THE ALPHA KING'S BASTARD SON

🌒 THE AETHEL STONE

The boy looked terrifyingly small in the massive, opulent chamber, surrounded by hundreds of powerful, wealthy individual wolves who stared down at him with varying expressions of disdain, curiosity, and fear.

Danriv’s legs felt like lead, but he remembered what the Alpha King had told him in the courtyard. "Hold your head up. You are a son of the northern watch. You will speak for the dead."

Danriv trust the Alpha King. So he walked directly to the center of the room, stopping just a few feet from the white quartz pillar, directly across from Lady Gladice Atiena and her father.

"Elder Vance," Alpha King Darius said, addressing the head of the council.

"This is the boy named Danriv, of Sandoval Village. He is one of the survivor of the northern watchtower. Danriv, tell them what you saw," Darius ordered.

Danriv took a deep, shuddering breath. He pointed his small, trembling finger directly at Gladice.

"I saw her guard. The man who always stands behind her carriage. He had a silver coat with a moon and a dagger on it. He used a glowing blue crystal key to turn off the village protection wall. Then he let the enemies in."

A loud roar of outrage erupted from the noble galleries after Danriv said.

Lord Borin stepped forward, clenching his fist and his Alpha aura flaring in an attempt to intimidate the child.

"Lies! This is a conspiracy to defame my house! The boy has been coached by political enemies who wish to prevent our union!"

"Silence, Borin!" Elder Vance barked, his voice filled with the ancient authority of his position. The old wolf stood up, his white robes flowing around him.

"The child’s words are grave, but we do not judge by words alone. The Aethel-Stone does not lie. Lady Gladice, step forward."

Gladice looked at the massive quartz pillar. For a split second, her eyes darted toward the exit doors, but she knew that if she ran, the royal guards would cut her down before she reached the courtyard.

She looked at her father slowly, who gave her a subtle, and imperceptible nod. They had a plan. Even if the stone showed her key was used, they would claim only, that it was stolen by a rogue servant.

Not later, Gladice walked terrified in her deep within. Still, she manage to walked forward with elegant grace, stopping in front of the stone.

"Place your hand upon the stone, Lady Gladice. And call forth the memory of your blood-key." Elder Vance commanded.

Gladice raised her right hand, her fingers trembling slightly, and pressed her palm against the cold, white quartz.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a soft, ethereal blue light began to pulse from the center of the stone. The light grew brighter, filling the chamber with a serene, beautiful glow.

The nobles leaned forward, many of them sighing in relief. The blue light meant her royal signature was intact, it hadn't been corrupted or stolen.

"You see! Her signature is pure! The key was in her possession, untouched! The boy is a liar!" Lord Borin shouted triumphantly

"Wait," Danriv shouted, stepping closer to the dais, his voice filled with a desperate and conviction.

"That’s the light! That’s the exact same blue light that came out of the pillar last night when the man touched it! He didn't steal it, she gave it to him!"

"Silence, brat!" Lord Borin roared, stepping toward Danriv with his hand raised as if to strike him.

In a flash of pure, supernatural speed, Alpha King Darius vanished from his throne and reappeared directly in front of Danriv. He caught Lord Borin’s wrist mid-air with a grip that shattered the older wolf's bracer.

The sound of breaking metal and bone echoed through the silent chamber.

"Touch him, Borin, and I will feed your heart to the rogues," Darius whispered, his voice was like a lethal promise. Then turned his gaze back to the Aethel-Stone.

"Look at the core of the stone " Elder Vance said.

The blue light was no longer serene. At the very center of the quartz, where Gladice's palm met the stone, a dark, oily blackness began to seep outward like poison in a clear well. The blackness crept through the veins of the crystal, swallowing the blue light until the entire pillar turned a horrific, void-like black.

The chamber fell into a terrifying, breathless silence. Because the black coloration meant only one thing, The bearer of the key had willingly used their blood-essence to command the deactivation of a pack boundary for the explicit purpose of harming their own kind. It was the ultimate magical proof of high treason.

Gladice ripped her hand away from the stone as if it had burned her, her face completely contorted with terror.

"No... no, it's a mistake! The stone is broken! Darius, please!"

"The stone is ancient, Gladice. It cannot be broken, and it cannot be bribed," Darius said, his voice cold as the grave.

He let go of Lord Borin's crushed wrist, letting the older alpha collapse to the floor in agony.

Darius stood at his full height, looking down at the woman who was supposed to be his queen.

"You sacrificed my people, children who looked up to the throne for protection, just to play your pathetic political games. You wanted a kingdom of ash, Gladice. Now, you will burn in it."

"Guards!" Darius’s voice boomed through the chamber, carrying the ultimate weight of the Lycan King.

"Arrest the entire House of Atiena. Strip them of their titles, their lands, and their wealth. They will be held in the subterranean dungeons until the full extent of their treason is uncovered. If any resist, execute them on the spot."

Dozens of royal warriors moved instantly, their swords drawing with a harsh, metallic hiss. Lord Borin and Gladice were surrounded within seconds, their hands bound in heavy silver chains that suppressed their wolf forms.

Gladice screamed, her elegant facade completely shattered as she was dragged out of the chamber, her eyes locked onto the King in a mixture of hatred and despair.

The noble gallery was silent, completely paralyzed by the swift, terrifying justice of their monarch.

Alpha King Darius didn't look at the crowd. He turned around, kneeling down once more in front of the ten-year-old boy who had changed the fate of the entire kingdom. He placed a heavy, reassuring hand on Danriv’s shoulder.

"You did well, Danriv," Darius said, his amber eyes filled with a deep, profound respect.

"Your parents would be proud. You have saved countless lives today"

Danriv looked up at the King, a few lone tears finally escaping his eyes, but this time, they weren't tears of fear. They were tears of relief. The monsters had been brought to justice, and he was no longer alone.

"What will happen to me now, Your Majesty?" Danriv asked quietly.

Darius stood up, turning to face his High Council.

"From this day forward, Danriv of Sandoval Village is a ward of the crown. He will be raised in the royal palace. He will be trained by my finest warriors, and when he comes of age, he will take his place as the Commander of the Royal Vanguard."

He looked down at the boy with a rare, genuine smile.

"You have the heart of a true protector, young one. And this kingdom will always have a place for you." The Alha King told him.

As the council adjourned and the nobles quietly filed out of the room, Danriv walked beside the Alpha King, his small steps matching the giant strides of the monarch.

The grief of losing his family would never truly disappear, but as he looked out at the vast kingdom of Oakhaven under the moonlight, he knew he was finally safe. Even the kingdom is not yet secure.

Finally, he is on the right path, and revenge will be follow.