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Healer Rhea's POV

The bells had called onward of Rhea's arrival to the throne room, and perhaps it was the comfort of Dane's offering arm, as well as the hand that is encased over hers. "How are you feeling, my Queen?"

"Nerved...But in a good way." He was laughing, no doubt. And whether the wolves heard or not, she could see just how happy they were in following the King's orders.

And soon to be Queen's.

"Your mother and father are smiling in the heavens, Queen Amory. I can promise you that—And once the world knows of your return, all will be well." It was a repeat of what she had said almost a lifetime ago.

Or at least, that's what it felt like.

But the devious smile was mirrored between Rhea and Dane as this spectacle wasn't only for a wedding and announcing her return. The high-ranking members of the Tirean Kingdom were about to fall at the seams.

Upon approaching the double doors to the throne room, the guards she surpassed had joined in behind her, while those stationed at the doors had bowed before pulling to open them.

The light commotion had turned into quickened movements as the guests had risen at attention to the King's bride. Rhea had surveyed the audience underneath her laced veil and knew just where her targets lay.

With that had allowed her another edge of comfort, but nothing would amount to the moment when she caught sight of Romulus Tirean at the bottom of the throne steps.

It was as if her heart stalled and her lungs gave way to a small gasp—Goddess bless, he looked immaculate.
His eyes were heavy with lust, even better that they were pinned on her.

Not on her figure, but her eyes—The window to her soul.
And if her body could speak out loud, it would have been nothing but bouts of devotion to the male in front of her, instead, she shifted under the pressure of his gaze.

It was dominant, more than any Alpha in the Kingdom was capable of. And after years of fighting to secure his position as King, it became utterly clear what it meant.

That the lingering scars were trophies to showcase his victories and how he earned the right to be called King.
And Rhea—Amory—Was walking directly to seal her fate.

To return to the stolen throne and reclaim her destiny.

And with each step, it felt right, it felt as thrilling as whatever the Demon King had done to her body in the last half hour.

With only a small distance left, the music had sparked into a quicker beat, but Dane had held her back from losing their set pace. She found herself laughing lightly to herself as she squeezed his forearm in a silent, but thankful grace.

Perhaps it wasn't her own impatience that pushed things along, as the King had taken a step towards her and gestured his hand away. But the passing of a female in the human world was a staple.

And with Dane taking the position of her father, he had bent down to kiss her hand and place it directly into the King's before making his way with the rest of the males at either side of the lower base of the alter.

The second that Rhea's and Romulus' hands touched, it felt as though the final spark had erupted into her body as he waited for her to become his equal, to take the steps together as one.

But with the way Romulus' hold tightened, it was clear he worried about her strength. And Rhea simply smiled underneath the veil as she took in his small actions, all in consideration to help her.

In par with their ascension towards the priest, Rhea could hear the audience find their seating—Just as the male in ancient robes standing before her had risen his arms and shouted his starting words of the ceremony.

Most of which, Rhea herself could not understand. But it wasn't out of ignorance, but a method that she spoke about previously with Romulus. The designed ceremony was a sought-out favorite for the previous monarchs, the very handfasting that her parents had gone through during their wedding.

Leaving a moment of silence, and Rhea's hand to squeeze into his.

"We are gathered here today to unite two souls into one..." It reigned on the importance a male and female have to one another, the connection that one could share. And perhaps it hadn't felt true in the beginning, when Romulus had taken her from her home in Red Moon pack and proposed all in one sitting, but now it does.

"Do you, King Romulus Tirean and Q—" The priest had fallen short of his line as he lowered himself down to his podium to catch the name properly.

"Continue, Priest," Romulus growled, and Rhea lightly nicked her elbow to her side in punishment for his inconsideration. But the Priest had managed to clear his throat and restart, but rose his voice to catch the attention of the confusion of the guests surrounding them.

"Do you, King Romulus Tirean and Queen Amory Vrovaria join us here in your own free will to acknowledge the eternal bond shared by the both of you?" The bride had smiled as the Priest had ultimately gestured for the two to face one another properly—But it was the crowd that truly allowed the pair to grin.

"I do," Rhea whispered out, and Romulus' smile had grown tenfold.

"I do." He followed just a beat after, and the warmth within either of their hearts had started to creep up on her. And it took strong willpower for Rhea not to take her hand back from him to place it on her chest.
One that was beating violently with every passing second.

"Now for the vows..." The Priest offered his arms out to allow the attention to shift from him to the bride and groom. However, before either could even think to open their mouths, a shout of denial had yelled through the crowd.

And Rhea knew, without a doubt, who it is.

"I object! Object I say! Stop this damn thing before it starts, my King! She has bewitched you!" Mithwell shouted, moving away from his seat in the audience to make his way into the aisle.

"Is that you, Mithwell? I was wondering if you were in the audience...But as you can see, I'm a bit busy." Romulus gestured to the better half of Rhea's figure, but as she turned to smile at just how disheveled the male seemed to become, it truly excited her.

"This cannot be! The former Queen is dead!" Mithwell wasn't the only one now who's risen from the mumbling crowd. Of course, it was the majority of the Council who sought out redemption for their discredit of allowing this. Given that it's been all over the general public.

"The Queen should be dead!"

"Death to the Queen!"

"Burn her!"

The shouts had come from a plethora of those surrounding them, and Rhea took one look at the male she felt confident in confiding in—It was all she needed to push forward.

Turning from her husband, she bent down and pulled her veil back to reveal her face. Already there had been an abundance of gasps of sheer shock, that the name had matched the face.

With a quick lean into Romulus' side, she hadn't whispered anything important other than a thank you as she laid a kiss on his cheek.

While leaving her male at the alter hadn't been what she had been prepared for, Rhea knew that things weren't going the way she had hoped.

But when has it ever?

"I suppose this could not wait until another meeting...Enforcers, could you be so kind as to gather those who spoke out of turn?" Her voice had been fluid as she directed her commands, even as she kept her gaze pinned on Mithwell.

And in pure satisfaction, she watched the better half of the Council members being brought to attention. "Now, what is it you were shouting? I couldn't hear you that clearly." It was a taunt, without a doubt.

But the smile upon wearing her wedding gown felt powerful, nearly as powerful as the first and only time she had sat on her father's throne.

"You will not get away with this! You have bewitched the King!"
"Your evidence, Sir Mithwell?"

"I don't need any! Since you've arrived the King has been under your control with the favoritism he's been giving you! The council has all seen it happen with our own eyes!" With a quick perk of her lips, she turned to the Enforcers that had gathered the males standing before her.

And never had she been more thankful for Marrow to be there at the ready.

"Sir Marrow?" With a quick kick to the back of Mithwell's legs, the male had fallen to his knees in a fit of agony. And she smiled to see that he tried his pain through gritted teeth.

But failed, terribly.

"That will not hold up in court. What will, however, is the fact that not only has your daughter attacked me...But you held me captive and poisoned the King. And the proof is written in your bank statements. As well as a surplus of supplies to Alpha Dernet— To the Moon Ridge Pack." He scoffed, snarling upwards up to her as he wanted to rise back to his feet.

But Marrow had ceased his movements from the beginning. "I have family in—"
"Bullshite! You are conspiring with the Rogues...You wish to have proof?" The question had beckoned for her to move down the line of males before her, but she made one look to her own crew—

They were already moving forward to come to her aid. "These six males were a part of packs that were sold to the Rogue camp. Ones that can vouch for the cruelty of Alpha Dernet, he who—" There had been a female's shriek as a wolf had emerged from the crowd.

Multiple wolves, coming from all different directions!

Rhea gasped as the ripping roars transpired throughout the throne room. And perhaps it was a hopeful venture that she could somewhat make out both Drex and Romulus' voice over the chaos—It had been Dane who stood in the way of Mithwell's attempted assassination.

Dane, the man who had just walked her down the aisle, had stood tall in defiance as he looked the bastard in the eye with a quick undercut while the rest of the males had pulled Rhea away.

Yet she cried out in agony as she watched both of them crumble to the floor, and allow the rest of the room to be undermined by the Rogue's lurking in the audience.

Perhaps they had their own plan, but Alpha Dernet had grown too comfortable, as did the rest of them. However, it rendered her in horror as she watched the incoming wolves straight on the horizon at the end of the hall that seemed to surpass the Enforcers who were already attempting to secure the situation.

Shifted wolves between five sparingly armed human males defending their Queen and bride was already spiraling out of control when Ray tried to tackle and go directly for the neck of the first assailant.

"AMORY!" She had turned at the call of her name, and suddenly the swarm of extra guests had come storming in from all directions.
Shifted and none.

Romulus!

Rhea internally screamed, hoping that in some way her voice could be heard by the King.
By her male.

The panic seemed to be wafting as Romulus stormed down through the crowd and did not hesitate to grab a wolf by the throat and twist—His eyes turning as dark as the pits of hell.

"AMORY!" Romulus' voice came out as a roar, a promise—A dedication of service. And Rhea sucked in a breath as she turned to see that Romulus was just mere steps away, and yet, it felt like they were worlds apart.

And so, Romulus had tapped into something he hadn't a clue if Rhea could access. But it was worth trying, given that Mithwell was shaking off the attack that both Dane and Hawes had managed.

Amory, duck.

Rhea had stopped her movement and stared at Romulus before dropping to the floor in an earnest attempt of keeping out of the action. And it had given her the proper image of Romulus shifting mid-air as he intercepted Mithwell's target to his wife.

His female. His Mate. His Mate.

A violent howl erupted and nearly placed a blanket of silence over the room as Romulus emerged from the ground—Shifted back to skin as he stood over the disembodied figure of Sir Mithwell.

The former member of his council.
Something he had wanted to do for so long and finally had the backing to do it.

"SILENCE!" The order had been placed outright, and every single member of the Tieran Kingdom had fallen in line with the order.
But it was far too late to subject those at fault to a better death.

No, this sort of public execution had been a mistake. And if Romulus' hackles could raise in this form, they would. "Enforcers, gather all the Rogues in the vicinity—Now!" His order had been followed quickly by a few short words from Drex, but all Rhea could see was the nude backside of her husband as he took control of the disheveled room.

Though it wasn't without fail that Wilehlm had come forward with a robe for the King to throw over himself.

"You traitorous bastards, hiding among the masses—Show yourself!" One by one, they had been brought to the forefront. And with the onset of Enforcers, it made it easier to sift through those loyal to the crown and not.

And perhaps it was the state of the bride, the former Queen—But with one hand gesture from the Demon King, a small ring of black smoke had bound and tied those in question by the throat and wrists.

Or the fact that Maldri had held a captured traitor by the back of the neck and threw him into the center of the crowd, right in the hands of the Enforcers as the large beast had tucked in his thick wings and walked to the forefront to the King.

"Alpha King Romulus, of the Tieran Kingdom...Queen Amory Vrovaria...I, Maldri Ryzor of House Oalri, High Chef of the Kivrer...I swear my allegiance to the crown." He said, bowing his head to the side and offering a smirk when Rhea gasped to see such a dominant beast coming to swear something as delicate as loyalty.
Or even more, to offer an actual helping hand to get the Queen back onto her feet.

But clearly, the ruthlessness of the Rogues had surpassed everything.

Their plan had been abandoned entirely, and upon watching the sight unfold as something worse than they could have previously predicted—They had lost sight of any unity.

It was as if it was a free for all, and Rhea had watched the inhumane movements of not only the Demon King—But the Vampyres who were wisping through the room and gathering the better half of the traitors.

They were an absolute blur at a glance, but Rhea could feel their presence swirl around. And it aligned with their own anger, yet another Rogue male had been dropped off beside Romulus' feet. All gifted by a male whose eyes were blood red and ready for a hunt, and whose teeth shifted down farther to his lower lips than one would think possible

"King Romulus Tieran, as future King of the Creasan Kingdom, I can say that I am absolutely disgusted by the behavior of these traitorous bastards. They have tunneled their way into my peaceful Kingdom and exploited humans for far too long. We will help you erradicate them. You have my word...As do you, my Queen."

It left not only the Queen breathless, but Romulus had been blindsided by how so many males of different monarchs had seemingly come together at a moment of weakness.

Not exploit it, as his father would have if he was on the opposite end, but to aid at such a time.

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Date: 07/23/23

Time: 10:49

Words: 2684

Author's Note:

Mithwell is dead!
Hooray!
Let's round out the next chapter with a complete marriage, shall well?