374 Sean’s Confession
A deep silence settled in the king’s office as they took in Sean’s revelations. The moon goddess had made the decision to keep Katie out of their lives solely to protect her from someone else she was using in the royal family.
‘That’s so messed up. What’s she thinking?’ the king’s thoughts raged in a storm of turmoil. He was slowly losing his sense of what was right and wrong in all this. Partly because he was dealing with a family member, so his emotions were heavily biased, though his logic wasn’t. Something still didn’t add up though.
Since the beginning of this conversation, he’d been hoping for an explanation that could clear his uncle’s name. A story that was believable... one that could explain why he did everything he did and still prove him innocent.
Of course, now that he’d heard what the prince had to say, he wasn’t so sure innocent is what he could call him. He’d already caused the death of many by following the orders given to him by the goddess. Come to think of it, staying quiet would have been a better option for him, “Why tell us all of this?”
Sean, being ahead of all of them and with a clear mind, knew what this question meant below the surface. He’d prepared to answer it since watching his mate get skewered and dosed with a painful amount of wolfsbane. His words were simple, “I’m done, Davin. I do remember saying it’s fine if I returned to the dungeon. Make your final judgement, but I’m done playing both sides.”
This did not need to be explained to them. While they didn’t know the whole story, it was clear that he’d been through a lot. Davin, personally knew how close the man was to his father. It couldn’t have been easy having to keep such secrets from the ones you cared about the most.
“What of Bree? You used her to escape and put her life in even more danger. I can’t let something like that go,” the king responded, “Many wolves were injured by the smoke she used.”
“I take full responsibility for the girl’s actions. Manipulating her was wrong and I will accept any form of punishment you have to give,” before the king could ask any further questions on the matter, he continued, “As for the woman, the Rogue King ordered her to free the beta alpha.
Bree and I were meant to be a distraction and the girl was to return to her normal life when all this was over while I returned to the dungeon. That was how it was supposed to go, but Amanda just had to ruin it,” Sean sighed, “How is she doing?”
.....
“She’s stable for now.” Davin paused. This reminded him of something he’d been meaning to ask the man, “Can I see it?”
Lifting his hand to his left shoulder, the prince moved his shirt out of the way to reveal the bite mark with a howling wolf silhouette placed at the centre of the concentric rows of teeth.
The room had already been silent, but there seemed to be a ripple of shock going through it when they saw the mark on his shoulder. King Davin took a seat at his desk and placed his head back in his hands and groaned unceremoniously, “Since when did my life become this complicated? None one should dare answer that... Katie brought a dose of her own chaos already. Who would have thought there was something already brewing within the palace? Long before she was even born.”
“You remind me so much of your father, you know. He always wanted to believe there was good in everyone and ended up trusting me more than he should have. I was always looking for a way to leave this palace and have a thrilling adventure... and yet when I returned, he acted like I hadn’t gone a single day. I never understood it... and I still don’t,” he responded kindly, finally looking the man in the eye.
Davin’s mind shot back to the girl he was taking a shot for. Bree had broken him out of the dungeon and the man was taking all the blame... ‘How are you any different from me?’ he mentally screamed but chose to keep this to himself. Instead, he asked, “Do you still think of me as a weak king?”
“Yes... very much,” he chuckled, “But there is strength in that weakness. A rare strength that inspires so much more. A strength that I will never have.” The king of Sirius was a lenient benevolent ruler who almost never gave severe punishments, but at the same time, he was respected by the whole empire.
No one defied him and there was peace among the werewolves. The empire prospered under his rule, inspired by his positive flashy and kind character. It wasn’t so different compared to the rulers of Sirius before him. It was a trait they shared. Many times, Sean felt he wasn’t the same as all of them. He understood that this world was cruel and unforgiving. There was no room for leniency.
Why then had he given up the throne and allowed his brother to take it? The answer stared at him every single day he was at the palace. While the world was cruel and unjust, everyone dreamt of a world that was anything but that. A world where kindness, peace and prosperity flourished. In a world like that, Sean would be out of place as its king. The only people that could sustain such a world... were people like Davin.
“You might have it already, but simply fail to see it. I hope you find, one day, that you were right where you belonged the whole time,” the king replied. The man before him leaned back into his seat storing the king’s words deep into his mind.
‘We’ll see about that, your majesty,’ Sean thought to himself. “I’m done helping the goddess. I hope she can forgive me for walking out on her.”
“Why would you...”
“It’s been far too long, dear nephew and I’m honestly tired. Do whatever you have to. I will stand by your decision no matter what it is,” Sean responded, while he did, he actually started to look tired, letting go of whatever tension had been keeping him active.
'
“What if my decision happens to be your execution?”
“That is unlikely, but I hope it doesn’t come to that honestly,” the man chuckled.
“I thought he was going to say something cool like, ‘so be it,'” Lina interrupted. It was the first time anyone other than the two had spoken up.
“Life is of so much value, Lina. I don’t think I have to tell you that though. Who would have thought the girl who’d been called so weak would stand out this much in the end?” Sean exclaimed.
“In what end, grandfather? I’m still sixteen and have to go to school. Nothing... well, for me, nothing is changing,” the girl suddenly turned sullen.
“Yes, you are only sixteen. So young and so strong. You should challenge your brother for the throne,” the prince spoke up.
The room gasped at the utterance, “That’s no joke, Sean,” the king snapped, standing from his seat.
Barely shaken by the outburst, Sean spoke up, keeping his same tone, “Don’t mind me, nephew. My words don’t usually have to make sense.”