The Broken Crown

Loyality

"I will not allow a Maxwell to tell me what she thinks about the current state of our kingdom," Alpha Ryker snaps, rising to his feet as he clenches his fists, glaring at me as his eyes turn black. "You have not even been in power for a week yet you think you can command this room like the rest of us. You are as foolish as your mother."

A few agree with the Alpha, shouting with agreement as they turn their gazes towards me. Looking to Alpha Penelope, I try and see if she will offer any guidance, any aid as the alphas begin to team up on me, but I know she has already offered me guidance. She told me before we even left my pack for this meeting that these alphas would refuse to listen to me at first, not just because of who my parents were, but because of my gender and age. She told me I could either let them steamroll me or I could try and standup for myself while appearing as a bitch. She told me she has been labeled as a bitch ever since her first Alpha meeting. It makes me wonder if this world will ever come around to a woman alpha.

"Like it or not, Alpha Ryker, but my pack is one of the strongest in this kingdom," I reply, my voice a bit shaky as I try and find my footing.

"And power can transition in the blink of an eye. I was there when your mother destroyed this kingdom and I watched the most powerful packs fall and become nothing but a memory."

I swallow the lump in my throat, knowing the Alpha to be speaking truth, but I also know Crimson Lock was one of the most powerful packs and it has remained one of the most powerful packs still after everything.

"I-"

"I think we should move on from what this child has to say," Alpha Vaughn comments, scowling at me as he cuts me off before I can say another word. "Crimson Lock was attacked a month ago. A transition of power has occurred. We are not blind these are circumstances for a war. My pack has faced backlash from Silver Thorn-"

"It is not our fault you failed to uphold your end of a decade-long treaty," Alpha Ryker snaps, defending Silver Thorn, the pack of his late father. "You allowed your pack members to spread out into our territory."

"Evercrest Ridge has been busy making treaties with Eternal Shadows in the meantime," Alpha Penelope comments, drawing attention to my past alpha and River. "I thought Eternal Shadows did not need treaties, after all, you have not made a single one with anyone else here since you emerged out of the blue."

"We know who we want as our allies."

"If you were going for the crown then I would expect you to be making treaties with more than one pack," Ryker comments, crossing his arms as the attention is placed back on River. Ryker is right, for if River was smart, he would be trying to make treaties with every pack possible to get his throne. Yet something tells me River is right, his pack does not need every single treaty, which makes me wonder just exactly how believes his pack to be.

Alpha River looks over to me, the two youngest people in the room facing the most heat. "Eternal Shadows has alliances outside of this kingdom."

Alpha Ryker laughs, shaking his head as he pressed a finger against his lower lip. "Elves? You hold treaties with other elven realms? You really think the elves will come to your aid?"

"I do."

No one else here knows, for River has done well to keep it secret. Penelope and I know though, for Penelope knows River's parents are still alive. We know that River was raised in an elven realm. If River is speaking the truth, then we should all be concerned, for if elves are to fight us on a battlefield against who should be crowned king, I do not want to be fighting elves. These men and women have trained for ages in fighting tactics, many warriors between the ages of fifty to two hundred years old.