"Prince, they have arrived," Yejin informed the true blood as he entered Jae's office. The prince stood from his chair and immediately followed the alpha out of the room. The true blood and alpha quickly made their way to the King's Hall where the generals and council members had already gathered. It was not long after Jae's arrival that the king entered the hall. Armina had already arrived and was seated in her chair at the long table.
The officers and council members rose in respect of their alpha as Fachan approached the table. Jae waited for his father to be sat before taking his seat next to Crimson Night's alpha.
"Enhance the link," Fachan stated as first order of business. In response to the alpha's command, the pack's sigma stood to her feet and closed her eyes in concentration. Sigmas were extremely rare wolves that acted as the pack's oracle and seer and were capable of enhancing the pack's link so wolves belonging to the pack were able to link with their alpha and council. This was incredibly convenient during delegations between packs.
The sigma opened her eyes to reveal silver orbs, indicating the enhancement had been completed.
'Greetings, Alpha.' A deep voice sounded in the mind of each person present in the hall.
The alpha subconsciously nodded his head as he made sure the link's connection was stable. 'Have you been able to gain passage into White Fang?' Fachan inquired of the leader of Team 1.
'Not as of yet, Alpha.' The leader was respectful as he answered. 'We are expecting to gain access within the next day.'
'Good. What of Team 2?' The council remained silent as Fachan asked about the two team's statuses.
'We are waiting for permission as well, Sire.' The voice of the leader of Team 2 sounded in response to the alpha's inquiry.
'Good, good.' The alpha nodded in acceptance of the leaders' responses. 'Thank you for your hard work. You have done well.' The alpha's voice was slightly softer as he complimented the members of the two teams. 'However, it has only just begun. Once you have gained access, begin the delegations between White Fang and Black Moon separately and report back to me. We will have daily check-ins at this time moving forward. I will let you return to your work. Stay safe and good work.' With that, the alpha concluded the meeting and rose to his feet.
The luna, prince, officers, and council members stood from their seats as the alpha turned and exited the hall. Jae let out a small breath as he turned and made eye contact with Yejin who was stationed just behind him. Yejin raised his brows in response before gesturing to the door with his head. He had something to tell Jae.
The two boys were stopped, however, when the luna called out for her son. Jae and Yejin halted in their tracks and turned to face the queen as she walked up to them with Yehwa just behind. Yejin looked at his sister as the queen reached them whose expression remained distant and professional. The prince remained silent as he waited for the luna to speak.
"Walk with me in the garden?" Armina asked her son as she came to a stop before the prince. Jae bowed his head slightly in response. A pleased expression filled the queen as she smiled at her son softly before leading the way out of the hall. Yehwa trailed back to walk beside Yejin to allow the prince to walk behind his mother. The two siblings remained silent as the four walked through the castle and to the western side of the palace.
The queen slowed to a lazy pace and allowed the prince to walk next to her as the four reached the expansive garden. Jae admired the beauty of the flowers and stone paths as he waited patiently for the luna to begin the conversation. Numerous types of flowers and plants decorated the paths while blooming vines crept over pergolas and arches that shaded the many paths. The luna led the prince down several winding paths until they arrived at a pond stationed toward the back of the garden.
Stone benches and flowers surrounded the pond that was encased by rocks and plants. Armina brought Jae to stand beside the pond before beginning, "What is your opinion of the five from Black Moon?"
Jae took a moment to organize his thoughts and form a response before answering. "I do not believe they are a delegation party with the intention of negotiating with White Fang."
"You believe they have malintent," the luna concluded.
"I do," Jae answered confidently.
Armina paused for a second before responding, "As do I."
Yejin and Yehwa instinctively raised their guard as they heard the content of the prince and luna's conversation. Strong and dangerous words were being spoken that could potentially cause a pack war if they were overheard and leaked. Thus, the two right hands stood on high alert as the prince and luna discussed the situation of the wolves from Black Moon.
"They did not act as if they were a delegation party when Fachan met with them in the dungeon," Armina commented on the five werewolves' behaviors upon their first meeting.
"Agreed. They would have begged to be released, so they could complete their mission. Instead, they seemed as if they had been caught and must hide their true intentions."
"Indeed." The queen and prince fell silent before Armina continued. "Can I trust you to investigate this matter? Something more is going on than what is being displayed, and I do not trust Fachan to be able to see it. I am afraid he will act rashly and cause more harm than good."
Jae nodded silently in acceptance of the task. This was a grave matter, and it directly affected the future of Crimson Night. And Jae had sworn to protect his home at all costs, so he would do whatever it would take to ensure the safety of his pack even if it meant going behind his father's back to secretly investigate the five intruders.
Once the matter had been settled, the luna released a sigh and gazed at the water sparkling beneath the dimming sky. "It is a beautiful day," Armina commented as she smiled at the many, colorful flowers at her feet.
"It is," Jae agreed as his eyes landed on a pink flower. The true blood's gaze softened at the pink petals, and he subconsciously longed for the scent of vanilla and roses.