Chapter 183 Didn't Fail

Chapter 183 Didn't Fail
Maureen's POV

'We will go to the citadel after I am sure that Lance is okay,' I said, looking from one waiter to the other.

'I am fine Reen. Asher dug the bullet out already,' Lance said before he stepped into the circle the waiters had made around me.

'Are you sure?' I asked looking into his face.

'Yes. I am sure. It will heal soon once the blood coming out of it washes away the silver contamination,' Lance said looking down at the hand he was clutching with the other hand.

'No pains?' I asked worriedly.

'No serious pain. Let's proceed, I will tie it up when I am sure it is ready to be tied so that it can heal,' Lance said shrugging as if he wasn't in pain.

'I can just heal you,' I protested.

'Yes, you can but not now. Let's go,' Lance said.

The waiters led the way to the citadel. They knew the way there and I didn't know how. I glanced sideways several times at Lance to be sure he was really not in pain.

We stopped at some point while walking to the citadel as some females ran to us and started paying homage to me on their knees. I had to inform them that we were going to the citadel and they could come along as well before they allowed our party to proceed.

The citadel was not close to the council's main hall so we had to walk for more than fifteen minutes before we got to the citadel. As we proceeded, people started joining us. By the time we were at the citadel, there was a large crowd behind us.

I could see that Lance already had a white cloth tied to his injured arm. He must have done that when we were stopped by those who wanted to show their respect at the sight of the golden wolf. There was blood stain on the other hand and it made me angry looking at it and how it got there infuriated me. So I had to look away from his hand.

We came to a stop beside the calved image of the golden wolf, and the leader of the waiters stepped forward and then faced the crowd with me standing at the front and Lancelot strongly beside me.

'Today is a day of great joy for every one of us who have waited tirelessly for this day. The moon goddess promised to wash our kingdom free of all immorality by making the golden wolf return to us. We are here today to see the fulfillment of the prophecy,' the leader of waiters said with mirth in his eyes.

The waiters deserved all the happiness. They had diligently waited for the fulfillment of a prophecy that had been long before the oldest of them was born. It took trust and belief to wait as the baton passed from one person to the other through their lineage.

I didn't know what was propelling me, but I suddenly had the urge to step forward and touch the statue of the golden wolf, and I did. As my hand got in contact with the statue, I felt power surge through me like a tornado. A wind arose from the west and started blowing noisily.

I turned around to see that everyone was on their knees with their heads bowed. Everyone except Lance. I looked at him closely and I could see that his eyes were reflecting a powerful glow of gold colour.

I looked at the statue again to see that its gold color had come alive, and it was shining brightly, and the glow was piercing. I then realized why everyone was on their knees.

Lance was smiling brightly at me as my eyes made contact with his again. He nodded happily at me. Lance had always been a solid force behind me while growing up. Looking at him smiling at me with the golden reflection in his eyes made my heart swell with joy. We made it!

The wind started calming down gradually, and the glow of the golden wolf statue lessened, but my hair and eyes retained the brightness.

'Rise,' I said and everyone stood up. Most people had a look of amazement in their eyes. The golden wolf team and soldiers looked happy and contented as they looked at me with pride.

Lucia was cleaning tears from her eyes while Dawn rubbed soothing circles on her back. My emotional friend! Torrent was holding Rocha's arm as if her life depended on it and she was smiling happily too. Dominus wasn't in sight.

A door creaking open in the citadel caught our attention and we all looked towards the noise. Girls walked out of the opened door with red wrists and ankles. They had obviously been tied and kept hostage in the citadel. What effrontery.

'They dare defile the citadel by keeping hostage here?' I asked in anger.

'They have done worse. There are drugs and wolf's bane kept in the building at the back,' Dominus said suddenly materializing beside the girls.

He had left us all at the front of the citadel so that he could look around. Matthias was said to visit the citadel often. He must have been put in charge of looking after the illegal things kept there.

'If they can defile the citadel like this, then they deserve no mercy,' I said with a booming voice that was clearly my wolf's.

The golden wolf soldiers instantly set to work to search the building thoroughly. Everything that was not supposed to be there was brought outside the citadel and set on fire.

When we were sure that the place was rid of all illegal things, the waiters led the way into the citadel but the leader addressed everyone, telling them to stay back to prevent stampeding.

The waiters, the golden wolf soldiers, the team, and I went into the citadel. The leader of the waiters led while we all followed. How he knew where to go was beyond me but I had every intention to ask either him or Grandma Gina when everything was over.

When we got to where the leader of the waiters was leading us. I discovered that it was a throne room. Up on a podium were two thrones of golden colour. Both of the thrones had a crown made of pure gold on them.

Just like before, I didn't know what propelled me as I started walking towards the throne. I had taken a few steps towards the throne before I realized that Lance was walking beside me stride by stride. He smiled at me and took my hand in his as we continued walking towards the throne.

We stopped when we got to the throne. The leader of the waiters stood beside me and took the crown that was meant for me then nodded at Asher. Asher walked to where we were and took the other crown that was meant for Lancelot.

Without anyone explaining to me what was going on, I realized at that moment that the oldest and the youngest waiter were doing the crowning.

The leader of the waiters asked us to sit down and then crowned me first before he nodded at Asher to crown Lance. As the crown was placed on Lance's head, a bright lightning went across the sky at top speed three times before a loud thunder roared as if it was proclaiming victory.

The waiters all smiled with happiness as they looked up as if they could see the sky. I heard the leader of the waiters sigh in great relief.

Asher and the leader of the waiters stepped away from us and bowed in reference as the team and the golden wolf soldiers all bowed too. Another thunder rumbled in the sky before it gave a earth shaking clap that shook the entire citadel.

A door creaked open at the end of the throne room as the thunder's rumbling quieted down. Those kneeling stood up and turned towards the figure that was approaching us. The figure wobbled but stood again to continue walking towards us. The golden wolf soldiers had their swords drawn and those without swords had their back straight in readiness for anything. Even Lance had tensed up beside me.

'I didn't fail, right,? It is the real golden wolf sitting on the throne right?' The figure said and staggered into the bright part of the throne room.

'Talon,' Dominus said then walked briskly to help Talon walk towards us by placing a hand under his arm to support him.

'It is really you right? The one that was sired from my loins?' Talon asked starring me straight in the eye with anticipation and anxiety rolling off him in waves.

'Yes. You didn't fail,' I answered quietly without blinking.

Talon sighed loudly in relief then broke down and wept. Dominus left him and stepped back. Talon fell on his face and continued weeping.

'You should stop crying,' I said standing up from my seat on the throne. I went to him and I touched him lightly on the shoulder. He looked up and tried standing but one of his legs was broken. Dominus returned to his side to help him up.

'I am not crying because I am sad Your Majesty. I am crying because I am happy. I am relieved that I didn't fail. Even if death comes now, I can die in peace,' Talon said wiping his tears with his free hands.

'Why will you wish death on yourself at a time like this?' Dominus asked.

'I am weak son. Whatever they have been doing to me over the years has destroyed my wolf. I don't think I can ever recover from the damage. I can't even heal anymore,' Talon said sadly.

'Have you been in this building all along? My soldiers have combed the nook and cranny of this place,' I asked Talon.

'There are secret rooms built into the walls here. The thunder opened the door. I don't know how it did it,' Talon explained.

'You will be fine Talon. I promise,' I said touching him on the shoulder as sympathy for him overwhelmed me.

'Thank you Your Majesty,' Talon said.

'You don't have to call me that,' I said to him.

'No. I have to. I might have sired you but you are a wolf far above my rank. I am just a vessel used to bring you forth,' Talon said shaking his head from side to side.

I didn't feel anything towards Talon other than pity. I didn't feel connected to him in any way. But one thing I was going to make sure he did was apologize to my birth mother, the Luna. She didn't deserve what he made her go through.