Perzys Āeterña | Hope Mikaelson

Chapter 20

The wolves were finicky.

They had all sorts of demands for Hope. Solving conflicts between rival packs, giving them access to better tools even though they purposely avoided the city, demanding to know if she intended to be Alpha of all the wolves. Hope assured them that her power only extended over the Crescent Wolf Pack. That being said, she was there to aid everyone because all wolves were kin, all of them mattered to her, and she wanted them all to be united.

The most open-minded Alphas bent the knee without much trouble, accepting the blessing of being able to turn at will that Hayley Marshall and Jackson Kenner had bestowed upon their pack, a gift now carried by Hope that she could ensure to all who acknowledged her with respect. It didn't mean she controlled their packs, but it meant she relied on them for support, should she ever need it.

She was great with the smaller wolves. The children loved watching her do magic, begging for butterflies to chase and asking her all sorts of questions about what it was like to be a grown up. She was a queen to them, one they loved dearly. Rhysaenya looked at her and wondered if this is what the people of Westeros had been like with Queen Alysanne.

Certain regions had more needs than others, just as certain regions had particular views about hybrids and the Mikaelson family in general. It wasn't easy for Hope to convince them that she had more than earned to be given the benefit of the doubt. But given how kind and patient she was, using her powers to aid them where they most needed it, it was soon serving as a good reminder to all that they'd all liked Hayley and Jackson. Hope was no different. She was Klaus's daughter but she wasn't destined to be like him. She didn't invade their lands to turn hybrids by force. She sat with the children, telling them stories, she healed their sickest and gave them ideas to improve their way of life. She gave them what she'd been named for: hope that they could thrive. Wolves would never again be driven to extinction; she wouldn't allow it.

The hardest challenge came from those with abusive Alphas that kept their pack living in fear. Hope handled them with grace, up to a certain point. When they refused to show even an ounce of respect for their own people, she challenged them. And she won every time, without need for magic. When she'd dethroned them, she chose the new Alpha. She installed leaders that were loyal to her, indebted, who saw her as a savior that rescued them from corruption and cruelty. She gave them back the freedom they thought they lost from the moment they were born into such packs.

It reminded Rhysaenya of Jed, having recalled the story he told her about his father, a horrible Alpha who tried to make him kill his best friend to trigger his curse. There were still packs around the world who were subjected to that, and Hope was liberating all that she could. It wouldn't be long before other countries became aware of her work. Soon, they'd follow her lead. They'd fix things themselves, lest the tribrid come and fix them on their behalf. It gave many the strength to rise above even after they'd been beaten down.

"That's the last pack in the United States," said Hope a month later, when they were on a plane back to New Orleans. "We merged several smaller packs in the same region, settled differences, gave them a chance for new beginnings. I'm exhausted. But at least we've confirmed no one there is causing me trouble."

"I'm proud of you, you know," said Rhysaenya quietly. "It's inspiring to witness all this."

Hope smiled. "Thank you for being there with me. It made it a whole lot easier to know I wasn't alone. To feel there was someone backing me up along the way. I missed home the entire time. Both New Orleans and the Salvatore School. You helped me feel like a piece of home was with me."

Rhysaenya blushed. "Glad I could help. It's been fun traveling, just the two of us. Reminds me why we became friends in the first place. We have a lot in common. Ah... I didn't know how to tell you this sooner... you've been so busy and I feel like when we're not talking to wolf packs, we're planning ahead... but Ryan noticed that you and I seemed to have feelings for each other a long time before we did."