CHAPTER 7 (DRAMA IN COURT)

ANNA'S POV

Unconsciously my head swiveled to face the guard who had just finished speaking. My eyes narrowed as I wondered what was going to happen.

Would he really sell their prince out?

"What?!" Alpha Lartes bellowed, almost rising out of his chair with the force with which he had spoken.

"Yes, My King. We think we know exactly who is betraying you in your court," The guard said again.

I looked at the two men dumbfounded, my mind already working out the mechanics of what was happening right now.

Even though I still could not believe it, I discovered that the lame imbecile whom I was to marry was also a victim of the devil sitting next to me.

I had overheard his conversation with the man whom he had helped escape and from that, I knew that he was a friend since he was a foe of my foe.

There was no way I could let him get caught. The fact I hated his guts did not mean I should allow a possible ally to be lost. Laertes was a strong force, if I was going to beat him, I needed all the allies I could gather, stupid and dumb ones alike.

I could swear that I saw smoke come out from Alpha Lartes' nostrils as he fumed with anger.

"Who is it? Tell me! Call the traitor by name!" Lartes thundered beside me.

I watched as the two guards exchanged glances.

I saw the other guard who had not spoken a word since I came, give the talkative guard a warning with his eyes but I saw the defiance in the eyes of the talkative guard.

Apart from the defiance, I saw something else in the eyes of the guard –greed.

He didn't really give a shit about Lartes and his safety. No, not a bit.

He had his interest somewhere else and it was in the coffers of Lartes' treasury.

I could read from his actions. He thought that if he helped Lartes, he would be rewarded handsomely and that alone was his motivation.

And so he cleared his throat, preparing to condemn my betrothed to death even before we ever made it to our matrimonial bed.

And right then, like a lamp lit up, it came to me.

If Xavier died, it meant there was no marriage for me. And if I did not get married, there would be no alliance between my pack and the Black Moon pack and if there was no alliance between these two packs, then my pack would starve to death till we were annihilated from the face of the Earth.

I took in a shaky breath as this occurred to me.

In the twinkle of an eye, the battle that belonged to that bastard had all of a sudden become my battle too.

I saw the other guard lightly nudge the talkative guard, warning him to reconsider his actions and I prayed that he would listen to his friend but it turned out the greed in him was stronger than the voice of reason.

"My King, I hate to break it to you but the one who has a knife to your back has the blood of your fathers coursing through his veins," The guard said, his head bowed in reverence. Or fear. I could not tell which.

Alpha Lartes was silent as he digested this information and I held my breath waiting to hear what he would say.

"I will advise you to talk to me clearly and for your sake avoid the use of metaphors. That is if you wish to see a new day," Alpha Lartes said in a voice so calm, I had to look at him.

The calmness however was a front as I could see his perfectly manicured hands heavily bejeweled with gold and rubies trembling with the sheer force of his anger on his thighs.

"Forgive me, My King. I wish only to say that the traitor in your court happens to be none other than your nephew, Prince Xavier," The guard said.

The room fell so quiet, a graveyard had more noise.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into the soft flesh of my palms, drawing blood.

I was angry. Furious.

I reveled in the pain, causing it to wash over me and help me drown out the anger that was coursing through me.

The bloody imbecile!

How could someone be so stupid that he would allow himself to be caught?

Was it so hard to be a traitor?

His single act of stupidity was going to cause my whole pack their existence!

And to think that someone with a brain the size of a koala would have the level of audacity he possessed.

It made sense why his uncle was on the throne and not him.

A small part of me had held on to the hope that a different name would be called but hearing Xavier's name, I knew something had to be done.

But first, I waited for Lartes' reaction.

But there was nothing. He was still. Calm like the gentle breeze before a hurricane.

I was waiting for the order that would request for Xavier's head to be brought to him on a tray but it didn't come.

The silence was too heavy for me and I sought to break it and get to the root of this drama once and for all.

And then it happened.

Alpha Lartes threw his head back and let his heart out in a hearty laugh.

I was shocked.

More so were the two guards who exchanged worried and confused glances.

But we all waited for the devil to finish having fun so that we know the way forward.

"Xavier?!" Laertes asked as his laughter increased.

It was as if the name of his nephew was some type of comedy that made him laugh.

Sputtering with a cough from laughing too hard, he said.

"You mean to tell me that the boneless Xavier is the one that has organized a band of rebels against me?" Laertes asked.

"Yes My King," The guard answered but the look of arrogance and greed that was once on his face was gone and all that was left was a look of uncertainty.

The man had started to regret his actions and I was going to make sure he regretted it thoroughly.

Bloody Imbecile!