After the healer left with instructions to keep the unconscious Queen warm at all times, the Grand Princess decided to seek an Elder's counsel by midday, taking Giselle's brown-haired handmaiden with her and leaving Giselle's care in the hands of her own lady-in-waiting.
"Just one Elder? Wouldn't it be better to speak to all the Elders about this?" The girl, Lysara, asked as they hurried through the corridors and down the stairs to the South wing of the palace.
As autumn drew to a close, the palace was partly empty. Most nobles had returned back to their homes for the upcoming winter and the majority that remained were staff or those granted asylum by the King. The South wing housed the Elders, it was smaller than other parts of the palace but mostly because there were very few Elders sworn to advise the Royal household that were living there.
"It would be best to speak to one Elder who the King values his words the most. He would be less likely to listen if they all hound him. It's a very delicate issue."
Elder Theon was a bent, old alpha with a round jolly face and a welcoming smile. Leandra could recall the days when the sweet old man would tell stories to all the pups in the grand Hall down at the common square with a fire crackling in the hearth. Fabio and Leandra were sometimes allowed to attend if their father, the then King, was in a good mood. If he wasn't then they would be forced to remain in their rooms while the other pups sang songs and listened to tales by the fire. Fabio would be especially bitter about it; the winter storm was even colder in the nether months and their father didn't want to take the risk of them getting caught up in the storm, so he banned them from setting foot outside the palace during that period, even if it meant missing Elder Theon's lovely stories.
Leandra sighed. Those were simpler times. Fabio never quite changed in his disposition. In some ways, he remained the same; irrational, rash and oh, so stubborn but it was even worse than his past childish antics. Back then, the most trouble they had gotten into was from trying to sneak out the palace during a raging blizzard. Now, the young King was actively trying to kill his own mate.
"Grand Princess Leandra! What brings you to these lonely halls?"
A wrinkled older woman smiled at the pair, waving her walking stick.
Leandra chuckled.
"Elder Moria. I see you are still kicking just fine. How's your health been lately, much better I hope?"
"Eh, it would take more than a pesky flu to bring me down. And it's not even winter yet so I feel tough as nails." She grunted.
"I'm glad to hear that. We're here to see Elder Theon. Is he–"
"–in the library? Always. One must wonder if the poor old man eats books for breakfast, lunch and dinner!" her sharp eyes darted to Lysara and her brows shot up in a look Leandra recognized. Oh, dear. "And who is this doe-eyed beauty?"
Lysara blinked, "Uh, Lysara, madam Elder ma'am."
"Oh, none of that poppycock nonsense title bullshit!" Leandra nearly choked on a cough. "Call me Moria. You have an aura I have not seen in a long, long time—very interesting indeed. Come see me tomorrow, would you? We may have a lot to discuss."
Lysara tried but failed to hide her excited smile. She bowed respectfully at the older woman.
Moria waved them off and the pair continued their way. The circular room was the general parlor and it was the only place in the South wing that showed any signs of activity. Four Elders played a game of cards and haggled loudly at one another. Leandra waved at them in greeting but they paid them no mind, too wrapped up in their game.
The library was at the far right end of the wing; it wasn't larger than the general palace library by any means but it was still very grand with tons of books.
Elder Theon was seated at the edge of the room, his nose buried in a stack of dogeared documents. At the sound of footsteps, he looked up.
"Ah! Lea, to what do I owe this pleasure?" he said, a smile brightening up his face. He sniffed the air and his smile disappeared just as quickly. "You smell sour. Trouble with Javier?"
Leandra sighed, her headache returning suddenly.
"Unfortunately, no. It would have been much simpler if it were."
"Is the problem that serious then? Well have a seat," He patted the chair beside him, "Has it got to do with Fabio?"
She nodded, sliding into the cushioned chair and gesturing to Lysara to do the same.
"Yes. This here is Giselle's lady. I'm afraid we need your advice on a very delicate matter. However, it mustn't leave the confines of this room until we have resolved it. It concerns Fabio and Giselle's marriage."
Theon nodded somberly, closing his book.
"I'm sure you must have heard the nasty rumors about Fabio's infidelity."
"Yes. I unfortunately saw this coming."
"It is deliberate. Fabio has no affection for his mistress, he is merely using it try to force Giselle to leave on her own terms."
The old man's eyes grew comically large and he shut the open book on the table.
"They haven't bonded, have they? She doesn't bear his mark?"
"No. That is why she suffers. At this very moment, Giselle is unconscious. She has had fainting spells and intense pain from his infidelity. I've already confronted Fabio but he outrightly refused to stop, at the time I didn't know of his plans but I had suspected."
Lysara quipped, "The healer says if he doesn't stop, she might die. We thought we'd come to you for help, sir. Maybe the King may be more sensible if an Elder talks to him."
Elder Theon exhaled deeply, resting his chin on his palm. Leandra knew the alpha enough to feel his disappointment. Fabio was the closest the man had to a son. Their irate father and former King did very little to raise them but Theon was warm where their father was cold, kind where he was hateful. Leandra and Theon were possibly the only ones in the entire kingdom that knew who Fabio really was. His reputation as the Black Wolf of the West Kingdoms was already baleful at best but if word were to get out about this vicious acts against his own fated mate, their people and perhaps, even their nearby allies, could start to murmur against the crown.
"It is a good thing you came here first before assembling all the Elders. To cheat against your mated soulmate is frowned upon but if they bear your mark, there is no pain because the bond is shared and reciprocated equally. But to cheat against your unmated soulmate–"
Theon exhaled again, rubbing his tired eyes like he couldn't believe this was the young pup he once knew.
"I am amazed the Moon herself hasn't struck him down. That is a serious crime, punishable by death in ancient times. Even Montegnera could suffer the vengeance of our goddess. He deceived the Guild, he told us that he would mate her regardless if she was the Vanderbilt daughter he expected or not. But he lied to us. If I had known–"
"Don't blame yourself, Theon. He may be my brother, but he is a stubborn prat when he wants to be. He probably thought his plan was foolproof."
"He is nearly 26 summers, don't cuddle him. No matter the infamy he has achieved as King, he has shown that he is still very naive. If the Guild finds fault with this which I am certain they would, they could push for you to act as Regent and force him to step down."
"And I want none of that, Theon, that's why I came to you first." Leandra said, shaking her head. "Talk to him, please. I'm sure he will listen to you."
Theon looked like he might say no, after all, the young King had rebuffed his advice and did whatever he wanted in the past true to his independent and stubborn nature and regardless of the consequences. (Theon could only hope that his wife was just as stubborn as he was else he feared she may not survive such a wolf.) He ultimately said yes, even though he had his doubts if Fabio would take anyone's advice at this point.
"Do you think the King would listen?" Lysara asked the princess as they left the South Wing.
"We can only hope. Fabio is like a mule when his mind gets fixed on something or someone. Even his own wolf battles with him everyday."
"Did you know that Giselle was not the Vanderbilt daughter he was promised to?" Lysara asked, her voice barely a whisper just in case any never-do-wells were lurking nearby, eager for fresh gossip.
"I had a feeling." The princess simply said.
"Poor Giselle. She must've been so lonely and scared. I can't imagine going through what she did, sacrificing it all for her sister only to get wrapped up in this…mess."
"Neither can I."
***
Fabio was swamped with meetings for the entire day—again. After some talks with the Terran ambassador (they needed emergency imports due to a rising shortage of crops), a brief meeting with county heads and an impromptu inauguration of a school in one of the lower towns which was supposed to be on Leandra's schedule but her lady said she was in some meeting or something; Fabio was back to desk work. There were documents to sign and policies to review. A King's work was by no means easy. When he inherited the throne upon his father's death, he wished he had been more prepared for what was to come. He had no shortage of tutors but learning was one thing and practice was another.
Montegnera was a relatively peaceful kingdom with quiet neighbors. Although a horrible father, Fernand Castille was a capable ruler who extended the peaceful era of the Castille dynasty with an iron fist and clever tactics. Fabio may despise his father, but he wished to make a name for himself that would be remembered for generations.
He was lounging on his chair, poring over a confusing set of papers when Dorian bolted in. He was the only one he'd given leniency on his use of the door but Dorian had a habit of barging especially during work hours. His mop of blonde hair was tussled as though he had rode here on his horse at a high speed.
"Fabio, we have a situation."
He had just enough time to grab his cloak and sword from a stool before following the knight out the study.
Outside the palace grounds, Dorian's horse was ready but his was still being led by a stable hand. It was a magnificent white horse with a gilded saddle. The two rode out of the palace gates, tearing through the streets of the main town.
"Where is this situation?" Fabio yelled.
"Just near the northern border."
The main town gave way to lower towns, then dense woods, then sleepy villages by the valley. The northern borders were shared with Ravathorne, home of the vampires and, like other borders shared with kingdoms, it was guarded by sentries and patrolled day and night to ensure that no stragglers ventured in. Wolves were very particular about territory thus to enter a wolf's territory without permission was certain death. Gone were the days of pack or community living when packs formed small villages and defended their small borders but deep down they still shared the same instincts long after the first king conquered wolf territories and called it Montegnera.
Dorian's horse trotted to a stop at the edge of the border and he jumped down, following a broken path of leaves. Fabio did the same, his hand on his sword belt. It looked like something Dorian did himself; scatter together a bunch of leaves to make a path that led to something he didn't want to forget.
"I came here to speak to the sentry assigned to this part of the border. He claimed that there has been strange movements along the opposite side of the border, sometimes accompanying noises too. He had thoroughly combed through the area but found nothing. So I ventured out here myself to see if I could find anything." Dorian said, glancing back every so often.
"What is it?"
He didn't reply but came to a stop where the leaves piled up the highest. There he unsheathed his sword and used it as a makeshift shovel, moving away the piles of leaves until the shape of a body was revealed.
Then the stench hit him.
It was like a rotting corpse with pale, bluish skin and a bloodied neck. There were no flies, just a cold, dead body on the forest floor.
"It's not a Wolf, is it?" Fabio said, covering his nose.
Dorian shook his head, pointing at two small bloodied holes at the base of the corpse's neck.
"It appears to be a vampire, recently turned from the looks of it. It has fangs of its own, but they are barely formed."
"What is one of Ravathorne's doing on our side of the border?," Fabio growled.
"It probably wandered here."
"Unseen? That's impossible."
"But it happened. The real question should be why was it recently turned. I'm not sure if it was deliberate, maybe it was a Terran loyalist."
"Hmm."
Fabio summoned the sentry and instructed him to bury the body.
"Has this happened before? Did you see any newly turned vampire wandering near the borders?"
"None, sire." The sentry bowed.
As they rode back to the palace, Fabio thought about the rotting body and was just grateful it wasn't Genevieve's. Nonetheless, he still had to speak to his good friend Lucien when he visited in a week.
"Tell no one about this until we find out what really happened." he instructed Dorian.
Fabio retired to his study, eager to finish his desk work for the day then perhaps do some sword practice before bed.
A knock on the door interrupted his attention.
A guard peeked in.
"Apologies, my King, Elder Theon wishes to see you."
Fabio put aside the documents he was reading.
"Let him in."
Seeing the old man brought him a sort of relief. He was like an unshakable tree throughout his childhood and Fabio held the older alpha's counsel very dearly. It hadn't been too long since he had spoken to the Guild of Elders about his marriage with Giselle but it felt like ages ago. The Elder was without his usual cane but walking steadily.
"Fabio. It has been a while."
He rose to shake Theon's hand, grasping it firmly in his.
"What brings you to my study, Elder? Is it a serious matter?"
"Very serious indeed, young King." Theon replied. His face was severe, almost frighteningly so. Fabio knew that whatever it was disturbed the Elder very much.
"Have a seat then."
"I would prefer to stand, thank you." Fabio raised a brow, piling his paperwork in one area so he could lean on the desk. The Elder shook his head, observing him through sharp brown eyes. "Fabio, it has come to my knowledge that you are yet to make your bond with your soulmate permanent, is that correct?"
"Is that what this meeting is about? Giselle?" His bright mood was gone at the mention of her, leaving only bitterness in its wake.
Theon shook his head again. "This is not just about her Fabio, it is about the very future of this kingdom. The rumors are not going away anytime soon; not only are you yet to mark your Queen but you are currently bedding another omega, causing her great pain. I am not blind to your plans, Fabio. You plan to chase her away and replace her with her sister."
Fabio growled, pacing the room.
"If you knew of my plans, then why did you come? To force me to accept her against my will."
"I came to warn you, Fabio. You are putting your soulmate through one of the worst pains a wolf could feel, one that could even kill her. Surely you can feel her pain through the bond you share."
"And I already told you, I will never accept her as mine!"
"You know the gravity of your sins, it may be a foolproof plan to you but your actions may bring a curse on this kingdom, boy, maybe something even worse than that. If you continue torturing Giselle willfully, I will expose this truth to the Elders. This act amounts to incompetence, Fabio, and you know very well what happens to incompetent kings."