Prologue- Chapter 2

A daughter needs a dad to be the standard against which she will judge all men...

- Unknown

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1850

"Children, come," Luna Andorra said to her three children, Ariana, Andria, and Nathaniel, "we must go to the parlour for the portrait." 

The family of five were to gather in the parlour to get their annual portrait fixed.

"Mama, do I look prese-notable for the portrait?" asked Andria while grabbing a hold of her mother's hand while her sister held on to the other hand.

"Yes, my dear, you do look presentable," Andorra replied, with her motherly smile.

The Luna hesitated before replying, knowing how her mate hated it when anyone tried to compliment Ariana.

"Oh dear Godess, could you please stop with this nonsense and do something more entertaining?" asked Nathaniel, the twins older brother.

"Like what?" asked Ariana's small voice.

"Let's race to the parlour. The winner will be whoever gets there first. " Nathaniel spoke with an evil glint in his eyes.

Ariana grinned at her brother before they both ran off, with their mother shouting behind them.

"Ariana, Ariana, please return!" yelled her mother, "Ladies, do not run!"

"Oh Ma, leave her be. She is more wolf than human anyways," Andria said with a chuckle, which caused Luna to narrow her eyes at her daughter.

"Do not speak to your sister like that," her mother scolded her, causing Andria's grin to fall.

Ahead of them, Nathaniel had reached the parlor, where his father embraced him in a tight hug. "How are you, my boy?" Alpha Alec asked his son while ruffling up his hair.

"I am well, father," replied Nathaniel.

A few moments pass before Ariana reaches them. Her face falls when she notices her father standing beside her brother. She quickly averts her gaze and looks down as she goes to stand near her brother, trying not to upset her papa.

They are about to head inside the parlour when a loud voice is heard, "Papa! You're back!!! " Andria shrieks out loud before running across the hall to embrace her papa, who in return lifted her into the air and let out a whole-hearted laugh at seeing his daughter's excitement. "How are you, my darling child?"

"I am well papa" Andria said with a wide grin plastered on her countenance, as her sister stepped towards her mother while holding her breath as she tried to prevent herself from whimpering as her eyes filled with water from the lack of acknowledgement from her father.

Andorra could feel the sadness pouring out of her daughter through the mother bond, which was the first ever bond a child ever made. She discreetly wrapped her arms around Ariana and whispered in her ear, "It's okay."

"Papa, did you bring any gifts from your visit?" Andria asked eagerly.

"Yes ,sweet child I have. You'll get them after the portrait is completed," Alec said as he gently lowered his daughter onto the ground.

The family all walked into the parlour where a painter with a picsephere waited. A picsephere was an eight-armed creature like an octopus that had three eyes, which allowed it to paint portraits. The family was positioned before the picsphere began its painting. In under an hour, the painting was completed.

They all left the parlour room and headed into the great room, where the Alpha had told the servants to place the presents for the children.

Andria shrieked with joy when noticing that the room was filled with new treasures and trinkets. The walls were covered with new paintings and the floors were covered with furniture made from the finest woods, which were filled with clothes made with the finest silks and linens. The tables were covered with the finest jewellery, ranging from silver to diamond jewellery. For once, Ariana had hoped that she would receive a gift.

"Come dear, let me show you the treasures I bought for you," said the Alpha as he held onto Andria's hand.

The father-daughter duo walked around the room, laughing and pointing at the trinkets and clothes. Whereas Luna had placed herself in front of a painting and had gone into what seemed to be a daze. Everyone in the pack knew how much Luna liked paintings, so it was no surprise to see her so dazed.

Even Nathaniel had found a way around the trinkets to a stack of swords and blades, which all had his name engraved in gold . While little Ariana stood in the room looking baffled, not knowing where to go, she decided to speak, "Papa, do I get a present?"

Her father looks at her with narrowed eyes, making Ariana wish she could hide behind a tapestry or her mother.

"I heard your sister say that you always act more like a wolf than a human," her father says, his eyes dark. "We all know that wolves don't get gifts or presents, so why should you?"

Hearing her father's words made Ariana cower within herself, embarrassed by her stupid question. She knew she shouldn't have asked, because the answer was always the same. She could feel her eyes brimming with tears. Not wanting to embarrass herself further, she rushed out of the great room, her ma telling her to return back, but she ran till she reached her chambers and began to cry as she fell on her bed.

A few hours had passed and the sun had gone down when she heard a soft knock on the door.

"Let me in, Ariana," her brother said from the other side of the door.

"No, you're only here to mock me," said Ariana, with her keen stubbornness.

"I promise I won't. Please let me inside , sister." Nathaniel spoke, which was only followed by silence, causing him to sigh before he said, "I've got something for you."

He waited till he heard rustling and the door opened to a sad looking Ariana, " Nate , papa said there were no gifts for me," she spoke, looking at her brother disapprovingly, before asking, "Are you lying?" Ma said it's bad to lie.

"How do you know I'm lying?" He asked as they both walked into her chambers.

"Because papa said there were none for me," Ariana said with a small huff of annoyance.

"Oh really, papa said that, not me," Nate said while giving her a sword. She looks at it quizzically before giving Nate a questioning look.

"It's my gift to you," he said with a small smile.

"What? ...but swords are only for boys. " Ariana said, looking baffled.

"No," Nate said before kissing her forehead, "swords are for strong people, and you are a strong person, so keep it."

A few days had passed since Nate had given Ariana the sword, when a meeting was called with the whole pack in attendance to discuss a grave matter. Ariana and her siblings stood on a podium alongside their parents as the wind blew and the sky darkened. Their parents both looked tired with pale skin and sunken eyes. The children had known that a tragedy had occurred as they had even heard the palace maids talking about it.

"Attention all, I am here with grave news today." Alpha Alec's solemn voice broke out, "The king and queen are no longer with us; they have passed to the after life."

Loud gasps from the crowd filled the air at the revelation as they went into a frenzy and the pack members imploded with questions of their own, "Who will be the next king ?" One person screamed over the crowd.

"How did they come to pass?" asked another.

"Who dares hurt our monarchy?" The crowd raged on.

"My dear friends, please stop. The king and queen were poisoned by a man who will face a fate worse than death itself. "Alpha Alec's voice boomed with anger over the crowd, even though he didn't speak the whole truth, only enough to keep the crowds silent and the world at peace.

"Our new King is Prince William James Alexander the Regina," The Alpha's voice boomed. "I know he is not of age, so the Royal Alpha Michael will assist the King for the time between now and his coronation."

The crowd calmed with every word the Alpha spoke as they waited for his next words until the Luna spoke next, "We will be holding a dinner and a pack run for the mourning of the King and Queen. Please be free to join us and please, from the kindness of your heart, bring gifts of mourning that can be sent to the Diamond Palace for the funeral. "

The Diamond Palace was the main residence of the Royal family, which was located in the heart of the country, and the Royal Pack.

After Luna's short speech, the crowd dispersed to make arrangements for the mourning gifts. Even the Alpha children were told to arrange gifts.

Ariana had asked her nanny, Claudia, if they could arrange a number of flower bouquets for the funeral. Her nanny had agreed, so the duo had spent the afternoon collecting flowers like roses, tulips, marigolds, and Yasmins in the flower fields.

When dinner had arrived, each of the Alpha children with the pack had presented their gifts to the Alpha and Luna of the pack. When it was Nathaniel's turn to present his gift, he had made maps of the whole kingdom and its packs while also including the territories the king had conquered in his reign. Andria had woven silk and linen handkerchiefs which were then embellished with the royal talisman and coat of arms through embroidery. Meanwhile, Ariana had presented a dozen bouquets of flowers, with each flower being native to the nation and having extreme importance in royal festivals.

The Luna looked proudly at all three of her children, while the Alpha sat up from his chair and applauded his daughter Ariana in mockery as the dining hall fell into an uncomfortable silence.

"Lady Ariana, do you really think these juvenile atrocities will satisfy the standards of the Royals?" Alpha sneered.

"Papa....I.....I... thought" Ariana stuttered, finding it difficult to find the right words.

"Child, there is no reason for you to address me as Father when Alpha will suffice," the Alpha said, his face darkening as the Pack members in the dining hall gasped in surprise but kept their mouths shut, afraid of the alpha's wrath.

"But...but...papa...mama" Ariana spoke, looking up to her mother for guidance.

The Luna was about to respond to her daughter Plea when the Alpha Alec spoke up again "If I am Alpha to you then my mate is your Luna and not your mother."