6 - Caelum

6 - Caelum

I place the letter in my jacket pocket and pretend it isn’t burning a hole in me to leave it there. I know Thaddeus deals in secrets and he has people in his pocket all around the castle. If I take this letter at his word that it’s a threat then it shows him how much control he has over me and how easily influenced I am. Something else my mother taught me when I was younger. I mindlink her the basic gist of the note and she agrees that we can handle it later. Copyright ©️ 2026 Miss L Writes and Ember Mantel Productions

I finish breakfast with my mother and we head out for inspections. This is one of my favorite times of the month. I get to be out on the training field as we test different levels of our teen warriors. My mother prefers testing the math and science geniuses. To each his own.

Gunner and Emery are waiting for me with a group of seven. “Let’s get to it!” I say walking up.

Gunner pairs all the warriors and myself off with a teen and we start. Gunner is shouting calls out and the teens have to either go on offense or defense.

It has been a long time since I have had this much fun. I missed the last two testing rounds for work and my body feels it. I workout everyday, but there is something different about this, getting to just play. My life is all duty and obligation, but the guys get me out here when they can. It’s good to know all different walks of lycans in the kingdom. I can’t lead them if I don’t know them.

“Your Highness!” I hear a shout that pulls my focus and the teen in front of me hits me hard with a right hook then a cross that sends me spinning. I hear collective groans and all other noise stops. I blink a few times and shake my head. F*ck that was a good hit. “Your Highness?!” Marcy shrieks, running up to me. I see her move to touch me from the corner of my freshly hit eye. She looks terrified and I start to laugh. She jumps back at the sound, like she just realized what she was about to do.

“Marcy, I’m fine.” I turn to the kid in front of me. He is frozen, face terrified. It’s rare if Gunner and Emery get a hit in, let alone a green warrior still in training. “That was a good move,” I smile to relieve his tension, “and a double lesson. Use your opponents' distraction against them…always; but don’t be the one distracted or you’ll end up with a headache for the rest of the day.” His eyes go as wide as Marcy’s. “It’s okay, you’re not in trouble. If I was that easily distracted by someone calling me, then maybe I need some more practice.”

I laugh again taking a towel from Emery. “Play time’s over already? I thought you were going to be with us the whole day testing.” He probes.

“Plans change. Duty calls. I might have a job for the both of you in the next few days. Stay close. I need to do some fact checking first then I will let you know.”

“Yes, sir.” Gunner and Emery say together. They only bother with the ‘sir’ bullsh*t when we are in company. I wish it didn’t matter, but people like Thaddeus would hear the informality of it and assume they have the right as well. In Thaddeus’ case, he believes he is higher than my mother or myself simply because he has lasted long enough at his position to see three Lycan Kings rule. It’s easy to outlast the king when you aren’t the one who fights the wars.

I shake off the dark thought and turn to Marcy, “What can I do for you today?” Copyright ©️ 2026 Miss L Writes and Ember Mantel Productions

“It…uh…it is Elder Vale, actually.” Of course it is, I didn’t jump at his earlier command, so now he will invade my time any way he can. I sigh and lead the way back up to the castle.