In Your Eyes

CHAPTER 3 - ESCORTS

Reports had come in that the royal escorts from the capital would arrive from their encampment in 30 minutes. Since they were told beforehand, they would not spend the night due to the king’s orders. The pack would have to prepare to serve them food and wine and tend to the horses before departing once again.

Sera’s windows faced the outskirts of the estate, far into the horizon. She could already see the patches of black that formed on the landscape due to the sheer number that approached her father’s territory. One would think the king was declaring war rather than picking up a potential bride for his nephew.

Sera had never imagined herself married. She hadn’t found a mate, and now she was being whisked away to be married to another.

‘Women had no power. Even if a firstborn female can lead a pack, without a mate, her position would be challenged.’ Her father often told her, and while it was true, there hadn’t been a female pack leader in decades, it wasn’t an uncommon occurrence.

She wanted to change that. That was why she worked hard, feared no man, and forged her path. But she was cut down before she had the chance to realize her ambitions, bargained out the enemy to protect her own. Suddenly, the weight of her decision came crashing down on her as she stared at herself in the mirror.

‘Would I spend the rest of my life being the bride to a rumored useless prince and breed his children?’ She lingered by the window, seeming relatively anxious as the escorts continued to approach at shocking speed. They would not need her audience until it was time to leave, as political causes of action were only discussed between pack leaders or their proxies.

“Are you okay, Sera?” Iris asked when she began to feel uncomfortable with the silence. Sera did not respond to the question for some seconds.

“I’m sorry, that was very insensitive on my part.”

“It’s fine Iris. I thought I had prepared myself for this change. But seeing the enemy soldiers marching on our doorstep makes me wonder if I’m going there as someone’s future wife or a piece to keep my father in check.” Sera chuckled dryly at that. “Even my dear little sister hadn’t bothered to ask how I feel about taking over her responsibilities. It is quite a shame that I must go alone, but no matter.”

“You know I’d want nothing more than to come with you. But…” Iris’ voice cracked before the sentence could roll out of her lips.

Sera approached her and engulfed her in a hug. “Shh…Iris, you know I’d never make you leave your home here with Jérémy to follow me, and even if you wanted, I wouldn’t risk you in enemy hands. You are my precious friend.”

Iris sniffed and engulfed her friend tightly. She was petite, but was still a wolf. Her grip on Sera was tight. “You’ve got to stay strong, Sera. No matter what.”

Seraphina smiled. “Who do you think you’re talking to?”

Once the escorts from the capital were ready to depart, Sera headed down to the entrance of the estate. A crowd had gathered to watch them depart. Rismuck, one of the king’s three council members, was a proxy sent by the king. Father and daughter said their goodbyes, and many young pups she had trained sniffed as they watched her. Iris held unto Jérémy as they watched her mount a horse prepared for her. She had insisted on riding a horse, even though a carriage was prepared for her. Guards who escorted the entourage would travel in wolf forms, while the rest traveled in human form.

Sera noticed her stepmother and stepsister standing side by side. Neither had any special expression on their faces, so she wasn’t sure what was going on through their heads.

“It’s time to depart, young one.” Rismuck said, having mounted his horse. Sera looked back at her people one last time before she gave a slight nod towards Rismuck. He gave a signal and the men at the front immediately started moving. It would take a one and a half days’ ride back to the capital, and Rismuck was a sticker for getting things done properly.

“Until the wedding, Florian.” Rismuck said once again, before they finally departed.

Both Seraphina and Rismuck were in the middle of the envoy, and she noticed how the guards travelling in their wolf forms never strayed too far from the envoy, even though they weren’t visibly seen at all. But she doubted there were people stupid enough to attack an envoy march of more than 30 men.

Rismuck seemed like a nice man, Sera thought. He seemed like the type that was mated and satisfied, and probably showed loyalty because of some other agenda. Both he and her father didn’t seem to be in any type of strife, rather, her father seemed to have had a grateful glint in his eyes when they departed.

“You don’t seem like a member of the enemy’s council.” Sera was the first to break the silence. She was aware that almost every wolf in the envoy would be able to hear them, but then again, she had always been told she had no filter.

Rismuck gave a brief chuckle before looking ahead. “I was actually born in this pack. I moved away years ago. You could say I was present when you were born, little one. Even I am surprised I’m a part of the king’s council, though I’m merely a shield for the king.”

“No wonder you seemed so familiar with my father.”

“Yes young one. Your father and I aren’t that different I age, and we trained together while his father was still alive. Although it has been quite some time since I left, so I wasn’t present when you were given birth to. I did, however, receive the news of your birth.

“Do you think you coming back here was a plot from your king?”

Rismuck chuckled. “The king has no interest in such things. He believes those who have sworn allegiance to him will never betray him because he knows many vile ways to get people to submit to him. I am mostly in charge of all forms of matters outside the capital, so as soon as he sets a date for your arrival, it would be a matter of duty to aid your arrival. But fear not, young one, every wolf in this envoy was handpicked by me so you can speak as freely as you have been doing.”

Sera couldn’t help but think if he meant that sarcastically.

“The prince, the king’s nephew, why is he giving me to ‘him’? I would have assumed he would have wanted me to marry one of his own.”

“The king has no children of his own. Believe it or not, one cannot have children of royal blood on the throne if they were not born of parents that are mates. Only two wolves who have mutually agreed to become mates or have been given by the moon goddess can bear children for the throne.”

“So, because the king wasn’t in line for the throne, his children can’t become heirs?”

“He will not be able to sire children although. It has a sort of ‘curse’ to make sure only true kings can ascend the throne.”

This piece of information actually shocked sera.

“Think of it as a preventive measure to alphas who take the throne through abuse of power.” Rismuck continued to explain. “If the king had conquered his brother, the former king before his highness the prince was born, then, maybe the current king may have been able to sire a child who could succeed the throne. Although this is just my personal guess, such a thing has been rumored to have never occurred in the past. But since the prince has already been approved by the moon goddess as the next heir, the current king will never have any children, no matter how many she wolves he lays it, so as not to disrupt the balance.”

“So, what is the whole purpose of disrupting the bloodline, even when the king knows he will never sire a bloodline later on?” Sera asked curiously.

“In my opinion, young one, it’s just a case of inferiority complex on the part of the current king. Being a child who was constantly always compared to his older brother probably pushed his hand. But the means do not justify the outcome.

However, it is still possible for the king to put on the throne another member of the royal family as some sort of figurehead king instead of allowing the current prince to continue his reign. And as long as that family member does not take the crown in any ploy, he and his mate or queen may sire a child that could ascend the throne.”

“So, the moon goddess’ ‘curse’ isn’t all that foolproof?”

Rismuck laughed. “I guess you could say that. These are those old stories that no one knows whether they are true or not.”

“I never knew such things existed. Most packs rarely have power struggles because the next pack head is already chosen as they are born, from power to intellect, all that is shown as the firstborn is born.”

Sera tried to process all that Rismuck had told her, and which she could use to her advantage. If she was going to a foreign land, the least she could have was some ammo of information she could use at her disposal.

“And the current prince, do the rumors really do him justice? Or do I really need to be weary of him.”

“His highness is your would-be husband. I believe everything you should know about him; you should find out for yourself, young one. You have already taken up the challenge, what’s the use in knowing all the cheat codes?” Rismuck asked coyly.

Sera couldn’t argue with that. “I suppose that is enough information for one day. And my name is Seraphina. Stop calling me ‘young one.’ You sound like all those old grandfather wizards in the old tales.” She complained.

Rismuck actually laughed heartily at that. “I thought it made me seem wiser. But I suppose we can’t have you thinking of me like I’m some old wizard. As you wish young one, Lady Seraphina it is.”