Chapter 3— He Has To Know The Truth

CHAPTER 3

13 months ago

Oswald scanned the narrow street carefully, making sure to see no one had been on his tail. He pulled the cloak closer to himself as he trotted down an alleyway lined with algae. He watched children play with 'snowballs' and wrestle themselves in their wolf form. He watched a woman tendering to the apple tree just outside her house. He was yanked off the alleyway almost immediately, and he found himself inside a dark room, and his supposed captor closing the door quickly.

"Baron?" Oswald called out, unsure. Two claps later, and the room was devoid of darkness. Glowing yellow lights illuminated the room, and a man, about Oswald's age, wandered further into the room.

Oswald chuckled, "It still reeks of bougainvillea, you see," he gestures at the room. Baron was the seer of the clan and also a wizard. And behind the seeing eyes of the clan, he was Oswald's childhood friend.

"I threw them away. Like you had suggested," Baron rolled his eyes dramatically, gesturing that Oswald take his seat.

"What was so important that wouldn't bring you to the palace? Or have one of those magic birds of yours send a message down to me?" Oswald asked, his curious eyes glistening in the dimly lit room.

"It is not something that I can't reveal without discussing with you first," Baron said, his hands caressing an orb on the hand rest of the chair he sat on.

"Reveal? What do you have to reveal?" Oswald raised a brow, realizing this might be as serious as Baron was portraying it to be. Baron sighed heavily, placing the orb in his hands and muttering a spell. The orb is encircled in emerald-colored mist, and an obscure figure appears within the orb.

"It's a curse. Your brother, the Alpha King, has it."

Oswald stared back at the orb in horror, wondering what more Baron was going to tell him about the curse.

Back to the present

•weeks later•

The Alpha King stared at his objects as they argued with one another on the Golden Table. He had invited them over to discuss the increasing rates of thefts occurring at the Pack’s food reserve. He didn't care about approving the hike in price of bread and wine, or how much it affected the people of his pack. His mind bore no such emotion — to be sympathetic. Reports of a little revolt group attacking guards began to rise up, and as annoying as it was for the Alpha King, his intervention was essential.

"They have to be punished,"

"I say they will be brought here to the palace before being executed. Who knows what their reasons are? If there are any more of them?"

The Alpha King seemed interested in hearing the speaking subject as he leaned forward, his elbows resting on the Golden Table.

"We have to know what their intentions are directed at. It could be for a cause yet to be addressed by the …"

The sound of metal scraping enveloped the hall, and everyone was quiet. The Alpha King was standing, staring at the subject who had been speaking moments ago, a devilish grin on his face. He took slow strides towards him, his claws clicking on the Golden Table. Just a few feet away, he motioned for the subject to continue with his statement.

Quivering, the subject fought the urge a bit to.

"You were saying?" The sound of the Alpha King's voice sent his subject falling to his knees.

"Spare my life, my Alpha. I spoke out of stupidity. I poorly —"

"You did nothing wrong. You were giving a solid point. Come on," He crouched down, his long robe sweeping the floor, "get up now."

He assisted his subject back up, a plastic smile on his face. He gestures again for him to continue.

"I was saying that —"

The sound of metal ripping through flesh came next, and the subject standing had lost his head, blood spewing uncontrollably from his neck. No one had seen the Alpha King gesturing to the guard close by. No one had heard the sound of the guard's sword being removed from its sheath. Tension was building, and they knew better to keep quiet.

It was a word in exchange for their lives.

"Does anyone here," he picked up his subject's head from the floor, his shocked expression still in place, "agree to what my friend here was talking about?"

Silence.

"Does anyone here agree that we, the royals, are not up to the task?!" He thundered, squashing whatever was left of the head.

The other subjects remained silent, their heads hung low. The devilish grin resumed its rightful position as the Alpha King walked back to his seat.

"I thought the same too," he said, wiping his hands clean with a tablecloth.

* * *

"He has to know the truth now!" Baron thundered, collapsing back into his bed. Oswald peeped through the window, taking a peek at the life outside the palace walls.

"I know," he muttered. Oswald grabbed his cloak and began heading towards the door. Baron stops him. He stared at Baron questioningly, "What is it?"

"It was wrong of you."

"How is it wrong?!" Oswald yelled. "He never cared about her. Not even once. I was always there for her. He had ruled against her family coming to see her at the palace, and according to her, her family didn't care to try either. I … I was talking to her. What else could I have done?"

"She was carrying the King's child, Oswald. Are you that crazy?" Baron asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Oswald retorted, stepping out through the door and slamming it shut.

Memories of Myra slapping him rushed in like a wave of magma. If he couldn't have her, he could at least have what he has always wanted. Before she came.

He heard Baron speaking to him through his mind.

"He has to know. How are you going to be the next Alpha King if this doesn't happen?"