Parley

ALASTAIR

“Parley?!” The king’s voice echoed through the room, his anger clear.

The men in the room were more interested in the new addition to their private meetings than the king’s outburst. The young queen, who was despised by the beta and intrigued the general and gamma, sat next to the king.

How did she manage that? Even she didn’t know.

The men were so surprised by her presence that they were more focused on her than the shocking news that the fae wanted to parley. She wasn’t sure why they wanted to parley, but she knew Ella had a hidden agenda.

When she first met Ella, she seemed peaceful and honest. But her strongest trait was her desire to protect her people, to survive. And Aurelia was one of her people.

“Y-Yes, my k-king,” the messenger stuttered.

The king snatched the parchment from his hands and dismissed him with a harsh slap to the face. It was just to ease his tension.

The king turned back to his battle table and sat down. His eyes scanned the cursive writing on the parchment. Aurelia tried to peek over his shoulder. She was curious, and he knew it. But he let her.

He seemed to be letting a lot of things slide.

She was surprised to be in the room, but when the king personally asked her to attend, she felt a surge of pride. It had been a few weeks since she dropped the act. Had she finally won over the Alpha King?

“The fae want to parley,” the king said, his voice filled with disbelief. “It’s probably a trap.”

“Yes, a trap. They’ve had hundreds of years to plan one. They could have offered to parley many times. Why now if it’s genuine?” Vidarr added.

“A trap for sure,” Laurent agreed.

The room fell silent as Laurent held back. He narrowed his eyes at the queen, and she returned his glare.

She had warned him before that she would rise through the ranks. It had happened sooner than she expected and in a different way. But she was proud and commanding.

“Is there a problem, Laurent?” the king asked, his voice filled with barely concealed anger.

“Of course not, my king. I was just surprised to see your queen here this morning,” he replied carefully.

“As I was saying, I agree it’s probably a trap. Why bother with a parley? If they want to attack, let them. We’ll win. A parley won’t help us. They’re the ones at risk.”

“Aurelia,” the king said, turning to her. “What do you think?”

She tilted her head and a small smile appeared on her lips. But she still felt a knot of nervousness in her stomach.

How should she answer? She felt like this was a test. A final test to see if she could earn his complete trust.

“I’m not sure I know enough about the war, my king. But the parley seems risky. Why take a risk when there’s no clear reward?” she said carefully.

“They don’t have anything you want, so they don’t have anything to offer.”

Of course, he was going to parley with them; that was the plan. But she wasn’t going to make her intentions obvious to the king’s suspicious mind.

The king studied her as she spoke. Everyone else in the room watched him. Then he smiled.

“Don’t any of you want to know what they want? I thought my curious queen would be interested.” He looked at her with a teasing smile.

“But in the end, the decision is mine. We’ll agree to the parley.” Vidarr started to protest, but the king silenced him.

“The decision is mine,” the king repeated, his gaze hard on Vidarr. “And all of you will accompany me.”

“Maybe it would be better to send representatives instead—” Henri started, but the king cut him off.

“I’m going,” he said firmly. “Understood?”

“Yes, my king,” the gamma replied, his voice submissive.

A messenger was sent to deliver the news to the border, but Ella heard the news sooner thanks to her spy. Using dark magic to project her thoughts was becoming a daily routine.

The magic that gave her power. Nothing fueled it more than the compulsion spell, which Ella had asked her to use several times to help their cause.

Only she and Cathan knew about this. If anyone else found out, it wouldn’t end well.

The queen got into the carriage with the king. It was strange for her. She had never been with the king before. He had never paid her any attention.

Now, all of a sudden, she was being invited to meetings and parleys with the enemy. It was strange, but it meant she had earned his trust.

“You’re nervous,” he said.

“Yes. I’ve never seen a fae before,” she replied.

“They’re not much to look at, little wolf.” His voice was neutral, but she could sense the bitterness in his words.

“Vidarr mentioned a council?”

“Yes. No one on the other side of the border has the authority to lead.” She suspected he was taking a jab at Cathan.

“They’re all worthless runaways. They left their families behind to suffer. They’re a cowardly people.”

“I’m sure they are. They sound weak and cowardly. If that’s true, what threat do they pose?”

“You’re full of questions today,” he said.

“I’ve been indulging you so far. Be careful not to overstep.

“They’re a threat because they’re cowards. Sneaky, greedy cowards. They think they can take over if they find the right combination of spells.”

“But their magic isn’t strong enough?” she asked.

“Overthrowing me is a huge task, Aurelia. Don’t get any ideas,” he joked. A joke? The king didn’t joke. He was too serious.

“I wouldn’t dream of it. I’m already your queen,” she replied, smiling sweetly. He scoffed and narrowed his eyes at her.

“Be careful, little wolf,” he warned, sending a shiver down her spine.

Before, being queen meant nothing. Now, she didn’t know where she stood. Her status was uncertain. Even the king didn’t know.

They didn’t journey through the capital or any other populated areas. The route they took was devoid of any signs of life.

She gazed out at barren fields, overrun with weeds. The sky was a blanket of gray clouds, obscuring the sun she yearned to see.

“This is called the King’s Road for a reason,” the king grumbled. Her focus shifted back to her mate as she subconsciously cocked her head at him. “It’s private, secure, and I don’t have to see my people.”

“Is there something wrong with them?” she dared to ask.

He arched an eyebrow at her, considering whether to scold her. The king took any cheeky comment too seriously, but Aurelia was already well aware of that.

“Feeling bold today, are we?” he snapped, struggling to keep his temper in check.

Aurelia felt uneasy about all of this. The king’s behavior seemed different, drastically different, and she had a hunch it had something to do with her. But not in the way she hoped.

The king never had to suppress his anger. He was the king, after all. He could do whatever he pleased without having to answer to anyone, even the gods. But now... he didn’t punish her.

“I’m sorry, my king. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful. I just wanted to know why you avoid your people.”

He pinched her chin and pulled her face closer to his. His eyes sparkled with untold tales. But they still scrutinized her actions.

“I thought I told you to be careful,” he said in a flat tone, his mind wandering elsewhere. He pondered deeply while they remained in that awkward position.

“The people have had the same king for centuries. They treat me like some kind of god. The longer it’s been, the more rumors spread about me, the more their fear and respect grow.

“Tell me, little wolf, what did you know about me while living in that village?”

“I... I heard you were the most fearsome king. I heard that your wolf could rip a pack apart in seconds. I heard that anyone who knows the king dies,” she replied.

“Have I lived up to your legends?” He expected her answer to be “no,” so he could justify his avoidance of his people.

“Yes,” she murmured.

He let go of her chin and furrowed his brows. Her gaze immediately dropped to her lap as she fiddled with her fingers.

“You are fearsome, your wolf is a monster in action, and I know you and I died.”

Their surroundings fell silent at her declaration. They both knew it held some truth.

Aurelia was no longer the naive girl who had been hauled to the castle. She was far from it in every way.

The king didn’t know the full extent, but he knew enough to realize it was true. But, perhaps, for the better.

The carriage came to a stop. The tension in Aurelia’s chest intensified.

The king would simply think she was anxious to meet the fae, but Cathan was unpredictable. Who knew what he would do? The parley was supposed to be with the entire council, whom she knew all too well.

The Alpha King took his queen’s hand, leading her out of the carriage with him, keeping her by his side. He had said she could be in danger from the fae, though she knew that wasn’t the case.

The pair was shielded on all sides by a battalion of the king’s army in sight, not to mention the many hidden away.

Vidarr, Henri, and Laurent advanced to the border, coming into view of the council first.

And then they made way for the king.

Cathan’s eyes met Aurelia’s but she quickly looked away, scanning the other council members as if she had never seen them before.

Her gaze lingered on Ellathoria longer than the others, a silent understanding passing between them.

“The king of the wolves,” Cathan announced with a hint of amusement.

Both parties were safe behind the barrier, as long as it wasn’t dropped. They would be foolish to drop them if that was the plan.

“You need a whole army behind you because you’re so threatened.” The king grunted lowly, but he tilted his head and chuckled lightly.

“Old age has made you bitter,” he retorted. Aurelia watched the exchange closely, her hand still intertwined with her mate’s.

“Yes, and old age has made you duller,” the silver-haired fae shot back.

“We didn’t come here to trade insults,” Ellathoria interjected, diverting the attention from their standoff.

It was a relief to see they really were old acquaintances. And now they both harbored resentment for each other.

“Yes, why did you request a parley? What could you possibly offer me, Ella?”

Ella? They knew each other, too. Aurelia knew they were all from the same era, but “Ella” seemed to be a closer acquaintance.

Jealousy surged through her that she couldn’t suppress, and it brought a smirk to the Alpha King’s stoic face. She squeezed his hand slightly for her own sanity before calming down.

“You brought a whole fleet here to meet with us. I had hoped it would be a more private affair.” She glanced at the queen and her ally, then turned her gaze back to the king.

“I see you’ve found your mate. Congratulations.”

“As if you didn’t know, hmm?” he countered with a raised eyebrow.

For a moment, Aurelia tensed, but soon realized he knew what the fae could do and knew Axon had visions. “What is this about? Ready to finally drop those borders and die?”

“Let’s talk peace.”