Chapter 218

Chapter 218
ASHER
As Silas reported on what his father had been doing in Anemond, I pursed my l*ps in irritation but listened without making any sort of comment.
In my absence. Oliver Moses had taken the Beta’s guards into the royal palace and imprisoned the Head of the King’s Guard. The councilors who had been loyal to me, their Alpha King, had either been imprisoned or killed. Everything had been. done in the name of his so-called “justice” to expose the “imposters who caused the king’s disappearance”.
And of course, my father-in-law was recruiting soldiers, using the excuse that he needed an elite army to fight for the Alpha King when I returned to Anemond. He was doing all in his power to make it seem as if someone else had taken me hostage to dispel blame from himself and his family.
When Silas finished his report, silence hung in the room, and for a long moment, neither of us spoke. I wasn’t sure how to word what I needed to say, and my brain felt frazzled by this influx of information. I was angry. Impossibly angry. At this situation, the Moses family, the king of Yurene, and all of those who had orchestrated this awful takeover.
“How many soldiers does Oliver have?” I asked finally.
Two thousand, perhaps.” Silas replied, his golden eyes somber as they stared into mine. “All from different Packs. And since he had control over most of the councilors, he assumed control of their guards as well. But… the actual number is unsure. There are a few Packs that support him and others he’s always been close with
I nodded as I considered this information. It was unpredictable which side the different Packs would be on. Wegalla was such a large country that most of the Packs ruled themselves in their own way. Despite the pledges of allegiance they made to the Alpha King, I couldn’t rely on that ancient oath when war approached.
Many of them might not care who was the king so long as their lives continued like normal. Others might be power-hungry and wish to win more through the chaos. If I wanted to get their support, I would have to visit them one by one.
But first, I needed an army, which was precisely why Silas and I were going to the Myriad tomorrow.
“Asher.” Silas spoke again, and after he took a breath, he sat down in the chair opposite me. “Is it really better for you to remain here in the shadows? I’ve heard rumors circulating in the city that you’re dead. If we let that rumor get too far, who knows what that could mean for your reign. You could lose your crown for good.”
I gulped as a lump formed in my throat. His statements held a lot of weight, and for a moment, I was about to stagger under them, but I managed to steady myself.
But before I could answer Silas, I heard footsteps, and when I turned my head, I was surprised to see my brother in the doorway. The light of the many candles made his golden hair gleam, and though he seemed tired, he appeared just as regal and poised as ever. Our current circumstances hadn’t managed to dim his composed air.
“Staying in the shadows is the best choice for now,” Kane said. His violet eyes were somber but his expression was perfectly calm as he entered the room. “Oliver is probably twelve steps ahead of you. He’s likely anticipated your
return and has planned accordingly. We don’t know what he’s arranged. If you suddenly appeared…you could be in even more danger than
you are now
As much as I didn’t want to admit it, he had a good point. Oliver Moses had conducted this usurpation right under my nose. I had no idea how long he’d been planning this coup, nor did I know what else he had up his sleeve. This mess of a situation was unpredictable and I needed to think strategically if I wanted to make it out of this alive.
Silas turned to Kane and was about to speak, but just as the Beta opened his mouth, my brother continued on.
“Silas, since you and Asher have such a long journey ahead of you
tomorrow.
morrow, you
should
try to get some rest,” he advised
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Chapter 218
politely but firmly. “This might be the best sleep you’ll be able to get in the next few days. Take advantage of having a nice bed. Besides, I need to have some private time with my brother. So if you don’t mind…”
“Of course,” Silas replied dutifully, and he rose to his feet. “Good night, Your Majesty.”
He offered me a polite bow, and when I nodded back at him, he left the room without hesitation.
Once he was gone, Kane sat down in Silas’ seat and crossed his legs.
“What time are you leaving tomorrow, brother?” he wondered with a raise of a golden eyebrow,
“Around 5” I answered without pause, and then I rubbed my temples. A headache hard begun to stir within me, and I felt. exhaustion start to creep in. Ever since Cas sandra had left, I hadn’t had a proper medical check, and I was feeling the effects of the illness much harder these days. “It’s the time that the guards change their shifts, It’ll give us a fighting chance.”
Kane nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll meet you at 5 then.”
“Excuse me?” I asked in surprise.
I’ll be joining you.” he replied as if it were obvious.
1 shook my head immediately. “You don’t need to, Kane. In fact, you shouldn’t. You should remain here, away from the potential madness.”
“I’m not asking for your permission,” my brother countered. “Let me remind you whose house you’re in now-”
“Is that a threat?” I cut him off, and I narrowed my eyes at him. “Are you truly on my side, Kane? Because from what Silas has informed me, your mother, Margaret, has allied with Oliver Moses.”
“Are you questioning my loyalty?” Kane asked, and he shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe you’d doubt me after all of this time. If I wanted to betray you, Asher, I would have done it when I found you and Silas lingering around the palace after your return from the forest. I could have let Oliver Moses’ guards know where you were. It would have been all too easy to give you up. But I didn’t. And it would be good for you to remember that. I’m not your enemy. I’m your ally, and I’m here to help
Though his tone was genuine, a lingering feeling of doubt remained in the back of my mind. With how impossible and confusing things had been lately, it was hard to determine who was truly my ally and who was a traitor. I didn’t know who trust in light of this awful coup
But as Kane’s violet eyes stared directly into mine, I found myself nearly convinced by his words. Yet… a thought plagued me, one that I couldn’t cast aside.
“Are you doing this for her?” I wondered. “Are you staying by my side because of Cas s andra?“
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