A/N 

Hello everyone. Had a hard time finishing this chapter. Might edit it later. Please don't forget to vote for this chapter! Enjoy!
 

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"I said charge!"

His voice thundered across the training ground. None of us knew what the Duke had in mind when he gathered half of the palace sentinels to spar with him in the afternoon of that supposedly peaceful winter day.

Apollo had been nothing but courteous to me, joining me everywhere I went and in whatever I wanted to do the day after our wedding. I knew it was the bond once more. It grew stronger when we married each other and he was giving it a chance to rule him even just a little.

The sleep he had in the morning seemed sufficient but when the clock's hand stroke at exactly 3:00 PM, his attitude wrung back to his cold, obnoxious self. Maybe not to me as of the moment, but to everyone else in the Castle per se.

Clad in his iron mail, helm, and greaves, he looked nothing short of a glorious warrior equipped with a two-handed sword as his weapon. He asked me to be his spectator that chilly afternoon. He invited Lord Gregory, his sister Claudia, and his father-- Lord Simon Horton, the Duke of Ursa.

We most certainly were in polar opposites when it comes to attitude and values, but I had enough respect for the Queen's brother that I had come accustomed to his presence already. Lord Simon was now family to me and we both had no choice but to be civil. I could still clearly remember how he charged me of treason during one of my first few days in the Kingdom of Sidus.

"He is splenetic as usual, resembling his father." Lord Simon chuckled, raising his goblet of wine to his lips. His whitening beard had grown longer since the last time I saw him. Overall, he looked as if he easily aged physically. Lady Claudia who sat in between me and her father grabbed my hand in shock as the clanging of swords went faster and faster.

"Ooo!" She flinched, her hand wrapped tighter around mine. She seemed to be unacquainted with fencing and any sport in general. But I could not blame her since the Duke appeared to be too immersed in his training as if he was preparing himself for a forthcoming war.

"Sanguis enim Sanguis."

Soft but distinct. That voice was here again. Lykos?

I could feel the heat around the sapphire necklace hidden under my high-neck clothing. This connection between me and the memories I had for Amaree and Lykos... I had to figure it out. I needed to know my purpose. Was I a vessel to send a significant message? A warning? A truth?

"Sanguis enim Sanguis." I uttered the words soundless. "Blood for blood..."

What did he mean by this?

"Bloody hell! I cannot bear nor continue to watch this barbarous sport." Lady Claudia suddenly stood from her seat, ready to walk away. However, his father pulled her wrist, dragging her back down to her place.

"Even your mother is adept in using a simple dagger." He lectured his child without restraint. "Nobody can be trusted in this land. You should be as vicious as your cousin. Be unafraid to draw blood from another if it is the only way to survive."

A lump suddenly formed in my throat. Memories of the war and my father revisited me. Had I realized this truth before, I could have saved my father's life from the cloaked assassin who murdered him before my eyes. I was too afraid to make a move. I cowered in fear of losing my own life. My father protected me, hid me, and asked me to never come forward. And that was my greatest regret.

Lady Claudia seemed to be having a mental debate if she should badger with her father or not. The latter option most certainly won as she kept her mouth shut, crumpling her dress on her knees as she forced herself to finish watching the gore show.

"Agghh!" A loud cry spilled from the soldier's tongue as he lost his footing. Down on one knee, he succumbed to the Duke's victory. I couldn't even count how many he had fought since the beginning of this exercise. The crowds roared even when one of their colleagues had been permanently injured by the Duke. I interrupted a gasp and a frown as I watched the fallen warrior tending to his own wound.

"Wasn't his leg badly injured?" I asked the royals beside me.

"Nothing to worry about, Milady." Lord Gregory immediately responded. "I am certain the Duke aimed away from his vital spots."

I breathed out a soft sigh of relief and caught sight of the Duke of Therion heading towards us. Stepping up the audience platform, he nonchalantly removed his hefty armour and discarded his helm, throwing them on the ground. He kept his distance from me before landing a serious gaze at the four of us.

"Spar with Gregory next time." Lord Simon stood up from where he sat and gave Apollo a light tap on his shoulder.

The Duke of Therion replied sarcastically, "It would be more challenging to spar with you, Uncle."

This garnered a throaty chuckle from the older wolf. Lord Gregory seemed as though he didn't mind being the center of their humor. Although I always felt in his aura that he had hidden signs of jealousy towards the Duke of Therion, Lord Gregory had it all in control.

"Piss off." He lightly jested. "Your swordsmanship has been rather rusty. You should do this more often, Milord."

The Duke of Therion chortled a flyspeck with a short nod and a noticeable smirk quickly slanting on his lips. He reverted his glance on Lady Claudia who seemed to be not entertained by the exchange of jokes between these men.

"Claudia, do not put the blame on me. I did not invite you here." The Duke seemed to be in a better mood now, going with the buffoonish flow of the conversation.

Lady Claudia pouted like a child, hiding behind me. "How could you stay with this ludicrous, barbarian cousin of mine, Lady Freya?" She bantered. "Gregory forced me to come here and accompany the Duchess." She rolled her eyes at him as Apollo brushed off the remark with a smile.

"Claudia! I would have sewn that filthy mouth of yours if you weren't my child." His father warned, losing the mirth in his eyes. "Speak ill of the future King again and I will not spare you."

I could see Lady Claudia's aura flashing in fear. It was razing in between ire and fright. Her anxiety showed as her father reprimanded her for the second time today. It was easy to tell she was not favored by his father for being too soft. Lord Gregory did not mince his words when he jested that the Duke's skills had become rusty, but when it was Lady Claudia's turn, Lord Simon was quick to correct his kin.

"It is nothing, Milord. Claudia and I are used to speaking with each other in a playful manner since childhood." The Duke of Therion reassured the furious Alpha.

Lord Simon seemed to have something else to say but he shunned himself and walked down the platform back to the main Castle. We were left with the younger Hortons; Gregory gently pulling Claudia away from me with his arm wrapped around his sister's shoulder.

"Aye. Aye. Everything will be alright. You should be familiar with his temper by now." He comforted his sister and I appreciated his gesture knowing he could be a prude like his father at times.

"Excuse us, Milord, Milady. I shall escort my sister back to her chamber to rest."

Apollo briefly acknowledged him and we both watched them drifting away from our sight. The rest of the crowd disappeared little by little too. We stood in silence in the middle of an empty training ground. Apollo was one step below me and he looked up at me wanting to say something.

His body and face was drenched with sweat. His dark hair dishevelled as he ran his fingers through it. Thence, he reached out his hand as if asking me to remove the bandage draped around it. There was a frail stench of blood that loafed in my nose as I unwrapped the cloth. He was not perfect after all, I thought.

A small gash in between his right thumb and pointer was revealed to me. It wasn't deep and I knew in a few hours he would heal from it like typical werewolves do. But then, I remembered we were in Sidus. Our ability to heal was different here in a negative way. It would probably take days just like the wound I had at my back-- the reminder of Hal's betrayal.

"Jaded?" His voice snapped me out of my deepening thoughts.

"You should wash it and cover it with clean bandage." I replied, still staring at his hand. I wasn't jaded at all, I wanted to say. But I didn't want him to know a slight drip of worry came across my heart.

"Hmm." He hummed in agreement. "Did you learn anything from my sparring today?"

I thought he'd finally ask me for assistance. "Aye. I suppose."

"But did you have to hurt your ally even in practice?" I did not hold it back any longer.

He was silent for a minute, pulled his hand away before setting back his gaze unto mine. Sapphire blue eyes met my hazel brown ones. "Are you more worried about the warrior I took down?"

I didn't know what to feel or what to say. His response sounded tactless to me but at the same time, there was a bit of envy maybe?

"I believe you are strong enough to take down a fleet of soldiers. This wound is nothing compared to your last opponents injury." I retorted calmly. His eyes kept its hold on me. "You should have been more considerate."

The thinning air began to touch my skin. Were we back to arguing about our differences in the way we think?

"What about you?" He returned the query swiftly. "Did Alexander's warrior consider your health when he stabbed you in the back to rescue his alpha?"

A ton of bricks seemed to have fallen all over me. The scene was blurry. It was surreal and grim but I could remember it like a nightmare that would haunt me forever. The person I thought who would give me his loyalty for the rest of his life... that day he turned his back on me and broke his commitment to his true alpha. Hal...

"He had no ounce of remorse when he thrust that sword through your body." Apollo added insult to the gaping wound. "I thought I mentioned it before but now I see you have not fully accepted the lesson in your encounter in Auriga."

His sharp tongue rehashed painful memories once more. The world around us seemed imbalanced. He wanted me to learn things that are against my beliefs and standards. He reminded me why I never wanted to marry him in the first place.

"You are too soft. Heed me if you want to win against Illaria."

Should I harden my heart then? And be as merciless as him? As them? Should I not spare anyone in order to win in this life the same way Lord Simon advised Lady Claudia? If no good is left in me, what am I even doing in this world? What would I be fighting for?

"Remember your beast, Freya. It cannot overtake your mind and body." Apollo's words rang in my ears, etched for the rest of eternity. "Be more vicious than the beast inside of you. Tear your enemies to shreds if you have to. Ally or not. No one could ever be trusted in this Kingdom. Trust not even the heavens above us."

Petrified, I swallowed hard and looked away. No normal day would ever pass by with the Duke, he always had something to say to turn good things around. But this time, I took note of it, considering it at least no matter how painful the truth of his words were.

"You are the Duchess of Therion and I want you to establish your position, your name." He declared, finally shying away from my presence.

"Meet me at the Library after dinner. Let me help you figure out who your enemies are. Remember that the Alpha of Crux is not your only sworn enemy. There are more of them out there, the real ones. You would be stunned to know they might be lurking around you, hiding behind their masks. There is more to this world than what you know. Trust me when I say, bending a few of your beliefs will be nothing once you learn how cruel fate really is."
 
 

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The scent of old books and the sound of dripping water brought a sense of nostalgia. The library seemed to be Apollo's private space. We mostly had our serious and personal discussions here.

I could feel his presence glowing from upstairs. Taking the steps up on the carpeted treads, I felt another person's aura mingling with the Duke's. There was something eerie about it and whoever that was seemed to be wearing a perfume made of lavenders. The scent coming off of this person overpowered the smell of incense.

Upon reaching the library loft, it finally dawned on me that this person was spiritually guided and gifted. Conversing quietly was her and the Duke of Therion, not until I arrived. She shot her invitingly bonnie and violet eyes at me. Clothed in an emerald gown, I almost did not recognize her if it weren't for those unique eyes.

"Good evening, Your Grace." She curtseyed, baring her neck to the side.

"Good evening, Mavis."

The seer was here with us and it brought me to a conclusion that this was what Apollo meant about figuring out who my enemies are. Wolves like Mavis are few of the chosen ones whom spirit guides give their vision to of the past, present, and future.

"Shall we begin?" The Duke asked as he led himself towards the round wooden table beside the tall lancet windows of the room.

I could see a thick deck of cards, lighted candles, and incense on the slab of hardwood. I had never tried nor seen this kind of reading by a seer. It seemed as though this was a witch's practice too. Fear surprisingly did not creep inside of me. Rather, I was curious to see how this reading would enlighten me. Would she be able to see any trace of Lykos and Amaree too? The last time we talked, she'd seen the blue ball of fire with me.

Settling comfortably on the opposite side of Mavis and beside the Duke, I started meditating a little by focusing on my breathe. Mavis read my palm before, but tonight she took the deck of cards and explained to me what she would be doing in order to see what I was going through in this world and everything that was happening in the spiritual world in terms of my destiny.

"These are tarot cards, Milady. I will shuffle and ask the spirit what messages they have for you. However, in my opinion, it would be easier for the spirits to guide me in reading a specific timeline in your life if you would ask a certain question in your mind. You do not have to say it out loud. Trust that the cards will clarify it for you."

There was reassurance in her gentle tone. Biting my bottom lip I thought of the first question I had. Thoughts of Lykos and Amaree had overtaken the questions I had about knowing who my enemies were in this kingdom. There was a need to finally take on this chapter of uncertainty. I no longer had the audacity to keep it from the Duke of Therion as well for I was positive he would find it out too with Mavis as his vessel of truth.

What is my connection with Lykos and Amaree?

I passed a straight look and a nod towards Mavis' direction, urging her to proceed with the reading. My hands unconsciously shook, and so I placed them under the table, resting them on my lap. My right thumb couldn't help but scratch the foreskin of my right hand.

The Duke beside me simply kept his silence but I somehow heard his beast peeking with a snarl. Maybe this was the bond that allowed us to see each other's beast at times. My beast pushed herself forward as well, one large paw slipping out of its cage but she remained quiet. All eyes were on the seer's actions.

The sharp sound of the cards during the shuffling made me quite apprehensive. Anxiety, as they say, is a feeling we get when we are afraid of the unknown. This was clearly a moment justifying that description.

"Spirit guides, show me the cards I need to see. The past..." I heard her whisper but some of her words came inaudible.

There came a resounding thud as Mavis tucked the cards evenly, only to push her palm over the deck and quickly sliding it to spread the cards on the table. She glanced at me briefly as she picked three cards randomly. The cards were all upside down. She shuffled the cards again and repeated the same action of getting three cards from the deck. On her third attempt, she asked me to pick one card.

Staring at the spread, I felt drawn to choose the last card at the right end. The seer did not ask me to turn the card over. Every single one of them were turned upside down and this added to the thrill and anxiety somehow.

"The first three cards I will flip defines your past. The next set of three shall represent what is happening in the present. And the last card you have chosen will tell us something about your future."

Her aura grew higher, spreading flecks of gold and silver with a background of a dark purple sky. Mavis was truly unique and divinely chosen, for this aura seemed like a portrait of a clear and imperial night sky. Entrancing and gifted was she who could communicate with the spirits.

Turning the first card's face, she said, "The Lovers in reverse."

I didn't miss the quick slip of a smile on her thin lips. She did not explain anything about it but I had my eyes glued on the beautiful image plastered on that card. There was a man and a woman drawn side by side, both intently looking at each other as if it was love at first sight. But this card as she said was in reverse.

"The Three of Swords." Mavis' voice seemed disheartened by the card. Who wouldn't be? The depiction easily construed that it meant a deep heartache and sorrow-- three swords piercing a heart.

"The Tower."

I lost the interest in interpreting the third card on my own as Mavis finally uttered words of clarification.

"I could easily tell what you asked the spirits, Milady." She said, heaving a sigh. "There is this sadness coming from the energies involved in this reading. It is very painful... an agony incomparable to any that I have ever felt in this lifetime." She coughed a little and cleared her throat.

"See?" She breathed heavily as if her heart was pumping erratically. "My throat suddenly felt parched because of the intensity of these emotions coming out of the cards. How pitiful were they?" She rubbed her chest.

"Let me clarify the Three of Swords."

She picked an unused card on top of the flipped deck and written on it was, "The Ten of Swords."

"Let me get another one, spirit." She whispered, breathing in deeply.

"The Four of Swords."

The card seemed significant. There was a woman lying on a bed, hands on her chest as if praying while there were four swords pointing down on her.

As I lifted my gaze back at the seer, tears suddenly coated her violet eyes. Her heavy energy touched me slowly.

"The spirits are telling me that this was a forbidden love. It brought chaos and a series of conflicts to the persons' energies I am picking up. The Ten of Swords represents misfortune, ruin... and a dead end."

"Two lovers who were clearly not meant to be faced their karmic fate." She picked another card and placed it on top of The Lovers. "The Three of Cups. There was a third party involved. The spirits are saying this third energy won in the end."

I watched as a tear slid rapidly on her cheek. "Is it a past connection? What do I have to do with this?" I asked, feeling the heartache biting me slowly. There was that excruciating pain that Mavis described was a thorny rope of sadness clinging around my heart, making it bleed.

The Duke grabbed my shaky hands, "Mitescere." He gently hushed. Calm down.

Mavis flipped the set of cards symbolizing the present. She composed herself as she wiped her tears away and focused on continuing the mournful reading. Cast upon me was a feeling of nostalgia in some ways and this emotion turned into a bit of shock as the first card was the same as that of the past but The Lovers was now upright.

"The Lovers, The Wheel of Fortune and the Two of Cups. Allow me to clarify all of these first."

We patiently waited as she chanted her wishes from the spirits. She shuffled more cards and some of those she picked simply flew right out of the deck.

"Milady, this is you and the Duke." She pushed the Lovers card forward. "Fate brought you together. You are soulmates but you are more than just that. For in the spiritual world you are one of the few who have found their twinflame."

"Look at these cards." She placed two different cards over The Lovers in upright position.

"The Emperor and The Empress." As soon as I read the names, my heart felt at ease, shedding the depressing energies I felt earlier.

"You stand side by side as The Lovers and currently you are embodying the vitality, power, and enigma of The Emperor and The Empress. Rulers of the Major Arcana in the tarot deck."

"From what I see and hear from the other world, the persons you are seeing in your visions mirror you in the past life."

I was not even surprised that Mavis already knew what I had in mind as she thoroughly explained the messages she was receiving from the spirits around her. She was aware of my visions, my question, my fears. But what did Apollo think of it? It seemed strange that he was not daunted by all of these revelations.

"The Wheel of Fortune is a manifestation of a new chapter, a new page... a fresh start. However, there is a warning that the connection from the past is being brought here in the present. I see the Five of Wands and the Ten of Wands. I only see suffering surrounding the Two of Cups."

"The Two of Cups is your marriage. Mayhap my warning is too late. Maybe this is how the universe intends it to be. Your union in the present will bring about another round of chaos and suffering. The spirits could not tell me anything more. They say it should all unfold in divine timing."

Caught up in this mess, I had somehow foreseen the sufferings with Apollo long before we became spouses. Mavis' level of warning should have been nothing, but it knocked me off of my senses and rationality.

How cruel was this fate going to be?

How could soulmates be placed in a life full of misfortunes and conflict?

What did we do to deserve this kind of pain?

A sudden movement from my side slashed the thoughts out of my brain. The last card was flipped over by the Duke of Therion without a word of advice.

"What does this mean for us, Mavis?" The Duke of Therion's question put me on a pedestal. The future. Right. What does the universe have in store for us?

There were nine cups placed at the back of a man sitting comfortably on a wooden chair.

"The Nine of Cups." Mavis' aura grew stronger. The starry night aura displayed falling stars.

"Someone from the past--" She continued, picking the Four of Swords from the previous cards. "Someone wished and prayed for something to happen... and this routine never faltered and the universe is granting their wish. That someone's wish will be fulfilled in the near future."

"And I can sense the energy coming from the Duchess."

Perplexed and petrified, I touched the sapphire on my chest acknowledging whose energy Mavis was perceiving.

"What did you wish for, Freya?"
 
 
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A/N

Yassss. Some revelations here. Sorry I am a little sleepy right now, I think some parts are dragging. I might edit this later. I felt drained just writing it. Did you like the tarot reading part or not? 

I would appreciate it if you'd share your thoughts. 😊

Thank you guys for always tuning in! See you on the next update!

- Lady Therese