Chapter 3: Sacrifice

“What?” I breathed, unable to believe my ears,still unable to comprehend the sight before me.

I must have misheard him.

“Four days ago, I was crowned the new king of Ravencourt pack by the elders.” He repeated, a smile hanging at the corner of his lips.

I loosened my hold on my chair, too stunned to even blink.

My lips parted and closed while my eyes moved to the elders.

Their silence was a confirmation of my Uncle's words.

“You can't be serious, Uncle! Yo..you promised me, you promised to make sure my claim to the throne wasn't contested by anyone, that the elders wouldn't stand in my way!

I have earned my place!

I have worked tirelessly for the good of the pack! This is unfair! You can’t do this to me!” I screamed, advancing towards them.

Uncle stood from his seat, his smile dim but the light in his eyes seemed brighter.

“I don't think anyone here understands you, Sera. The only thing you've earned is the dingy stall in town where you sell your flowers.”

I blinked, a disbelieved sigh leaving my lips.

“You know that's not true. The elders knew. The last case between our pack and the new immigrants that almost resulted in a riot was solved by me! I told you how everything should go!

I have been nothing but dedicated to this pack!” I yelled, staring at the cold faces of the elders.

One of them who seemed to be the leader rose from his seat, his face calm.

“I clearly recall the case you talk about Princess Sera, but that was resolved by the insightful ideas your uncle gave.

You aren't permitted to attend council meetings so I don't blame your ignorance but don't take credit over an idea you couldn't come up with.”

My heart thundered furiously. My fingernails stabbed my palm and my eyes lifted to my Uncle's.

I could see it then.

All the times I offered advice, all the brilliant solutions and ideas I came up with which he promised to relay to the elders, he took credit for.

I pressed my eyes shut, tears filling up in them.

“You can't do this. It was my parents' last wish for me to take the throne on my 23rd birthday! You promised to honour their wishes!” I wailed, moving close to him.

Before I could reach where he stood, guards appeared and flanked either side of me.

Uncle stroked his beards,his feet sinking into the soft carpet that was spread before the throne.

“The one thing that defines a royal, that makes their claim incontestable is their ability to unlock and master their elemental powers; either air, earth, water and fire.

Of course,fire has never been gotten by any royal but you had the chance to unlock the others.

But you didn't.

As if that wasn't bad enough, you also couldn't shift on your 18th birthday.

Now tell me Sera, how do you think the kingdom can be left in your incompetent hands?”

Tears I desperately tried to keep away trailed down my cheeks.

Uncle was the first to comfort me when I couldn't manifest nor shift.

He always said it wasn't important, it wasn't a gauge for a good leader.

Now…..

I couldn't let him get away with this. I wouldn't let him soil the only legacy I had left of my parents.

I sent my wheelchair racing towards him and before he could react, grabbed the scruff of his shirt and pulled him to my level.

“You're a thief. A betrayer and a two faced bastard! You know how much I worked for this kingdom behind the scenes, how much I sacrificed!

You of all people know I would never bring harm and would defend them with my life! Powers or not!”

The guards appeared next to us, pulled my hands off my uncle and moved me from him.

I watched as hatred and disgust filled his gaze, how his eyes flashed into a shade of red and his claws lengthened.

I turned to the elders. They were insufferable but they still had a moral code.

“You all swore to my father that his wishes would be honoured. You can't do this.

You can't desecrate his memory this way!” I pleaded.

“ The king has been chosen, Princess Sera. We must do what is right for this kingdom.

Just like your uncle said, the pack can't be trusted to you without any powers and even worse, to a cripple.”

I sank into my seat, my limbs trembling with anger and helplessness.

“I promise you this uncle, you'll regret this. You can't steal from me anymore.

Not my trust, not my ideas! Let's see how well you'll rule the pack without me.” I yelled and pushed off the guard restraining my arm.

I turned away, my tears pouring in torrents when his voice stopped me.

“Sera, my dear niece, since you're so desperate to help the pack, I have a way for you to do so,” he said,his voice sickly sweet and disgusting.

“F**k you!” I spat and turned the door knob.

“ Not even if this involves the safety and well being of the people?”

My hand trembled over the doorknob.

I hated my uncle, the elders, but the people were innocent.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, turning to face him.

He descended from the stairs leading to the throne, his hands resting in his pockets like he was about to comment on the weather and not the lives he had been entrusted with.

“ Our pack is on the verge of going to war with another pack over border issues but this can be avoided with your help.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“You're the king now, Uncle. Fix it yourself.” I hissed and tried to move but found my wheels stuck.

He reached where I sat, leaned down and whispered in my ears.

“If I handle it myself, I'm going to send thousands of members who have no battle experience to the frontline.

You wouldn't want that would you?”

I froze, my heart pounding against my chest and sweat soaking my dress.

Thousands?

“You wouldn't dare!” I spat.

“Trust me, Sera. I would.” He answered with a grin and rose to his full height.

“So what do you say Princess Sera, would you help save your people or abandon them in their time of need?”

I bit my lips till I tasted metal on my tongue, looked towards the elders who were waiting for my answer and back to my uncle who smiled like he had the upper hand.

“What pack are we talking about?”

“Wolf Noir Pack.”

Blood drained from my face. My knuckles froze, the screams that were silenced due to my anger returned in double force taking me back to the night ten years ago when my world crashed.

My eyes widened, a flash of red in them.

“Why is there an interaction with the Wolf Noir pack?

Why are we having border issues with them after everything they did?

THEY KILLED YOUR ONLY SISTER! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?” I tried to grab him again, maybe this time slap some sense into his skull but the guard appeared swiftly.

“Oh don't behave like a child, Sera. There was no conclusive evidence that proved that they were behind the death and interactions between packs must go on.

The way for you to help is to get married to the king thereby establishing the borders as communal for both packs.” He finished with a flourish.

The screams intensified as I went silent.

His words echoed in my head. His tone was simple, like he was giving out a stray dog.

A sacrifice to cement his ascension to the throne.

I wasn't going to be a sacrifice.

I reached for the waistband of the guard next to me and withdrew a dagger.

Before anyone could process my actions, I buried it inside me.