The Crown's Entrapment

At Cordon Kingdom.

"This is so sudden!" Savannah, the Queen Mother of Cordon, burst out the moment Leon personally delivered to her the news about the marriage alliance between Cordon and Ebodia. "Not even a prior announcement?! What is he thinking?!"

"To be honest, we should've seen this coming the moment he left," Elder Nassar shrugged.

"Still, we're hopeful that our King will get a fair trade in this alliance that will benefit our Kingdom as a whole. Perhaps Ebodia would kindly share with us their knowledge about magicks or perhaps they'd offer us a few of their mages and a seer as tribute."

The Elder then frowned upon looking at the missive sent by the messenger. "However, looking at this copy of the alliance agreement, it says nothing about any sort of advantage we get from the union! This reads like we just got fleeced, and it's absolutely ridiculous!"

Letting out a sigh, Savannah closed her eyes as she helplessly leaned her back on her chair. She had just arrived at the castle from her prior journey to the west side of Cordon. She had just finished overseeing the relief operations for the famine their people experienced because of an unexpected drought.

Taking a small breath, her eyes darted at Clara before she heaved out a long deep sigh. Clara was the one she was eyeing to be Darius's companion for the throne, but seemed as if his son had other ideas…

Then again, it wasn't against their kingdom's traditions for the King to have a number of lady consorts from other different kingdoms if it was for the purpose of forming an alliance. It was a very common thing to do for the rulers of their era, after all.

Giving the woman another look, Savannah couldn't help but let out another small breath of regret. She was aware of how Clara felt for her son, Darius, and as a woman, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for her. She could only imagine what Clara was feeling at that moment.

"I want details, Leon," the Queen Mother turned to Leon as she inquired.

Leon slightly bowed and reported, "Unfortunately, Queen Mother, I also don't have all the details. I'm simply relaying what Commander Gideon gave to me; mentioning that the King signed an agreement for a marriage alliance to Ebodia and that he'll be marrying the eldest Princess of Ebodia."

He then continued, "Apparently, this princess is his mate, and the wedding will take place after thirty days of waiting. He also instructed the Moonlight Cavalry to make their way to the Ebodia Encampment to serve as reinforcements to our newest allies."

"Mate?! Haha! Is our King playing a fool of us?" Elder Nassar snorted. "Since when did he believe in the Mate Pull?!"

"I do believe he takes such things seriously now, Milord," Leon couldn't help but answer back, a hint of excitement evident in the young beta's voice. "After encountering the phenomenon himself, he's nothing but acting upon the very thing he once thought as myth."

Shaking her head, another sigh came out from Savannah's lips. A Mate Pull… No wonder her son had a hard time maintaining his rationality given the current situation.

She frowned at the officers before her and said, "Our King has his reasons. His words might seem strange, but we must trust him. Even though that Ebodian Princess is his mate, that doesn't mean that she will be our Queen Luna."

She stressed, "We have traditions; laws and orders to which our King gave his vows to honor during his reign…"

None no longer dared to speak against the Queen Mother's words.

Seeing the silence, she immediately asserted herself once more as she added, "This war between kingdoms will take both time and resources. Hopefully, it will be over as swiftly as possible. For now, let's focus on protecting and taking care of our fellow Cordians while the King is still on the battlefield."

She then looked at Gilas and instructed, "You will take charge of our general affairs while our King is out, so make sure that everything in our kingdom is well accounted for." She stressed, "Ensure the peace and order within our borders in the King's absence."

"Yes, Queen Mother," Gilas slightly bowed in deference.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Savannah didn't fail to notice the slight smirk on Nasser's face that disappeared just as quickly. There was something there, but she elected to shake her head as she stood up.

She then looked at Clara and said, "The rest of the Moonlight Knights are already with our King, and he specifically only asked for the cavalry. Thus, the remaining Moonlight Knights should stay here in the Kingdom to help Gilas keep the peace and order."

Hearing her orders, the rest of the Moonlight Knights bowed their heads, including Leon as they all showed their respect to the older monarch.

Seeing that her subjects had taken her orders well, Savannah then declared, "If that is all, I'll be going to my chambers."

Taking her leave, the Queen Mother left the throne room, Clara immediately moving to assist her through the hallway. "You don't need to walk with me, dear," Savannah noted with a soft smile.

"It's alright, Queen Mother," Clara gracefully smiled. "Just let me just safely walk you to your chambers before I leave to do my duties."

"Thank you, my dear."

Hearing her earnest reply, Savannah gave her a grateful smile as she let the young woman usher her back to her room. Still, a few thoughts came into her mind as they walked.

"Are you displeased that Darius is marrying an Ebodian Princess?" Savannah asked Clara directly.

To her credit, Clara simply let out a neutral reply to her question. "I have no right to be displeased, Queen Mother."

"Hmm… Don't worry, I'll talk to my son as soon as he comes back," Savannah reassured the young woman.

"No matter what happens, we shall proceed with the proper traditions in the selection of a Queen Luna, someone who is blessed by our Almighty for our Kingdom to prosper."

She then added, "You should prepare for the days ahead. Although, I'm sure that none in this kingdom is comparable to your capabilities, Clara. You'll surely pass all the trials for a Queen."

Clara gave the Queen Mother a bashful smile. Clara and Darius grew up together, and no one knew her son better than the young woman before her.

Added to that, her parents were very loyal to her husband; a pair of warriors that any Cordonian could be proud of. However, both of them died during the war twenty years ago, leaving Clara in her protection.

Practically raising her as their own, Clara lived her life serving their kingdom and aiding Darius with everything that he might need.

Savannah could even say that Darius wouldn't be where he was right now if it weren't for the young woman's loyalty, support, and aid as the Alpha of Midnight Pack, which was currently the third largest pack within their Kingdom.

Soon enough, the two reached the Queen Mother's chambers, Savannah nodding in acknowledgment as they stood in wait.

"We're here, Queen Mother," Clara politely said as they both waited for the servants to open the door for her.

Seeing her dedication, Savannah held Clara's hand, gently squeezing it in reassurance as she said, "Hang in there, dear. I'll talk to Darius as soon as he comes home."

Clara couldn't help but smile at the gesture, "Thank you, Queen Mother."

"You're welcome, dear," Savannah nodded in appreciation. "You may leave."

Watching the young Alpha leave, Savannah let out a small sigh as she walked inside her chambers.

Weakly sitting on the nearest chair, she asked one of her available servants to prepare her a cup of tea. She then closed her eyes as she let out yet another frustrated sigh.

Looking at all the cards, it was clear that her son Darius was the only problem… He merely saw Clara as nothing more than a sister, far from mate material if he was asked about the topic.

"This will be hard, especially now that he has found his mate…" Savannah lamented. "What should I do, Lucian? This could cause a political uproar…"

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A/N: Sorry I have to mention it here to make sure everyone could see it haha. Please leave our book a REVIEW for the ratings. Thank you so much. XD