Scars of the past

“All rise to welcome the Queen!” the guard at the door announced her presence.

Everyone at the throne room rose to their feet and made a bow to Hireath the queen.

As Hireath enters the throne room her fragrance filled the atmosphere. Like the sweet fragrance of a blooming flower. Her fragrance made the mouths of everyone present watered like the warm aroma of a freshly baked bread.

There was something so unique about the queen, Hector just couldn't figure it out. She seemed so familiar. He was just lost glancing at the queen. She really is who people say she is. An epitome of majestic beauty. 

She was just so familiar. But he had his doubts until Cobalt recognized her after a closer observation. 

“Hireath…?” He muttered to himself.

“It can't be. It just can't be. How on earth did she become the Luna queen of the Lycan pack?”

Never had he imagined coming in contact with Hireath ever again. But here she is in flesh and blood . Looking so graceful and angelic. Hireath looked like a goddess while he had nothing to write home about.

“No she's not Hireath. She's just someone that has a striking resemblance to her. I think I'm being delusional.” He called himself back to order.

“ Oh, here is my beloved queen and the mother of my amazing child. She is the sole pillar that holds the Lycan packs and makes us the strongest. I blessed the day fate brought us together. My one true love is none other but queen Hireath.”

Just when Hector thought he was hallucinating, his guess was there and then confirmed real. He looked at his mother as she also couldn't contain her shock.

“Son, did I just hear right? Hireath is the queen we traveled all the way from our kingdom to pay homage to?”

“How on earth did she become the queen and ruler of this mighty pack? For someone we all treated worse than a slave. Someone we wanted dead. Someone we ridiculed, mocked, disgraced, flogged, scorned, banished and exiled like plague. How then did she manage to come out alive and make her way up to the top?”

“Mother, I never knew a day like this would come. A day I would feel so ashamed and embarrassed of myself. I don't even know how to  cover my head in shame. I wish the ground would just open and swallow me. Death would have been a much better punishment than this.” Hector felt a cold shiver through his spine. He couldn't breathe properly. 

Hector just kept looking at Hireath. He was saying a word but the look on his eyes said more than a million words. He was sure he clearly heard Malakai address her as the mother of his twin kids. Hireath his ex wife who he banished for her failure to bear him children.

“What did I miss? Hireath is now happily married with not just one but two kids?” 

He felt so weak and held onto his mother as he was losing all his strength at a go. He felt suffocated and dizzy like he was about to gas out. His eyes became red as tears of anguish and regret had already formed union in his eyes.

He got up and left the throne room abruptly and his mother followed suit.

Malakai, astonished by the sudden reaction of Hector and his mother on the queen's arrival, got the message. He knew something was up between Hireath, Hector and his mother. But no one was willing to say anything. So he decided to act dumb until he was able to put in two in two and fix the puzzles set before him.

Hireath knew Hector had already recognized her and that was the reason behind the sudden reaction. Well, she wouldn't blame them, if she was also in their shoes she'd react the same way.

“I hope my presence brings nothing but pain, piercing asunder into the hearts. All the pains and hell I went through is nothing compared to what I have laid up in store for them.”

“Since I moved on with my life in my new found heaven and you dare find a way to crawl back into my life. I'd make sure you regret ever doing so.” 

Malakai went after Hector and his mother. 

“Hector, what do you think you are doing walking out of the people we have come to for help?” Luna Emelda panicked as she asked.

“Mother, what would you have me do? Continue to sit back there looking so like a mess before Hireath? Someone I made life hell for? Someone I wished dead? Someone I abandoned and left all alone to suffer in the cold world after we sent her on exile, beating and leaving her half dead?”

“Is that what you want, mother? I've always known you to be shameless but how can you sit back and act like nothing's wrong before someone you didn't treat like a human. Mother, I'm sorry to disappoint you but if the hell the Halo clan needs to prevent us from going extinct is going to come from the one we made her whole so miserable. Then count me out. I don't need to be a part of this anymore.” Hector flared up.

“Yes son, take it all on me. Take all your anger and frustration on me. If that'll make you feel like a better person. I'd gladly lay myself down for you. I accept that I've been a terrible mother to you and have also greatly contributed to how badly your life has turned out.”

“But do you think I'd continue to fold my hands and watch not only your life go into ruin. Your life and that of the Halo clan– my fa– family are on the edge and you think shame is the least thing on my mind?”

“Oh yes Hector, I become a shameless and despicable person if that is what it'll take for the Lycan pack to help us. I'll worry about my shame before Hireath afterwards.”

“And as the Alpha of the Halo clan, now is not the time for sentimental and emotional blackmail. Every of your loyal subjects are at the verge of dying and you dare to worry about how Hireath would look at us?”

“You were the one that gave them the command to treat Hireath the way they did. You had her exiled. You gave the command for her to be beaten and stripped naked. So now is not the time to justify the past to make you feel better. Our future as the Halo clan is at stake here. We cannot go back in time to the past to amend things but we have the future we can save. The future should be your only concern now.” 

“What will you have me do mother?” Hector cried out.

“ Now we're going to go back into the throne room and proceed with the meeting. We've come this far and we won't go back without the solution we've been praying for. We are going to stay here and ensure that every of our needs and that of the Halo clan will be met. That is what you will do as your duty. In case you have forgotten who you are, I'll gladly remind you that you are the head , the leader, the ruler and alpha of thelmighty and dreaded Halo clan.”

“Now wipe your tears my son. It's okay to feel bad and frustrated but it shouldn't just end with the feeling. What you do to come out a champion is all that matters. I know we'll come out this strong and victorious. So let's go back to the meeting with the king and queen.

As they came out of the room headed to the throne room. They bumped into Malakai who had been looking for them.

“What happened back there, Hector?”

“Please pardon my manners. I'm truly sorry for the scene we caused before the commencement of the meeting. But we've had everything sorted now and it won't repeat itself again.” Hector apologized.

“Are you sure you're fine now or do we reschedule the meeting for another day? You don't look too good.” Malakai asked, truly concerned because one could tell by a glance at Hector that something was definitely off.

“Hector , go back to your room with your mother. Let's have this meeting in two days, okay.”

“As you wish your highness.” Hector and Luna Emelda chorused as they bowed and left for their rooms.

Malakai could do nothing but only imagine what in the world was really going on. He could sense how off everything felt but he just doesn't know what the problem was. He was so certain Hireath would not say anything even if he asked.

“There's something fishy and no one is going to say anything. This is going to take longer than expected because I need to figure out why the chemistry between them seems ill-fated. I won't be in a hurry to help them, instead I'll try to figure out the truth first before proceeding to help them.”

Malakai went to the throne room, announced the postponement of the meeting to two days and left with Hireath.