Updated 2 days in a row! Hope you'll like this chapter! Please don't forget to make the star twinkle on your screen. It will help a lot in letting others know about the story of Apollo. Thank you!

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It was not long until the Queen of Sidus heard about the battle of brawn in The Bellatorem. The news enraged her, Lord Dilmond said. This was pacified by the dreadful letter she straightaway sent to the Earl of Auriga and his wife. The contents of it, I never knew exactly. But they said Her Highness could not believe they would invite me to attend the annual bout, only to have me replace the magistrate or the executioner under the rule of 'kill or be killed'.

Apollo said it was soft of me to be bound by emotions, but here was her mother, encapsulated by anger.

Four days passed after the battle, I did not seek for Hal nor did I want to face Lord Alexander and Lady Celine. I knew that Lord Dilmond would have been treated the same if not for his aphoristic concern towards me. His aura was never hideous. I could see his guilt spreading all over the place each time he faced me.

"You have confined yourself in this chamber for a while now, milady." He sighed, joining me in the coffee table.

I stared blankly outside the window. Auriga seemed more forested than Therion but I noticed that they built more massively. They had temples, curias, and forums. From the castle I could see the public buildings surrounding a central plaza that had a tall and imposing white obelisk.

"The Duke will be here after the tribunal with the Order of the Knights. Perhaps, you are now ready to speak about Galax's mother to him, since you do not wish to associate yourself with the Earl of Auriga after every thing." Lord Dilmond carefully implied. "The Lady Celine told me there was no one in wolf form jailed in the dungeons. And she was sure of it." He added.

Galax. How could I forget? The little one needed me to find his lost mother.

I thought of three things as I clasped my fingers together, placing my elbow on top of the mahogany table. One was the matter of Galax's mother being in wolf form and not being able to return. Secondly, I was certain that Hal captured Galax's mother in Therion the first time I went to Villagio Lupus and lost consciousness. And the next was what Apollo would think about the search when he seemed to be oblivious of his lowly subject's situation.

"The duke does not have the heart to bring aid. Why would he waste time in finding a pauper?" I questioned, disappointed by my own lack of faith in Apollo.

"Shall we move on with our conquest in secret?" Dilly boggled my conscience. "You should at least try and give him a chance. The man is not heartless at all." He seemed determined to persuade me.

I shook my head. I could not let Apollo know. He did say his justice was different from mine. I was nothing like the Lady Celine. I had an anchor. I would not simply change my perspectives to please him and the aristocrats.

"Four days was wasted in solitude, milord. I cannot handle another day of stupor with the Duke in my way." I firmly stated.

With that decision, the Earl accompanied me outside the village in disguise without a choice. We were not hindered by Lord Alexander, knowing that I despised him since he forced me to fight against my former second-in-command. Lord Dilmond and I dressed as commoners, rounding the city as we took advantage of the hours that the Duke was occupied with his own business.

As we strode away from the castle and reached the village, we did not waste our time and inquired about a wolf brought in the city. The radial streets were easy to remember, and we noticed when we have circled around the same place without much confusion. We passed through the streets of Menkalinan, Mahasim, Hassaleh, Almaaz, Haedus, and Sadatoni.

Everything ran smoothly until the sound of hooves alerted Lord Dilmond.

"Hide!" He hissed, pulling my hand as he led me to a narrow alley, away from the startled crowd.

"You must keep quiet." Dilly whispered and I simply obeyed. Our backs touched the cold, bricked wall of one of the three-storey houses that arcaded the busy main street called Capella.

As the sound of the horses halted, silence fell upon the place and I watched from a sideway glance how everyone knelt before the four-horsed chariot that stopped in one of the city markers-- a big boulder of natural stone with the carvings of King Licinius' crest.

"Who's in the chariot?" I asked almost voiceless. Dilly did not answer as he glanced intently at the scene.

"It has come to our knowledge that a savage wolf is on the run, rounding about our land, caught with a whiff of marijuana, and is said to be unable to revert back to her original form. The Order of the Knights say that she comes from the City of Therion." Someone of authority announced, earning gasps from the people.

Mouth agape, I was in shock and Lord Dilmond was kind enough to prevent me with his palm from saying my qualm. Could it be Galax's mother?

"Anyone who captures the said knave shall be rewarded by the His Royal Highness, the Duke of Therion." The announcer revealed a scroll with a sum of reward for the succeeding wolf. With it came a name of a woman, specifically, Elise.

"Should anyone seize the wolf Elise, she must be kept alive as strictly instructed by the royal family."The soldier continued.

I drew a deep breath in and out as the odd chariot drove away from our location. Lord Dilmond did the same but he was pinching the bridge of his nose, just below his furrowed brows.

"I told you, Apollo does carry compassion behind that flinty figure he portrays." He groaned, dusting his breeches.

I was about to speak a word to contest his claim, but the Earl shook his head as if he was tired of me and my arguments. "We have wasted time, doing all of these in secrecy, Milady. Trust the Duke on this," he pleaded.

"Of all the powerful men, the highest in rank and apparently, the strongest has his fate intertwined with you."

"Do me a favor and learn more about the Duke. If you are to be his queen, perchance you should begin endowing your trust." He sighed. His aura was purely of sorrow and sympathy towards his friend.

I did not know how to reply. The words were easy for him to say. Why should I be forced to do the same? After all, they had known each other their whole lives... and I... What exactly did I know about Apollo that most of his people knew not?

Figuring it was no longer in our hands to be first to find Elise, Lord Dilmond and I decided to return to the Castle before the Duke finds out our sudden mission. Successfully sneaking back into my chamber, I gently closed the door behind me, releasing a long, relieving breath.

"I see you did not find Elise."

The Duke's voice surfaced, and a harrowing guilt concocted with shock drained the blood in my face as I found him staring out the window of my chamber with his back facing me.

I wanted to lie and say I did not know what he was pertaining to, but I would look like a fool. This was Apollo.

"I have my ways." He uttered, as if continuing the statement inside my head.

"If you already knew something, why didn't you tell me?" I replied. Should we always talk as if we are about to fight?

"I wanted to see what you had in mind." He simply replied, not even daring to spare me a look. It must be empowering for him to see his Kingdom from where he stood.

Removing the muffler off my shoulders, I took courage to make my way beside him. Was he oblivious of the obnoxious aura he always carried? How could I ever see through his dark veil? My gift of seeing energies radiating from people would always turn to be a curse each time I gazed at him.

"You must be in delight, laughing at my naivety." I uttered, mocking myself halfheartedly.

"You think lowly of yourself, little wolf." He crossed his arms. I was not certain if he stole a glimpse, but something in me was starting to get accustomed to being beside the Duke.

"You called me that before." I said with hollow humor. "What changed Apollo? What happened in Crux?"

My brows curled as I felt his aura piercing mine, as if he wanted to break my barrier with force. The mere mention of Crux transformed his aura from steel gray to onyx black.

Ever since the day he went back, he did nothing but to stay silent and ignore me in my moment of solitude. His presence seemed forced... affecting my beast for reasons I could not properly explain. He was vague and placid. He was beginning to regard my strength, tended to me when I was hot with fever. He shared the sacred fruit of Yggdrasil with me, and now he was using his title to help me bring the lost wolf back. What was changing him? Or was it me who started to change?

"Nothing significant." He digressed.

"Why does it bother you, my bethroted?" He finally faced me, placing his hand on the window ledge.

I shifted my position and held his gaze. His blue eyes were telling me that there were mysteries in him that I had to unveil.

"When you look at me like that, I see something else glowing in your mind." He revealed. I was in awe, drawn by the clouded words. He did say he could see my beast and the blue fire whenever we were in close proximity.

There was a long, dragging pause that took my breath away as he gently leaned his forehead against mine. He closed his eyes and I stared at the blue sapphire on his cravat. He never wore another gem. I could not argue for it accentuated his eyes.

His left hand went up my shoulder, settling on the hollow of my neck. His warmth was there along with the bond, encorcelling me once again with its gleaming dusts of magic that danced in streaks of golden waves.

"The fire inside of you, Freya. What do you know about her?" He asked, and I permitted him to know the dream I had days ago.

"She visited me in my dream when I was in between life and death. She had no form aside from her current state, but she speaks to me in the language we only know." I said, closing my eyes, wanting to reach out to her.

"What does she want? Why is she guarding your wolf?" The duke calmly continued his inquest.

I prayed to be pulled into a vision. I wanted to run along with the tides of the past and the future that only the seers were gifted to see. I wanted answers to those questions too. I was begging for answers, desperate to rule out the troubles haunting me. I held onto the Duke, my fingers gently brushing the ocean-like gem on his chest.

Therewith came a dusty tornado growing in my mind. It was luring me into a portal unknown to mankind and I succumbed to it. I was lost in my imagination and as the dust was blown away, a figure of a warrior riding his stallion with a lance on his right hand was charging towards me.

I evaded and stumbled as I watched other men killing mercilessly, screaming words I could not comprehend. Men with the coat of arms of Therion were depleting.

The warrior I saw was only a shadow, he was masked but his eyes were clearly in an icy blue hue. He directed his men and drew the life out of every wolf that passed by his trail. He pulled his horse's rein and he was going towards my direction.

I was on my knees, palms on the ground as I stared up at him, his hand outstretched, and I simply took it. On his shield had an unfamiliar crest bearing a fire-like crown of orange and red and had a ruby eye at its center.

I did not realize how the scene changed but we were no longer in a battlefield. He was inside an armory of some sort, and he was choosing carefully between a javelin and a lance, both were fashioned to perfection.

Gradually, I walked towards the wooden barrel beside him. He could not see me anymore, I thought. Curiosity was prodding me to look at where he dipped the lance he picked from the wall. In an instant I was covering my mouth, petrified by the sight of silver with which he coated his weapon.

I thought I was invisible until he caught my wrist that shocked me and sent me spiraling back to the view of my bethroted.

"Freya." Apollo was dazed as I, holding my wrist the same way the shadow warrior did in my vision.

I flinched at the thought of anyone using silver against his own kind. That was how he won his battles. He used silver against his enemies. I could not take my mind off the scenes I had witnessed.

"Apollo, there was a man... using s-silver." I explained. My hand trembled in the Duke's grip.

"And?" Apollo urged.

"He waged a war against us, the wolves of Therion. His eyes were dead blue..." I gulped as I remembered it distinctly.

"He had a shield bearing a symbol I had never seen, even in Sidus."

"He was winning." I ended. How fearful was he who brought about war to the land.

"Are you certain you are not fevered?" He asked.

"Do not doubt me! It's true. I had a vision." I argued, darting an eye on the captivating sapphire on his cravat.

"That!" I pointed to the gem. "The moment I touched that, the vision started." I explained, hoping he would believe me this time.

"Gems possess magic, Freya. But only seers can release their power. Are you gifted with vision?"

Apollo released my wrist from his tight grip. I shook my head in reply. "I am not. I am not." I repeated, bringing a hand to my chest as my pulse quickened.

"I believe you." He said, washing out the doubt.

"Look at me, Freya." The Duke commanded, the aura of his wolf was introducing itself.

Appeasing my shaken body, I breathed out and stared at the Duke with the same intensity as before. His eyes... how could I look at them? They resembled the eyes of the great warrior, but somehow I knew they were different personas.

"Touch the sapphire again." He said.

Did I want to be in that vision again? Was it worthy to see the future if it was that dark and dreary?

Lifting my hand, I granted the Duke's request. The gem was cold as I touched it with the tip of my finger, enveloping it with my palm. I closed my eyes once again, but I only failed as there was only darkness.

I sighed in disappointment. There was no more vision for me to see. But I pondered more on the foretelling. Was it the future of the Kingdom? Was there a Knight who would bring about the Kingdom's demise?

"I see nothing, Apollo." I whispered, giving up. Would the Duke think I was demented?

"I still believe in you." The Duke lifted my chin, allowing me to meet his steady gaze.

There was no anticipation of his faith in me in anything. He would always pulverize my firmness. He always believed he knew everything more than I. That was always how we were and I thought we would run that path for the rest of eternity. But there was something in me that began to change. It was not him... It was me.

"Why would you trust me? You said I was the moon's mistake?" I asked, searching for answers in those pool of sapphire eyes.

"I am not threatened by the heavens." Apollo claimed. "And you are the chance I welcomed." He once told me that.

"Freya, you must know, that while you were inside the vision, I warded your beast in her cage and therewith I saw the blue ball of fire. The fire set the cage aflame as I walked near her. I watched as the cage turned to ashes, but the beast did not burn with it."

"She broke the barrier?" I could not fathom why she did that. My heart hammered against my chest.

"It is with great certainty, that the vision had something to do with her." Apollo resumed. "She wants to free your beast."

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Dun dun dun dun...

So what do you guys think? I enjoyed writing this part. It's like revealing my very own secrets one by one. All the puzzling thoughts I caused you in the 20+ chapters are going to be weaved soon enough. I really wanna finish writing Apollo this year because I have another installment for the Kingdom of Sidus prepared for you.

Apollo is a stand alone novel. The next books I will be writing will not be its sequel. I do hope you'd all still be there. I really love writing and making people think.

I will not lie, I believe those who are reading this book are those with open and intelligent minds. So to those who are still around, congratulations parum homines, you are all rightful readers to the Duke of Therion. *Apollo waves stiffly*

Trivia: Sapphire Stone is regarded as the Stone of Wisdom. Sapphire is believed to attract spirit guides and it also repels bad spirits and elements. Sapphire Stones have been worn by Kings in the Medieval Era as a sign of power, wisdom, and a powerful defense from harm. It protected Kings from envy and attracted divine favor.

You guys should know that I really do a lot of research in writing this book. I don't want to write without basis. It may not be perfect but I try to be as logical as possible. Even the places in Auriga (the streets I mentioned are named after the stars forming the constellation. Capella being the largest)

Hmm. Should I write a Trivia book too?

- Lady Therese