CHAPTER 44: When Thrones Crumble and Vows Shatter~
CHAPTER 44: When Thrones Crumble and Vows Shatter~
A night past.
Within the castle of the witches' clan, Aurora paced the chamber, her fingers trembling with barely restrained fury.
That treacherous wretch—her own friend—had taken up with her husband, and she, the rightful wife, was left to seethe in silence.
What was her mother planning? Why was it taking so long?
"Why have you not touched your meal?" her aunt inquired as she entered, the maid trailing behind—the same girl Aurora had dismissed upon arriving.
"I've no appetite," she snapped.
"Foolish girl. We do not waste away over a husband's whore. Nay, we welcome them if it serves our purpose. Stop this sulking and come eat."
"I should sit at table while my hands itch to tear that harlot apart?"
Her aunt sighed, stepping forward to rest a firm hand upon her shoulder.
"Your mother is handling it, that much I am certain. You know the woman she is."
Aurora wet her lips, bitterness sharp on her tongue. "My mother tells me nothing. Explain to me how my own husband took my handmaiden to his bed, and I remained ignorant until last night? And worse still—my dearest friend now carries his bastard, and I was blind to it."
A heavy silence followed.
Her aunt guided her into a chair, her voice measured and steady. "Listen to me. Lydia always has a plan. And remember this—our men do not concern themselves with fidelity. They will take mistresses as they please, but it is the Luna who holds the power. That is what matters."
"I know, but—"
"No buts in matters of power. Times have changed. We no longer cling to foolish notions of mates and bonds. Even if fate has marked a man for us, we have the right to refuse it and wed as we choose. I recall a time," her aunt’s voice softened, as if lost in memory, "when, under the king’s rule, such betrayals were punishable by death. But now… we take lovers where we please, and none dare question it."
The sound of boots on stone made them both turn.
Aurora rose at once. "What news?"
The guard bowed low. "My Luna, a letter has arrived." He extended a sealed scroll.
She broke the wax and read:
\---
I trust this letter finds you well. Your mother’s reach is not so long as she believes, for the men she sent to silence me are dead. But let us not act as enemies when we were once as sisters. Come, let us speak as women should, for the betterment of you, our husband, and the pack.
Find me at the old packhouse.
\---
The scroll struck the wall before she even realized she had thrown it, her hands curling into fists.
"How dare she mock me?" she seethed.
"What does she say?" her aunt pressed.
"She dares claim my husband as hers. She taunts me and bids me come. Saddle the horses."
The guard bowed. "At once, my Luna." He turned and strode from the chamber.
Her aunt caught her wrist. "You will not go. She is baiting you. Do you truly believe she seeks peace?"
"I do not care what she seeks," Aurora hissed. "I shall carve the truth from her myself."
\---
Within the Alpha's Castle.
In the Great Hall.
Lydia sat upon the Alpha's throne, her posture regal as the lords gathered before her.
"We must seek another Alpha," declared Lord Edric, his voice firm. "Ethanasius has grown negligent, attending neither council nor pack matters as he ought."
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the chamber.
"Perhaps the Alpha is burdened with graver concerns," countered Lord Baldric, his tone measured. "It may be that he is indisposed, tending to matters beyond our sight."
A hush fell as all awaited Lydia’s judgment.
Lydia exhaled sharply, her patience thinning. “What matters could be so pressing that they outweigh Alpha Demetrius discovering the deception at hand? War is upon us, and he prepares to march against our pack.”
A heavy silence fell over the chamber. No one dared to speak.
Then, a voice rang from the doorway, smooth yet laced with danger.
“Surely you are not speaking of me?”
All eyes turned. Standing in the threshold was Alpha Ethanasius, his presence commanding, his expression unreadable. By his side stood Selena , his favored mistress, her hand resting lightly on his arm.
Lydia sprang to her feet, startled.
“You…” she began, her voice faltering as she beheld Selena , as though gazing upon a specter.
“You have returned,” she stammered.
“I have, Beta Lydia,” Ethanasius said, his gaze like steel. “And I return to find you plotting against me. Against the very throne my ancestors have held for generations. Tell me, how dare you?”
Lydia lifted her chin, regaining her composure. “You have abandoned the affairs of the pack, which does not sit well with us.”
Ethanasius’s eyes darkened. “And who are you to dictate the affairs of my pack? Or—perhaps—you covet my throne for yourself?”
She fell to her knees at once. “I would never dare, my Alpha.”
“You already have,” he said coldly. “And for that, the punishment is death.”
The chamber grew deathly still.
Without another glance at her, Ethanasius strode toward the throne and seated himself, his posture regal and unyielding. He gestured for Selena to take the seat beside him—a seat meant for the Luna.
Taking her hand, he announced, “My beloved carries my child—the future Alpha of this pack. And I intend to wed her and make her my Luna.”
Gasps rippled through the room.
“That is impossible!” Lydia spat. “The Luna still lives! There cannot be two Lunas.”
Eyes turned toward her, unreadable.
Lord Baldwick cleared his throat. “Is this true, Selena ? Do you carry Alpha Ethanasius’s child?”
Selena smiled, casting a tender glance at the Alpha. “Yes, Father,” she said softly. She traced her fingers over her belly. “I am with his child.”
The chamber erupted in hushed murmurings.
“But Luna Aurora remains Luna,” one lord reminded.
Ethanasius leaned forward, an amused smile curving his lips. “Perhaps she should be offered to Demetrius as compensation for the dispute.”
The lords fell into contemplation, considering the words.
“We cannot afford war,” one muttered. “We do not have the forces to oppose his pack.”
“He did request her,” another said. “It may be the best course.”
Lydia’s face twisted in fury. “How dare you? Me and your father agreed—?”
“That arrangement is void,” Ethanasius cut her off sharply. “You sought to remove me from my own rank. And you,” his voice dropped with venom, “are the one who sent men to kill my intended Luna—the future Alpha’s mother.”
A wave of shock spread through the chamber.
“You scheming witch,” he sneered. “For that, you are no longer Beta of this pack.”
Two guards stepped forward at his silent command.
“Take her away,” he ordered, his voice unyielding. “She is no longer of this pack.”
Lydia gasped as the severance struck like a blade to the soul, her body trembling under the invisible weight of the broken bond.
“Now.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
The guards seized her by the arms, dragging her away as she thrashed in vain.
The chamber stood in silence.
Ethanasius rose from his throne, his authority absolute. “We will find the Luna and present her to Demetrius . In the coming days, a new Beta shall be chosen.”
With that, he turned, his mistress at his side, and departed, leaving the lords to ponder the fate of their pack.
\---
Come the morn, Beta Cedric rode into the Pack Castle and reined his horse to a halt.
Dismounting, he turned to find Jade, a Gamma, already bowing in greeting.
"Beta..."
Cedric cast a sharp glance at the covered carriage before issuing a curt order. "Take her to the Old Keep. See that none bear witness."
Jade bowed without question, swiftly mounting the horse and guiding the carriage toward Blackthorn Hold—a forsaken ruin that once stood as the heart of the pack.
Cedric strode toward his chambers, unfastening his gloves as he entered, only to find a maid bent over in her task, dusting the heavy wooden furnishings.
His brows furrowed. "Who are you, and what business have you in my chamber?"
The maid dropped to her knees in an instant. "Forgive me, my lord. Mistress Miriam bade me see to your quarters."
His expression darkened. "I thought I made it clear—Milicent alone tends to my rooms."
The girl kept her gaze lowered. "Milicent is unwell, my lord. She has not stirred since last night."
A pause. His hands stilled.
"What ails her?"
The maid hesitated. "She... she was brought in, defiled. And has not woken since."
A sharp sound cut through the chamber—the door slamming against the wall as Cedric stormed out, his boots echoing with purpose. The maid lifted her head in time to see nothing but the empty space he left behind.