The next morning came too soon. I leaned against the clans old yet sturdy carriage as I waited for Martin. He planned on ridding with me to the kingdom which was a days travel from here.
Axel had already come and said his goodbyes, the usuals. Martin walked out of the house giving his mate a quick peck and saying his farewells. He grabbed the luggage from the porch and walked over.
I took the cases from him and placed them in the trunk of the carriage next to my bags. I shut the lid and got inside just as Martin started ushering the horses. This was going to be a long evening.
My eyes snapped open as I pinned Martin to the seat by his throat. I quickly jumped away and placed my hand on my rapidly beating heart.
"You know, as much as I'd love to be angry with you I can't help but be surprised. You're always alert, even when you're asleep." He coughed a bit still trying to catch his breath.
"It's not something I'm particularly proud of." I slid out of the dust riddled carriage and glanced at the mansion before me. "I can't believe we're already here."
"Come and help with your bags, I'm not your maid Asiyah." Martin laughed softly as I headed toward the back and grabbed my remaining suitcase.
A calming silence took over as we pressed up the stone stairs. I took a moment to look at my surroundings. The walls of the castle were a dark grey much like the stairs we had just climbed. A window above the doorway caught my eye, it was stained with various colors creating its own story within its artwork. Four guards stood at the entrance way each had a machete strapped to their waist. The tallest one looked over at us with a raised brow.
"What is your business with the royal family, or did the countless winding roads lead you astray?"
I kept quiet, knowing he was speaking to Martin. Most she wolves were only spoken to if they were of high ranking or of royal blood. And although I was a high rank this only took effect if I were in the royal court.
"We are here because the king has summoned my highest ranking clan member and I, am here to escort her."
The guard huffed. "Well you among many others are doing so. You must be here for the choosing ceremony. You may proceed." All of the guard parted way and we walked through the double doors.
The outside clearly did the castle no justice, as the inside was absolutely breathtaking. A giant chandelier hung in the middle of the room, various diamonds and crystals frozen mid drop. Twin staircases sloped down from either side and up above on the balcony, was a magnificent painting of a man. He wore a long red cape, and a large crown befitting a king sat upon his auburn brown hair. His face was set in a stern frown, and green eyes shrouded in thick dark lashes glared out coolly. I laughed internally at the irony. Of course, this had to be the king of wolves.
A maid came and ushered us to our respective rooms informing us that the guards posted outside the bedrooms would lead us to the choosing ceremony.
Apparently it wasn't just me that had been summoned, many other fighters and warriors from various clans had arrived to the palace. My brain was reeling at the thoughts of what this whole ceremony was about. Could they be preparing for war? Things have been tense with the increase of battles and pillaging on the eastern and northern boarders. With the Fae close to waging war against our people, it was sure to be a possibility.
Martin and I were guided down the halls by the appointed guards, reveling in the simplistic yet breathtaking decor. Although I carried my personal feelings close to my heart, the views here were incredible. It was as if everything were frozen in time, it all seemed ancient yet lavish at once. As we approach two large oak doors at the end of the hall, voices whispered within. The doors parted revealing at least 50 other warriors dressed in their typical leather attire.
My eyes darted over to the empty throne, the king still hadn't arrived. Good. And just as quickly, the doors opened once more, causing a thick silence to wash over the crowd. It was him, the king.
He strolled through confidently eyes fixated to his throne, his auburn brown hair ruffled ever so slightly, looking perfectly out of place. He adorned a black tunic, ankle banded trousers, and traditional leather boots. Behind him were two other men, assuming them to be none other than the kings two best guards.
First was Saul Benjamin, he had been taken in by the staff shortly after a battle in his home village. Apparently he showed much promise on the battlefield even at the ripe age of 12 years, fast forward 17 years and he's top of the guards. The best fighter in the entire kingdom.
Striding beside the two was none other than Warren Mills, there wasn't a lot of background history with Mills. It was as if one day he just appeared in the royal court as the second guard to the king. But regardless the man was a force to be reckoned with, honestly it's a spar I would love to entertain.
All the men filed up the throne stairs, the king leading the way. He sat in his throne as the waves of eyes traced his every movement with a mixture of curiosity and respect. His two guards positioned themselves to each of his sides, ready to attack if the moment were to call.
"I am King Zeke, ruler of Mystara, and leader of Werewolves. I have called upon you all to seek the best warrior among you. Details as to why will be revealed to the chosen warrior at the end of courses to secure the privacy of the matter. "
His deep rumble echoed throughout the throne room, in turn many wolves straightened their postures in hopes of catching the kings gaze.