“Another chapter of life. I have a pup to protect now. People in the castle keep testing me. It’s time to scrap the Goodchild off my name.” – Ava Knight

…

“Leave it to me,”

Some voice suddenly said.

“Let me take it from here.”

I wriggled my brows confusingly at the feminine words.

“Who are you?” I asked curiously.

“Your wolf.”

“Y-You’re here again.” I stated brokenly, sitting at the floor of my chambers with tears surrounding my eyes.

I was tired.

So tired that for the first time, I reached for a bottle of rum, drinking from it.

I wanted anything that could make me forget this world I was in. This harsh world that everyone was after something. Anyone could betray anyone. Because of power.

Used to look up to Lydia, you know.

I really wanted to be like her. Her fighting skills and Knight indulging were out of this world. This was why I had so much confidence in myself after defeating her.

I remember how I had dropped a part of my torn piece of cloth, bowing down to pay my last respect, in honor. Of her magnificent fighting skills.

Pained me to know she worked with the main enemy. With the main villain— King Teta. That she wasn’t who she said she was.

The Witch’s words reminisced into my head…

“In disguise of a mere pawn, she used her spells to feign the fighting peak gifted by the Moon Goddess.” Nynaeve had said.

“She has been the one feeding the major enemy with information. And she will be back. Back for you, Ava. Back to destroy the castle as she has always dreamed of.”

“W-Why? Who is she and what’s truly her aim?” I had asked, stuttering.

“At first I was confused too.” Nynaeve admitted, with her hands sweeping over the crystal ball.

“As to why you had those war visions. I assumed you were blessed to be a clairvoyance. But that wasn’t the case at all.”

“Now the Goddess shows me all,”

“She shows me all…”

A bright light shone from her eyes and the entire room began trembling, as she held my hands. The crystal ball turned into pitch black. I gasped at it, looking and searching. Only to see pictures. Moving pictures.

Of people. But I didn’t understand it at all.

“Tell me…”

“Lydia was a descendant of Lady Archer’s Kingdom— the Khalayans.”

“L-Lady Archer?”

It was made sense now. On why she had contacted me, from the spiritual realm. She wanted to warn me about Lydia, but her time was limited.

I needed to know about her tribe, still.

“Who are the Khalayans?”

“The Khalayans are known in history to be a hidden Kingdom. Only women, they are extremely strong and beautiful. More like Amazons, highly skilled in the use of bows with maddening abilities of fighting.”

She explained.

“Lady Archer, the Queen Khalayan of her clan, trespassed King Teta’s border in one of her expenditures. He threw a great fit, with an intent to have her punished.”

“But she pleaded for the sake of her people, and to prevent a grotesque war. Touching the Queen Mother could lead to a disastrous outrage from them.”

“In discovery that she had a very strong gene and was of a noble blood, the King demanded she married him.” she added.

Things got interesting every minute…

“It was a marriage without love. And they weren’t even mates. However, the King found his mate later on. It was Lady Archer’s assistant, Lydia. This explained the magnetism and desirability of the King, to her in the first place.”

“It was because her scent earlier mixed with her assistant’s. They kept their affair hidden, going on unholy quests.”

“It was then they both eliminated the Emperor of the Sea. While King Teta claimed the throne, Lydia swallowed an immortality pearl. This gave her the special abilities she exhibited so far.”

“Why did she choose to exhibit them, here in the castle of all places?” I asked.

“What does she want, Nynaeve? Ask the Moon Goddess what she seeks? Perhaps we could avoid the war between districts.”

I was really desperate to put an end to this…

To make things stable.

“Lydia is a jealous lover. Over the years, she watched her Mistress be her mate’s Queen. Thus, she swore to put an end to everything Lady Archer worked hard to build.”

…

As I recovered from the flashback, everything around me looked like it was spinning. The alcohol had begun to take its effect.

My hands trembled as more tears spun out of my eyes. My paws extended scratching on the floor. Believe me, I really wanted to hide in a pot right now.

All these…it was too much for me to bear.

I wondered how things even became as complicated as this. Just how?

“Let me take over…You’re hurting yourself and your baby.”

My baby.

I couldn’t harm my baby, dammit.

With that thought, I let her take over. Slowly, I felt furs engulfing my body. The furriness, gradually. It was a process of transformation. A first for me, and really painful.

But I held it in, crying so much, not to drag the attention of anyone.

“Ca-spian…”

I muttered while transforming. To think he turned me into this beast. Where was he now… When I needed him the most? I wanted him to come to me.

I needed his help badly.

My wolf angrily cleared a table in her path.

“My Knight?” someone knocked, entering.

Next thing I heard was a shriek. I could tell who it was because my vision was reddened. But whoever it was ran out of my path.

I ran so much, losing directions of where I was even going to. My paws connected with the snowy ground, running till I entered the woods. That bottle of rum made me want to let it all out.

A drunken wolf in the woods…

Was I even safe?

I howled so much in hurt, whimpering. More tears dripped from my eye lids.

“Ava?”

A gentle voice and melodious voice faintly whispered. At the sight of him, I howled dejectedly.

Caspian.

Just who did he think he was?

Leaving me to deal the evils of his castle…

I ran towards his human form, hitting him hardly with my wolf head. Kicking him with my paws. But he was far too strong. He didn’t even bulge.

“Easy there, wolf. Easy.”

He outstretched his hands, rubbing my head. I moaned from the effect of his touch. Caspian hugged me immediately while I sobbed continuously.

“Why didn’t you come to see me? Why…” I trailed, brokenly, hoping he heard.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, mate. So sorry for hurting you every damn time. Please forgive me.”

He did hear…

He kissed the sides of my wolf’s cheek as he said those words, patting my head.

“And P-Princess Evealah? What about your father wishes of marrying her and getting an heir?” I asked, through the mind link. “Didn’t you say going against him could lead to war, Caspian? What about it?”

“I love you, Ava. And you’re the only woman I’ll marry in my lifetime, heir or not.”

Just as I heard those words, my heart softened. I slowly felt my wolf go in. I shifted back to human, naked to his gaze.

“Really? You’re giving all that up for me?”

I asked, smiling cheesily using my hands to wipe my tears. Though bare, I wasn’t shy. This was the father of my unborn child. My hands reached out to touch his face.

“Yes, mate. My kind of love, doesn’t cost a dime. For you… it’s far from being mandatory.”

The alcohol was beginning to wear off at his words. I reached out to his hands, kissing them.

He was finally becoming a man of his own will. I had to tell him the truth then. I had to…

“Does it mean you will love me, no matter what?”

I asked. Really didn’t want him to be angry at my reveal. Knowing how hot-tempered his beast was, I hoped he didn’t throw a fit.

“I love you too, Caspian but there’s something I’ve been keeping from you and I’m sorry.”

“What is it, milady? It’s your desire and scent, right little Ava?” he answered.

“I knew it. You’re just as—"

“We made a baby on our first night together. I am pregnant, Caspian.”

***

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