ZINA
The last ti Zina had been there, it was to declare Daemon as the Alpha King by pulling a stunt that was only supported by a vision of a phenonon she saw would happen that day.
So that day on the Afternoon Blood Moon, many had recognized the blood of the Northern Royalty who possessed a Southern Desert Wolf as their king.
Now, their recognition of him would be completed by the act of his coronation.
Zina had always wondered why Daemon had chosen to prolong his coronation for that long, but now she felt like she knew the answer; he probably prolonged it for he wished to change the course of things like the leadership of the four houses and the hold the Five Houses held over the crown.
Now that he had already started making such big moves, things in the North had been upturned to the point where one might call it chaotic. With the tournant , the defeat of the rebelled BloodMoon Pack, and many other things that were to co, it seed everyone was anticipating what kind of King Daemon would be.
Zina took the private steps that would enable her to climb up the pavilion while Ablanch guarded her from behind, and as she climbed the pavilion, many people clamoured at the sides, begging for her attention.
Zina had missed seeing the people. The past two months had been a handful and she barely had space to take a breather nor to conduct the usual Taga etings. She had missed seeing the people honestly. Afterall it was for them that she was able to survive the horror of Eldric’s reign.
Fighting for the people’s right had been a true delight for her. It took her mind away from a lot of bad things, and now as she beheld the people’s face and the distraught still tinted to their expressions, Zina felt like she was failing in her original job.
While the taxes had been brought down to a moderate amount, most people still couldn’t afford it nonetheless because of poor harvests and lack of stable inco. The famine had receded in comparison to how it was before, but the shadows of it still lingered. Besides, there was still the issue of the missing ten million grams of gold, and the fact that no monarch was run on charity.
"Theta I’ve finally conceived! Thank you for all your encouragent!" A woman exclaid in the uproar of her presence while rubbing her slightly protruding belly.
Zina smiled while she rembered the woman who had attended one Taga eting, complaining about her lack of fertility despite yearning for a child more than anything. Zina had done nothing for the woman really except proffer words of encouragent.
"Theta! My family is now united! I was able to locate them with your help after the war!"
"We have bountiful harvests now Theta! Thank you for your contribution to my ager farm!"
"Theta please lay your hands on my child! Maybe then his brain would open!"
"Theta, when will the Taga etings resu? I really hope to be chosen when the ti cos!"
On and on, they assaulted her with their kind, sotis almost comical words. Zina rely smiled back at them till she advanced the stairs and they were out of sight.
When she finally reached the highest pavilion, the Temple aides were already waiting for her. The reclusive three Eldern that never left their conclave were there, a hood over their faces exposing only their eyes that seed to be shrouded in mystery. Seven Elderwoman were there too, including Sybril; there were so Temple Knights and Temple Warriors together with two high priestesses.
Everyone was wearing white sa like her. Zina glanced at the clock noting that it was re minutes before Daemon would grace the pavilion, so she addressed the Temple first.
"The intended Alpha King is without an imdiate four direct subordinates so the laying of the crown will have to be perford by ."
The Eldern nodded while the only woman out of the three spoke in her usual drawl, "It is only fitting after all that the Theta lays the crown. Since ti immorial that is how it’s been done. Recent practice by the Late Alpha Kings went against custom, but alas, how could we speak against the loving and kind kings?"
Zina nodded, her hands clammy with sweat as she turned to properly face the crowd. There was three demarcation to the square; on the left side stood the Pack mbers of the NorthSteed Pack, the middle housed every other person from the Arctic North according to their packs while the right side was filled with foreigners including and not limited to invited packs and guests, and participants to the tournant.
Each Pack present was denoted by their flags, but the flag that stood proudest was the black flag of the Arctic North that was depicted by the head of a white Arctic Wolf. An ethereal wind blew over the flag, causing it to dance proudly from high up in the air.
Instead of counting down to the remaining two minutes that remained before Daemon would appear, Zina recited over the words that she was supposed to say during the coronation. The words were already ingrained in her head as much as any word one recited over and over again in their head for three weeks straight without any stop would.
And yet, she went ahead to recite them regardless.
The White Wolf is a symbol of the ancient culture that binds the NorthSteed Pack and House to serve the entirety of the North....
It’s the Alpha King’s Duty to maintain and uphold the dignity of his position with servitude as his guide....
He must not....
Two bangs sounded and Zina’s eyes flew open while the chattering crowd went silent. Daemon had appeared and was currently climbing up the pavilion, and suffice to say, he looked nothing like Zina expected a man who was to be crowned Alpha King would look.
A bored expression was etched to his face and his eyes said he could not wait for the entire affair to be over already. Apart from his expression, his clothing was so... casual? Indifferent? Slightly obscene?
He was still bare chested as he had been that morning. The only difference was that he was putting on a long dark red cloak that billowed at his sides over dark leather pants that fitted him in a way that made his v-line look even more wonderful than it had been when they were alone in his room.
Zina watched as so won cooed at the rugged sight of him, while many drooled openly without sha. Zina who had been initially shy at the sight of him when they were cocooned in the intimacy of his room stared openly at him then without sha.
When Zina noticed that Yaren was following closely behind him, she blinked multiple tis to shake off the spell. She can’t have the grumpy man thinking her to be soone who got carried away by looks.
She was not that kind of woman.
And yet her wolf growled, ’Tell those bitches he is ours!’
Sweet goddess; Zina shut the wolf up as quickly as possible before Daemon reached her, his lazy eyes casually sweeping over the Temple and then finally coming to rest on her.
"Shall we get this over with?" Daemon said, shrugging off his cloak till it pooled on the floor.
Dumbstruck, Zina had almost forgotten that Daemon was to shift before the coronation went further. She watched Yaren pick the cloak, and then her eyes rested on Daemon’s completely exposed torso.
When she said nothing, Daemon continued. "Let’s make your last day as Theta worthwhile."
And then bones were snapping and aligning while her world turned into a fire of black fur.
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