"Alpha command?"
"It’s like a law imprinted in their blood, you just know it when you have t the greater power. W-When it’s unleashed, all must obey and all must die."
I shivered. "I pray I never experience that."
"Well, you have, Y-Your Grace. When you t the Dowager."
"I-I did?"
"Yes, rumors spread the c-castle like wildfire about how you survived a eting with the Dowager."
I huffed. "That cannot be, the only reason I walked out of there alive is because I ntioned that the monarch and I consummated our marriage. I knew that woman wouldn’t lay a finger on then."
"D-Didn’t you feel suffocated in any way? A presence so large that you could tell that you were before sothing deadlier, and your mind closing in on you. T-The only response your body could make was telling you that it was about to give out?"
I froze at her explicit description. She said it as if she had experienced it herself.
"That’s the Alpha command, Your Grace."
A cold chill seized my spine. "That feeling was the command?" I mumbled with wide eyes.
Great. It was nice to know I would have dropped dead that day. How lucky was I? Not too fortunate, though, if Sloane hadn’t intervened. It’s not like she did it out of the kindness of her heart.
With Osha’s insights about Lycans, I think I had a better understanding. This moonblood running through their veins allowed them to shift into their beast selves and maintain this human form. It’s heavily concentrated on the Alphas, which explains why they are considered the highest authority.
Such a dynamic hierarchy, which ant no one else could steal the throne, well, unless an Alpha.
"How many Alphas are there?" I asked.
"W-Well, only within the royal family. Many were lost during the war."
"I see... that makes the royal family so precious."
"And why the Dowager is obsessed with making more heirs."
That explained how explicit she was during my eting with her.
"Is the Dowager an Alpha?" I asked.
"She married and mated with an Alpha. Which makes her one."
"That is so accomplishnt, from a simple Lycan to an Alpha?"
Osha nodded. "That is why she’s heavily respected. We Lycans value strength, and the Dowager showed this when she was Queen Consort."
Strength. I narrowed my eyes, one thing I don’t have. Physically.
"What do you an by she mated an Alpha?" I asked. Osha’s earlier words have caught my interest.
"Mating is a connection of a lifelong bond made by Lycans. Consummation and marking are used to seal this bond. It’s an ancient practice of our tradition and very sacred."
"Like soulmates?"
"Yes," she replied, then leaned toward . "Although I heard a long ti ago that the moon goddess once chose mates."
I snorted. "You an like a matchmaker?"
Osha shrugged. "I just heard about it."
"So before the Great War...it could be possible that the goddess chose the mates, and now the Lycans practice this on their own?"
"T-That’s one way to put it, Your Grace."
"I see..." I nodded. The Lycans have impressive traditions. "The reason I asked more about your kind is because I truly want to understand the way things are done here."
"I’m at your disposal. Your Grace! I’ll be sure to tell you everything you need to know as long as I have the knowledge about it," Osha said cheerfully.
I noticed her stutter wasn’t much now, and it warms my heart knowing she was getting comfortable with .
I placed my hand on hers on the table. "I want to create a court, Osha."
"A-A court?" she said with broad eyes.
"Yes. If I’m powerless, I can’t take down Sloane."
Understanding beca her gaze. "I know, Y-Your Grace. A court is another way of obtaining power, and it’s truly respected here in the royal family. Having people supporting you will not only ensure your place in our empire but also raise your position. It’s possible to beco Queen consort."
I huffed. "Oh, Osha! I don’t want to beco Queen. My only desire is to bring Sloane down."
"I thought..." she trailed off. "Becoming Queen Consort could secure your place by the monarch’s side."
"I have no intention of ruling Valkanor by his side. I just want enough to have my revenge. That is what I truly desire."
The reason I want to live longer. For Talia.
Osha’s eyes saddened, and I wondered if I had said sothing wrong.
"What about the monarch?"
"What about him?"
Her mouth hung agape, but she said nothing, simply clearing her throat to continue. "If you want to create your court, it will be difficult."
I sighed. "I know, this has been on my mind for days, but I’m beginning to think it’s a lost plan." I clicked my tongue. "The plan hasn’t been set in motion, and it’s already a failure."
"I don’t think it’s a failure yet."
I veered my gaze to her. "Does my Osha have a plan?"
She blushed. "Well..."
"Co on now, spill! Please?" I whined, tugging on her sleeves.
"It might not work."
"We won’t know until we try."
"It might put you in danger!"
"I’m already in danger as long as Sloane roams free." I placed a hand on my chest. "Woman to woman, she desires to bite my head off and dine on it in her golden platter."
Osha sighed in defeat, and I smirked.
"The monarch’s siblings."
"What about them?"
"He has a brother and a sister. Since the mont they were born, they had their court, noble houses under them. It’s like a thing here, when a royal is born, they have allies who serve them, and when a royal takes the throne, not only will they have aid from their previous allies, but more after they are crowned."
"Making them more powerful. Does this an that the monarch has a large court?"
"Well, after he left for the war, his court was divided and was absorbed by his mother and Lady Sloane, given that she was chosen to be his mate."
I’m going to ignore the sting in my chest about that detail surrounding Sloane. She wasn’t just his betrothed then, but a mate chosen for him.
I grimaced in disgust. Their match was predestined.
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