To Dethrone The Tyrant Queen

It was the hour of the Crimson Dawn when my entire life shattered. No seers or low-ranking pack members were allowed near the royal palace during this sacred time on pain of death, yet here we were. In all her life, powerful Alphas and elite warriors had always traveled deep into the valleys, bringing piles of gold just to hear a single word about their future from my grandmother. She never for once left her cabin. Yet, on this day, she didn’t wait for them to come; she held my hand, and we walked towards the forbidden royal gates at a breathless pace. I kept wondering what emergency was so critical and dangerous that she would risk execution just to deliver it herself. My name is Nyxara Obryne, and this is how my life shattered within minutes. “Stop right there!” a guard yelled, his iron spear slamming against the stone archway of the castle gates. “The sun is barely rising. It is the Hour of Crimson Dawn. No seers are permitted on royal grounds during the sacred hour. Turn back or face execution. “Let me in!” my grandmother insisted. Her voice didn’t have its usual gentle tone. It was cold, desperate, and heavy with an authority that made the guard hesitate. “I have to speak to Alpha King Xandrel immediately. This is a matter of life and death. The entire kingdom’s survival depends on what I have to say”. Another guard stepped forward, tightening his gaze when he realized he knew her. “You again.” “Listen, we do not care if you read destinies. The law of the Northern Territory is absolute. No one can disturb the King and Queen during the dawn ritual”. “You fools!” She growled, stepping closer until her face almost brushed his spear. “This marks the third time I have walked to this castle to deliver this message.” “The first two times, your guards turned me away at the borders.” “I will not beg a fourth time.” “If your king does not hear me now, the blood of this entire pack will be in your hands.” The first guard let out a low rumble, his grip tightening on his blade. “Threatening the royal family is treason. Take her away from here.” He grabbed my grandmother’s frail shoulder, forcing her away from the iron gates. Her worn leather soles dragged roughly through the icy snow. “Let her go!” I screamed, throwing myself toward the guard. “She’s an old woman!” The second guard pushed me back with a sharp shove. I landed on the icy dirt, my palms scrapping the frost. “Listen to me!” My grandmother screamed, a desperate pitch ripping from her throat. She stopped fighting the guards and looked up at the high-stoned wonders of the royal palace. Her tone instantly changed, echoing with a supernatural power that vibrates right through the stone walls. “In the impending Year of the Obsidian Moon, the reigning Queen will be dragged from her throne by a wolf born of shadow!” Immediately, the thick oak gates of the royal palace swung open. Guard Captain Jared stepped out, his dark armor clattering loudly. His expression was warped with a dangerous, quiet wrath. He looked down at my grandmother, then at me. “Bring them inside. Now!” The guards dragged my grandmother up and clamped their hands onto my travel cloak. They drugged us through the giant entrance, down the long, dimly lit corridors and directly into the throne room. The room was built of black stone. At the far end, two thrones sat upon a raised platform. On the thrones sat the rulers of the Northern Territory: Alpha King Xandrel Zoryn and Queen Veylith Ruvienne. The guards threw us to the ground, forcing our knees to collide violently with the frozen floor. I squeezed my eyes shut, freezing my breath to avoid making any sound. “Do you know the penalty for shouting treason outside the royal gates, old seer?” Queen Veylith’s voice broke the silence. Her tone was dangerously quiet, dripping with arrogance and cold disdain. “The wolves of the pack have had their tongues cut out for far less." Next to the queen, King Xandrel sat perfectly still. His massive frame leaned forward slightly, his dark gaze fixed entirely on my grandmother. The suffocating presence of his dominant aura dominated the room, choking the air right out of our lungs. “Speak,” Xandrel commanded, letting out a low, predatory growl that vibrated through the heavy flagstones. “And choose your next words very carefully. Your life depends on them.” My grandmother did not bow her head. She maintained a perfectly rigid posture, staring directly up at the rulers. “I only speak the truths given to me by my star, Alpha King. I do not fear your blades.” “The Year of the Obsidian Moon is coming. The shadow wolf is already born.” “Your political alliance, your iron grip on the park hierarchy, none of it will save you. You will be dragged from the throne, Veylith.” Queen Veylith stood up slowly, her long velvet gown sweeping behind her as she descended the royal steps. A lethal spark lit up her eyes, burning with a ruthless, defensive rage. She stopped right in front of my grandmother, looking down at her like a bug being crushed. “There is no shadow wolf. I have hunted down and eliminated every single rogue, every hybrid, and every threat to this kingdom.” “My reign is absolute. No fake prophecy will change that". “You cannot kill a prophecy, Veylith,” my grandmother murmured, her steady tone sending a shiver through the room. “You can only delay it". That was the's breaking point. The tyrant Queen turned sharply, her gaze snapping directly at the guard captain. “Jerek!” Veylith roared, her voice echoing sharply across the high stone ceilings. “Take this lying witch to the courtyard block.” “Let the entire pack watch her blood spill so they know exactly what happens to those who spread treason.” “No!” I wailed, the panic breaking through my silent shock. I lunged forward to grab my grandmother, but a guard’s leather boots slammed my back, pinning me flat against the freezing stone. My cheek scraped the freezing floor while I watched as they hauled my grandmother towards the exit. “The countdown has already begun! She screamed, her fingernails tearing at the stone as she tried to hold on. “You can’t hide from your fate, Veylith! It will rip the crown from your head!” “Silence her!” Queen Veylith yelled, slamming her hand onto the arm of her throne. “Chop off her head and feed it to the prison hounds!” “Grandmother!” I thrashed against the guard’s foot, reaching out blindly just as the exit slammed closed. The room went dead silent the moment the doors locked, choking out her final words. Staring at the cold stone beneath me, I knew there was no escape. My fate was sealed.