One of the servants poured wine into the glasses on the table, and Lucas said, "I do hope you're all satiated. Feel free to request for more if not, after all, business cannot be conducted on an empty stomach."
"That will not be necessary, lord," Charlie answered, effectively killing her brother's efforts to do just that: request for more.
Alan addressed his host. "You have our thanks for this meal, but I believe we have waited long enough. Let us proceed."
"Very well." Lucas took a sip and set his glass down. He looked at the werewolves and said, "I have invited you here because I am the reason behind the drastic fall in your strength and wish to alleviate your efforts in regaining it."
Ethan asked, "And we are to assume that there are no strings attached to this assistance?"
Lucas smiled and replied, "Why, I have the oath of allegiance of the Alpha! What other strings do I need to weave?"
He beckoned with his hand and the table was cleared, then he continued, "I have no quarrel with the Silvermoons, not anymore. In fact we could be said to be friends..."
"We aren't friends," Alan rejected. "More like unwilling pawns in a vampire's game."
"Alan, you wound me," Lucas complained, feigning hurt. "You are not pawns on a chessboard but rather vital cogs in a very intricate machine of my devising. In any case, I would prefer the term allies."
Nicole spoke, "I believe you have been drawn away from the matter at hand, my lord."
"Indeed I have," the prince replied, taking yet another sip. "My apologies, it is Alan's interruption that did so."
Placing both hands on the table he said, the first hint of seriousness finally appearing on his face, "I have found a way for you to rapidly increase the number of your wolves without coercing the humans."
Liam asked, "And where is it?"
Lucas groaned. "I understand why you brought the boy here, but ensure he doesn't speak a word."
This time, the young werewolf had done nothing wrong.... except for interrupting Lucas, which annoyed him immensely.
"Alpha Werewolves are capable of turning humans with their bite, with the mortality rate getting drastic if those turned are past the age of thirty. Even then, you can only have fifty male wolves in the Pack at any point in time. Correct?"
Ethan nodded. "Yes. What's your point?"
"Patience, dear boy. What I'm offering is a way to bypass the limit of men you have in your Pack. You must have heard of the Omega Moonstone."
All movement ceased instantly and all eyes were on Lucas.
"You... you have the Moonstone?" Nicole asked, shock evident in her voice.
Lucas' next word doused their expectations.
"No."
He watched in satisfaction as they deflated, but Charlie, Lucas noted, made no reaction whatsoever. She was an interesting one."
"However, I have a way to find it, and once I have, I will send for you. You see, mere possession of that necklace isn't enough for supremacy over the other werewolf Packs, but it gives you an edge. I have a plan on how to maximize your use of it, so be prepared."
"Prepared for what?" Alan asked.
Lucas replied in a grave tone that still gave away his anticipation, "War."
He rose and showed them out personally.
"How confident are you in this being successful?" Charlie asked him. "Nigh absolute," he replied, proceeding to call Liam.
"Yes, lord?" Liam said, stopping. Lucas waited till everyone had left the Hall, where they now were, and asked, "Do you know why I treated you like I did earlier?"
Liam shook his head. "No."
"You are a willful boy, and it is a good quality for a future Alpha," Lucas said. "But just as important is the ability to read the room. Your father, powerful as he is, cannot disrespect me because I am capable of wiping out your entire Pack come sunrise. Even if he doesn't like me much, decorum saves him. I want you to work on that flaw, and when you have, come to me. I intend to teach you something."
Lucas dismissed the young man and took the left staircase, headed to his room.
He sifted through Mikael's journal and hoped that the young witch would come round and accept his offer.
...
Earlier that evening...
"Simple. I buried the bones."
Riley couldn't believe what he said. "You what?"
"I buried the bones of the ten Elders my brothers killed during their attempt to take Nikolas' life," Lucas said. "And as such, I know where they are."
"Where are they?" Riley asked, and the prince grinned. "In the city, of course. Where else could they be?"
"That's impossible," she denied. "We all cast locator spells and came up with nothing!"
"I made sure of that," Lucas replied. "I cannot use magic, but I know enough about it to be able to hide something from a flimsy locator spell. If you decide to help me, I will take you to the graves and let you consecrate them. There's ten of them, and one of you. That's a lot of power, if you ask me. You could become the sole head of your coven."
Riley looked him in the eye, then remembered something and averted her gaze.
"What makes you think I want that?" she asked him.
"You want to be an Elder. That's desire for power, and I'm giving you the chance to have more of it. There's something coming in the future, and if you are to live through it, you're going to need power. A lot of it."
"And in this war, who's up against who?" Riley asked.
"The Asgeirsson brothers against the whole of Argent," Lucas replied with a smile.
Riley made no response.
Lucas got up. "Take your time to consider my proposal. If you decide you wish to join me and my brothers in this reconquest, you know where to find me.
He walked out, and Riley just sat there, holding her head in her hands.
Now...
Lucas closed the journal and tossed it onto the desk beside his bed, then his gaze landed on a portrait on the wall beyond.
In the painting were four young men dressed in black royal attire, the picture of mirth and authority. They were in the Throne Room of the Silver Palace.
Ariel had a carefree smile as he looked out, while Mikael seemed only slightly absentminded, gazing somewhere else.
Lucas smiled softly, remembering that day. His brother had been captivated by one of the young noblewomen who had passed by.
He himself, in the painting, had a look of contentment, his right hand on the shoulder of the only one of the brothers who wasn't standing.
Nikolas had taken his seat on the Winter Throne, and his brothers all stood on either side. His blue eyes seemed to look right back into Lucas' own, and he shivered, looking away from the painting.
He turned off the light. Even he needed rest.
Winchester Manor, New Ashton City
"You came back in one piece! Miracles do exist," Alexandra exclaimed as she came downstairs into the lounge.
The younger Asgeirsson siblings had just got in and were about to go upstairs themselves when she arrived.
"What happened?" she inquired.
"We will inform you of tonight's life-threatening proceedings in the morning," Ariel said. "Right now each of us is in dire need of sleep."
His figure blurred up the staircase immediately after, perfectly signalling his desire not to continue.
Alexandra turned to Mikael, who said, "My brother's right. It's been a long day for all of us. I'll be going up. Rest." He climbed the stairs and left her alone in the lounge.
She sighed. "Seriously?"
It seemed her concern for their wellbeing was unwelcome.
Her heightened hearing picked out the sound of footsteps, and she turned around as Amy walked in.
"Miss Rivergate! I thought I heard other voices in here," she said.
"The princes just arrived. They've gone upstairs," Alexandra replied.
"Alright. I will be getting to bed myself, then," Amy said. "Sleep well, madam." She turned to leave.
"Wait!" Alexandra's figure appeared in front of her, blocking her. "Can you... stay with me a while? Please? I need someone to talk to, and Lady Valeria is already in bed."
Amy hesitated for a moment, then she said, "Of course. I will."
"Oh, thank you," Alexandra heaved a sigh of relief, and the two women sat down.
"So, Miss Rivergate, what is it you want off your chest?" Amy asked, making herself comfortable.
Alexandra replied with a question of her own, fiddling with her fingers, "How well do you know the brothers?"
"You may need to be more specific, madam."
"I mean all of them, all four of them," Alexandra iterated.
Amy thought for a bit. "Personally I don't know much about them, but I do know that the Princes Mikael and Lucas are the reason I'm alive."
Alexandra persisted, "Surely you know or heard of something, right? Stories about them passed down your family, tales from friends, anything?"
"Miss Rivergate, why do you ask me? Why not inquire from the princes themselves?" Amy asked, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Alexandra hurriedly replied, "They won't tell me anything! We're supposed to be a team, but they keep hiding themselves from me. How am I supposed to help if I don't know who I'm helping?"
"Perhaps they do that to protect you," Amy suggested.
"I don't want to be the damsel in distress all the time! I feel useless whenever those two are in discussion, and Nik made me feel small in the brief moment we met..."
"You met him?" Amy interrupted, and Alexandra saw fright written all over the older woman's face.
"Yes," she replied, "he's the one who turned me."
Amy's demeanor instantly changed. She leaned forward and said, her tone grave, "I wanted to tell you this for the longest time, but I'll say it now. Go say your goodbyes to Lady Valeria and get out of New Ashton as fast as your vampire speed can take you, do you understand?"
"I don't understand," Alexandra said, puzzled by the change in tone.
"Do you have any idea how much danger you are in already by walking around with not one but two Asgeirssons? You know the history of this country, don't you? Four warlords came into Argent from France and annexed this nation in a single year. That's what the humans know. How about the Supernaturals? How many enemies do you think this family has? How many more do you think they'll make?"
Amy held Alexandra's hands in her own. The girl had already paled.
"Originally I was going to ask the Lady Valeria to get the brothers to let you stay, but if three of the brothers know you...." Amy paled herself.
"The Fallen Prince is never anywhere without the voice of reason close by." Her voice lost its energy as realization hit her.
Looking at Alexandra with a resigned expression, she laughed mirthlessly and said, "My child, you are way too deep into the web of the brothers that only death will release you. You will always be under the control of one or the other for centuries, even when you think you're free. Unless you leave now and never blow your cover."
Alexandra was scared beyond belief, and the next few words struggled to leave her lips.
"I...I promised myself I would get Nik back," she said, and Amy replied, "Then release yourself! Why bind yourself to an eternity of misery?"
Alexandra asked her, "Why are you so adamant on having me leave them? They have done nothing but protect me since I turned!"
"Because that is what they do!" Amy hissed, and she started sobbing. "They kill, they destroy, and they never show any remorse for it!"
Alexandra got up and sat beside her.
Amy continued to sob for a while, then she said, "I was ten years old, and my father was one of our coven's Elders. The King by then, Prince Lucas, was due to arrive in our city...
Shelby Town, Earldom of Blackwater, 1903
The townspeople ran around in preparation for the arrival of the King and the Crown Prince Nikolas in commemmoration of Unification Day, honoring the First King of Argent.
Almost everyone was excited to finally see the monarch and his successor in the flesh, and talk about it was rampant.
Almost everyone.
Among the witches of Shelby's coven, it was far from a celebratory period.
For they had been at odds with the Viscount MacArthur, a vassal of the Earl Blackwater and a member of his clan. Their actions had thus invoked the ire of the Royals, who were vampires like the aggrieved party.
They were certain that the true reason for the visit was to deal with the situation, and doubtless heads would roll.
Richard, Amy's father, was in the living room, and with him were the other nine Elders.
"He's going to kill you if he finds out it's you," one of the Elders said to Richard. "I suggest you hide till they leave."
"No," Richard said, " He will notice there's nine of you and kill you for the missing member. I'm not going anywhere."
The man had gotten into conflict with a vampire over boundaries. The vampire had strayed into witch territory, and Richard killed him in anger. How could he not, when his precious daughter was close by?
But in killing him, he violated the law that commanded him to address the matter to the lord of the vampires in the town, who in turn was bound to punish the offender according to his crime.
To add insult to injury, he refused to stand trial and pay for his sin.
And now, Nikolas himself approached the northern town and would be there within two days.
"Let's cast a protection spell within the meeting house we will receive him in, that way he won't be able to cross over to where we stand," another witch suggested.
"He will have to sit first, meaning he'll be able to hear us cast it," another said.
"Then we cast it and hold it beforehand," the witch countered.
Richard sighed. "We'll do that. Everyone, prepare for any unforeseen circumstances. We have only two days."
The Elders left, and Richard said, looking at one of the doors, "You can come out now, Amy."
His beautiful little daughter tentatively opened the door and came towards him slowly.
"Come here, sweetheart," he beckoned, and only then did she run to him.
"Daddy, are you in trouble?" she asked.
"Yes, darling," Richard replied. "Daddy did a little oopsie woopsie, but I'll be fine. Okay?"
Amy frowned. "If anyone tried to hurt you, I'm going to blast them with my magic like this!" she declared, thrusting her hand forward and making explosion sounds. Richard laughed.
"No doubt about it. Now go play."
The little girl ran off, and Roland hid his face in his hands.
....
Alexandra was so enthralled by the story, and Amy was so engrossed in telling it and reliving the experience that neither of them noticed another presence nearby.
Ariel sat somewhere two thirds up the stairs, listening. He had heard everything the two discussed earlier, and truth be told, he had come close to murdering her for slander, no matter how true it was, when Amy started to tell her story.
So he had simply sat down and paid attention.
The first Asgeirsson Sovereign sighed and said in a low voice, "I feel her pain."
Beside him, Mikael sat down and replied, "So do I, brother. So do I."
Together, the brothers listened to the rest of the story.
...
Only one day remained, and the Viscount had turned the town into quite a sight.
The vampires had even cut down on their feeding, gods be praised.
It was night, and Richard had just tucked Amy and her older sister Madison into bed.
His wife returned from next door just then, and she said to him as they met in the passage, "I met a charming young gentleman, he says he knows you."
"Is it?" Richard asked. "Did he say who he was?"
"Come to think of it, he did, but I don't remember," she replied. "But he's waiting for you outside as we speak."
Richard went to the door and opened it. Instantly, he wished he had never done it.
"From the look of terror on your face, I can safely assume you know who I am," the young man said, a smile forming on his lips.
"Don't be surprised much, I decided to come in advance. You are Richard, yes?"
Richard nodded, doing his best to shake off the horror.
But when Nikolas Asgeirsson stood at your doorstep, you were bound to feel irrepressible fear.
...
Amy started crying, and Alexandra embraced her.
"I heard them talking, so I got out of bed. I peeked through a crack in the door and saw the prince come in without being invited, and I saw him grab my father by the neck and tear his head off his shoulders.'
Alexandra said nothing, for nothing she said would alleviate Amy's pain.
"He heard my little scream, and he suddenly appeared at the door I hid behind, then opened it and bent down to face me.
...
Nik looked at the little girl and smiled.
"You must be his little daughter," he said. "Did you see what happened?"
She didn't move.
Nik frowned. "Your daddy broke the rules, and I came to punish him. He killed one of my men, so I killed him. And if you know what's good for you, you will do well not to go against an Asgeirsson or any under our banner. Okay?"
He looked into her eyes and compelled her, "Go to sleep. And dream well tonight and every other night after this one."
....
The sobbing intensified, and Alexandra repeated over and over, "I'm sorry," pulling Amy closer.
She saw something from the corner of her eye, and she turned to the stairs.
There was no one.