Chapter 20:
RPOV
A few days turned out to be two. Dimitri looked a lot better than he was but he was still hurt. Most of his broken bones had mended, but he still had bruises all over his body. And I meant all of his body. I got a very good view of it last night.
I giggled at the memory. It took a bit of creative thinking but we were able to make it work.
But we didn't have any time for relaxing anymore. The King has mobilized his most loyal guards as a protective ring around himself. He has also been parading his 'victory' over Dimitri in front of whoever would listen. Abe told us we needed to move fast. So this morning I was with the people I knew were loyal to Dimitri. Dimitri couldn't appear before them. It is one thing to know he got a beating, it is another to actually see him so broken. It was up to me to rally the troops. I told my father with absolute confidence that I could, but as I was about to walk into the training ring I really didn't know how I was going to handle this. What if they lost heart, what if we lose the military? What if we lose this fight because I thought I had more power than I did?
Enough! I am an alpha, I am a powerful woman, I am the daughter of a shrewd wolf and his powerful mate. I am the lover of an alpha General. I can do this.
I hope.
I opened the doors and everyone turned around to see who had come in. They all felt silent. All sounds of metal on metal seized. No footsteps on the gravel and no cheering of spectators on the sidelines. The silence was deafening. The only sound that could be heard was my ever increasing heartbeat. I think everyone in the courtyard could hear it.
The lieutenant that has helped us before came over to me. He was weary. Almost afraid of asking his question.
"Is it true? Did Dimitri lose?"
I shut my eyes and tried not to remember what Dimitri looked like when Tatiana just brought him in. The amount of bandages and blood soaked rags will be a sight that will never leave me. And all because he wanted to protect me.
My earlier anxiety was replaced with anger. No, not anger. Rage. Pure and animalistic and very very dangerous. My eyes glowed and he took a step back.
"No. It isn't true. The King didn't defeat him. He used his feelings for me to… No, the King will never be stronger than Dimitri. Never."
The lieutenant seemed to understand what I was saying even if I didn't know myself.
I turned from him to the rest of the men. They were all looking at me expectantly.
"He is a monster that has taken too much from Dimitri already. He took too much from all of us. If he can't win in a fair fight, he manipulates. He dishonors the name of the wolf. He is a vile creature and he should no more be King than I should be a diplomat."
That got me a few chuckles. I was not known for my subtlety.
"And if we let him, he will just continue to take. I for one am not going to let him. Are you?"
That earned me a couple of 'No's'.
"For too long has he held us in his grips of fear and despair. For too long has he been able to continue his rain of death unhindered."
My voice was starting to carry more weight both with the volume I was using as well as the tone and nerve it was hitting the soldiers. The couple of No's earlier were now getting louder and louder. I was doing it. I was convincing them.
"I will not stand for it much longer. I will fight. Who will join me?"
The cheers were just as deafening as the silence had been a moment ago. They were ready.
And so I explained the plan. There was a council meeting tomorrow. Abe had weaseled his way inside. The King, still high on his victory over Dimitri, wanted to exploit Abe's apparent defeat and parade another one of his victim's in front of his council. He believed his power to be absolute. Now more than ever.
But he would still have his bodyguards with him at all times. He might be high on power, but unfortinately he wasn't stupid. We hoped we could resolve this without bloodshed but I was here to make sure we had a back-up plan. Something tells me this won't go down without a fight.
I gave them as much information as I could. We discussed a signal and a time on which they might be needed. From the people here in the courtyard, word would spread to all layers of the military. They assured me they would all be behind Dimitri.
I could see it. The change, the hope that this tiran could be taken down. That their lives would be better.
I hoped it would be enough. For I was as much responsible for getting them killed if this went wrong as I was for setting them free if it succeeded.
Abe's POV
"You're nervous."
I waved off my beautiful mate. "I don't know the meaning of the word."
She chuckled, but she wasn't buying it anymore than I was. I had planned everything. Every contingency, every possibility. I had a best case scenario, a worst case scenario and if everything went to hell scenario and yet, I was nervous. I didn't do nervous. I made sure the battle was already won before it even started.
And I knew the odds in this one. I knew my plan was solid. We had the man power, we had the consensus and the movement of much needed change… and yet.
"You're nervous, because Rose is involved."
"No, I have absolute faith in her."
Janine moved from her chair and walked over to me. She placed her hand on my chest. "So do I, but I am still worried. I don't want her to get hurt, and I don't want to lose her again. And I know that when this goes down, she will be in the middle of it all. She needs to be."
Yes, she did. She was an important part of the plan. She and Dimitri both were. Without their skills it would be a whole lot harder.
And of course, Janine was right. I did have faith in my daughter, after all she was my daughter. She is strong, and powerful and won't back down from a fight. She is a hell raiser and that is just what we need right now. However, she is also seventeen and hasn't been in battle much. Am I asking too much for her to overthrow a King?
"She will be alright. He will protect her."
Ah yes, her knight in shining armor. There was no denying his strength, even broken into a million pieces, he survived, for her. Of course, I still don't like him. But that is practically mandatory for a father to dislike his daughter's lover. But I knew one thing, he would do anything to protect her. Because he already had.
I wanted to be there when he unleashes his wrath on the King for what he did. It will be a sight to see.
"Get some sleep. Tomorrow is a big day."
As usual, she is right. Pavel was staying out, doing what he did best. Keeping us safe from the shadows, taking care of any and all threats that could come our way. So it was just the two of us now. I smiled down at her as I pulled her with me to the bed.
"Well, I was planning to go to bed, I am not sure about sleeping though."
She playfully slapped my chest. "That is all we need, for the coup to fail because you were too tired after a long night."
I kissed her and pulled her close. It couldn't really be considered innocent, but it wasn't too daring either.
"But this could be our last night. Who knows what will happen tomorrow." I gave her my best puppy dog eyes as I slowly moved my hands from her back lower and lower.
She smiled as she blushed but eventually she gave in.
"I swear, you could sell snow to arctic wolves."
I took that as a complement as I lost myself in the one person who had always been my equal and my partner. The one person I could trust completely in this whole world. The one person I couldn't live without.
Well, maybe there was one more person. I wasn't nervous anymore, because there was no way I was going to let anything happen to her. Not ever again.
The next morning, I woke up as the sun did. It would still be a few hours before the Council meeting, but these hours were vital. I would check everything, go over everything again. People gave me a lot of credit thinking me a shrewd genius. Of course I was. But people underestimate how much work it is. People to pay off, spies to insert, information to sort through, knowing where tensions will arise and making sure you have dirt on everybody- and I mean everybody.
I knew I had enough people in the council in my pocket. They didn't know it yet, of course. But that was half the fun. Keep them in the dark until when they do turn on the light, it will be too late. The dice have been rolled and they have no choice but to follow me.
When it was time to go I was calm. Emotions don't have any place in my plans. Well, at least not my emotions. I use other people's emotions as if they are weapons. Janine didn't say goodbye. She and Pavel moved in position. I walked the halls alone.
For what did I have to fear? I was simply going to a council meeting where the King would emphasize his victory over me and Dimitri to solidify his power.
When I got to the chambers, most of the council members were already there. The King wasn't yet, but he was always the last one to arrive. It was protocol. The atmosphere was tense. People were starting to fear the King more and more.
Of course it might have something to do with all those rumors I have been spreading amongst the servants, which were instructed to discuss them when their masters were present.
Some of the stories were even true.
Fear was one of the easiest emotions to use and I used it often. Only blackmail was easier, although I supposed fear was an intrical part of blackmail too.
The door opened and the King walked in with a ridiculous amount of guards. We all stood, as per protocol and bowed our heads. Although I complied too, I did make sure it wasn't as deep as everyone else. I couldn't help myself.
He sat down and everyone took their seats. The walls were lined with his personal guards. I think he was trying to make a show of strength, but it actually made him look weak. He was afraid. I had seen him scan his surroundings. He was getting paranoid, because he knew Dimitri could retaliate.
Paranoia, almost as useful as fear, just a tad bit more unpredictable, and I didn't really do unpredictable.
The King went around the room eyeing everyone of his loyal subjects. His eyes landed on me. If I wasn't me, I would have been afraid, because he zoned in on me as a predator did an innocent prey.
"Zmey, how good of you to join us. I am sure we will find use for you, but maybe for now, you should just listen and learn from your betters."
I nearly choked on my laughter. I didn't have any betters. Equals, yes, betters, no. But instead I inclined my head.
The King went further around the room and he focused on the empty seat furthest away from him. I imagine that is Dimitri's seat. The look on his face when he took in the empty place where his son should be was chilling, even for me. I couldn't understand how somebody could look at their own child that way. But there wasn't anything human about him anymore. He was ruled solely by primal urges. Kill or be killed. And one thing he was right about. Dimitri would kill him.
"I must apologize for the pup. He won't be joining us today. He is still… recovering." The King barely got that out with a straight face.
Not as much as he might think. Turns out Rosemarie's friend was quite the gifted healer. Although not completely healed, she had managed to speed up the recovery significantly.
"Actually…"
I stood up and pointed at the door. The doors swung open and there in all their glory stood my daughter and the 'pup' as the King called him. A six foot seven wall of lean muscle and deadly skill. His hands were crossed over his chest, his gigantic wolf next to him. Rose stood by his side, her hands on her hips and her wolf on her other side. The two of them looked rather imposing, their wolves were a stark contrast to each other. The one almost white, the other almost pure black. They were quite the sight.
And I wasn't the only one who thought so. But I doubt the King was noticing their esthetically pleasing juxtaposition.
"I apologize, your highness, but I invited my daughter too. I figured she could learn something, after all, as an alpha she will take over my pack one day."
His eyes darted from me to Rose and back, putting the pieces together. He seemed to notice he was in big trouble. Not just by the look in Dimitri's and Rose's eyes, but the one in mine too. He had hurt her, tried to do unspeakable things to her. He wasn't going to get away with it.
Rose stepped forwards a little and leaned against the door, arms now crossed over her chest, her wolf by her side snarling at everyone, protecting her.
"I really wanted to see what goes on around here. I hear these sessions can be…quite brutal."
Then Dimitri, who looked like he never took a beating even if I knew he was covered in bandages underneath his clothes, smirked and chuckled a little.
"Well, not that brutal. They lack a bit of bite." This of course was directed at his father. An insult right in front of the council.
The King, as predicted in plan A through G was fuming. He unleashed his own wolf. But since we had already seen my daughters and Dimitri's, his just didn't compare. Sure it was still big and powerful, it just didn't have the impact it once did.
And the rest of the council seemed to notice this too.
Time for the final straw.
I walked towards the head of the council table, the place where usually the King would stand. He had already moved towards Dimitri and Rose, he needed the space to release his wolf.
"I won't insult anyone's intelligence, we all know why I am here. As I said, I serve the throne, but not the man that sits on it now. I do hope we can all come to a peaceful solution without bloodshed."
The words were lost on the King, he was just focused on his son. "I will take you down, boy. And I will make sure you won't get up this time." He spat the words with quite a bit of saliva. It was rather disgusting, but it added to his overall crazy appearance. I could see several council members pull away from him. They were distancing themselves from him.
The multitude of guards started to close in around their liege, ready to fight with him. It was the cue everyone was waiting for and like clockwork our own force of highly trained soldiers started to form an army behind Rose and Dimitri. They appeared everywhere, every window was darkened by their presence, every door blocked. And I knew outside every higher ranking person was controlled by soldiers. Until everything settled down, I needed manpower.
I shrugged. "Just because I hoped we could solve it without bloodshed, didn't mean I didn't expect it."
The King reached his boiling point and he launched at them.
And then it was chaos.
