The Last Howl: Awakening Of The Chosen Luna

A fist slammed against the table in the center of the Grand Hall. The sudden noise echoed off the stone walls and forced the room into silence. Crown Prince Edric stood over a sprawling parchment map with his jaw set in frustration. "The northern troop is broken," Edric announced to the gathered court. "Our battle mages held the Mistveil Ridge for six days. The Grayfang wolves broke through the linethis morning." Murmurs erupted from the seated nobility. King Leopold sat on his elevated throne and raised a hand to silence them. "How many casualties did we take?" the King asked. "Three hundred dead and twice that many wounded," Edric replied. "Our fire elementals cannot match their regeneration. The werewolves are pushing us back toward the river. The war is a stalemate at best and a s*******r at worst." Aurelia stood at the edge of the royal dais. She kept her hands folded in front of her dress and watched her brother point to the red markers on the map. "We need reinforcements immediately," Edric continued. "Our own reserves are depleted. The armory on High Street is completely empty. If the wolves cross the river, they will reach the outer farming villages by the end of the week." "The kingdom of Valdor has an army resting at their borders," King Leopold said. "They have three thousand earth mages ready to march." "Valdor will not bleed for us without a price," Lord Aldric stated from the council seats. "King Alaric demands a permanent treaty. He wants royal blood to seal the alliance." The King shifted his gaze from the council members directly to Aurelia. The entire court followed his stare. The heavy silence in the room made Aurelia stiffen. "We have a treaty ready," King Leopold said. "Prince Cassian of Valdor requires a bride." Aurelia felt the blood drain from her face. She stepped forward from the shadow of the pillars. "You cannot be serious," Aurelia said. "Cassian is a butcher. He executed his last two concubines for spilling wine on his boots." "Watch your tone," Edric snapped. "You are speaking to the King." "I am speaking to my father," Aurelia countered. "You want to sell me to a man who uses human targets for his archery practice. Everyone knows what happens to the women in his court." "I am securing the survival of this kingdom," King Leopold said. His voice was dangerously low. "You will pack your belongings by nightfall. Cassian arrives tomorrow." "No," Aurelia said. "I will not marry him. Send gold. Offer them the western trade routes or the silver mines. I can negotiate the terms myself." Edric laughed. The sound was dry and mocking. Several nobles in the front row joined him. "Negotiate with what authority?" Edric asked. "You cannot even light a candle with your mind. You have no elemental affinity, no magic. You are a royal princess who possesses the magic of a peasant." Aurelia clenched her fists. The insult stung because it was true. In a court where power was measured by the elements flowing through a person's veins, her veins were empty. She could not summon fire, weave water, or c***k the earth. "My mind is sharp," Aurelia said. "I have read every military text in the Royal Archive. I mapped the supply lines for the eastern campaign last winter. I do not need magic to be useful." "Books do not kill wolves," King Leopold sneered. "Intellect does not stop a shifter from tearing out a soldier's throat. We need Valdorian steel and Valdorian magic." "Then send someone else," Aurelia pleaded. "Send Lady Rosalind. Cassian has favored her before during the summer festivals." "Cassian demanded a princess," the King replied. "He wants the prestige of my bloodline to validate his claim to the southern territories. You are the only daughter I have." "I would rather die than share his bed," Aurelia said. King Leopold stood up. He walked down the steps of the dais and stopped inches from her face. His presence radiated heat as his fire affinity flared beneath his skin. "You have been a burden on this crown since the day you were born," he said. "Your mother gave her life to bring you into this world, and you rewarded us by being defective." Aurelia swallowed hard. The words hit her chest like heavy stones. "Every lord in this room whispers about the cursed princess," King Leopold continued. "You cannot defend yourself. You cannot command troops. You cannot even participate in the solstice rituals. You take up space in my castle and offer nothing in return." "That is not fair," she whispered. "War is not fair," he shouted. "Men are dying in the mud at the border. Shifters are tearing our people apart piece by piece. You will do your duty to your family." "Duty is a choice," Aurelia argued. "This is a sacrifice. You are throwing me to a monster to save your own pride." "My pride is what keeps the wolves from eating you in your sleep," the King said. "The wolves are fighting for their own land," Aurelia shot back. "You provoked this war to expand our borders, and now you are losing. Do not mask your greed as a noble sacrifice." Edric stepped down from the map table and grabbed her arm. His fingers dug into her skin. "You will obey the King," Edric ordered. "You will stop this insolence right now." Aurelia yanked her arm away. She glared at her brother and then turned her attention back to her father. "I am not a piece of meat to be traded," she said. "You are exactly what I say you are," King Leopold replied. "You are a vessel for this alliance. Your only value to this kingdom is your womb. You will marry Prince Cassian, and you will birth his heirs, and you will secure the troops we need." Aurelia stared at the man who was supposed to protect her. She saw no love in his eyes. She saw only a desperate ruler looking at a transaction. The courtiers watched the exchange with blank faces. Not a single person stepped forward to defend her. "Cassian will break me," she said softly. "You know he will." "Then you will break for the good of the realm," the King stated. "Consider it your first actual contribution to this family." Aurelia felt a cold knot form in her stomach. The realization washed over her. There was no argument she could make to sway them. Her lack of magic made her less than human in their eyes. "I will not do it," she said. Her voice was steady now. The fear was gone, replaced by a cold fury. "You do not have a choice," the King warned. "I always have a choice," Aurelia said. She turned her back on the King. She walked down the center aisle of the Grand Hall. The nobles parted to let her through. She kept her head held high and her shoulders pulled back. "Aurelia," King Leopold roared. The braziers along the walls flared with sudden, violent flames. "Come back here." She did not stop walking. She pushed open the heavy wooden doors at the end of the hall. "You will marry Prince Cassian tomorrow," King Leopold shouted after her. "You will marry him whether you like it or not. The guards will drag you to the altar if they have to."