The full moon shined bright making sure to highlight the importance of the night. But somehow, it still failed to alarm the patrol wolves on duty of the slithering presence of three Mudine serpents.
A royal wedding was happening in the open court, and it was able to keep people's attention away from what lurked within the grounds.
King Razhal was getting married to Beta Melima. A convenient wedding that would unify the Divine Lycans and normal wolves after many years of internal war and strife.
The rest of the royal family was already in the wedding hall, excluding the bride who was still in her secluded quarters waiting upon when she would be called.
The King was yet to return from a peacekeeping mission at the borders along with his Garavan warriors.
It was the only reason the snakes could enter such a dangerous place without getting spotted from even a ten mile radius.
They managed to enter into the third court (inner court) undetected using walls and low hanging trees, and was now making their way through the long spiral stairs that directly led into the royal quarters that housed the King's immediate family.
The one at the lead, a ferocious red horned snake released a hiss that told the other two to follow her. She seemed to be the leader and her snake skin glistened beautifully under the slight touch of the moon.
A door creaked as they passed and the red snake stopped abruptly causing her followers to do the same.
It was dangerous being out here in the open, at a place only accessible to a selected few. But, it was the only form the wolves could not easily detect and not to also mention their lack of a scent.
It would only take the passing of a random night patrol guard for them to get into serious trouble. Serpents were an abomination in Castle Rock Palace and the entire shifter world.
But yet it looks like they may be able to live another day as their bad feelings only turned out to be false alarm.
A young beautiful brown haired woman stuck her head out of the room and emitted what seemed like a hiss to let them know to enter. The three creatures slithered in and the door was shut after the woman had looked around to be sure no one was in sight.
The door opened again and this time it was another young looking woman who came out of the room. Her darkish red hair was cut short leaving out a fringe that shadowed her face. She stood tall with an unsmiling expression that still failed to hide her beauty.
The woman had gold tribal markings lining her olive skin including her arms and some on her foot making her appear like she belonged to royalty. And this wasn't far from the truth, because within the next few hours she may indeed become the next Queen of the Wolves.
Loud howls and screams could be heard from outside the palace grounds alongside the heavy sounds of bones cracking that indicated the shift from beast to human, which would only mean one thing…Razhal was back.
"We need to hurry. I see the sly woman headed towards here" the host spoke out in a frazzled voice. She wore garments that bore the symbol of the King's family name, obviously posing as a maid.
The other two women, one on a buzz cut and the other a wavy mane also came out of the room and the four of them tiptoed towards the direction of the new bride's room.
They found the place heavily guarded by three men who had the smell of Alphas.
"ayaa I didn't know of any added security…" the one disguising as a servant whispered.
"This would be your second time yet Sophiet. Let it not repeat itself again" the buzz cut rebuked in a coarse tone while casting a mean eye towards the one on a servant attire.
The red haired woman made a gesture for them to wait while she advanced towards the guards with a long silver pin she was hiding behind her back.
They hadn't seen her coming due to the lack of a scent, not until she was upon them.
She was fast like a breeze and moved like fine dust, fleeting through them while leaving behind small puncture wounds on their necks.
The three men gurgled out a greenish substance and soon they turned into ashes disappearing with the wind.
The girl couldn't believe she would ever be able to hurt a fly talk more of taking a life but the grief in her soul and the thirst for vengeance had taken control of her body.
Omar had died. Her light had left her, and now all that remained was the darkness left behind by his death. She was in the palace to uphold justice against the killers of her mate and impersonating the new Luna was her only way.
Her vengeance didn't only include the giver of the command, but also the persons who acted on the order and every mouth that ever spoke and planned it. The ears that heard of it and did nothing and the eyes that saw them do it. It was like a grand destruction from top to bottom where there was no room for forgiveness or escape.
Razhal had given the order, but attacking him straight on was a suicide mission. She was here to destroy him from within, to erase every trace of the vile beast from the face of the earth. A worthy punishment for the one who had murdered his friend.
Verona badged into the room with eyes blazing and amidst the loud gasps from the occupants of the room. she walked straight for the woman who was sitting on the bed adorned in priceless jewelries and wearing a bridal garment.
On her way she was accosted by her attending maidservants but her three companions easily took care of the women, making them varnish into thin air.
The bride looked young and innocent. She seemed not to have seen the dark side of the world, so pure and naive with fear lining her eyes, and because of that Verona hesitated.
"Why are you stopping?" one of the girls, a mean looking thing with a permanent frown spoke brashly behind her.
"She's an innocent…" the girl responded in a monotone not looking at the fellow behind.
"Innocent…? The fuck do you mean by an innocent, are you out of your mind!. Have you forgotten who she is and what her position means to you…to us?"The aggressive woman took steps to bypass the hesitant red-head.
"Give her a peaceful goodbye…or I'll handle it myself, your call?" there was a bit of a threat behind her words but Verona also realized she was indeed right.
First the girl was a Wolf and that alone was able to help withdraw her sympathy. She had no love or mercy for her kind and was prepared not to receive any in return from them. Nothing must stop her plans, and that was the thought that hardened her heart as she advanced towards the girl who began to scream.
****
Asundi the Queen maker, a robust she-wolf who looked advanced in age walked through the dim lit hallways.
There was a thin veil covering half of her face and her hands were wrapped in a glove, not to also mention the long dress that revealed no part of her body, even her foot.
The woman stood before the bridal room and her nose sniffed the air. Something seemed amiss but she couldn't point it out.
"Open the door" she ordered the guard who had come with her. And without waiting for it to open fully she badged into the room in haste like someone who wanted to catch a thief. But her confusion even became profound when everything seemed normal.
The bride still sat where she left her and the three maids stood around her. Asundi scrunched her nose and her wolf came upon the surface as she looked around the room searching for something still yet unknown.
This marriage was not to happen if not for the purpose of peace. She wouldn't put it past the northern Alpha to send a spy packaged in bridal garments. They needed to be thorough.
Once she was half satisfied, the woman turned to the veiled bride and was about to say something, but decided it wasn't necessary.
"Your highness. I shall escort you to the wedding hall" she spoke in a stern but still respectful tone and the bride stood up without saying a thing.
One of her servants stole glances at Asundi as if trying to read the woman's mind.
How was it that despite her reputation to be the most detailed Queen Maker to ever walk the earth, she was still unable to notice glaring differences?
The Original Melima was short and petite while the one standing before her had long limbs with a craned neck. Even the complexion was no longer the same; the first one was deathly pale while this one looked darker like one from the hot southern region as against the cold planes of the north.
Then it dawned on her that the palace simply did not bother with any details. That was how much insignificant they considered the new Luna. They cared not whether she was tall or short, fat or thin, healthy or at the brink of death, only requiring her to be able to breath while possessing child bearing hips.
Therefore it would even make their plans go smoothly, for they also hadn't thought of those minor body differences while formulating their plan.
The bride was led into a wide hall that was decorated so lavishly to fit the occasion.
Verona saw through the veil and her fists tightened at the apparent waste of resources that was greatly lacking in many regions.
She didn't fail to notice the hateful stares being thrown her way nor the animosity that came along with it. They surely hated the sight of her. She had known they considered the bride inadequate to the status of the Queen but having them openly show it was something else entirely.
Her feet moved in haste not wishing to dwindle anymore. Soon she was upon the aisle where stood a man in a robe and sitting on a dreadful chair beside him was another man whose aura easily trampled that of everyone else in the room.
He was King Razhal Yuma Ozell; the man whose life she must take.
The moment the realization came to her, he also looked up at the same time and starred directly into her eyes.