Chapter 3

Hours passed, dusk drew closer, but finally the council meeting was over. Disgruntled shifter nobles, both from the Weretiger and werewolf clans, filed out of the grand hall doors, mumbling to themselves, exhaustion etched on their faces. King Xenon had kept them in that council room from the crack of dawn to this very hour, denying them basic refreshments or any form of merriment till every issue between factions were settled.

It was a tactic they were powerless against. Shifters of any kind hated to be kept in a position for far too long, lest they grew restless and, in severe cases, began to lash out—but it wasn’t the case for this king. If he could, he would keep them for the entire day, making them deliberate on the same issues over and over again till they reached a solution.

He might have been their ruler for over a century, but the people were yet to accept him as theirs. And as unruly and violent as they were, this was the only way he could get them to bend to his will: detain them into submission. After every single person had rushed out of the palace, King Xenon finally walked out of the council room, flanked by soldiers.

Taller and more muscular than any other male present, he had lustrous two-toned hair that flowed over his shoulders, softening his domineering aura. With deep-set cerulean eyes, his poise and gait were more of a warrior than a king. However, past decades had added a particular weariness to his expression no one could see if they weren’t watching closely. And no one was; for many were too afraid to meet his eyes.

A figure standing in the corner caught his eye, and he dismissed the soldiers with him, motioning for the person to come closer.

“I see you have returned, Morvan,” he groaned, his voice tinged as he slowed his steps so the latter could catch up.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Morvan responded, falling into step with him.

“Was your mission successful?” Xenon asked, casting him a sideways glance.

“Yes, the girl has been brought into the palace and is now residing in the harem.”

Xenon made an unintelligible sound in his throat, resisting the urge to scoff. “You shouldn’t have bothered, though. Just because I made a decree decades ago to get me all the eligible young female nobles around us doesn’t mean you should constantly go out of your way to find one.”

“Unfortunately, I can’t do that, Your Majesty. We need to find you a female you can be compatible with. Just because we’ve encountered failures in the past doesn’t mean we should stop trying,” he added in a lowered voice. "It strengthens your claim to the throne."

Xenon knew that. He knew that more than anyone. Ever since the Retaliation War he had embarked on to free enslaved Weretigers and eliminate all of the ruling werewolf family at that time, he had been looking for ways to make his claim to the throne permanent.

Over a century on the throne, he was still without an heir or mate to solidify his claim, and most of the people’s trust in him had begun to fade—if it hadn’t faded entirely already. The Weretiger clan feared he would turn out like his father, whose quest for an heir led to the fall of the entire clan, while the werewolves preyed on that opportunity to pull him away from his seat and take back ownership of what they believed he had defiled.

“And you think a human princess will be the answer to my problems?” he asked, glancing at Morvan. Morvan lowered his head, keeping his stance respectful. “We won’t know until you try, Your Majesty.”

Xenon heaved a sigh, rolling his eyes.

“I’m in no mood to see her or any female for that matter. Keep her in the harem and make sure she is well provided for. Also, have Ladrian deliver my suppressants. The last dose has been exhausted.”

Morvan raised his head, his eye widening in alarm. “But, Your Majesty, you know these things don’t work and cause more harm than good–”

A glare from Xenon shut him up. With an exhausted breath, Morvan lowered his head once more. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

.

.

.

After Lady Ysolde left, Rayena’s things were brought into the room, and she spent a great deal of the day arranging her possessions and putting them away. Food was brought in as well, and since she was quite hungry, she’d occasionally pause to fill her stomach before continuing with her organization, humming a tune to pass the time. Hours later, she was done unpacking, and only then did the reality of where she had been thrust dawn on her.

She missed her family—her eccentric but doting mother, her rough but caring father, all her handmaidens, and the familiar life she used to live. She wondered if there would be an opportunity to get out of the place. The man who had brought her in had specifically warned that her father not look for her or he would lose his life. And she was terrified to meet the king she had been promised to. Would he be cruel, tearing her apart the moment he laid eyes on her? She hoped to the heavens that it would not be the case.

Deep in her musing, she was startled when a knock came on the door. Rising from the bed, she stared at the door, wondering who it was this time. When the person persisted, she rose to her feet, striding toward the door and pulling it open. A young, beautiful lady stood behind the door, looking close to her age. She brightened at Rayena’s appearance.

“I hear a new lady has been brought into the harem. Is that perhaps you?” she asked, the sweetness in her voice leaving Rayena flustered. Rayena grew cautious, her tone measured as she responded.

“Yes, I am,” she said, peering at the strange lady.

The lady leaned closer, taking a sniff of her dress. “Oh… you’re human too! Well, my name is Soraya. It’s nice to meet you,” she said, bowing her head.

Thinking it was a form of greeting, Rayena reciprocated the action, albeit awkwardly. “It’s nice to meet you as well.”

“May I come in?” she asked, and Rayena pulled the door farther, gesturing for Soraya to enter. Closing the door slowly behind her, she watched as Soraya looked around the room, seemingly taking it all in.

“I see you’ve made yourself at home already,” Soraya began, glancing back at Rayena. The latter shrugged, fiddling with her fingers.

“I have no choice. I’m going to be here for a while,” Rayena answered, and Soraya smiled.

“That’s true.”

Rayena went ahead to sit down on one of the couches, and Soraya followed, settling beside her. “How long have you been here?” Rayena spoke up, glancing at the lady.

“Hmm. A year.”

“A year!?” Rayena gasped.

“And I’ve yet to see the king. Some of the women in this harem have been here for over a decade, and yet the king has never summoned us,” Soraya revealed with a shrug, plucking grapes from the vine in front of her and popping one into her mouth.

No wonder Lady Ysolde had said what she said. Curious, Rayena scooted closer to her. “Do you, perhaps, know why?”

“I have no idea. Although there have been speculations, none of them have been confirmed. Maybe he has no use for us.”

That didn’t make any sense. “If he has no use for us, why does he collect us?”

Soraya shrugged at that. “Nobody knows that either.”

Rayena frowned. Soraya’s explanation wasn’t particularly helpful, as it only added to her confusion. The latter saw her expression and smiled.

“It’s not like we hate it here, though. For one, all our needs are met, and we get to live lavish lifestyles all day, every day. So that’s one silver lining.”

“You don’t miss home?” Rayena questioned.

Soraya leaned back, letting out a breath. “What’s there to miss about home? If I were back home, I would have been mated by now and probably have given birth to my first pup. So no, I don’t quite miss it.”

“So we’re all just trapped here, wasting away?” Rayena didn’t like the sound of that.

“The thing is, some of us do leave the harem, but only in the situation where we find our destined mates, and that’s really rare. The rest of us that stay behind are just hoping that one of these days the king summons us and we finally have a shot of becoming queen.”

“Well, I don’t want any of those things. I just want to go back home.” Rayena muttered, sounding sullen.

Soraya looked at her then, her expression somber. “Well, I don’t think that’s possible, unless, of course, the king lets you leave. You’re better off just living here and avoiding trouble as much as you can. At least, that’s what I’ve been doing.”

“As long as I do that, no one will bother me?”

Soraya shrugged again. “No one should.”

Rayena let out a breath, balling her hands into fists. Note to self: keep your head down.