The Luna is a Royal Guardsman

The Wayward Prince

“Your Royal Highness, you are no longer a child. You are an adult of 24 years.” I lectured the blonde, blue-eyed, and model-esque Royal sitting cross-legged in the armchair in front of me. I had dismissed all the servants in the office so I could speak frankly with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Viktor. “You cannot constantly ditch your guards to go wherever alone. It’s not safe nor proper.”

“You worry too much, Addie,” he replied nonchalantly. “Tell you what, just stay with me 24/ 7 and it won’t be a problem.”

I gave him a level look, to which he sighed. I mentally counted to ten, so I didn’t overstep and curse at him. I tugged at the stiff high collar of my uniform in frustration. I’m just going to have to wipe that stupid smirk off his face during training tomorrow. I don’t understand how the future King of our species will be able to lead being such a spoiled brat.

“Hey, there's nothing to worry about. You found me in 2 hours. That’s gotta be a new world record,” he said slyly. “Besides, if you didn’t leave me by my lonesome, you could’ve come with,” he teased. I am aware of his childish crush on me, but proper court etiquette bars me from encouraging it. As the future king, he will have to choose a proper Queen as his mate. Also, the fact I'm a wolf, and he is a Lycan, is socially unacceptable.

“Your Royal Highness, I didn’t have much choice in the matter. I had to meet a potential chosen mate since the Oracle matched me. Their Majesties also insisted that I meet him. Thankfully, Zombie Con was near my pack. And I didn't forget that Your Royal Highness has been begging me to escort you there for the last 3 months non-stop. I seriously don’t understand the appeal of horror cons; the way they portray our kind is downright prejudiced and insulting. You would think they’d know better after the Great Reveal a decade ago. “I ranted impatiently. “I, however, was not expecting you to shift into your Lycan form to pass off as cosplay. What were you thinking? Thank Buddha that I was wearing my dress uniform and the humans thought I was cosplaying a hunter.”

“Wait, you got matched? With who? How did it go?” His Royal Highness straightened up and asked with slight panic in his voice.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but yes. The Oracle matched me with Alpha Cole Meyer of the Blackstone Pack. It was interesting to say the least. Nothing is set in stone yet, but I’m considering it,” I said hesitantly while making air quotes.

“Do you like him?” He pried his face completely blank.

“He’s not exactly my type. I need someone who can treat me like his equal. Not exactly the MO of an Alpha. I'd rather have the Oracle match me with an Omega," I said.

There was a stiff knock on the door. I already knew who it was by the cadence of the knock. He’s probably seething right now.

Enter!” his highness yelled before I could answer. I looked at His Royal Highness quizzically.

Maj Krause walked in with an annoyed look on his face and anger radiating off of him. I seriously need to work on his poker face. One would think a Lycan noble would be able to control his emotions from displaying outright. He bowed reluctantly to the Crown Prince in greeting.

“Greetings to Your Royal Highness, Crown Prince Viktor. I am wholeheartedly glad Your Highness has returned safe and sound,” said Maj Krause overtly formally through gritted teeth. Oh boy, he really is mad this time. I peeked at His Royal Highness on my peripherals. He seemed unbothered and rather deep in thought elsewhere. His Royal Highness just grunted in response. Very unroyal-like.

“LtCol Larson, His Majesty summons you for a report in his private office.” Maj Krause reported as he turned to me. He was used to the Crown Prince ignoring him. It was not unusual for His Majesty to not mind-link to summon people. He would rather not waste the mental energy when he could send a servant or a subordinate to fetch the person he needed.

“Understood. Do not let His Royal Highness out of your sight until I return. Make sure he stays in his office and takes care of the documents he’s behind on,” I ordered. Maj Krause twisted his face with annoyance that would’ve been comical at another time. I gave him a warning look and his face went back to neutral. I knew his reaction wasn’t because he was being ordered around by a woman or a wolf. It was because he didn’t want to be responsible for keeping tabs on our ever-disappearing Crown Prince.

I made my way down the cavernous hallways of the Celestial Palace, which was the center of Lycan and Werewolf government. The Royals, the High Council, the House of Nobles, and the High Council of Wolves determined every policy that affected the lives of Lycan and Werewolf kind here. Still, being a werewolf marching proudly down the halls among the Lycan nobles wasn’t the most pleasant experience. At the least, I got strange looks or sneers; at the worst, disparaging comments muttered under their breaths or whispered to each other. Because of my family’s history in serving the Royals for many generations and our accolades from our martial prowess in battle, I didn’t get as much of this treatment as other wolves did. Instead, the nobles gave me a wide berth.

It was a shame since, in the Great Demon War, we fought side by side. It was during that war I earned the moniker “The Death Adder." The only places other Lycans treated me as their equal or their superior were within the Royal Guard and in the Elite Squad. But then again, I worked hard to prove that I could stand with these beings that were faster and stronger than most of our Alphas.

I stood before the heavily gilded door that was expertly carved by skilled artisans. I gave a slight nod to the guards that stood at attention at my approach. Sgt Davis, who stood on the right, hit the butt of the halberd in his hand on the floor twice to signal to the butler inside that someone wished to enter.

I smiled warmly when the familiar elderly face of the Majordomo poked out from behind the doors. Like most of the senior servants in the palace, he was a werewolf from a ranked family. Most of them were the middle or youngest child who would not be getting a ranked position within their pack. The lower servants, such as maids, footmen, and kitchen staff, were mostly Omega wolves who received glowing recommendations from their Alphas. The Majordomo was actually my granduncle from my biological mother’s side, John Dykstar.

“LtCol Larson responding to a Royal summons, Sir,” I announce to him.

“Welcome, LtCol Larson. I will let His Majesty know you are here,” he responds in a kind voice. A familiar warmth blooms in my chest at my kin.

“Just let her in, Dykstar.” Said the royal grumpy voice inside.

I give the Majordomo a wry, knowing grin and a nod before I enter the room. His Majesty probably has a headache from arguing with the House of Nobles, again. He probably needed a distraction or was procrastinating from the paperwork waiting on his desk. Looking at the large pile on his desk, I would say the latter. His Majesty waved off the Majordomo and the other servants in the room. He is incredibly irritated. I wait until the last servant leaves before approaching the desk.

“Your Majesty.” I greet him with a bow. “I have returned and brought back His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Viktor as well.”

“Good Job. I hear that it didn’t take so long this time. I honestly wonder if I would be able to relinquish the throne to such an irresponsible brat. I wonder when he’ll grow up,” His Majesty ponders while rubbing his forehead.

“I’m pretty sure when His Highness is matched with a strong Lycan, she will be able to rein His Highness in, Your Majesty,” I reply.

“You really don’t have any ambition, do you, LtCol?” His Majesty asked.

“Your Majesty? I am not certain what you are asking this humble servant.” I replied.

“Do you know why the Queen and I commanded you in front of all the nobles to meet with your match?” His Majesty inquired.

“Because the Oracle said it would be an auspicious mating for the Kingdom, Your Majesty,” I replied.

“Well, there is that, but honestly, LtCol, the Queen and I were concerned about the Crown Prince’s obsession with you. We would have felt better if you were mated to another.”

“There is no way I would get involved with the Crown Prince. The next Queen needs to be a powerful Lycan who can get the nobles to toe the line. You will not find that in a person like me who were birthed by Beta wolves.”

“To be honest, I thought you would have made a powerful Lycan. I almost matched you myself with a duke,” His Majesty admitted. “Unfortunately, your biological deficiencies would lessen the chance for success and greatly heighten the dangers that come with failure. The nobles would also be in an uproar once they find out about your reproductive issues.”

“How could a Werewolf become a Lycan, Your Majesty?” I asked, ignoring the jab about the status of my uterus.

“This does not leave this room.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. MY lipo will never utter a word of this.”

“You can turn a wolf and, on rare occasions, a human when a Lycan marks them.”

I still at this revelation. I resist the urge to hold the locket hanging around my neck. I take a deep breath and let it go before I speak again.

“So there is some truth to the turning myth,” I say.

“Yes, werewolves cannot do it, but Lycans can. There is a theory that the reason Lycans don’t have fated mates or go into heat is because of the ability to turn non-Lycans.” His Majesty confessed. “I'm tired of this topic. So, tell me how the meeting went. I’m curious about your opinion of Alpha Meyers.”

“It went better than I thought it would. To be honest, I find Alpha Meyer boorish and condescending. I would have preferred if I was matched with an Omega, so our mating wouldn’t be a constant power struggle. Which is why I never considered a Lycan for a mate, Your Majesty,” I report. “The meeting started rough, especially since Alpha Meyer mentioned that I may be too old to bear heirs. But in the end, we might have found a good compromise if we choose to go forward with the matching. Still nothing is certain yet. Alpha Meyers will notify Alpha Larson of his decision by next week.”

“He said what!” exclaimed his Majesty. "Of all the rude and backwater behavior..."

A strong and desperate mind-link came through to me before I could answer. It was so hard I thought I was about to black out.

‘LtCol, His Highness is on a rampage and won’t stop destroying his office. He keeps yelling for you. I think his Lycan Beast took control of him. I called in backup, and we’re barely keeping him contained in this room,’ Krause’s voice shouts in my head.

‘Okay. I’ll be right there. Remember the protocol.’ I link back

“Your Majesty, His Highness needs to be attended to,” I say to him. His Majesty's eyes widen as he realizes the code I’m using. It’s the code to use when informing other members of the Royal Family when another Royal is going Feral. It happens once in a while when their Lycan Beasts take control and go on a path of destruction. Whole packs have been annihilated in the wake of a Feral Lycan. It’s a secret only privy to upper members of the Royal Guard and Personal Guards of the Royal Family. Fortunately, we have a protocol to deal with Feral Lycans before they cause too much damage.

“Understood, you’re dismissed, and do let me know if a guiding hand is needed.” His Majesty responds. Another code for “If you need me to subdue him, call me over”.