The Last Howl: Awakening Of The Chosen Luna

Tender

Chapter 4: Tender

The locks clicked into place. Aurelia stared at the wooden doors and gripped the edges of her chair. She was locked in a private dining parlor with a known butcher.

Cassian sat at the opposite end of the table and raised his wine glass. He did not look angry, nor did he look threatening. He simply watched her with quiet patience.

A small side door near the stone hearth swung open before Cassian could speak. A woman stepped into the parlor carrying a silver tray of roasted meats. She wore a simple gray dress and moved with a fluid, calming grace.

The woman set the tray on the center of the table and smiled at Aurelia. Her eyes were bright silver and held a deep warmth.

"You are terrified," the woman said softly. "Please do not be afraid. I am Vespera."

"Are you a servant?" Aurelia asked.

"I am a Sage," Vespera replied. She pulled out the empty chair beside Aurelia and sat down. "I guide the Prince of Valdor through the will of the gods."

Aurelia looked from Vespera to Cassian. He leaned back in his wooden chair and let the Sage speak.

"The King told me I was dining alone with Prince Cassian," Aurelia said.

"Your brother arranged the guards outside," Vespera explained. "Cassian asked me to join you because he knows the horrific rumors you have heard about him. We do not want you to sit here in fear."

"They are not rumors," Aurelia countered. She kept her voice steady despite the rapid beating of her heart. "He threatened me in the courtyard less than three hours ago."

Vespera poured a cup of water from a clay pitcher and pushed it toward Aurelia.

"The Valdorian court requires a display of absolute strength," Vespera said. "A ruler must project dominance when he is surrounded by rival lords and foreign kings. But inside this room, we speak only the truth."

"The truth is that I have no magic," Aurelia stated bluntly. "I am a defective princess traded for Valdorian soldiers. My father made that very clear."

Vespera laughed. The warm sound filled the small room and instantly broke the suffocating tension.

"I have no elemental affinity either," Vespera said. "When I was young, the elders in the Silk District threw stones at me in the streets. They called me an empty vessel and left me to starve in the alleys."

Aurelia looked at the woman in genuine surprise. It was incredibly rare to find another person without magic standing in the presence of royalty.

"How did you survive the streets?" Aurelia asked.

"I learned to listen," Vespera answered. "The elements are loud. Fire roars and water crashes against the rocks. People with magic rely on brute force to solve their problems. But an empty vessel can hold the whispers of the gods."

Vespera leaned closer across the table. Her silver eyes caught the flickering firelight from the hearth.

"I deliver the strongest prophecies in the realm," Vespera continued. "Cassian pulled me from the mud and made me his chief advisor. He values the very people your father discards."

Aurelia shifted her gaze back to Cassian. He set his crystal wine glass down and met her stare. The cold arrogance he displayed in the courtyard had vanished. His eyes looked tired and burdened.

"My father demands a powerful mage for a daughter," Cassian said. "He wanted me to marry a woman who could c***k the earth and summon storms. But Vespera read the celestial threads. The gods chose you."

"The gods do not arrange political marriages," Aurelia argued. "Kings arrange marriages to secure borders and armies."

"Men draw borders, but the gods weave fate," Vespera insisted. "You are the best match for him. You possess a brilliant strategic mind. Valdor needs a Queen who can think ahead of our enemies, not just another soldier who can throw fire."

"I read your supply line maps from the eastern campaign last winter," Cassian added.

Aurelia froze in her chair. Her father forbade her from attending the war councils, so she had slipped her hand-drawn maps into the scribes' piles under the cover of night. Nobody was supposed to know she created them.

"Your brother claimed the military generals drew those maps," Cassian said. "But the handwriting matched the signature on your early royal decrees. You planned the entire logistics route while Crown Prince Edric took the credit."

"You read my maps?" Aurelia asked.

"I study my allies before I commit my troops," Cassian replied. "Valdor possesses raw power and thousands of soldiers. We lack brilliant tacticians to guide that power. The gods gave you a sharp mind to balance my heavy hand."

Aurelia felt a strange warmth bloom in her chest. Nobody in her own family had ever praised her intellect. Her father called her books useless and her brother mocked her knowledge. Yet this feared warlord had analyzed her work and found it valuable.

"If you respect my mind, why did you grab my hand today?" Aurelia asked. "Why did you speak to me like a prisoner in front of my own court?"

Cassian sighed heavily. He rested his elbows on the table and clasped his large hands together.

"King Leopold despises you," Cassian said softly. "If I treated you with genuine respect in his courtyard, he would view it as a weakness in my character. He would demand more concessions from our treaty. I had to play the tyrant to satisfy his expectations."

Cassian reached across the table. He did not grab her fingers this time. He gently rested his fingertips against the back of her hand. His touch felt warm and careful.

"I apologize for frightening you," Cassian said. "I know the stories they tell about me in the capital. They say I t*****e women for sport. They call me a butcher."

"Are you a butcher?" Aurelia asked. She did not pull her hand away.

"I kill assassins," Cassian corrected her. "The two concubines who died last year were sent by rival lords to poison my food. I executed them for treason. I have never harmed an innocent woman in my life, and I will never harm you."

Aurelia pulled her hand back to her lap, but she did not retreat into the wooden chair. Her mind raced with conflicting information. The monster from the rumors sat in front of her speaking softly and treating her like a true equal.

Vespera stood up and smoothed the fabric of her gray dress.

"I will leave you to eat," Vespera said. "Think about my words, Princess. A defect in this kingdom is a profound blessing in ours."

The Sage bowed her head respectfully and slipped back through the side door. The latch clicked quietly behind her.

Cassian picked up a carving knife from the silver platter. He sliced a thick piece of roasted meat and placed it delicately on Aurelia's plate.

"You should eat something," Cassian urged. "You look pale, and the evening feast will be exhausting."

"I am not hungry," Aurelia said.

Cassian put the carving knife down. He stood up from his chair and walked away from the table. He moved toward the main mahogany doors. He grasped the heavy brass lock and slid the metal bolt back. The loud sound echoed off the stone walls.

He pulled both doors wide open. The two armored guards stood at attention in the corridor.

"Leave us," Cassian ordered the guards. "Go stand at the far end of the hall."

The guards bowed their heads and marched away without hesitation. Cassian turned back to face Aurelia. He left the doors open to the empty hallway.

"You are free to go," Cassian said.

Aurelia stared at the open doorway and then looked back at him. The path to the corridor remained completely clear.

"What do you mean?" Aurelia asked.

"I want a Queen who stands by my side willingly," Cassian stated. "I will not chain you to a chapel altar like a sacrificial lamb. If you truly hate the sight of me, you can walk out that door right now. I will cancel the treaty. I will tell your father I found you unsuitable for my court."

Aurelia stood up slowly. Her heart pounded in her throat as she processed his words.

"My father will be furious," Aurelia said. "He will lose your army. He needs your earth mages to fight the Grayfang wolves."

"That is King Leopold's problem," Cassian replied. "I am offering you a choice. Stay and become my Queen, or walk away and face his wrath. I will not force you into my bed."

Aurelia searched his face for any sign of deceit. She saw only calm acceptance in his posture. The tyrant she feared was handing her the exact freedom her father had stolen.

She walked past the dining table and stopped near the open doorway. Cassian did not try to block her path. He kept his hands at his sides and watched her with a gentle expression.

"Thank you," Aurelia whispered.

She stepped out into the hallway and walked away. Her soft footsteps echoed loudly on the polished stone floor. She headed back toward her own chambers in the western wing.

Her escape bag remained hidden behind the heavy wine casks. The dark drainage tunnels waited for her beneath the castle. She had spent years mapping out the perfect route to the Mistveil Forest, but her feet felt incredibly heavy.

If she ran into the woods tonight, the shifters would likely hunt her down and kill her. If she stayed, she might rule a kingdom alongside a man who actually valued her intellect. Cassian had just given her the power to choose her own fate.

Aurelia stopped walking. She stood in the empty corridor and looked out a tall glass window toward the dark, sprawling tree line of the forest. The escape plan she had relied on for survival suddenly felt like a terrible mistake. The seeds of doubt took root in her mind, and she wondered if running away was truly her only path to freedom.