10

DRAEKON stared at Vaelora, anger evident in his eyes.

He understood her tricks. He knew the law scroll she had decided to use to her advantage.

But he was going to frustrate her.

"Silence."

The moment the word dropped from his mouth, the entire place went calm, accompanied by a feral growl from Andronikos, which resonated through the roof.

"Chief Wofah, I do understand your concerns." Draekon nodded. "However, this hypothetical point of yours, regarding the Luna's inability to birth a werewolf heir, isn't valid."

The place remained calm. No one dared cause chaos when Draekon spoke.

"Her wolf's dormancy, doesn't necessarily equate to her inability to reproduce pups with wolf genes. I mean, both my parents were werewolves, but I still managed to be partly DragonBorn by the virtue of a six hundred year prophecy. Who is to say I wouldn't be the first and last DragonBorn-wolf?"

The chiefs hummed in support, nodding their heads.

Zayn knew this was going to be such a big feat to pull off.

"If I may speak, Veylor." Om'zaar requested, and Draekon nodded positively.

"All these are assumptions. It would be unwise for us to be uncertain, before taking a consort for the king." Om'zaar reasoned.

Vaelora exhaled hot air, praying within that her plan wasn't squashed.

"For someone like the king, any pup born without a dragon egg, is presumed a werewolf. And even if it is born alongside a dragon egg, it could be a DragonBorn-Wolf hybrid like its father."

Om'zaar had struck right where it mattered the most.

"Exactly!" Chief Toi'fah agreed. "I suggest the king and queen make haste to give the kingdom a pup within the next few months. Then, we should be able to tell."

"And even if their first pup turns out to be DragonBorn, the queen can always birth more pups after him."

Goddess!

Vaelora didn't want to believe she was doomed. How had her plan come to this?

To make pups with Draekon?!

“According to the historical law scrolls on succession,” Zayn began slowly, his voice steadier than he felt. “the firstborn son of the Alpha King is required to succeed his father as heir.”

The room went still, and a few eyes widened.

Did he just say that?

Draekon’s cold stare locked on him instantly.

Zayn didn’t flinch, but his throat tightened. He could feel the betrayal hardening in the air between them.

He knew he had crossed a line.

“Zayn…”

Draekon’s voice came, low and lethal.

Vaelora couldn't believe that Zayn had actually..... he had put his relationship with Draekon on the line.

For her.

"Gentlemen," Vaelora eventually spoke for the first time since they began deliberating on that issue.

Her voice was weak, but she tried to sound firm.

"As Luna, I believe it is my duty to serve the kingdom. I mean, that was why I was made to marry the king in the first place."

She was trying to use their own strategy against them now.

Vaelora had one last powerful trick up her sleeves, and her freedom from Draekon depended on it.

"I am the topic of discussion, and only I can tell you accurately, how much disadvantage it would be, to solely hope on me to provide a befitting heir for the throne."

"How do you mean, Luna?" Om'zaar asked, his complete attention on her.

"We all tend to forget that my mother was a witch."

At the sound of that, little whispers erupted.

Funny how they could do that when she spoke, but dared not try it when Draekon did.

"I am still speaking."

The audacious manner in which Vaelora spoke, made the entire parliament as calm as night.

Good.

"Like I mentioned earlier, I am a witch-wolf hybrid. And realizing that there is a lot at stake here, makes us all very responsible aids to the crown. I only want what's best for this kingdom. An heir without..... tainted werewolf blood and genes."

Vaelora had dared to use those particular words!

No one could say it to his face of course, but those were the same words in the whispers that questioned Draekon's legitimacy to be king.

Draekon was deeply aggravated.

No. He wasn't going to let Vaelora make him act out of character.

No.

"My queen, what are you saying in essence?" Chief Wofah asked, trying to hide the delight that easily sparked in his eyes.

"That we cannot treat matters concerning royal succession, based on a gamble. And to show how much this matter troubles me, I would like to invite every chief on this table to contribute to the potential solution of the problem on ground."

The chiefs wondered what she meant by that.

"What are you inviting us to, Luna?" Chief Toi'fah queried.

Right there and then, Vaelora played her last card.

Her only hope for survival.

"I am inviting each chief to bring forward one of their daughters, for the royal consort selection. That way, they all have a hand in ensuring the safety of the royal bloodline"

Vaelora didn't have to directly offer them a stake to the throne. But they clearly understood her indirect approach, because they all looked lost in thought at that moment.

Zayn was shocked. He had no idea how Vaelora had thought of such, but it was brilliant!

As royal consorts, any of their daughters could possibly birth the royal heir, and Zayn knew most of them wouldn't want to pass out on such opportunity.

"I think....."

That was chief Toi'fah. It seemed as though he was battling between integrity and ambition. Who wouldn't want the royal heir to come from their bloodline?

"I think this is a brilliant idea." He finally said, making all eyes fall on him.

Not long after, another chief nodded in agreement.

"It is definitely the best idea, yet."

"I think so too." The third chief agreed.

And before they could tell what was happening, eight chiefs and a hand full of High Lords had concurred to Vaelora's latest scheme.

Even she, couldn't believe it!

It had worked!

"I don't think this is the best course of action. The king and queen have been barely married for two weeks!" Om'zaar opposed.

Only he and three other chiefs hadn't succumbed to the idea.

Vaelora prayed they didn't make things unnecessarily difficult for her.

"Majority of the chiefs are in support of this idea, chief Om'zaar. I think majority carries the vote." Zayn said, making Draekon even more enraged.

Vaelora and Zayn may think they had won, but Draekon was on a different league from them.

He still had things in control, and that was what they failed to realize.

"An excellent idea indeed." Draekon nodded, surprising everyone. "I think the consort selection is in order."

"Veylor....." Om'zaar began, but Draekon shook his head at him to stop.

"Seeing as we have only eight chiefs interested in giving out their daughters for the royal consort selection," He said in the most demeaning tone. "then I believe two months shall be enough for the selection."

"For the next eight weeks, each of the eight noble ladies would spend a week in the House of Veylor, to be interviewed and evaluated by the Luna."

At the sound of that, Vaelora looked at Draekon, completely at loss.

What was he saying?

"According to the laws for the royal consort selection, the Luna MUST see to the selection of consorts herself. Because of course, no one else knows the king's preference as best as she does. Only she can secure a perfect match for the king."

"Fair enough." Toi'fah supported, even before Vaelora could speak.

This was just the beginning of Draekon's game. He was going to play Vaelora like he pleased, and still ruin her efforts.

He had never taken a consort before, and he wouldn't start now.

But then again, he wasn't going to spoil the fun so soon.

He was going to let Vaelora deceive herself. And when he was ready, he'd have her bear his pups.

As the council began to buzz with the logistics of the consort selection, Vaelora glanced at Draekon once more, only to find his burning gaze already on her.

This time, not anger. Not fury.

Just a quiet promise of war.