The Broken Crown

Séance

I once more sit within a council chamber, the circular walls with windows on every side allowing for the sunlight to stream in. A pain still numbs my head, reminding me of the night before, reminding me of how I awoke in a room not my own to find River no where to be seen. Just let yesterday, the very alpha which everyone in this room swore a loyalty towards is out somewhere doing whatever else. Looking over to Alpha Edward, I watch the alpha's eyebrows furrow together as he reads out of an old book which establishes the territories of the packs if the war is won - though this is a bit premature seeing how not a battle as taken place yet.

Alpha Penelope rises to her feet from the council chair, excusing herself as her beta stands at the entrance of the council chamber, asking for her attendance to a pack issue. We all watch as the redhead heads out of the room, wondering if we should continue or take a break. Looking to my phone, I see we have been in here for three hours without a break, my mind going numb, the endless amount of political conversations needed to take place making me feel ill-prepared for this role as alpha.

"Where is Alpha River?" Alpha Yusuf asks, his words from last name echoing in my head to trust no one. Could River be passing on all the responsibility of this war to us while he prances around his palace for fun? I do not think so. He seemed stressed last night, the bags under his eyes telling me he had a long day. But why? Why did he miss an entire day of diplomacy and already a good portion of this morning?

"He proposed to you. What do you know?" Alpha Emmitt interrogates, pursing his lips together as he awaits my response.

"I have no idea. I hardly know him."

"He proposed to you and hardly knows you?"

"Yes," I mutter for my response, wanting to melt away into my chair and be gone from the gazes of these alphas. "You have just as good an idea of where he could be as me, Alpha Emmitt."

Emmitt scoffs, not willing to accept that I have no clue abut River's whereabouts. Alpha Edward directs the conversation back to the political side of things, asking us what we think about the packs which fell and the members who left for the human world, if they should be allowed back into River's kingdom or if they should be declared rogue.

"We should be discussing war, not politics."

"War is politics, mouse," Emmitt snarls, annoyed with my comments as the chamber falls silent. Clenching my jaw, I want to snap at the alpha, but I know that remaining as civil as possible right now is best. "If Ryker was ready to attack, we would have caught wind of it by now."

I tap my heel against the marble floor, the light clicking doing the opposite to calm me as the other alphas begin to discuss what should happen to the dissolved packs who wish to rejoin the kingdom once it is united again.

Looking around to the faces of the drained alphas, I see the need for a break. I speak up, suggesting we take a recess until Penelope is ready to rejoin and also see where Alpha River may have gone off to. In agreement, we all leave the chamber and go off to our own forms of relaxation. Alpha Emmett follows behind me at a distance, muttering to himself as I pick up my pace, unwilling to be beside the alpha much longer. I make my way down a few hallways to the familiar elven temple in the palace. As a couple of elves exit the temple, I ask if they know where Keva may be. Getting my answer, I head for the palace gardens to where we had our first conversation.

Those lavender eyes are exactly what meet me when I walk up to the elf, her posture relaxed as she looks at me with curiosity. "To what do I owe this meeting?"

"Do you know where Alpha River may have gone off to?"

Keva tilts her head to the side, slightly nodding as she looks out to the ocean past the palace walls. "You would not find any warm welcome if you were to go after him." I raise an eyebrow. "He has his own personal matters to attend to for the moment being."