Goddess Of The Forbidden Three

3

Athena -

I packed the last of my belongings into a box and stood still in my office for what felt like an eternity, wondering what life intended to write for me now.

I have no money anymore, no moon coins. My savings has already went dry, all spent on Prince Adrian’s health and now my father has banished me from his corporation.

I was still lost in thought when silence swept through the entire corporation, unusual for a place where thousands of staff worked tirelessly.

My brows furrowed, but before I could question it, the door opened and the secretary appears.

He froze in the doorway, eyes widening at the sight of my half-empty office, before delivering words that stunned me.

“The Luna Queen is here… in the lobby. She… she’s asking for you.”

I literally froze.

The Luna Queen? The mother of Caspian Crown?

The box slipped from my fingers and fell to the floor awestruck.

I stared at the secretary as though he had spoken madness, then rushed past him, disbelief burning in my veins, until the elevator carried me down to the vast white lobby, and there she stood.

Greatness. Power. Elegance.

The Luna Queen. The one and only Queen Kastra Crown.

Everything they said of her was true. The most beautiful Luna in all packs. The most elegant ruler. Her long fur jacket draped over her shoulders, her poise commanding silence without effort.

I had glimpsed her once as a child and I heard bit of her story back in history class.

She is the true mate of the Alpha King. The House of Crown rulers, the supreme authority over all Alphas and Lunas in the wolf Dynasty.

The House of Crown holds dominion over every pack because the very first Alpha in history rose from their bloodline.

It was from this lineage that the bond between wolf and authority was first forged, and since then, all other packs have sworn loyalty to them.

Their power is not only political but sacred and without the Crown, no Alpha’s rule can ever be fully recognized

And yet, Luna Queen, Kastra was not Adrian’s mother. No. Adrian was the son of Lady Vayris, the King’s mistress, the High Consort of Crown castle.

Luna Queen, Kastra, sat beside the King in the throne room, ruling as his equal, managing his kingdom. But Lady Vayris held the King’s heart, his passion, his softer gaze.

Two wives. One throne. A silent war that had lasted decades. And in that war, the princes, Caspian comatose, Adrian almost crippled, were the scars of unseen battles.

That castle of silent wars, where only the strongest survived, was where I would be thrust… all in the name of marriage.

Blinking hard now, I approached her and bowed deeply, every eye in the lobby watching in awe.

“My queen, I… I heard you called for me.”

She did not answer. She only looked into my eyes until my manners failed me and I bowed again.

“Forgive me, Mh Queen. If you’d allow, I’ll lead you to my office.”

To everyone’s surprise, she followed me. Alone. Obedient to no one but the king, yet she abided my words.

I opened the door to my office, hurriedly gathering the scattered papers from the box I had dropped earlier, when the sound of her heels clicked closer.

She bent with regal grace, lifting the small nameplate that read Athena Thane. She placed it on my desk and finally spoke.

“Athena. I have heard that name once.” She sighed softly, then turn to looked into me, piercing, steady. “Ah… so you are the woman who stayed by my stepson’s side. The one who kept his illness a secret, who nursed him in silence, so he would not lose his standing as heir.”

I froze, slowly straightening, my throat dry.

“That… that was meant to be kept secret.”

She only stared, her silence louder than any rebuke. At last, her eyes swept the office before returning to me.

“I expected a daring woman, since you are bold enough to think you could hide such a thing from the Crowns. Yet all I see before me is a broken shell.”

I flinched at her words, shivering. She turned, gliding toward the door, her voice cold as steel.

“You are not fit to be my son’s bride.”

I suddenly went still at her resort but I know I have to act fast.

“I have to.” I suddenly said and she paused, to turned around, her gaze settling on me. “It’s the only way I can survive now. I have to marry Prince Caspian.”

Her brow arched slightly.

“Do you know why you are to marry my son?”

“For… to repay the debt my parents owe His Majesty, the Alpha King.”

Silence stretched, her gaze cutting through me, until she shook her head slowly and stepped closer.

“No. Not merely a debt. A necessity. My son is heir to the golden throne of the wolf dynasty, yet he has slept for nine long years, and people have begun to forget him. The court whispers that Adrian should be crowned heir. They have forgotten that it is my son whose veins carry the true royal blood. To remind them of that truth, I have decided a marriage must be arranged. Caspian needs a wife, one who will stabilize his reign, uphold his name, and oversee the affairs he has left behind through these long nine years of slumber until he awakens.”

Her words sent a shiver prickling across my skin.

“But looking at you, I doubt you could survive the schemes or bear any real responsibility. You seem like a lady who can’t even lift her head with pride. Your mother submitted your documents, but I’ll have them rejected. Don’t waste your thoughts on the marriage anymore. You are unfit in far too many ways.”

Stunning me beyond words, Queen Kastra turned away again, her hand on the doorknob.

Then, almost against her will, she paused. Slowly, she glanced back, and for the briefest moment, I saw something soft flicker in her eyes.

“Put yourself first this time, child. I put the love of my life first… and he repaid me by bringing a mistress into my kingdom after he took the throne. Adrian, the one you sacrificed so much for, is not worthy of you.”

And with that, she was gone.