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16.

-HIM-

The shedding of cherry flowers from their trees marked the beginning of the Calanthe Ceremony. As the sun rose, the birds left their nests and soared the skies with sweet melodies. It seemed to be the most beautiful day of the year but I knew better.

We had already been warned by the seer about the shortcomings of this day. After hearing all the predictions, the more I looked at the beautiful day outside, the eerier it seemed. A chill ran down my spine whenever I repeated their words in my head.

What was going to happen? And who was going to do it?

They said that the evil will visit us today… but who it could be? The security had been strengthened and every precaution had been taken but still, there was a gut feeling saying that something bad was going to happen today. My wolf was acting very differently too.

He had been impatient and pacing inside me since last night. I don’t understand him. When I stepped out of my wing and looked at the preparations for the ceremony, a weird feeling continued to eat me away. It felt like something was missing.

I wasn’t able to mirror the happiness and enthusiasm that the people around me had for the ceremony. Even though I did not have a mate yet, I was sure that the weird feeling did not have anything to do with my mate’s absence. It was something beyond recognizing.

There was unknown anxiety that was slowly rising inside me. My wolf acted like he was about to lose control. I did not know what was happening to me. It was scaring me but I was doing everything to keep a straight face as I went to the court.

Everything around me looked so colorful but I felt grey. What was happening to me?

The people of the court looked very excited about the ceremony but I could tell that they were somewhat anxious about the ceremony due to the prediction but they weren’t as anxious as I was. Soon, all the men assembled before my father led us towards the woods for hunting.

Hunting was the most important part of the ceremony. The size of the hunt determined the power and devotion of the hunter. I knew my dad was going to hunt a deer despite what the size determined. My mother those animals and in our kingdom, we had golden hinds. Their fur was of gold and it shined whenever they were under the sun.

I was asked what I wanted to hunt as we ran through the forest. Though, I did not answer that question and decided to part from the group. I wanted to be alone for some time so I ended up turning towards the thick woods in the south while others ran towards west.

I kept running and didn’t realize when I had ventured into the dangerous part of the woods where mostly bears lived. It did not take me long to spot the bears. I must have strolled into their territory because I was attacked by one.

Without thinking, I took it down and before I knew it, I had a prey. It took me some time to drag my prey to the edge of the forest where everyone else was waiting for me with their prey. My father eyed the bear impressively before he patted my back lightly.

A loud howl was given off as a signal before we finally stepped out of the woods and towards the palace. The crowd had already come to greet us. The female population of the palace was waiting on the high steps of the palace with my mother. They were waiting for us. I only looked ahead as I climbed the stairs and stood beside my mother and father. The place beside me remained empty.

The crowd was cheering for us wildly but I was too busy fighting the war that was slowly raging inside me. My feelings were all over the place and my wolf was almost on the edge of losing control even though we had gone on a great run and hunted down big prey.

I wanted to disappear in my wing before the feelings got the best of me and I end up doing something which I’d regret later. The ceremony hadn’t even begun properly but I already wanted it to end. It felt like I was losing my sanity slowly. It was making me feel worse every passing second.

After greeting and addressing the crowd, my parents led the palace people to the big ballroom where the actual ceremony was going to take place. I already knew that Inanna was present there, waiting for us.

The place where she was sitting had been decorated grandly. My parent’s thrones were present just beside her seating place. As soon as they took their seat, the ceremony started. First, my father presented his game to my mother and everyone cheered. Inanna judged the game before blessing them with the best interests.

Slowly, all the court members who were mated, presented their game to their mates before Inanna blessed them. I kept zoning in and out most of the time. I tried to concentrate on the surroundings but the internal war raging inside me was keeping me busy. My wolf was pacing inside me impatiently.

“My prince, what did you hunt?” My attention was being claimed by the pairer. When my eyes found her red ones, I saw a knowing gleam in them as if she could read me. A sly smile slowly climbed on her lips. Something about the way she regarded me told me that she knew something. I was aware of how cunning Inanna was. I had a feeling that she had something in store for me and what I was feeling had something to do with her wicked plans.

Many people were impressed when I presented the bear that I had hunted for my mate. Inanna’s eyes grew big as she examined my prey before she gave a big smile and said, “This is the most impressive prey I have ever seen, my prince. I have faith that you will make a great king but… a king is nothing without a queen,”

Everyone was silent as Inanna rose from her place and strolled closer to my hunt. Her red eyes never left me. She had a strange look in her eyes which I had never seen before. I couldn’t comprehend anything about her.

“I, the pairer, give you a mate who will not only compliment you but challenge you in every aspect. She will be fierce like the fire you possess. She will be strong enough to lead this kingdom beside you and if necessary, even without you. She will be one of the strongest queens who ever ruled this realm,” The room held a deadly silence as Inanna was done speaking.

Everyone was still, their eyes on me. Inanna gave me a sly smile before the ceremony continued again. Several gods and goddesses were invited as guests. I was congratulated by many of them. I and father were busy conversing with Ezekyle when one of the seers approached us hesitantly.

“What is it, Cynthia?” My father grumbled after he excused himself from Ezekyle. I stood by him, completely still. That gut feeling was back and now, it was terrorizing me. Something was terribly wrong, the expression on Cynthia’s face told me.

She gulped before hanging her low and speaking very gently, “Your majesty, I have got a vision. Her majesty, she-“ Before Cynthia could complete her sentence, a loud crashing sound claimed everyone’s attention in the room.

I turned my head to find Haestus, dad’s second in command, standing still with horror decorating his face. I instantly knew what was happening. He was getting a vision. Even though he was a wolf, he had a special power which enabled him to see the past and the future with different perspectives.

“WHERE’S NEFRET?” He roared as soon as he recovered from the vision. The realization instantly dawned upon me that my mother was missing. Where was she? What was happening?

“What did you see?” My father growled while I felt the panic rise inside. I could already see many people looking around for my mother.

“Her majesty is in grave danger,” It was Cynthia who spoke. Her words made my blood run cold.

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