Chapter 328

328 Throne Room

Sandra was set on getting the girl’s hair done and Aunt Marie worked on her make-up. Knowing Katie, the woman did her best to keep it simple. Searching her mind for a random topic to talk about, she began, “One day, you’re going to be challenged for Cole. I’ve seen quite a several unmated females that stare at you and him with envy.”

“That will not be happening. I believe Bella is behaving these days,” the girl replied.

“Oh, is that the competition you’d scouted?” Sandra pitched in mischievously.

“No, she is no competition. She was just someone that seemed interested in him. I’m much better looking than her and obviously stronger,” the girl raised her nose high with pride.

The two women chuckled, “Katie, how do you want me to do this?” Sandra asked when she was done combing her dark locks.

The girl looked at herself in the mirror. Her dark hair fell upon her shoulders in beautiful waves. It had always been that way, but the girl didn’t take the time to notice. She was far too interested in training to mind her looks.

Her time being powerless had allowed her to notice a few things about herself, “I know I normally don’t care about it, but I’d like it to stay the way it is.”

“You sure... I could make you look much better you know. Boys, especially werewolf boys, like to see your neck a little more exposed,” Aunt Marie said a little absentminded.

“Well, I’m not looking for a look that will appease werewolf boys much less, distract Cole from the ceremony. When I think about it, this is also the look Cole fell for back then,” she replied. The two women gasped, but remained quiet.

.....

“What is it?” Katie looked between her adoptive mother before her and the girl in the mirror.

“No, it’s probably nothing. Katie, are you feeling well?” Sandra asked, feeling the girl’s forehead.

Aunt Marie did the same, “I think I know what you mean, Sandra. She’s really burning up.”

“Not funny, both of you,” Katie groaned.

Sandra chuckled, “It’s not normal for anyone to hear you talk about your emotions so casually.”

Sandra wasn’t wrong. The observation brought an air of silence to the room. Back then, Katie could barely express her emotions in front of people. She’d learnt how to suppress them to a frightening degree and had even slowly started to forget how to interpret them. If it hadn’t been for Ashley...

“How quickly times change!” Katie muttered.

..............

Cole sat impatiently in the seat that had been set for him in the front row of the throne room. His suit was starting to feel stuffy even though he’d never thought of it that way. The tension in the air was suffocating. It was like someone wanted to bring an end to him through his clothes. Maybe it was just the nerves finally catching up to him, ‘Ha, nerves...’ he mentally scoffed, then shuddered, unsure of what else it could have been.

His eyes darted to the pristine thrones that overlooked the whole throne room raised higher than everything else. Before these majestic thrones was a large stage that had been decorated with fine red carpets. Tapestries depicting moments of the past hung on all walls. However, behind the thrones were portraits of the former king and queen.

These were changed every time a new king took over control of the empire. Just like his father before him, the tapestries that hung at the back of the throne room were to be changed. This ceremony though, would only occur once it was official that he’d found his Luna. In other words, on their wedding... ‘I wonder how long that is...’ shaking the thoughts from his mind, he allowed his thoughts to wander once more.

Hunters had taken different points of the palace to protect them from any attacks and the throne room was starting to fill up with wolves that had been invited to attend the ceremony. Many of them were from noble families with close relations to the royal families and families that could be traced back to times during the war against humans.

Caden walked up to his alpha, “There hasn’t been a sign of any of the criminals since the start of the ceremony.”

“Stay vigilant, Caden. We can’t know what they plan to do at all. Honestly, with how quiet they have been this whole week, I can’t help, but feel uneasy,” Cole responded with a slight shiver. ‘Is the air in here getting colder or something?’ The beta alpha bowed and left the royal to his thoughts.

Jason approached him from behind, facing the throne he was set to inherit by the end of the day, “It’s been a long time since I’ve entered this room,” the man said, startling the king.

“Oh yeah, after my father fell sick, he wouldn’t use this place anymore, but then again, the kings of the past stopped using the throne room for a lot. It was soon reserved for hearings and ceremonies like this,” Cole sighed.

“I’ve heard stories about this place, but most of them are so old that they are told differently by every elder that tries,” Jason chuckled. His mind seemed to be exploring the history of their kingdom now that he’d laid his eyes on the thrones.

“Yeah... there is one that will never change though. This was the place where the kings declared the end of their war against the human race and it was probably the beginning of the war against the rogue king,” Cole answered, “When my father finally started talking to me, he would tell me stories of the old kings in the way his father told him. The sudden transformation was like night and day.”

'

“King Trevor was a benevolent ruler. You have some big shoes to fill,” Jason snickered.

“I know that more than anyone,” Cole sighed, “How long is she going to take?”

“Who? Do you mean Katie?”

“No, I mean the queen. She’s the one to initiate the ceremony in my father’s place. Don’t tell me she’s got the jitters,” Cole complained. ‘Or is that what I’m afraid of? It’s not normal for the Luna to be the one to conduct this ceremony?’

“I’ll go and check up on her.”

“Please do.” The throne room was nearly full with everyone that had been invited.

Cole sat in silence, his mind wandering into the pack link and reporting the general emotion of excitement and happiness that filled the wolves of the Lycaon pack. Some of them were more anxious than excited while very few exuded envy and disappointment, ‘I guess we can’t be rid of those,’ the king sighed.

Just then, a new presence announced itself to him.

“It’s been a while, Cole Lycaon,” a deep voice called on Cole’s attention. The young king quickly got to his feet and acknowledged the new arrivals. The entire Sirius family stood before him, dressed to the nines and looking far too elegant. Their presence brought him the peace he never thought he was missing.

King Davin and Queen Martha stood before him with the queen’s arm looped around that of her husband affectionately. Her dress was an exceptional gorgeous white that matched the king’s flashy white. ‘That suit has no creases. I’m sure of it,’ Cole thought to himself, covertly straining his eyes in search of one. The king had outdone himself.

Standing behind them was Lina Sirius, dressed in green and her older brother, Drake Sirius. The princess was looking beautiful as well and for only a flicker of a moment, Cole thought he saw an unusual resemblance to his mate flicker within the girl’s blue orbs. Or maybe he’d just imagined it.

Drake Sirius, on the other hand, was in a navy blue suit, fitted perfectly that it turned him into a portrait of a model. Nonetheless, he was able to ruin that marvellous illusion with his calculating eyes that darted about the entire throne room in search of something he wasn’t bound to find.

“It has been a while indeed,” he replied with a slight bow and a signal to their seats at the front beside him.

“Where is my sister?” Lina asked all of a sudden.

“She’s getting ready,” the man replied.

“I thought you’d normally help her do that. I remember a certain time when she couldn’t walk,” Queen Martha stifled with a laugh.

“I’d be better off if she could heal up already. I like taking care of her, but it’s scary as well,” the king sighed. This, however, aroused worries within the Sirius royal family. They had only heard about her condition. Cole’s mood now confirmed their need to worry.