The Lycan King's Forbidden Craving - Chapter 26: Chapter 26

Brigid locked the door bringing out a large ancient book and going to sit beside Arianna. The book has a fine silver leathered cover, with the title written boldly.
"Tales of the realms" Arianna mutter the words, feeling the words being a strange feeling to her chest.
"Echoes of the forgotten ages" Brigid muttered the small subtitle beneath it. "This is going to be interesting"
"And we are going to be in a big trouble is Selene finds out about this" Arianna muttered.
"That makes it fun. You'll get use to it friend" Brigid winked and opened the first page. "I'll read first"
Arianna nodded, a small smile on her face, her expression excited.
"Long ago, there existed two realms, separate yet intertwined: the Moon Realm and the fiery land of Pyrrhos...”
“The Moon Realm, ruled by the Moon Goddess Seluna, was a place of eternal serenity, bathed in silver light. Seluna’s chosen warriors, the Lycans, were powerful beings born to guard the sacred balance of their realm. They were nearly immortal, their full forms bearing wings and beastly strength, unmatched by any creature."
Arianna gasped with wide eyes. "Lycans have wings in their full shift?"
"Yup, I've seen one of my Lycan warrior friends transformed once. "It's a beautiful sight"
"Wow" Arianna lips hung.
Brigid cleared her throat continuing to read. "Pyrrhos, by contrast, was a realm of fire and might, governed by the Dragon Goddess Drakora. Her chosen, the Ouroboros, bore crescent marks on their necks, with silver hair and eyes as bright as molten flames. These warriors commanded the power of fire, bonded to majestic dragons who soared through blazing skies.”
Arianna heart stopped. What the hell?!
Power of fire?
Brigid paused, looking at Arianna. “How amazing would it be to ride a dragon? Imagine the freedom.”
Arianna quickly gathered herself. “It sounds... beautiful. But also dangerous.”
“The two goddesses, though opposites in nature, were sisters who cherished each other deeply. Their realms coexisted in peace, but as the years passed, they sought a way to unite their people forever. To seal their bond, they arranged a marriage between the Lycan Crown Prince and the Ouroboros Princess.”
Brigid stopped reading, looking over the page and squealing. “Sounds like the beginning of a love story. Lucky girl, huh?”
Arianna frowned, a shadow fell on her face. “Not always.”
Brigid raised a brow but didn’t push. She continued reading:
“However, unbeknownst to the goddesses, the Ouroboros Princess harbored a secret love for another. Her heart belonged to an Ouroboros warrior, whose jealousy and pain would set both realms on a path to ruin.”
Brigid’s voice lowered, her tone taking on a dramatic edge. “Oh, this is getting juicy. Listen to this:
“The warrior, consumed by jealousy, began spreading lies, planting seeds of distrust between the Ouroboros and the Lycans. His venomous words warned that the Lycans sought to dominate Pyrrhos, and soon his whispers became a roar among their people.
“To prove his claims, he committed a heinous act. He poisoned the princess’s tea, intending to end her unborn child and frame the Lycans for the tragedy. But the poison took more than he anticipated. The princess succumbed to the pain, dying alongside her child. Her death shattered both realms.”
Arianna face turned paled. “That’s... horrible.”
Brigid nodded solemnly. “It gets worse.” She continued:
“The Lycan Crown Prince, consumed by grief and rage, uncovered the truth of the warrior’s betrayal. In his fury, he struck down the traitor, whose death caused the loss of his bonded dragon. The act further fueled the Ouroboros’ distrust, and war broke out between the realms.
“Dragons clashed with Lycans under blazing skies. Blood soaked the earth as the sisters watched in despair, bound by their own laws never to interfere with mortal fates.”
Brigid turned the page, her fingers trembling slightly. “But one of them did interfere. Drakora.
“Drakora, unable to bear the destruction of her realm, broke the sacred laws of the goddesses. She granted the youngest Lycan Prince a power unmatched, ensuring his victory over the Ouroboros. But her act of defiance came at a price. For breaking the divine law, Drakora was cast down to earth, half of her power gone"
Arianna didn't know when a tear slipped down her face.
“The Ouroboros faded into extinction, their dragons gone. The Lycans, though victorious, suffered great losses, their numbers dwindling. The balance between the realms was shattered, and the goddesses’ bond was forever broken.”
Just as Brigid concluded the page, the door opened revealing Selene.
Brigid froze.
"You!" she roared, snatching the book from Brigid's hands. "What in the seven hells do you think you're doing?"
"We... I mean... I didn’t mean to—"
"Mean to invade my private chambers or take something that doesn’t belong to you? Which one?" Selene snapped, her voice icy.
Brigid lowered her gaze. "I’m sorry, Madam Selene. It won’t happen again."
Selene shifted her sharp gaze to Arianna. "And you, what excuse do you have?"
Arianna lowered her head. "I’m sorry, Madam Selene."
Selene’s voice rose, sharper than before. "Ignorance is not a defense. Both of you have crossed the line. The next time this happens, I swear by the gods, I won’t let it slide."
Arianna pressed her lips together. Selene had never been this riled up before.
"The King summoned you," Selene finally said.
Arianna sighed; she had almost forgotten about the King. As Selene led her through the halls, Arianna’s heart drummed loudly in her ears.
"So..." Her voice wavered hesitantly. "Where is Drakora?"
Selene stopped in her tracks, shutting her eyes and drawing in a deep breath, as though it would calm her nerves. Then she turned to Arianna.
"Forget what you read in that book if you want to live a long life."
"Why?" Arianna couldn’t bear the way Selene kept hiding things. "That book felt... connected. Power of fire? Was that what I think—"
"You will not speak of this again," Selene shot her a glare. "If you want to live."
Arianna’s jaw clenched as Selene continued walking, leading her not to the King’s chamber but somewhere else. Outside. Unfamiliar.
"Where are you taking me?"
"To the place the King finds his personal peace and quiet," Selene replied.
Arianna’s eyes caught sight of a beautiful lake, its water pristine and distant, surrounded by lush vegetation. The place was breathtaking, filled with blooming flowers. She never imagined a place like this existed within the Citadel.
She opened her mouth to ask where the King was, but Selene had disappeared.
Sighing, Arianna approached the lake. There he was—floating, shirtless, his eyes closed. She couldn’t help herself; she savored the sight of him. His face was calm, seemingly at peace in the water that enveloped him.
"I see Selene hasn’t taught you, has she?" His voice cut through the silence.
Shit! She had forgotten to greet him.
"Good evening, Your Majesty," she quickly said.
"You didn’t answer my question."
"I... Uhm... I haven’t seen her for three days. She barely has time to teach me."
"Or perhaps you never told her at all."
Damn. He caught her. Arianna had been so preoccupied with the fire incident that she had forgotten to mention that part to Selene.
"Can you swim?" he asked, his tone surprisingly calm. She had expected him to lash out at her, but he didn’t.
"A little," she replied.
"Get in."
Arianna blinked. Didn’t Selene say this was his personal space? Yet he wanted her to join him?
"What are you waiting for?" This time, his golden-amber eyes opened, locking with hers.
Drawing in a deep breath, she stepped toward the water, but his curt voice stopped her.
"What are you doing?" he asked. She froze, wondering what she had done wrong.
"What you asked me to, Your Grace," she replied in a soft voice.
Duncan’s eyes settled on her clothing. "Take them off. Your clothes... It’s not as if I haven’t seen what lies beneath."