Night&gale

CHAPTER 9 - FIRST DANCE

"The wolves are here, my King" Elie announces and takes his leave.

King Jeremiah nods dismissively to his councilmen, whom I notice only now. They leave after bowing.

He stood proud and upright, a lean muscular figure wrapped in a gold silk robe. If he wouldn't be moving, he could've easily been mistaken for a finely carved sculpture.

"I trust the sun treated you well." The King says as he takes his place on the throne while looking at me. His voice had a deep hover to it.

"The sun wasn't that harsh, your grace." I politely answer, hoping he doesn't recognize me.

"I expected you earlier, what caused the delay?" The King inquires.

I still wasn't sure if he recognized me or if he was even the same man I had seen at the market place.

The man before me is poised and you could tell from a mile away that he is royalty.

The man I had seen at the market place did not have this intimidating presence of a King.

"Well, your Pride Kingdom is embellished with temptations." I answer.

"I apologies for my imprudence, but if the greetings are done, we'd like to take your leave and start with the work we've come here for." Ohadh says while taking a step forward.

I see the guards stationed at the far sides of the throne, tighten their grip on their weapons and take a protective stance.

"And who would you be? Forgive me but I never did receive a prior notice of the arrival of two more of your kind."

"I am Ohadh Blackwood, firstborn of the Night crawlers pack and this is my brother Noah Blackwood." Ohadh introduces.

"While I do find your names and origin intriguing. I ask, why you both are here at all."

"It was an eleventh-hour decision your grace." Noah says as he comes to stand beside me.

I sense that Ohadh and Noah already despise the King, but I can't help but feel more curious about him.

"It is what it is now. Welcome to our Kingdom pride." He says in a dimissory tone.

"The three of you, will be expected to join us at the feast we hold tonight. I'm sure you must be exhausted, Elie shall escort you to your rooms." He nodded towards the door and returned to his work, intently studying a piece of paper in his hand, as if we had already left, or had ceased to exist.

He may be a King but he is not our King. He does not get to order us around without even reasoning himself.

"We are not here for celebratory feasts and we certainly do not need or want to attend anything that does not involve the murders taking place in our forest." I say as I feel the room swamped with a strange uncomfortable silence, the kind you feel before someone gets beheaded.

"Your grace..?" I add, which sounded more like a question.

He looks at me with an emotion, I can't seem to pinpoint but I do notice the slight curve of his lip.

"Trust, doesn't come easy. If you've received your formal education then you'd understand my lack of it in you." He gets up and begins walking towards me. "I do not intend to force my guests, although it is best if you get acquainted with the people you will be working with, in a more amicable atmosphere such as the feast." and stops at an arm's length from me.

He has golden-brown hair and every time the sun touched it, it seemed to slightly pour itself a little more into them and his eyes only seemed more dangerously striking amid his tan skin and stubble.