Moon of Misfortunes

25

It had been hours since we left the palace. I watched the trees blur past apathetically as we continued driving. Theodore and Rubio chatted animatedly, reminiscing about their shared ancient histories, a conversation I tuned in and out of. Rubio seemed delighted to be in the company of an old friend, and who could blame him? This was presumably the first beloved friend he had seen in a century, at least.

The vehicle began to slow down as a magnificent castle started to rise on the horizon. I quietly gasped, witnessing the Royal Castle in all its glory for the first time. I glanced at Rubio, who seemed to be battling his innermost thoughts. Undoubtedly, he had been here before, but probably under different circumstances.

The line of SUVs came to a halt in front of the castle. The evening sun began to set, painting the sky in an array of colors—deep purples, reds, and yellows. Various windows of the castle were illuminated, suggesting it was occupied.

"Are we the only ones here?" I asked.

"No, every Lycan we could find has been summoned here," Rosia replied.

"And they came?"

"Of course they did. We slaughtered the Royals and the High Council to get their attention."

Theodore put the vehicle in park, and we all exited the SUV. I stretched my legs in relief, watching as the other SUV doors swung open and countless wolves began to climb out. I walked over to Rubio and grabbed his hand, tugging lightly on his arm to force him to lean down.

"How many Lycans do you think are here?" I whispered in his ear.

"I have no idea. Hundreds? Maybe thousands? I truly have no idea how many of us remain."

"Alright, everyone, let's join the others," Rosia announced as the castle's grand doors opened.

Rubio placed his hand on the small of my back, ushering me into the castle with the other gathering people. The castle was incredible, featuring intricate white marble sculptures that glistened in the interior lights. The floors were made of the same marble and masterfully waxed. The walls were a ghostly blue color accented with twisting gold trimmings. The ceiling was rounded and expertly decorated with paintings representing the story of the wolves, moon, stars, and the goddesses themselves.

A few of Rosia's men were taking down years of oil paintings that portrayed the former occupants of the castle, paying special attention to ripping apart the canvas, as if trying to erase the Royal family's existence completely. Alongside the men were freshly composed portraits of youthful faces. Judging by the sheer abundance of portraits awaiting the company of the wall and the immortal age of the individuals they depicted, I would say these people are Lycans. It was ironic to think that they would even try to immortalize them with oil on canvas when they never age past 30 and live for eternities.

We passed the working men and continued our journey through the castle until we reached a set of golden doors. Rosia paused for a moment, then proceeded to rip the doors open. This room, like the rest of the castle, was enormous. Four long, chestnut-colored tables occupied the space, each seating approximately 100 people. Their engrossing conversations ceased, and their heads snapped towards us. We advanced forward, taking our places at the head of the table with numerous untouched seats. Rosia remained standing at the front of the room, looking out into the sea of Lycans.

"Hello, my brothers and sisters. As you might already know, my name is Rosia. I led the overthrow of the Royals and the High Council of Elders. We did this to reclaim the positions that were savagely stolen from all of us. Those pathetic branches of the Kingdom have been successfully eliminated. Now, we are left with several pressing matters. Obviously, the control of the Kingdom belongs to the Lycans, but questions remain in the areas of leadership and the structures we will have to forge."