The Lycan King's Forbidden Craving - Chapter 93: Chapter 93
You are reading The Lycan King's Forbidden Craving, Chapter 93: Chapter 93. Read more chapters of The Lycan King's Forbidden Craving.
Valkyrie’s dethronement had caused quite a stir in the kingdom, spreading like wildfire. They opposed, now wondering if he would ever crown a Luna and bear an heir.
Some even speculated that the Lycans planned to keep werewolves beneath their feet… to the extent that whispers of wanting a new king had begun.
Rumors spread, accusing the King of incompetence.
Of course, those in favor of Valkyrie as Luna were the ones fanning the flames.
The king had expected this, but that didn’t mean he would choose a deceiver as his Luna.
"At this point, Alpha Toran," Pericles spoke as they settled into the room after the Royal Combat Trial, "I'm beginning to think the King might consider taking Arianna as his betrothed. If that happens, we're screwed—she's a woman of fire, not one we can manipulate."
Toran, who was undressing, shot Pericles a look. "We just have to find her weakness."
Pericles raised a brow. "You mean like her little sister?"
Toran scoffed. "That kind of thinking is why many fail, Pericles. You don’t attack their loved ones outright. You find their deepest secret—one that can ruin them first—then you strike them and their loved ones when they’re already broken."
"Like what?"
"Like the truth about her being a bastard," Toran stated.
"Wasn’t Kael bluffing about that?"
"Oh, he wasn’t," Toran replied. "She really is a half-bastard. Her late mother wasn’t her real one."
Pericles’ lips parted in disbelief. "Well, that’s interesting. How are we going to confirm it? Should we install a spy or what?"
Toran’s eyes narrowed as his thoughts drifted to Lylah… then to Brigid, the maid who had accompanied Arianna when she confronted him about the slave.
"I know where to start," Toran muttered.
••••••••
"Truly, you are a remarkable woman—the daughter of your father—and I am honored and blessed by what happened to Kael," Elder Varyn let out a soft, low laugh as they walked through the small hall. "He deserved every bit of it."
Arianna smiled, a smile that truly reached her eyes. "Thank you, Elder Varyn. None of this would have been possible if you hadn’t come."
"You should thank the King," Elder Varyn admitted. "His Majesty played a significant role in this. I wouldn’t have known you were alive if not for the letter that traveled all the way to our pack, inviting us here."
Arianna’s heart skipped a beat. "He did?"
"Yes, my lady. He ensured we arrived at the palace safely, provided us with food, and guaranteed our security."
Arianna halted, and so did Elder Varyn.
"Now that the storm has cleared, Lady Arianna, it is time for you to take your rightful place as the Luna of the Ravenswood Pack."
Arianna’s breath hitched, her body going rigid for a moment. She had expected this...
It had been her first wish ever since she arrived at the Citadel—to clear her name, punish Kael and those who had betrayed her, and reclaim her position.
Now that everything had fallen into place, she found herself unable to imagine leaving.
So much had happened since she set foot in the palace.
The truth about her past. Her bloodline. And most primal of all—her bond to the King.
Leaving wasn’t an option, though she longed to. She missed her people.
Elder Varyn spoke again when she remained silent. "And do not worry about those foolish Elders who sided with Kael. Now that their atrocities have been exposed, Lord Lucas mentioned that some of the palace soldiers have already gone to arrest them."
Arianna let out a soft sigh. "Elder Varyn, I... I don't think I can leave... right now."
"Not now, Lady Arianna. I meant after the Grand Festival is over."
"Even then, I can't leave." Arianna exhaled. "A lot has happened in the palace, and I don't think I can return for a while."
Elder Varyn's eyes squinted as he seemed to digest Arianna's words.
"Arianna," he called gently. "You are not a bastard. You are a Greystone."
Arianna nodded. "I know. But I need to figure out who I am."
"True." Elder Varyn let out a small smile. "The King has taken an interest in you, Arianna."
Arianna was stunned for a moment.
"No need to be surprised. I saw the way he looked at you. I heard a little about what happened here in the palace, and my heart breaks knowing you have suffered. But since there is now a light slowly shining through, I’ll have to let fate take the lead."
He reached out to hold her hands, his smile brightening.
"Who knows? You might even become the Grand Queen of the Moon Realm."
Arianna's eyes widened. "Elder Varyn..."
"You are a true queen. The King might choose you as his betrothed—you are an Alpha’s daughter, after all..." Elder Varyn snorted. "Maybe your being here isn’t so bad, even though my heart still worries for you."
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Don’t worry about the pack. I’ll take care of it until your return."
Tears burned in Arianna’s eyes as a warm smile spread across her lips.
"Thank you, Elder Varyn."
She then turned to the quiet young lady beside her. "What about you, Lylah?"
"I’m not leaving."
"Lylah—"
"I said I’m not leaving. If you stay, I stay. And don’t even think about making me Luna of the pack instead, because that’s never going to happen. I’m not a ruler—I’m a warrior. Aria."
Arianna could only sigh. Lylah had said everything that was on her mind. Stubborn and straightforward as ever.
••••••••
That night, while preparing for bed, Arianna's mind drifted to what Elder Varyn had said to her. The King's betrothed.
Would the King even consider her as one? And from the faint uproar among the people…
Duncan would have to choose a betrothed soon, or it might become a problem later on.
Her thoughts remained relentless as she lay in bed. Despite her efforts to find sleep, it eluded her.
Finally, she rose from her bed to find him. Now that things had settled a little, Arianna wanted to know where she stood.
But then she halted, hearing Duncan's faint voice speaking to Lord Frederick.
"A list of names of Alpha daughters?"
"Yes. I want them before the Masked Ball Ceremony so I can select the eligible—"
Alpha daughters? Could it be what she was thinking?
Then Duncan completed his sentence, causing Arianna's heart to shatter.
"—eligible for the selection of my betrothed."
Some even speculated that the Lycans planned to keep werewolves beneath their feet… to the extent that whispers of wanting a new king had begun.
Rumors spread, accusing the King of incompetence.
Of course, those in favor of Valkyrie as Luna were the ones fanning the flames.
The king had expected this, but that didn’t mean he would choose a deceiver as his Luna.
"At this point, Alpha Toran," Pericles spoke as they settled into the room after the Royal Combat Trial, "I'm beginning to think the King might consider taking Arianna as his betrothed. If that happens, we're screwed—she's a woman of fire, not one we can manipulate."
Toran, who was undressing, shot Pericles a look. "We just have to find her weakness."
Pericles raised a brow. "You mean like her little sister?"
Toran scoffed. "That kind of thinking is why many fail, Pericles. You don’t attack their loved ones outright. You find their deepest secret—one that can ruin them first—then you strike them and their loved ones when they’re already broken."
"Like what?"
"Like the truth about her being a bastard," Toran stated.
"Wasn’t Kael bluffing about that?"
"Oh, he wasn’t," Toran replied. "She really is a half-bastard. Her late mother wasn’t her real one."
Pericles’ lips parted in disbelief. "Well, that’s interesting. How are we going to confirm it? Should we install a spy or what?"
Toran’s eyes narrowed as his thoughts drifted to Lylah… then to Brigid, the maid who had accompanied Arianna when she confronted him about the slave.
"I know where to start," Toran muttered.
••••••••
"Truly, you are a remarkable woman—the daughter of your father—and I am honored and blessed by what happened to Kael," Elder Varyn let out a soft, low laugh as they walked through the small hall. "He deserved every bit of it."
Arianna smiled, a smile that truly reached her eyes. "Thank you, Elder Varyn. None of this would have been possible if you hadn’t come."
"You should thank the King," Elder Varyn admitted. "His Majesty played a significant role in this. I wouldn’t have known you were alive if not for the letter that traveled all the way to our pack, inviting us here."
Arianna’s heart skipped a beat. "He did?"
"Yes, my lady. He ensured we arrived at the palace safely, provided us with food, and guaranteed our security."
Arianna halted, and so did Elder Varyn.
"Now that the storm has cleared, Lady Arianna, it is time for you to take your rightful place as the Luna of the Ravenswood Pack."
Arianna’s breath hitched, her body going rigid for a moment. She had expected this...
It had been her first wish ever since she arrived at the Citadel—to clear her name, punish Kael and those who had betrayed her, and reclaim her position.
Now that everything had fallen into place, she found herself unable to imagine leaving.
So much had happened since she set foot in the palace.
The truth about her past. Her bloodline. And most primal of all—her bond to the King.
Leaving wasn’t an option, though she longed to. She missed her people.
Elder Varyn spoke again when she remained silent. "And do not worry about those foolish Elders who sided with Kael. Now that their atrocities have been exposed, Lord Lucas mentioned that some of the palace soldiers have already gone to arrest them."
Arianna let out a soft sigh. "Elder Varyn, I... I don't think I can leave... right now."
"Not now, Lady Arianna. I meant after the Grand Festival is over."
"Even then, I can't leave." Arianna exhaled. "A lot has happened in the palace, and I don't think I can return for a while."
Elder Varyn's eyes squinted as he seemed to digest Arianna's words.
"Arianna," he called gently. "You are not a bastard. You are a Greystone."
Arianna nodded. "I know. But I need to figure out who I am."
"True." Elder Varyn let out a small smile. "The King has taken an interest in you, Arianna."
Arianna was stunned for a moment.
"No need to be surprised. I saw the way he looked at you. I heard a little about what happened here in the palace, and my heart breaks knowing you have suffered. But since there is now a light slowly shining through, I’ll have to let fate take the lead."
He reached out to hold her hands, his smile brightening.
"Who knows? You might even become the Grand Queen of the Moon Realm."
Arianna's eyes widened. "Elder Varyn..."
"You are a true queen. The King might choose you as his betrothed—you are an Alpha’s daughter, after all..." Elder Varyn snorted. "Maybe your being here isn’t so bad, even though my heart still worries for you."
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Don’t worry about the pack. I’ll take care of it until your return."
Tears burned in Arianna’s eyes as a warm smile spread across her lips.
"Thank you, Elder Varyn."
She then turned to the quiet young lady beside her. "What about you, Lylah?"
"I’m not leaving."
"Lylah—"
"I said I’m not leaving. If you stay, I stay. And don’t even think about making me Luna of the pack instead, because that’s never going to happen. I’m not a ruler—I’m a warrior. Aria."
Arianna could only sigh. Lylah had said everything that was on her mind. Stubborn and straightforward as ever.
••••••••
That night, while preparing for bed, Arianna's mind drifted to what Elder Varyn had said to her. The King's betrothed.
Would the King even consider her as one? And from the faint uproar among the people…
Duncan would have to choose a betrothed soon, or it might become a problem later on.
Her thoughts remained relentless as she lay in bed. Despite her efforts to find sleep, it eluded her.
Finally, she rose from her bed to find him. Now that things had settled a little, Arianna wanted to know where she stood.
But then she halted, hearing Duncan's faint voice speaking to Lord Frederick.
"A list of names of Alpha daughters?"
"Yes. I want them before the Masked Ball Ceremony so I can select the eligible—"
Alpha daughters? Could it be what she was thinking?
Then Duncan completed his sentence, causing Arianna's heart to shatter.
"—eligible for the selection of my betrothed."
End of The Lycan King's Forbidden Craving Chapter 93. Continue reading Chapter 94 or return to The Lycan King's Forbidden Craving book page.