Blood of the Silver Moon

I will be your Queen

"Elder Embrose, I will ask you to please sit down." I slowed my steps as I came to the table, the doors closing behind me and sending the room into silence. Everyone looked between themselves and then back at me, taking in my full attire.

"I can only assume if you are dressed like this you have chosen a mate?" Embrose said, mocking me as I walked to my father without looking at him. My father cleared his throat and I gave him a look that said 'trust me'. He kissed my hand, smiled and moved aside to let me have the head of the table. The table gasped, and I turned to them, looking down the table with nothing but cold, calculating distain. "Have you lost your mind? That is the seat of the Alpha King, not his little princess."

"I said, Sit!" My voice boomed, completely ignoring the comment. The walls rumbled, and echoed with my command. They all sat down at once, and glared at me simultaneously. I didn't follow them, I remained standing at the head of the table and gestured to the folders in front of him. "I have called this meeting to discuss my engagement, but not in the same way you are thinking, Embrose. Six months ago, I sat in the council meeting with all of you and was told that I would have to be married in order to rule my throne. That a woman couldn't be queen without a man at her side. Today I am here to tell you...that is not happening. Not now, not ever. If and when I marry, he will be, in name only, a mate, a consort, but never a king."

"How dare you, isolate child! You can not rule without a husband, that is the rules!" Embrose roared. I kept my composure and grabbed the remote to the projector I had set up. Clicking on my laptop screen, I found my presentation and walked in front of the screen.

"You say I can not rule, but it is not anywhere in our laws! I combed every law over the last five thousand years of our history, from the first werewolf to us now. I have spent three days and three nights only cracking the surface of how deep our history goes, but I do know that nowhere in these law states a woman can no rule. You say it is a hidden, unspoken rule, but it is not! It is a ridiculous tradition passed down by the men of this kingdom for the last five hundred years, and that ends today." I clicked onto another screen of a page from one of the history books. "Five hundred years ago, my ancestor, Henry the Fourth, married Luna Queen Maragret. The books in school say Henry the Fourth was the rightful king, but the truth is Queen Maragret gave Henry the throne, a simple baron with no real royal blood, was her true mate and was granted equality to his queen. She then stepped down and let him take full control in order to focus on baring him heirs. However, Henry had her killed after she gave birth to twins, Liora and Diago. If Henry had not killed his wife, claiming she died in childbirth, the true laws would have remained, laws written when the kingdoms were established over a thousand years ago. It wasn't gendered that determined heirs, it was birth order. Henry re-wrote history putting Diago first and instilling his belief that women shouldn't rule, males did. Over and over again, the men in my family re-wrote history claiming their males were born first. Even my grandfather did such a thing, putting my father Marcus over my aunt Lydia, who was born thirty seconds before him, though she wouldn't have been heir as she died at age one, putting Marcus as the true heir after her. We wonder why our kingdom was so weak until my father. It was because the true power remained in the true heir, not the false ones. When Lydia died, that power went to my father, and now it has passed to me. I am the rightful heir. If you go through our history, not only did we have several alpha queens, several strong queens who had only mates, only consorts, but never true kings. The same goes for elder council members. Lies have been fed to all of you that only men can be on the council, but that's not true. It was a way for Henry to cover his ass when he killed his wife. So this is what is going to happen." I walked back over to the table and stood tall, back straight, shoulders back and head level to the floor. "I am not going to marry anyone, unless I choose to. In six months, my father will have his wish granted, he will retire and I, as his only heir and of the bloodline of the moon goddess herself, will take my rightful place as your Alpha Queen. If any of you have a problem, you can look to the screen, which states the truth of what this council can and can not do." I turned to one more screen where the words 'The Elder Council will act as a guide, but will have no real authority outside their pack, and if they try to retaliate against the king or queen due to being challenged, that elder will lose his status.'

"This is outrageous! Marcus, will you allow your little b*tch to talk to us like that? We deserve some respect!" Embrose roared, and the whole table erupted into agreement with him, arguing that I was crazy and not fit to rule.

"I..." My father's voice boomed, shutting them all up. "Trust in my daughter, and she has given you solid proof with all of her information cited and reviewed by top scholars of our library."

"Respect is earned, Embrose, not given. You have one of two choices." I sat down slowly, folding my hands in front of me and smiled wickedly as they flipped over the pages of information looking for errors. Embrose starring daggers at me. "That was to all of you. Your choices are to accept what is happening, swear othe to me as your queen and swear on your bloodlines you will not come against me with your packs as it is against the law to do so, or my father will strip you of your title as an elder, and we will replace you. Before you make your choice, remember this...I have spent three days now gathering information...including all the things you have been doing to this pack. I have so much dirt on all of you, i will disgrace you and have you cast out as rogues. All of you. I have already vetted your replacements."

"I...how...Marucs!" Embrose looked to my father who put his hands up in defeat and looked back at me. I smiled at him and looked back at the table.

"I will take the othe." Tyson said softly, and as soon as he spoke, the rest of the group, ten of them, agreed. Only Embrose was left. I faced him head on.

'I can see the calculating look in your eyes Embrose. Remember this... I know what you and my cousin are planning, and it won't work. Embezzling from my family, poisoning my father, all of it. You have already begun trying to steal from us. I am already in the works of stopping that. But I alone hold your fate, elder or rogue. Make your choice." I spoke down the mind link to him, and he went ghost pale. He looked up in pure fear, and shook as I held my resolve. "Embrose?"

"Fine!" He growled, and I smirked inside, keeping my face passive. I turned tomy father and smiled sweetly.

"We will hold a ceremony where you will announce me as your heir and set my coronation day. On that day...all twelve of you will kneel at my feet and swear on hands and knees to serve and honor me as your alpha queen, as will your alphas. This meeting is adjourned." I stood, dismissing them. They all quickly rose up and scattered out of the room in muddled whispers and panic. I looked to my father, who beamed with pride. "What's that look for father?"

"I have never seen my girl so strong and powerful without even letting them know who you really are." My father came up beside me while I put my stuff together and put a hand on my shoulder. "I am proud of you."

"I am only doing what I have to do to protect you and my kingdom. Starting with a proper alliance. I will marry, but only to strengthen our alliance. I am setting my sights on the western Alpha King's son. An alliance that will strengthen our boarders and keep my husband and I separated. As far as Lukas knows, we are still engaged. I will set a date for my engagement party when I get conformation that his son will take me as his wife. It should be any day now. For now, I need to return and start my plan from the inside out. I want to ruin his pack."

"Amara, I am scared for you, for Lukas to hurt you. He is no good for you, and being there alone without your title and name. It's dangerous. Are you sure you have to do this?" My father asked, and I smiled at him, putting his hands in my own and turning to fully face him.

"I know what I am doing, father. Just promise me, you will not touch anything Henry gives you, or Rose, or anyone close to them. I can't explain what I know...but he is trying to kill you before you can make me heir. He will poison you with wolfsbane and silver so he can strike you down in a one on one battle. I love you, father, I can't handle it if you die on me. Not this time." I felt tears well, and he pulled me into a hug.

"I trust you, Amarissa. I trust your words." He held me at arms length and I let out a slow breath. "Just come back to me. Don't let him hurt you. Promise me."

"Never again," I promised to him, and walked out to get packed up and ready to go. When we got to the airport...my revenge began.