Chapter 39 Rumors
Xander
"Exile the crown princess! Exile the crown princess! Exile the crown princess!" is the first thing I hear as soon as I wake up the third day.
What the hell is going on?
My room door slams open and a figure rushes in, then shuts it back.
Max bends over, hands on his knees trying to catch his breath as if he just ran a marathon. "Xanny, shit has hit the fan. I repeat, shit has hit the fan!" he pants.
My eyebrows draw in confusion, trying to understand what he's saying.
"Max!" I snap. "What do you mean?"
"Exile the crown princess!" the chants continue.
"Max, what the hell is going on?"
He rushes towards me, holding my shoulders in a harsh grip.
"Xander! There's a rumor circulating that Vanessa is a hunter who has been sent here to ruin us all!" he explains with wide eyes.
"What?" I growl. "Who's the source of this ridiculous rumor?"
He scratches his hair harshly, pacing as he replies, "I don't know, man. I really don't know what's going on but someone else clearly does."
I move to the curtains, sliding them to see roughly half of the pack members gather around the mansion, each person chanting and some even hold placards with words like, 'banish the crown princess', is the rumor true?' and so much more.
"Prepare everyone, I'll be outside to address all of them in a few minutes," I tell Max.
He nods and jogs out. I rush to the bathroom to brush and shower, then I dress quickly.
Within minutes I was ready and striding to the front of the building. The guards are already in full gear and form a protective arc around me, while Max stands stiffly beside me, his eyes alert and roaming for any possible threat.
The guards have their weapons raised in case anyone tries something funny, pointed in the direction of the raging crowd, which seem to be advancing towards us inch by inch.
But I'm not a brute, neither am I a cruel leader, so I signal for the guards to lower their weapons but they should stay right where they are, even as a leader with an amount of trust for his people, I can't be careless.
The chanting has subsided now and all that's left now is some mumblings - unclear and very clear ones, either way, they don't sound pleasant. I take in the sight of the angry and displeased expressions on my people's face and it doesn't ease my worries.
I raise my palm up to the crowd and every conversation drops instantly. The place goes so silent you can almost hear a pin drop.
"Men and women of MoonVeil, information has reached me recently that there's a rumor circulating that the future Queen is a hunter."
There's a loud chorus of yes.
"We want you to tell us the truth. Is she really a hunter?" Someone from the crowd yells.
My face remains neutral as I respond, "Vanessa, as you all know, has been living and dining with us for the past three months now. She has lived amongst us without harm and if she had any I'll intent, it would've been revealed to us all by now," I soothe.
"But," I continue, my eyes harden, and voice taking on a dangerous edge to it. "if ever, even by a slight chance that the future queen endangers our pack, then I will not let it slide."
Murmuring ensues as some of them nod in approval, while some others give me skeptical looks.
"Do you really think you can do that to your own mate, your Highness?" A short man with long dark hair tied into a bun, asks. His brown eyes assessing.
My eyebrows draw together at his question. I think it over for a moment. Can I really banish my own mate if she ever becomes a danger to this pack? Or worse, can I kill her if it ever comes to it?
My words are carefully picked as I reply him. "Both the pack and my mate are equally important to me, and I would hate to choose between both." I take a deep breath, then exhale before continuing. "But, like I said, if ever she's a danger to anyone, I won't take it lightly.
Every life here, as long as you're a part of this pack, matters. This pack is my family and therefore, I take no life for granted."
The crowd erupts in shouts of approval, "Yes, your Highness. We love you."
Max and I exchange a look briefly and he nods at me approvingly, his lips tilting up in a proud smile. I return one myself.
I seem to have pacified them for now, but one more thing remains. "But," I emphasize, my voice taking on a steel edge. "We'll carry out an investigation to find out the source of the rumor and if it turns out to be false, it'll be considered an act of treason and nothing good will come out of the results."
The atmosphere shifts from relieved to unease in a matter of seconds. The people start to look around at one another as if that will reveal whoever started it.
"As of today, until the investigation has been concluded, the future Queen will be temporarily moved from the pack in order to ensure both her safety, and yours," I conclude. I wait to answer more questions from the people, and thankfully there was no hostility in their tones.
Finally, we leave and I head back to my wing section, Max strolling beside me.
Max leans in and whispers, "You really think it's a good idea to send Vanessa away?" his green eyes look worried, which is reasonable.
"It's not like I have many options here, and it's only for short while anyway. It's not like I'm sending her off for good." The moment the last words leave my month, I feel a sharp tug in my chest at the thought of never seeing the little vixen again, but I ignore it.
"She will be leaving with you," I tell Max. He's the one person I trust the most, if not only.
Max nods, his expression grim. "Where?" he asks.
"I know just the right place."