and looks at the distance while I sigh out loud. It really was impossible huh. Here I thought finding one Lycan was hard, but how can anyone really find someone who doesn’t want to be found, and one that had the gift to help them remain extinct from this world.

“It really is impossible huh.”

“She may not have gone far yet.” I feel Aries squeeze my hand and I’m compelled to look up to his eyes that were already looking at me, like always. “If we send men around, spread the word that I’m looking for her, she might show up.”

“You know her?” I tilt my head, falling into that blueness and he just nods his head slightly, answering me.

“That’s impossible. Harmony never leaves her trace behind. She won’t allow anyone to—”

“Well, you could say we are friends, Stamos.” Aries looks at Alastair with a smirk on his face as if he knew something more. “And it’s not our first encounter too. You seem to have forgotten.”

I know that Alastair had a lot to ask but Aries turns around to look back at me, bringing his free hand to cup my cheek and I unconsciously lean on them. “I’ll do anything that I can to help you. Everything that may seem impossible, I will make them happen.”

His thump gently caresses my face, making my eyes flutter. A chuckle so sweet vibrates from him and I immediately fall for him, all over again. “Let’s make a team and send them everywhere. She might not have left the country yet seeing as how peaceful the world still is.”

Biting my lower lips, I nod my head although confused at the meaning his words held. But the gentle tug of his thumb on my chin, frees my lips from my frail attempt to bring myself out the sweet spell of his voice and only makes me fall into the depth of those eyes.

“Team?” And he was playing with me.

Pulling his hand off my face, I shake my head and lightly slap my cheeks. And it only makes him chuckle deeper and pull me into him. He places soft kisses all over the crown of my head and one on my forehead before he lets me go and takes a step back, giving me my focus back. Right? Where were we again?

I had to come out of this. This is not the time, Zoe.

Turning around, I look at the Lycans in front of me and release another breath seeking their attention. “I want to remind you all once again that every single one of you present here is free to make their own choices.”

They look at me, confusion clear in their faces. “I’ll let you choose. Today I give you freewill.” I had to do it. I cannot force anyone to stay.

“If you do not wish to fight with me. If you do not wish to follow me. If you do not take me as your Queen, you are free to leave. I promise you that those who wishes to leave will bear no consequences for their choice.”

Their eyes go wider with shock, a leader giving a free will to her subject was not known, but I was no leader. I could only ask them to stay beside me as a friend.

“If what Alastair relayed was in fact true, if they were able to d- corner the strongest of us, we alone won’t be able to hold them. It will be like running into flames only to get burned alive. So, think carefully before you make your choices. Or yet offer your lives.”

Tightening my fists, I look forward, nothing slipping out of my face, I remain stoic. I will never force anyone to go to a war, to follow me to death, I tell myself.

“I stand before you not as your Queen but as one of you. Disregard the title, the power in my name, it is up to you if you want to stand beside me as a friend.”

The field sits in silence, giving me their answers.

I never expected much from anyone though. And now that I was back to my cursed self, I had no expectation at all. I feel Aries move closer behind me and take a strand of my hair on his hold, reminding me of his alliance with my soul.

He was more than enough. He was all I needed.

“My pledge with the goddess remains, so I cannot disregard your title, nor the power in your name, my Queen.” Alastair goes on his knees again, hand across his chest, fisted on top of his heart.

“Nor can I, my Queen.” Alvin too goes on his knee. And honestly, I was quite surprised. I never expected him to be the one to willingly remain by my side. All these decades, I thought he was with me because he was ordered to do so. Regardless though, it makes me smile at his loyalty. I guess he had grown fond of our company.

“My Queen.” Another falls to their knees.

“My Queen.” Then another. Once again, their roar echoes the ground as one by one, all of them slowly fall on their knees.

Two rays of line fall down my cheek, but I quickly wipe them off and smile. “You may all rise.” The crowd once again stands on their feet, but this time with a smile on their lips and a belief in their eyes.

“I too will stand by your side as your friend.”

Noah was on his knee now, reminiscing the Lycan’s previous stance but his blue eyes on mine. And soon the wolves all present falls on their knees following their Alpha’s posture. “As will we.”

I look at the mass around me and inhale a small breath. I hold my hand out and Aries quickly grabs it, sending me his love, his strength. I smile at them all, nodding my head. “Thank you.”

“Blue Blood has always been with you, Althea.” Aries whispers proud.

Slowly they all get on their feet again and Alvin steps forward as he too kneels. “What is your command my Queen?”

“I want you to take a team and spread a message across. We don’t have much time on our hand. Take many as you need. Scatter all over and spread the news that Aries is looking for Harmony.”

He nods his head. “As you command, my Queen.”

“Wait.” Circe steps from the side, making us all look at her as she comes to stand directly in front of us. “I don’t think that’s wise to send so many of us. What if mum succeeds in opening the portal before they return. Then we won’t have enough of us here.”

“I have thought of it. But I have no other options, Circe.”

“Let me go.” I stare at her blankly wondering how that was going to help. “Although I’m not as good as my mum or my brother, I can create portals too. Even though its only limited to places I have physically been, but I have been to many.”

I grab her hands and smile wide. “Oh Circe. You are our saviour. Thank you.” I pull her into a hug and squeeze her tight. Letting go, I turn to Alvin. “I need three more of you then. I need you to go as a team of five just in case.”

“You are definitely not going without me.” Egan steps forward and grabs Circe’s hand pulling her to him, but his eyes stay on mine, and I nod my approval at him.

“If it’s all right, I’ll like to help. I’m a pretty good tracker, I may be of some use along the way.” One of the wolves with a black hair steps forward, scratching the back of his head, while his brown eyes remain elsewhere, not knowing where to look.

“Thank you. We appreciate all the help we can get. And you are?” His brown eyes finally look at me with a smile on his face. “It’s Harry.”

“Thank you, Harry.” I smile back at him.

“Always Luna.” He bows and joins the group. I tilt my head not understanding why he address me as such, but I let it slide for now. Circe, Egan, Alvin and Harry. That makes four but I needed one more.

“I’ll go.” A girl steps in, raising her hand and joining the group. “I’m Leah and a doctor. Who knows if you may need me?”

Ever so grateful, I smile at her. “Thank you for your help, Leah.”

Then I look at all of them one by one with a seriousness in my eyes. “Three days.” I say curtly.

“In the next three days, go wherever you need to, spread the message, but I need you to return on the third day.” They nod their head and I do the same. “Make sure to look out to one another, come back safe. That’s a command.”

“Yes, my Queen.” They all reply, even the wolves, and it makes me smile a little.

“We’ll leave now then.” I nod at Circe and soon a bright golden circle appears from nowhere. “I just love how effortless you make it look, sis.” Cleo takes a step forward, observing the golden hues.

Shaking her head, Circe extends her hand, letting the others step in, and one by one, they step through. “Later, brother.” And the circle disappears as Circe finally steps into the portal, her chuckle disappearing along.

And I can do nothing but pray for their safe return. Dear goddess, if you are listening, please hear this daughter’s plea, protect them.

Keep them safe.