Upon arriving at the entrance of the castle, Bal, who was both eager and a little nervous at the same time, stepped out and scanned her surroundings. She was pleased to see that the castle was naturally surrounded by flowers and other plants that are pleasing to one's sight. Her nose was filled with fresh air and the scent of newly opened flower buds. She closed her eyes and slowly lifted her head while smiling at the beautiful sun. She could say that based on the books that she read, the Dominant pack remained strong and independent despite having a small population. It was located in the midst of huge waters and was naturally protected by wild mist.
"Luna Bal, you have to stay under the shed of this umbrella. The weather in our kingdom is getting harsh lately. Maybe it was because of the coming winter season. This is our natural weather here. But it was just getting worse as the years passed by. At night, it's extremely cold. And during the day, the sun is shining brightly and blinding," Laleth explained while trying her best to hold the umbrella firmly. She could see that the poor girl is struggling to cope with her height.
"Aw, Laleth. Let me hold it myself. I couldn't afford to see you struggle knowing that I could hold this little thing myself." She took the umbrella and gestured to the two girls to use their own umbrella too. Balvina started walking while her maids were following her.
"Good morning," She greeted the two warriors who were standing at the second door of the castle. She couldn't help but smile seeing them bewildered and shocked. She thought that they weren't expecting her to come out.
"Luna Bal. You aren't supposed to talk to them." Lolitia quickly stood in front of her, eyeing the two men who were still looking at her, then gestured to the two to open the gate for them.
"Oh. I'm sorry. We should go, girls." Her steps were fast trying to get away feeling embarrassed.
'How could you not remember it, Bal?'
'I know. I forgot.' She wanted to squeal but she couldn't. She clearly knows that a queen should not get near to any male wolf, except under some selected instances and circumstances.
'What would Kaylon say if he smells them on you?' Balvina's steps halted when she heard Canary's words.
'I can explain. And he loves me.'
"Dear Luna, where would you like to visit first?" asked Laleth.
"Uhmmm . . . Can we go to the place where children often stay while the adults or their parents are not around?" She wasn't sure how to exactly name the place because she forgot the term again.
"Oh, you mean the Cub's playing ground, Luna Bal."
"Yes, Lolitia. That's exactly what I mean." Her mood lightened as she was expecting a loving and beautiful scenery of kids playing and running around.
"Eh? Are you sure you wanted to get their first, Luna Bal?" She doesn't understand why Laleth looks worried and tense. Even Lolitia acts the same.
"Is there something wrong, girls?" Her brows furrowed and her eyes started to ask questions.
"Well . . . You see, Dear Luna. The cubs in the dominant pack were set to train at a very young age. So the
Cub's playing ground is actually a training ground. Those young cubs were in the city program. So when it's time for their coming of age, they are already equipped and ready to fight during crises. This was Lady Amonette and the council's drastic decision during our crises years ago. Our population is kinda low and our warriors are inferior in numbers compared to other kingdoms. Even my sister and I graduated from that program just a year ago. We were both trained to entertain, serve the royal family, and fight." Bal batted her lashes as Laleth finally finished talking. When Kaylon told her that the girls are strong and were trained to fight as the best pair, this is what Kaylon means.
"I would love to see their training, Laleth." The girls looked at each other and began guiding her.
"This way, Luna Bal," the girls uttered in unison.
They began walking, heading to the woods where she could see the roofs of some beyond the woods facilities.
After a good minute of walking, the high fences were equipped with sharp iron that could withstand heavy blows. It looks so sturdy that Balvina wonders if it was also a protection for something else, aside from the kids' security.
"This is the Cub's playing facility, Luna Bal." They finally stopped at the front gate that was now fully open. Balvina subconsciously got inside and was greeted with a cold stare. She could feel the awkward atmosphere since nobody dared to talk or even greeted her. She was not officially announced as the new Luna of the dominant pack yet, or the queen, so she can understand them since she believed that Kaylon's people think that Amonette is way better than her.
"Good morning, Luna . . . " whispered the little voice that made her heart shrink. With a wide and loving smile, she slowly turned to her side and was delighted to see the innocent face of a hard-working little girl. The child's clothes are soaked with mud and her hair is messy with dried mud on it.
"Good morning too, brave Little girl," she greeted the child and tucked the strand of hair behind the little girl's ear. The little girl even smiled wider and began blushing.
"Uhm! Excuse us, Luna Balvina. But the kids still need to go back to their training or they'll be late in today's schedule," said the mature woman with a stern facial expression. The woman didn't even spare even a single glance at her. Even the body language is rude and offensive. Despite all these, she tried her best not to be pelted with the woman's rudeness.
"Oh, yeah. Go on. Good luck, little warriors!" she exclaimed and waved the other kids goodbye. She could see that some of them bowed their heads. But most of the kids look at her like she was just an intruder messing with their peace. Just like the other adult wolves in the pack who didn't even hesitate to show their dislikes towards her. To the point that their piercing stare of disgust penetrated her more than the scorching heat of the sun. The message that she was not welcome is very much planted in her head at the moment.