Return of the unwanted daughter

Tribunal

Within hours King Henry entered the Pack Lands, summoning every possible witness, including Abigail Houston, the so called Mate of the Alpha. Morgan stood defiant as the King approached, barely bowing his head in a nod as the King marched up to him after seeing the state of the perpetrators. Abigail standing behind him with barely concealed fury that she was forced to be here because of this mess.

"Do you not bow before the King?" Henry demanded angrily.

"The King is still in the Capitol so far as I know. Surely he wouldn't violate the law that requires he notify a Pack Alpha 24 hours prior to his arrival for any official business. As I have not received any courier informing me of your pending visit, your presence here is against the law and a cause of action for war. So no, I will not be honoring the law and bowing to you as required as you are in violation of it yourself, Majesty." Morgan replied as the man's eyes went wide. "So Your Majesty, you have a choice to make as it seems the Elders of this Pack are incapable of believing that I will indeed kill my own father. Issue the Command and release my treasonous prisoners and take them to your Pack to lead your troops in the next War. Or watch as your best friend and General are executed for their crimes against MY Pack."

Henry was slapped with the cold hard truth of the matter, as his Command would indeed save the lives of those he called friend. It would also mean plunging the Kingdom into yet another war, when they were just barely recovering from the last Pack War. This time would be different however, as the number of Packs he would have to fight had only increased over the last 80 years, bound together still by the fact that the Pack Laws bound his authority for the most part. "All this over a Mate?" Henry finally asked.

"Why don't you ask her, she is standing directly behind you. Chased away because she refused to hide her powers in a Pack that outlaws her very existence." Morgan replied evenly as the King looked at Abigail who nodded once to confirm his statement.

"Why should I be part of a Pack that requires Inside who I am? Why should I subject myself to the laws of a desperate despot who would even allow such a law? The Mate Promise of the Goddess should transcend any mortal law, not force Mates to reject each other to avoid the bigotry of your senseless bullshit." she said to the King who was stunned once more that she would say such a thing.

"All Lycans are subject to my authority." Henry replied as she scoffed.

"You may try and subjugate me, however you should be warned that it will cause a war between Lycans and Witches. I am the heir to the Wiccan Throne." she reminded him as he shook his head aggravated at how this was turning out.

"So your Majesty, as you here as a witness as allowed under the law? Or will you issue the challenge and subject your Kingdom to another Pack War?" Morgan demanded as William ran up to them carrying the scroll.

"It is done Alpha, from this day forward the Elders shall respect the Mate Promise of the Goddess. Any Mate of a member of the Pack may freely join and hold rank as one of us." William declared as whispers started among the members.

Morgan took the scroll and took his time reading it before he made any proclamations to his Pack. It was exactly what William said it was before he passed it to his new Beta that had taken the position over his former Gamma duties. "Very well, that leaves only their tribunal with no possibility of execution as I will drop the Treason Charges. That however will not exclude them from punishment Majesty, so if you wish to protect them under the law, say so now to save this Pack the trouble of it. Personally I would rather expel them all in disgrace than make them Rogues." he said as the whispers stopped.

It was that moment the entire Pack realized he was being brutal, just the way his father and grandfather had spent 30 years training him to be as the King nodded.

"If that is your wish, we can certainly make it a reality. Without a tribunal however, how do you intend to justify your actions?" Henry asked curious.

"The evidence was publicly gathered and their confessions will be available for the entire Pack to see if they so wish. My actions need no defense, as everything I have done is public record and in line with every single Pack Law. The only ones in need of a defense are currently strung up in my town square. Hunter, release them from the posts and ensure they have an escort to their homes to pack their belongings. They will be leaving one way or another before the sun sets this evening. Your Majesty, if you would join me in my study, I believe we have things we need to discuss. Abigail, if you would give me a chance, I would appreciate the opportunity to have a conversation with you as well." he said before walking into the Pack House with the King and Abigail following.

"You really would have killed him, wouldn't you?" Henry asked as they entered the building and shut the door behind him.

"Without hesitation, their actions may have doomed me to a fate worse than death. Even now I cannot tell you if my fate will be different, as their actions have caused a lot of damage to this Pack and to my Mate Bond." Morgan said as Abigail fidgeted a bit before looking at him.

"Why would a union between the Witches and Lycans be a bad thing? Surely we have moved past the point that we cannot join the species." Henry said as Abigail choked.

"King Henry, with all due respect that isn't even an option at this point. My Mate is not part of the Royal Family and I sure as hell will not take either of your sons as a chosen mate." Abigail said clear about her intentions.

"This Pack however is a Royal Pack and my successor has yet to be chosen as all three of my children have renounced their claim to the Throne. Surely your Mate would fight for the opportunity to rule as King when I retire in a few short years." he answered easily as the three of them entered the office.

Abigail cleared her throat before she sat across from Morgan and turned her chair so she would be able to look at either man easily. "Because as my Mate said, the damage caused by those who have been admitting their crimes may have irrevocably damaged our Mate Bond. Unlike Morgan however, my Wolf will survive the process should we not reject each other or Mate." she explained as his eyes went wide.

"Even now you are undecided? Surely with that nonsense out of the way there can be a path forward." Henry said not believing what he was hearing.

Morgan cleared his throat loudly. "Indeed there might be, but we haven't had the chance to discuss it. That is what I wished to discuss, I wish to present a motion at the Alpha Council next month completely abolishing the practice of Packs being able to discriminate against another Race. No one should be forced to decide between their Pack and Mate." he said evenly as the King nodded knowing that there might just be enough Alpha's to support such a proposition.

"Majesty, you have yet to explain why we should unilaterally say that this here is enough. I left your jurisdiction long ago with the full intention of never returning to be a slave to your order. Why should this change that decision?" Abigail demanded of him.

Henry was at a loss for words, as he had never believed he had done such wrong during his reign as King. "Perhaps you are correct Ms. Houston, the Pack Laws have become so outdated that even the best of circumstances sees more and more Lycans renouncing the Packs and Kingdom to enjoy lives with their Mates. All I can say is it is perhaps past time that we set these differences aside and find a new set of Laws negotiated between the Species. Laws that transcend Kings and Packs, that put everyone on equal footing." he admitted as he stood. "Alpha Morgan, the Royal Pack will take those you are banishing from your Pack. Their positions will reflect their actions in this Pack, so they will not be eligible for positions of power inside the Royal Pack. Is this acceptable to you?"

Morgan nodded as he looked at the King. "What position you allow them to hold is between you and them. If they return to these lands once they depart, they will be subject to death." he said without an ounce of emotion. "The only exceptions are Ms. Houston here and her brother Benjamin."

Henry nodded as he looked between the two of them. "I hope you resolve your differences and find the strength to accept one another. However I understand if you must still speak to your grandmother, the High Priestess is a powerful woman I would not want as an enemy. As far as your proposition, it will be broadcast to the Alpha's for consideration as soon as I receive it and will be first item on the agenda." he said before turning and walking from the office before he closed the door.

"Thank you Morgan, I never believed any of this Pack would welcome me if they knew." Abigail said easily.

Morgan sighed as he looked at her and had to suppress the Wolf dying to push forward and be close to her. "I did what was necessary to correct an issue you were innocent of. A law that has caused more damage over the years than I can count. As far as the rest of things, we can figure out what to do after we have a chance to even talk." he said nervous as she laughed.

"Grandmother, you can stop hiding now and tell us what you think." Abigail said as she appeared in the corner after dropping the cloaking spell.

"You must be getting even stronger granddaughter, I was hoping you hadn't noticed." the old woman said as she moved to the seat that the King had vacated. "As far as Wicca Law is concerned, who your Mate is is up to you as is where you reside. The Capitol will not change, but you can teleport there anyway."

Morgan was surprised at that announcement, as he had no idea what powers she had exactly.

"Can I ask what powers you do have?" he asked looking at his Mate.

Abigail blushed a bit as she hadn't ever exactly told anyone. "I am an elemantalist, just like my Grandmother. If you have heard of a Witch Spell, odds are I can cast it. What color is your Wolf?" she asked making him blush as they realized they knew almost nothing about each other.

"Dark auburn and black. Most think I am pure black when I shift, the Auburn is hard to see if I am not in direct sunlight. You?" he asked her with a smile.

"Pink." she said as he was stunned. It was a color far more rare than white was.