The Tribrid War

Chapter 9

The kingdom was dressed in black, and its citizens quietly walked to the castle grounds. No one spoke a word; the only thing that could be heard was the quiet sobs of those mourning their beloved Queen. Queen Katherine was to be buried today; her final resting place was in the castle gardens. She spent most of her time planting and tending to her flowers in the gardens.

King Richard stood on high alert in the castle garden; to his right was Sampson, his advisor; to his left was his son Prince Caleb. All three men stood solemnly and listened to their local Bishop's service. Once the officiant completed the prayers, the men placed a white lily on her casket in order of rank and quietly said their goodbyes. As they lowered her coffin to the ground, the sobs of the kingdom could be heard louder than before. Finally, the reality sunk in that their Queen was gone. King Richard took a deep breath and walked up to the podium.

"People of Alaria, this week we have experienced a tragic loss. The love of my life is gone; never will my son see his mother, and never again will the orphanages or hospitals be blessed with her presence. Please know I feel your pain, and I will not let your pleas for justice go unanswered longer than necessary. But please be patient, and know we will be getting our revenge on the wolves when the time is right!"

The crowd cheered as they threw their hands in the air. The feeling of grief and remorse had now been replaced with the desire for revenge.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Hand in hand, they walked silently to the royal cemetery; Ravenna and Patrick were both lost in their thoughts. Today was the day Alpha Mitchell and Kevin would be buried, and they would also hold a meeting about the incident at the ball the night prior. Ravenna took her spot next to David and Serena and sat on her throne while Patrick took his seat beside Maurice behind the royals.

The procession was beautifully written and full of lots of memories. Kimberly and her mother, Luna Claire, spoke on behalf of the late Alpha Mitchell. Patrick and a few of the Warriors said on behalf of Kevin. Again, memories were shared, causing more tears to be shed. Finally, the service ended, and King Alistair called for every member of his pack to place red and white roses on the coffins of the deceased. This was to signify the pack colors between the Royal Pack and Blue Lake and represent that they were all united and family. Once the ceremony was completed, the wolves were led into a group howling; their howls reflected the pain they felt over the loss of these two great men.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this concludes the services for today. Alphas, I hate to take away your time to grieve, but I need you in the conference room immediately." King Alistair said before he nodded at the group and stepped down from the podium.

The group disbanded, and those required to attend the meeting made their way to the conference room. The twelve Alphas entered the room and took their seats. They now included newly appointed Alpha Samuel, the son of the late Alpha Mitchell, who had inherited the Blue Lake Pack. Once everyone was seated, the King looked around at the group.

"Thank you all for attending. I understand you would like to be with your families, but some news that you need to hear has been brought to my attention. First of all, a few evenings ago, it appears one of the Vampire Princes was murdered by human Hunters."

"Serves the Leech right."

"Who cares?"

Ravenna felt her heart tighten at these statements. She knew they were just upset, but these words hurt. She knew it was not the place to start an argument, so she remained quiet.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" David yelled in an attempt to maintain order.

King Alistair sent a nod to his son in appreciation, and then he cleared his throat to regain attention. "The second thing, the attack at the ball was performed by not the Vampires, but the Rogues. This was a warning; they would continue to attack each pack until we were all dismantled! I understand that Vampires are still an issue that will not go away. However, we need to place them on the back burner to give us the time to handle this Rogue issue first! We can't spread our forces any thinner than they are now by starting a war with the Vampires!"

The Alphas said nothing in response, only looked at the King.

"The final piece of information was brought to my attention this morning. The human Queen was murdered, and because of this, non-human species are no longer allowed in Alaria. I was hoping you could spread the word to every pack member, even down to the hermit who lives in the cave on your land. For your pack's safety, you cannot go to Alaria."

"Why is that so important, Dad?" David asked, concerned at the worry in his father's tone.

He turned to look at David. "Because, son, she was killed by a Werewolf."

The room fell eerily quiet as the Alphas paled upon the news. Then, finally, Serena turned to Ravenna and mouthed the words thank you!

"What do we do?" Alpha Conner asked the King.

"I will be going to Alaria to try and maintain the treaty personally. We have too many fights knocking on our door to accept this one." King Alistair said to Alpha Conner. "Please keep this information in mind and be sure to tell your pack members. I am adjourning this meeting; take time to spend with your packs and families. I will be calling on you all. Please remember the Rogues and stay safe. You are all dismissed."

Quietly, the Alphas left the room until only King Alistair, David, Ravenna, and Serena were there.

"Father, how did you hear this news? Are you sure this source is credible?" David asked, looking at his father bewildered.

"My source is sitting next to you; it seems your sister has made quite a name for herself in the fighting underworld," he replied, looking at Ravenna with pride.

David turned to her, "you heard this fighting in the Rose?"

"Serena and I noticed the humans looking at us with fear and anger at the mall the day of your party. That night, I went to the Rose and was told I could no longer fight because all shifters were no longer allowed in Alaria. People were talking around the tavern, and I heard them."

"Dad, any news on the Vampire attack?" Serena asked.

"No one knows this guy or anything about him. We are at a dead end. David, please call Alaria castle and make arrangements for me to visit to discuss things; I will leave in the morning." David nodded and stood up to leave the room. "Ok, enough of that. Take this time and spend it with the pack, you all."

The group exited the room to be shoulders to cry on as their packs mourned those they sent to the Moon Goddess that day.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Dusk is the most beautiful time of night for everyone except the Vampires. This night they will be laying their beloved Prince to rest. "Oh, Alias, why were you out there that night?" The Vampire Queen Drucilla sobbed as she put on and fastened her black shoes.

Zane walked up to his mother and gave her a tight hug. "He died a hero, saving a child from cold-blooded killers; this is how he would have wanted to go."

She nodded as she sent a defeated look toward her younger son. Zane gave her a small smile as he took her by the arm. He then led her to the field where the memorial was to be held. Vampires from all covens surrounded the pyre, which housed the body of Prince Alias. The ceremony was quick but filled with honor and respect for the lost Prince. Once the coven members were finished speaking words in his honor, each member present lit a torch and placed it on the pyre sending him off.

"Thank you, everyone, for attending our sons' service. Please know that humans have waged war, a war they will lose. Spend the evening with your family; I would like all coven leaders here tomorrow to discuss our next steps," King Lucius explained.

***

The streets of Alaria were ripe with tension. The man shifted between Alarian citizens who walked up and down the road until the familiar Midnight Rose entered his view. He entered the tavern, adjusted his glasses, went to the stairs, and gained entrance to the arena. As he stepped off the last step, he glanced around to locate someone. Finally, he found his target in a dark corner, seated behind a large pillar, and approached the table.

"Great job on the way you handled your past conquests." He smirked at the man and took a seat.

"I always get the job done; you know this, Sampson." The man flashed his canines in annoyance.

"What do you want?!"

"I require your batty services again."

"Who's the target?"

Sampson adjusted his glasses. "Just a royal visitor we will have soon."

The man flashed his fangs as his eyes turned red in excitement. "Of course," he replied, smiling deviously.