Chapter 157 The Measure of a King pt 1
Gideon
It’s been four weeks since Duncan’s vision of our disastrous failure, and each day that passes draws my nerves tighter. Even with Duncan added to the daily training with Seren, followed by nights with my mate, I was filled with restless energy. I needed to find an outlet for it, and Dad handed me the perfect one last night.
As I pulled up to the gate at the former Blood Moon Pack, I took in the changes. When I left, the ground had been covered in blood, the gate was scorched and damaged from the fight, and the post-battle clean-up still included removing bodies from the public areas. Now, the new gate sparkled in the sunshine, the walls beside it reinforced with stone and steel, while the royal banner flew above it, signaling that this territory was under royal stewardship.
The guards at the gate nodded respectfully as I approached, granting me entrance easily. I recognized one of them from the palace and parked the SUV, jumping out to speak with him for a moment. “Baldric. Nice to see a friendly face,” I greeted him.
“Prince Gideon. Welcome.” He reached out, and we clasped forearms. “Now that you’re here, maybe I’ll have someone to spar with who is an actual challenge,” he joked.
“I’ve gotten stronger since we last trained together. And I’ve gotten my elements, so it may be more of a challenge than you think.” I grinned at him. “How are things here?”
He stepped back, then looked around. “The Elder Council has done a good job of getting the territory back in good physical shape after the destruction.” He met my eyes. “The people…they’re a different story. What happened here, Prince Gideon? Some of the omegas tremble with fear if you just glance their way. We’ve all tried to put them at ease, but…” He lifted his hands in a helpless gesture. “It just doesn’t seem to matter.”
“There’s a reason the entire leadership team was removed, with most executed, Baldric. Anyone who wasn’t ranked in this pack was abused or at risk of it. It went unchecked for so long that the Goddess stripped the leading families of their elemental powers.”
His eyes widened at that. “I didn’t even know that was possible.”
“Neither did I until we started scouring the archives after learning about what was happening here. These people have been beaten down for so long they don’t trust the new peace. But they will. They showed so much resilience when we fought for control here, and that will bleed through. Just continue showing them how pack should treat each other, and it will work out. Now, I should probably get in there. The Council has requested a meeting and I need to wash the travel off.”
He nodded his head, stepping back so I could drive through the gate after I got back into my car. I followed the main road in, paying attention to the areas around it. The land was clean, free of any trace of the bloodbath a few months ago. Banners had gone up for the upcoming tournament, bright with the colors of the royal pack—silver lining royal blue. Some served a purpose: directional indicators pointing guests to the tournament field, the pack house, guest quarters. Some were just there to show everyone that this pack was currently under leadership appointed by the king, subtly calling out the old leadership practices as unacceptable and serving as a glaring reminder of our authority.
I’d wait to text Cora and tell her it was okay to join me. I wanted to get the lay of the land first and check in with the elders before she came. If there was any pushback from Dad sending me rather than coming himself, I didn’t want her put in the middle. I knew Dad planned to come later, but he was clear that he wanted these first impressions of the changes and the council to be mine without overshadowing them. It was his way of teaching me how to be the next king, and I always felt humbled by the faith he had in me.
Curran nudged me out of my thoughts. ‘We will be great rulers. We are meant for it. Father sees that.’
Apparently, my wolf didn’t possess the same sense of humility as I did.
He huffed. ‘Whatever. We need to patrol the border before we call mate.’ And with that, he lay down and went quiet, his presence a warm spot in my mind.
Amused, I just shook my head as I parked in front of the pack house. The building that showed its age only weeks ago looked brand new. Newly painted bright white siding made it look cheerful and welcoming. The cracked steps had been repaired, and the peeling paint on the shutters had been scraped clean, replaced with a fresh coat in a deep forest green. The flower beds along the front had been cleaned out and freshly mulched while cold-hardy pansies, winter jasmine, and primrose added color.
It was obvious that a lot of effort had gone into making the pack look good again, but based on what Baldric shared with me, I wasn’t positive that the same amount of effort was going into making them feel good. This pack deserved to be able to breathe freely, without fear. It was our job to ensure that happened, and the Elder Council was supposed to be taking the lead.
I’d reached the top of the steps when the door opened. A tall, silver-haired man stepped out first, posture straight enough to shame the palace guard. His dark suit was immaculate, gloves folded neatly in one hand despite the mild weather. His pale eyes assessed me in one smooth sweep before he inclined his head. Curran bristled.
“Your Highness,” High Elder Cassian Ravel said evenly. “We appreciate your punctuality.”
I returned the gesture, careful to keep my chin level. “High Elder.”
Behind him, four more figures emerged into the entryway. Elder Theodora Valenne stood just to Cassian’s right, gloved hands clasped at her waist, silver hair twisted into an elegant knot at the base of her neck. Her lips curved into something polite and measured. “Dear Prince,” she said warmly. Too warmly. “You’ve grown since we last convened.”
I wasn’t sure if she meant in height, power, or expectation.
To Cassian’s left stood Elder Severin Holt, broader than I remembered, hands clasped behind his back in an unmistakable military stance. His nod was curt, assessing. Calculating.
Elder Marcelline D’Arveaux lingered a half-step behind the front line, sharp gray eyes missing nothing. Her gaze flicked briefly over my shoulders, as if confirming I had come alone.