FOREDOOMED

Chapter 3 THE HIGH COUNCIL

Note: Inferus means humans and Dominus means superbeings. I decided to rename it just for the fun of it. In the preceding chapters, I've also changed and used the two names when referring to humans or superbeings. Thanks for the support.

Adira was seated in front of the dresser while staring at the ivory white knee-length dress with a wide neckline that ran conservatively high and modest sleeves extending to elbows. The lady chamberlain was holding the plain dress while two ladies' court were standing behind her and waiting for her command.

"Who chooses the dress?" Adira asked, turning sideways and facing the mirror. She scrutinized her look, more specifically her hair, that the two ladies' court had dyed down to raven black with the lady chamberlain's order. The longer she stared at herself, the more she was seeing her younger self. Her hair was naturally black, but she decided to change it to different colors. Her one way of escaping her past.

"The king," lady chamberlain perfunctorily answered.

That was a lie. After her conversation with him, that was a week ago, she highly doubted he would choose a dress that was far from the personality she boldly showed. She was certain the lady chamberlain had decided the matter, not only for the dress but for her overall look upon meeting the High Council.

"Tell the king I won't wear that dress," Adira firmly said, shifting her attention from her reflection in the mirror to the lady chamberlain who slightly raised her eyebrow.

"Why would you not?" she asked, still in a formal tone.

"Because that is not me," Adira answered with a slight shake of her shoulder.

"You will be meeting with the High Council, who will decide whether you are befitted to marry King Henric. It is only necessary that your look must strike an impression of that a simple, kind-hearted woman who devoted her life to volunteering and helping people. And this dress perfectly matched that impression," the lady chamberlain explained. keeping her expression blank.

"I appreciate your efforts, Lady Chamberlain," Adira sincerely said. Then, she stood up and meet eye to eye the woman. "Volunteering involves risk and danger. We help people during and after a calamity or crisis, and some of them even died fulfilling their duties."

Adira caressed the dress that was expectedly soft. "But this dress is too dull, too plain for a volunteer."

A staring battle commenced between the two stubborn women and ended with the lady chamberlain bowing down her gaze.

"There are other white dresses you can choose from." The lady chamberlain then turned to the two ladies' court. "Get the dresses--."

"No need," Adira cut her off. "That dress just needs a bit of patching up." She then took one step forward, leaving the lady chamberlain standing behind her. "Can you two sew?" she asked them whose gaze remained on the ground.

"W-we b-both can, Y-your M-majesty," the slim lady stuttered, not daring to raise her head. They were trained and raised like that, for they were not as simple as lady court. They were Omega, the weakest and lowest rank among the werewolf caste system.

"We do not have time, and we should not keep the High Council waiting. We cannot afford to create a bad impression," the lady chamberlain voiced from behind her.

Adira faced her. "You told me the king will meet the High Council first. And I'm pretty sure that will be a long conversation," she said and stretched her arms.

The white dress was given by the reluctant lady chamberlain to Adira, who then handed it to the two lady court and gave specific instructions on what to do with it. Then, Adira went back to the dresser and asked the lady chamberlain to help her fix her hair.

While Adira was still preparing, King Henric headed to the guest room where the High Council awaited him. With every decided step the king strode, his black robe glided quietly on the ground while the dark silver fur on his shoulder was stiffly unmoving just the same with his lion-mane hair, where a gold crown sat firmly at the top. Donned with black leather armor with gold studs that was tautly encased around his brawny body except his arms ripped with muscles, leather gloves tightly wrapped to his elbows, and black pants paired with pointed boots, King Henric was prepared to battle the High Council to gain their approval with his marriage to his mate.

The beta opened the door, and King Henric went alone. Awaited him were the three members of the High Council, who were seated behind a long oak table. King Henric stood in front of them.

"Welcome to Albion Castle," the king said with a simple greeting. "You're informed of the reason for your visit," he said in a straightforward fashion.

"King Henric, still impatient, I see," said the oldest of the three who was seated at the right side. With a few strands of gray hair surrounding his bald head and his face wielded with some prominent wrinkles, he looked like any ordinary old bloke. A rich one, more specifically, with his neat brown suit and tie.

"You've never changed a bit," said the man over his thick eyeglasses. Contrary to the old man, he was wearing a casual white shirt and blue jeans.

King Henric thought he was not only referring to his attitude, but to his looks as well. The last time they met was three decades ago, and he was only seven years of age. "And you've grown," King Henric commented.

"Oh, was he cute when he was a kid?" asked the youngest and the smallest who was in the middle, standing over the high chair. She was l*****g a lollipop while staring curiously at the king.

The new member, King Henric presumed. So, the oldest member must have retired or died, like any other mortal being.

Indeed, the three members of the High Council were Inferus. The creation of an Inferus council regulating the Dominus dated back thousands of years ago when it was of natural occurrence that the Dominus were fighting one another for dominance. And the gods paid no heed, for they deemed they were incapable of destroying one another. But when those Dominus formed the most formidable ally with the sole purpose of annihilating the Inferus, the gods finally intervened. Though lots of Inferus had to die in brutal mutilating, fatal poison, uncured illness, and devastating calamity, that were all the doing of the Dominus. The Inferus, innocent and helpless, did not even know they were at war. A war they would ultimately lose, if not for the gods had been on their side.

Havic, the High One, decided to create the High Council, that would provide order in the chaotic world of the Dominus and bestowed power to Inferus that none of the Dominus could defeat. Three humans with the purest heart were chosen by the gods-- an old, a middle age, and a child.

A convene was held in the Temple of the Seer where the High Priestess, the sole messenger of the gods, resided. And in attendance were the kings and queens of all kinds of Dominus. The very first Inferus members of the High Council were introduced by the High Priestess herself and announced that all Dominus would be bound by the laws created by the High Council.

Indignation, disbelief, and wrath exploded among the royal Dominus that the most brutal m******e of Inferus would have occurred at the most sacred place had not they been informed by the High Priestess that none of their power could penetrate the invisible shield anointed by Havic, the High One, to the three Inferus. The King of Dwarf known for his stubbornness lunged forward at the little boy, the youngest member of the High Council. Before he could grasp the poor boy's little neck, he seemed to have hit an invisible wall, throwing him backward with a force twice the Dwarf King's strength.

Silence befell the Temple's hall. Then, the royal Dominus quietly returned to their seats. They weren't foolish to fight over a battle they had no chance of winning, and most important of all, to defy the gods.

On that historic day, the High Council passed the first law-- No Inferus was to be harmed unjustly by the Dominus. That law ended the war against the Inferus and dissolved the Dominus alliance. And since then, the High Council provided some sort of order among the Dominus and relative peace to the Inferus. Howbeit, with the grand plan of the King of Werewolf, that peace and order would soon vanish, and the High Council would not be able to stop him.

The little girl pouted with the king ignoring her question and sat down cross-legged. "You're rude," the little girl said, taking out the lollipop from her mouth.

"Pardon her, well, childishness, King Henric. She's new and still adjusting," the old man said with his hands clasped over his large belly.

"We are to be wedded next month," the king informed them with a firm determination not to stray away from the agenda of their meeting, that included a brat's little display of tantrum.

"Too soon," the old man said in a surprised tone.

"A delay will only t*****e us," King Henric answered confidently.

"You'll marry an Inferus?" the other man asked with an undertone of incredulity.

As suspected by the king, they were informed more than what they had been told. Since he did not order his own council not to tell a single soul about her Inferus mate, he expected the news to spread quickly like wildfire.

"I will," King Henric said, his voice ringing with utmost determination.

Silence reigned over the room, except for the cracking of the fiery flames in the fireplace that seemed to grow louder with each passing moment.

"Are you not lying? She is really your mate?" the little girl spoke, breaking the silence.

The youngest usually has the purest heart among the three, but was also the hardest one to be deceived by. She could easily detect a lie before it could even come out of the deceiver's mouth.

"We know how desperate you are to have an heir to keep the throne to yourself. And if this is your well-conceived plan to trick the High Council, you know, there would be consequences," the old man warned the king.

"Consequences that entailed dethroning," the other man said, observing the king with keenness.

King Henric knew it, and he was not stupid to risk his throne. If only the High Council was not involved, he could have married any she-wolf, proclaimed her his mate, and have an heir. But he was bound to follow a law that stated a marriage of any Dominus royalty must be approved by the High Council to be legitimatized. The High Council passed that law to avoid unforeseen contention.

"She is my second chance mate," King Henric simply said. He did not have to make any effort to sound truthful, for it was the absolute truth.

"Rubbish," the old man cried out. "And why would the goddess of moon Cailia give you a second chance when you have disgraced her and the entire werewolf by killing the High Priestess and burning the most sacred temple?" he added, rising to his chair.

King Henric understood his resentment. When he was tried by the High Council for murder and mass killing, the old man, who was middle-aged at that time, was the only one who passed a guilty judgment, the other two did not due to one valid reason-- that he was not in a sane mind when he committed the act since his mate had died and turned him into almost feral. The king was only given a light punishment of five years of solitary confinement in the dungeon of his own castle.

"The goddess is known for her forgiving nature," King Henric reasoned out, though he doubted if that was her true reason.

The old man thought the king was right; the goddess Cailia was indeed forgiving. And he was not, it was what the king was implying. For someone who had the purest heart, he was soon overwhelmed with guilt and shame, prompting her to sit down.

"But can she bear a werewolf infant? Will it not be too risky for her health? Or will you risk the life of your own mate for the sake of an heir?" The other man asked, awaiting with scrutiny of the king's answer.

"The goddess had paired her to me," King Henric said, implying she was perfectly matched to him, regardless if she was Inferus. She was everything that he needed.

Finally, the High Council ran out of questions and gave up the notion that the king was deceiving them. But, they must meet the most intriguing Inferus mate of the King of the Werewolves.

"Then, bring her in," the young girl said.

"She is uninformed of the werewolf world," King Henric informed the High Council. It was of vital importance, the High Council would not be spilling his secret to her Inferus mate. He would be the one doing that when the right time had come.

"You lied to her. You do not fall short of my expectations of you, King Henric. A sly, cunning Dominus king who would do everything to keep hold of his throne, including deceiving an Inferus, his own Inferus mate," the old man said, wriggling his hands in all different directions like a clumsy conductor of an orchestra.

The man did turn grumpier as he had aged, King Henric had observed. "I did not lie," he said, not moving an inch to where he stood since he had faced the High Council.

"Not telling is still lying," the little girl countered the king with her arms crossed over her chest. She had finished eating her lollipop, and she was not fond of eating another sweat though a lot was scattered on the table in front of her.

"Inferus fears what they could not understand," King Henric explained his side.

"You see her as dumb?" the other man asked, clearly misinterpreting the king's words.

"No," King Henric readily denied. Her mate was one intelligent woman, too intelligent for his own good, he must admit. "I'm afraid... she'd fear me." That was the truth, he had to acknowledge, and he wasn't ashamed to admit it to the High Council. If fear took over Inferus, flight was their common resort. And her Inferus mate running away meant another delay for his grand plan. He had waited long enough and didn't have any more patience to deal with another delay.

The three Inferus noticed that the king had finally displayed a tinge of emotion though in the briefest second; fear being that one had put them in shock. Among all the Dominus kings, he was the mightiest and the most obstinate and daring the High Council had to deal with, and never once did it come to their minds, this royalty would confess his fear, for they thought he had not any. Maybe he did not have before, but now he had. Still, openly confessing it was deemed unnecessary. It seemed his Inferus mate had softened the most unyielding heart of the King of Werewolves, the trio thought.

"Will you tell her the truth?" the little girl asked, hoping to get a positive answer.

"I will," King Henric assured them.

"That's enough, for now," she said with a sigh. "Now, can we meet your mate?"