At the Capital City, Royal Estate
News travelled quickly in the Capital City and other parts of the kingdom. By the ti the sun dipped low and cast its golden glow over the royal estate, rumors about the Southwest had already found their way into every corridor, chamber, and courtyard.
The story twisted as it spread, but one detail remained the sa—Cain’s daughter, the traitor’s daughter, had saved an entire town.
In the banquet hall of South Palace where nobles gathered for an evening feast to celebrate the Minister of Faith, Darel Cane’s birthday, the whispers were thick enough to choke on. n leaned across tables, speaking in low, urgent tones. Won in silk gowns covered their mouths, their eyes wide as though they had seen the scene with their own eyes.
“Did you hear?” one nobleman said, his voice carrying despite his effort to whisper. “The girl threw herself in harm’s way. So say she stood against a horde of the infected.”
“A likely tale,” another scoffed, swirling wine in his goblet. “Do not forget whose blood she carries. Cain’s daughter... a wolf never sheds its true nature.”
“But if it’s true...” a younger noblewoman added softly, “then perhaps she isn’t like him.”
A loud laugh cut through the hushed murmurs. “Do not be fooled. This is exactly how Cain works. Manipulation, deception—he could have staged the entire thing to win sympathy for her.”
Around them, servants carrying trays slowed their steps to listen, their ears perked. By the ti they reached the kitchens again, the story grew sharper, crueler.
“She risked her life to save the whole town!” one servant whispered in awe, pressing a hand to her chest. “A girl like that doesn’t deserve chains. It’s probably why the Alpha King didn’t put her in the dungeon.”
Her fellow maid frowned deeply. “Don’t be foolish. That girl is dangerous. What if she bewitched them all? The Alpha King may be under her spell already.”
By nightfall, the entire palace was buzzing. Every chamber humd with debate. So called Althea brave. Others cursed her as a scher. But one thing was clear—no one could ignore her anymore.
anwhile, Lady Ava sat in her private chambers, her hands gripping the armrests of her chair until her knuckles turned pale. The mont the whispers reached her ears, a storm brewed in her chest.
“That wretch,” she spat, pacing across the room. “She was ant to be invisible, rotting away in silence, not paraded in stories as a savior.”
Her maidservant, Ursula, stayed quiet. She knew better than to fan the flas of Ava’s fury.
Ava pressed a hand against her temple, her lips curling. “Do you know what this ans? Every fool in the Capital will start thinking she is different from her father. They’ll look at her with pity, perhaps even admiration. Do you not see? This is dangerous!”
She threw the glass of wine in her hand to the floor, where it shattered, the sound sharp as her rage.
“She is winning hearts she does not deserve,” Ava hissed. “And when people’s hearts are moved, loyalty follows. It is exactly what Cain would want—for his blood to crawl its way back into power through her. I will not allow it.”
On the other hand, in the Queen Mother’s wing of the palace, the atmosphere was no less tense. Wilma sat stiffly in her cushioned chair as her ladies-in-waiting repeated the gossip they had gathered.
“They say she almost died protecting the townsfolk,” one lady murmured.
“They say she fought with a courage that could sha even the bravest warriors,” another added.
The Queen Mother’s lips tightened into a thin line. She tapped her finger against the armrest, each tap echoing like a drumbeat of displeasure.
“How convenient,” she said finally, her tone laced with scorn. “The daughter of a traitor suddenly turns into a heroine? What nonsense.”
Her voice dropped lower, more venomous. “This is nothing but a performance. That girl is Cain’s blood. Mark my words, he will use this tale to stir sympathy. Already fools will wonder if she is not like him, if perhaps she is worthy of trust. It is a dangerous illusion.”
Her ladies exchanged uneasy glances but nodded.
The Queen Mother leaned forward, her eyes sharp. “Do not be deceived. A poisonous root cannot grow into a pure tree. I will not sit by and watch her beco a beacon of admiration. If this continues, Cain might gather followers once again, and he will not need to raise a sword. He will use his daughter as his banner.”
She stood, gritting her teeth as she declared, “We will remind them all of what she is—the offspring of a traitor. She is not to be pitied, nor admired. She is a tool, nothing more. And when her use ends, so does her life.”
*****
In the kitchens, the mood was entirely different. Servants huddled close, their voices urgent, their faces flushed from excitent.
“I heard she shielded children with her own body,” one cook whispered, leaning against the counter.
“She nearly died for them,” a scullery maid added breathlessly. “If not for her, Azath town would have been wiped away.”
“But she’s Cain’s daughter,” another muttered darkly. “We shouldn’t forget that.”
The cook shook her head. “Blood or not, she saved them. That has to an sothing.”
The debate grew heated until even the palace guards who ca for their als joined in, their voices deep and firm.
“The Alpha King will decide,” one said with certainty. “But I saw her once. She doesn’t look like a scher. She looked... fragile. And yet, if the stories are true, she is stronger than most of us.”
The room fell quiet for a mont before soone whispered what many of them were already thinking.
“Maybe she’s not Cain’s daughter in spirit. Maybe she’s sothing else entirely.”
By midnight, the news had widely spread across the Werewolf Kingdom, causing an argunt endlessly.
And in the highest places of power, the Queen Mother simred with fury. To her, this was not just a rumor. It was a threat. For if the people began to see Althea as a savior rather than a traitor’s child...
Cain’s shadow would no longer linger in disgrace. It would rise again.
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