Chapter 9: THE LUNA'S GAMBIT
LOREN POV
“Make sure you extract as much information as possible from him…even if it means seducing him, this is your only chance of proving to me how worthy you are of being among my warriors,” I command Lyra; she has always wanted to be among the warriors since the banishment of Kael.
Love is a powerful tool to extract information for stubborn types like Ren, and that's what I'm left with now; Lyra had been Ren's mate for a long before Ren decided to go along with Kael; she wanted to follow him to exile but her father, the eldest elder in the council was strongly against it. Rumors had it that she wanted to join the warriors so she could be sneaking out to see him in the Woods.
“If you can get the Wolves clan Zara came from, I will make you my assistant Commander,” I promised her. Hopefully, my fake promise might fuel her zeal.
It's been days now and Ren has incessantly been refusing to give me the information I need about Zara, why would he be so protective about her, I know he barely knows her but, he must know where she came from, her clan, if I could get to the clan she came from, I could collide with the clan's commander to make her return, then, then finally destroying Kael.
She seems to be the only warrior behind Kael right now that's stopping me, able to destroy thousands with her mind.
“…..and also commander, I have re-enforced the wolf warriors in the borders to ensure the proper security of the kingdom; I have also sent men to…” Carlos reports to me of his deeds for the week as I have commanded him to.
He's been quite a faithful assistant commander, I hope he doesn't end up the same way those who are always faithful do ends, being betrayed and banished from the kingdom, I see that's the system the council of elders operates, and I would not be a victim, not when I would soon be the king, and then I would remove them all
While Carlos was still talking, Lyra bulged into the room panting, with eyes wide open.
Startled by her entrance, I stood up with my eyes locked onto hers, “What is it, Lyra, that demands such bulging into my chamber.” At first, she seemed unresponsive, heavily panting, but closely, I saw there was something off with the way she was acting, as if it was not real, as if it was an act.
“I said what is it, can't you talk?” I asked, my voice raised a little higher.
“He escaped,” she said in a low tone, gradually easing her fake panting.
“What??, that's not possible”, I knew I shouldn't have trusted her, I deeply injured Ren, so there was no way he could have possibly escaped without someone aiding him,
“Carlos, excuse us please”, I commanded
I had to let Carlos leave so I could extract the truth from her; I knew she was up to something; I was hoping she could get me the answers I needed, but it had never occurred to me that she would do this.
I gradually slumped onto the one-sitter sofa, filled with feelings of frustration; my only chance of getting rid of a powerful enemy had slipped out of my hands; I shouldn't have underestimated the power of love, but she would pay the price; she must.
“Why did you betray me” I roared after what seemed like hours of silence,
“You aided him didn't you?”... I asked her, meticulously scrutinizing her next words and facial expressions
“No, I didn't, I…I…was,” she lied with her eyes rolling over, clearly stating she didn't know what else to say.
“You pretended to be panting so you can prove to me that he ran away and probably you've been chasing him,” I said, circling her. “Do you think such tricks would work on me?”
“I told you, son, I told you you shouldn't have trusted her,” a voice cuts through as the doors open.
I knew it was my mum, I've been expecting her to come in since, she always hangs around me, especially when it comes to cases related to Kael, some call her my witch while others call her my gift, cos one way or the other she always has a way of maneuvering matters to her test, not concerned of who gets hurts or life lost. I wonder what she would come up with this time, but I am not killing Lyra, I know that's the best advice she would come up with.
It is as if my thinking faculty has come to a halt as everything seems overwhelming.
“What do you want to do now, Commander Loren?” she asked with a hint of a devilish smile all over her face. That's the first thing she usually says whenever she wants to suggest a sinister Idea.
I stood up, looked through her then turned my gaze to Lyra standing still over there, probably wondering the kind of woman who's been their Luna for years, Confused, I walked to the balcony, which is where I do stay whenever I come back from a successful war, and wants to take a broader view of the Northern Coast main city, but this time stay isn't for good.
“Can you afford to lose everything you've worked for just for some stupid bastard in the woods?” My mom's voice came directly from my back with her hands rubbing over my shoulder; her words pierced into me like a sword.
“Would you want to lose these things for Kael, the banished One??” She said, gesturing her hands and showing me the city's fine places.
“Mum, I'm tired, I'm frustrated, I don't think I can do this anymore, Ren’s Escape, Father's untrust in me and Zara who killed all my warriors by just reeling through their minds, how do you think I can survive this, how do you think I can win this, and this is precisely the crunch time?” I paused for a while as a treacherous tear folded in my eyes
“He might probably be looking for my replacement by now; I don't know whether to wind a watch or bark at the moon,” I gushed out, finally masking off my dominance mask before Lyra.
“This rat race between you and that little boy has to stop”, my mum starts with her cruel tone suggesting terror; I knew she was up to something. She just wanted me to come to my dream before offering her Idea.
I stood before my mother, her eyes fixed on me with an unnerving intensity. As the commander of our kingdom's army, I was accustomed to her counsel, but it still made my skin crawl because it was mostly a sinister one.
"Mother, what should I do?" I finally asked the question she'd been expecting to hear, “Zara, the stranger possesses a powerful ability to control minds; I saw my warriors slay themselves under her influence!!"
My mother's expression turned calculating, her eyes glinting with intrigue. "Ah, yes. The mind controller. A formidable opponent, indeed"
"What do you propose, Mother?" I asked, trying to keep my curiosity in check.
My mother leaned forward, her voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. "First, we'll consult the great witch and request for a mantle of mind-controlling power; once we do, we'll use our own...influence to counter her powers."
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Influencers?"
My mother smiled, a cold, calculating smile. "Yes, my son. We have a gift, in a neighboring kingdom, the witch… We'll use her to our advantage,"
I nodded, a plan beginning to form in my mind. I had always known that my mother's methods were ruthless, but I had never questioned her motives before. Now, I wasn't so sure.
She paused for a while, intently looking into my eyes she boldly said “But it comes with a price, a life price”
“Once we've neutralized the mind controller, the rest will fall easily." She said, barely audible
A life price? What does she mean by a life price, do I have to kill someone for the gift? “What do you mean by a life price, Mother?”
“What!! are you still here?” It suddenly dawned on me that Lyra was still standing there, playing polite but gradually bagging everything she saw and heard; this even made it more difficult to release her; now she knew what she was not meant to know, and now she was a threat.
“Carlos!” I called out from the balcony, and within a split second, he was there.
“Commander, you called for me” Carlos enters
“Lock her up, she aided our enemy and she will account for it”, I ordered.
As my mum said of paying with life, I knew she was up to something very sinister, and Lyra being here to hear of it would be catastrophic, especially if it got to her father's ear.
"Mother, what is it that you mean when you say ‘price to be paid with a life’?" I asked, trying to keep my tone neutral.
My Mother’s gaze seemed to bore into my soul. "It's time, my son. Time for you to claim your rightful place as the next Alpha and king."
I felt a shiver run down my spine. "What do you mean?"
My mother's smile was a thin, cruel line. "Your father, the king, has grown...weak. It's time for him to step aside, and for you to take the throne…by force"
I swallowed hard, my mind racing with the implications. "And how do you propose I do that?"
Her eyes seemed to gleam with excitement. "I will acquire a...substance, one that will ensure your father's demise. All you need to do is administer it to him, and the throne will be yours."
I felt a wave of revulsion wash over me. "Mother, I don't know if I can do that. He's my father, after all."
My mother's expression turned cold, her voice dripping with venom. "Sentiment has no place in our world, my son. You must be willing to do whatever it takes to claim your rightful place. Now, are you with me, or are you against me? The earlier you become the king, the more powerful you will become to stop Kael?" Her words echoed into my ears like a thunderstorm
I hesitated, torn between my loyalty to my father and my duty to my mother. But as I looked into her eyes, I knew that I had no choice. I would have to do as she bid, no matter the cost.
I knew that once I did this, there would be no going back; I couldn't shake the feeling that I was betraying not just my father but myself. I am a warrior, a commander, and yet I was being asked to commit an act of cowardice.
Would I go through with my mother's plan, or would I find a way to stop her? The fate of my father, my kingdom, and my very soul hung in the balance.