Last time on Blind Hope

"It'll be fine. You both know you can take out anyone who dares, and quite frankly, I may oppose if no one else does just so they can see much of a bad mama you are." Hope scoffed, but didn't disagree. They entered into a silence in which Vivian made quick adjustments to her and Hope's outfits. "Anyway, after the opposition, we'll have a ball! The new Alphas will be introduced."

"New Alphas?" Hope's milky eyes seemed to cloud over, but then immediately cleared. "Oh, my family..." Vivian smiled and took Hope's arm, helping her to stand.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

~~~~~~~~~~

Hope and Vivian walked through the castle, music seemingly coming from nowhere and growing louder the closer they walked to the throne room. Servants lined the hallways, watching their newly marked Queen with awe as she held on to Vivian. They entered the throne room and everyone stood.

Whispers went around the room as people noticed Hope's blindness; the rumors had spread, but no one had believed it. Dorian beamed from his place beside the High Elder. The Elder glanced at Dorian and sighed in disbelief. Not only did the former King disapprove of his mate, but he had marked her BEFORE working it out with former King and BEFORE her becoming Queen Luna. Dorian's eyes cut to the Elder and a growl threatened to escaped.

Vivian smiled and gave Blake a little wave as she approached the front of the throne room, and a few laughs escaped. Vivian stopped a few feet from the throne and kissed the top of Hope's head. "Stay here a minute." Whispers began to circle again as she approached Dorian instead of the Queen.

"Vivian."

"Dorian." They stared each other down. "Listen hear, you little piece of work." Dorian's eyes brows raised as he watched Vivian carefully. He would be lying if he said she didn't scare him just a little. Never in his life had he thought that someone could take him down, but when faced with this woman, something deep inside told him not to mess with her. "This woman deserves all the love and care in the world. If I ever hear of you hurting her, and I don't care if that's physical or emotional, I swear on my life," Blake growled, but Vivian shushed him with a look, "that I will get revenge." Vivian's eyes were dead serious, and the entire throne room (comprised of all the Alphas and Lunas from across the Americas) stood in shocked silence.

Dorian knelt in front of her, and the High Elder nearly passed out.

"And I promise on my life that I will love, cherish, and protect Hope with my whole being." Hope flushed, her insides melting at his words. Her mind wandering to the sensations of the morning, and her flush deepened and spread across her body.

Vivian nodded tersely, uncomfortable with the fact that her King was currently kneeling in front of her. "Thank you," she managed to whisper and gently began leading Hope to Dorian's side once more.

"Wait!" A voice called out from the back of the room. A tall woman, most famous for being the first female Alpha in nearly a hundred years, stood in the middle of the isle Hope and Vivian had just traversed. Her short grey hair seemed illuminated in the light, and her bright green eyes dared anyone to stand against her. Dorian began breathing heavily, furious, at the interruption. "I don't mean to come between you and your very clearly attentive, loving, marked mate." Hope had stepped forward, wrapping her whole body around Dorian as she sensed his distress. "I don't mean to come between a kingdom and their Queen, either."

"Then may I ask," Dorian's hard voice boomed across the throne room, and everyone watched in absolute silence, their eyes darting between the the intertwined figures of their rulers and the retired Alpha, "what it is you're doing?"

"Yes, My Liege," The former Alpha Iris bowed her head in reverence and approached the center of the room. "I am not concerned with Her Highness' ability to govern, as the Moon Goddess choose her. I am concerned with her fighting abilities. I'm sure you know better than anyone the critical role Luna's play." She paused, but when Dorian didn't interrupt her, busy soothing Hope and watching Blake hold Vivian back, she continued. "They must protect their pack when the King and warriors go off to battle, should the need arise. They must be able to fight just as well as the King, in case he falls. These tasks of fighting and strength superiority seem... absent from the Queen. It is my request that Her Highness fight your top warrior to prove her position before the ceremony."

Dorian's eyes were flashing dangerously. It it weren't for Hope in his arms, he looked like he might snap the poor woman's neck. "My top warrior!? You know darn well he won't fight the Luna Queen! AND more importantly, she has NOTHING to prove!" Hope pushed herself away from Dorian and faced the direction she heard Iris' voice coming from.

"I will fight." Dorian looked down in horrified shock. Vivian leapt to her feet.

"Heck, yeah! To the arena!" Everyone looked at her as if she was crazy, and Iris raised an eye in suspicion. Hope waited patiently, waiting for guidance. No one said anything. "Oh, right." Vivian chuckled to herself, going to her side. "Well, I'll get Her Highness all ready to fight. Can't fight in her gown, now can we? Oh, and y'all choose someone real strong to fight my girl." She laughed and joked the entire way out of the room, and Iris started to become nervous. What did that Luna know that she didn't?

Iris continued as if nothing had happened. "I assume we're both thinking of the same warrior?"

"I'm not asking my head of security and personal overseer of the Queen's safety to challenge her to a fight!"

"And why not!?" Iris shot back, growing annoyed and angry herself. "He needs to know the Her Highness' strengths just as much, if not more so, than we do!" Dorian's growl tore through the castle, and Hope jumped in shock as a picture fell of the wall near her while she changed into workout attire.

"She's right, Sir." William stepped up, bowing to soothe the King's wolf's rage. "It would be an honor to fight Her Highness." He turned to Iris with apprehension. "I will not hold back." She nodded. The Betas also approached and attempted to calm Dorian down, but he was not having it. His mate, his love, his Sweet was being threatened. The High Elder sent William away to prepare and began directing everyone to the training arena where the fight would take place.

Dorian was left alone in the throne room with Horatio and Evelyn. "Dorian, you have to calm down. Most every Luna, be that the Queen or Alpha's mate, has to prove themselves in battle." Evelyn's words did nothing to console Dorian.

"I know she can fight well," Dorian whispered, "but I don't want her to. She doesn't like it." Horatio felt his heart break seeing his dear friend nearly fall apart at the mention of Hope being placed in any danger. But then, he suddenly realized that Dorian wasn't upset that Hope was being placed in danger, but that she was having to fight. This had never been an issue of safety.

"Have you seen her fight?" Dorian hesitated. He had wanted to tell Horatio about the rogues she had mutilated, but had kept it to himself.

"I've... seen the results." He winced. "It wasn't pretty." Evelyn looked at her mate in surprise, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"But when we were planning this, she seemed so mild mannered."

"I assure, you" Dorian laughed, rubbing his hand down his face in remembrance of their morning. "She is anything but mild mannered."