Cursing The Sages

Frustrated, I tap my nails on the tabletop.
I'm just wasting my time here. The Sages are not taking us seriously, my Lycan is on edge. Over the last few weeks, I have been able to sense his strength, but I won't know how great it is until I rip the heads of the three men in front of me. They do not understand that I am capable of anything to protect my family. This whole Kingdom can be stolen from me, I'll just take Rain and my boys back to our pack. It is not that we are homeless or dependent on these weighty titles.
Elder Nicolas hears us with an expressionless face.
The others also show little of their thinking. I need to know their stance to decide my next move. I want to prevent Rain from knowing about Ralph's infidelity and rejecting him against the Moon Goddess' decision. And a rejection in the Royal family will have an unparalleled impact on the werewolf packs and on Ralph himself, especially if the reason becomes known to all. In the worst-case scenario, an impeachment procedure could be initiated by the Council, but then again, that would be unprecedented. But I think of my pack members who could go for retribution. Storm Forest is quite proud of Rain, the Luna who has given them not only prosperity but also a status upgrade. A revolution is obvious. And I can't stop them from revenging their Luna and Queen's reputation.
And then there is Esis, the Midnight Moon pack, the most influential and powerful.
This Alpha has presented Rain with his eternal loyalty. He will definitely join Storm Forest at their slightest signals of rebellion. Moon Goddess, so much goes through me and even then, I am not the culprit in this affair here. And these Sages just stare ahead like nothing. Elder Antonius sitting next to Jace and me, is also starting to lose his temper. Cleo stares ahead, he is the former Head Warrior of Storm Forest, the second in charge of the Kingdom. His loyalty also lies with the Queen. Fuck, we're sitting on a time bomb here and those who are supposed to come up with a solution are just staring at us.
Time to bring things into focus here.
"Sages, my arrival here is just a formality. My main priority is my mate and pups," I sternly admonish them. "I'm telling you. Everything else could be stolen from me. As soon as I have even the slimmest indication that their safety is at risk, I will do anything to protect them. You know I am not impecunious, I have enough friends and land to house my family." And now all the faces change. Three pairs of eyes look at me intimidatingly. "We forbid you to take the Crown Princes out of the Kingdom, King Jasper. Know your place. They may be related to you, but they belong to the Kingdom," an authoritarian Elder Nicolas now declares.
"You forbid? Then tell me what tools you have to maintain peace and security in a Kingdom with an adulterous King. That is what I want to know," I now demand in a high tone. "My family will not stay in a dangerous environment. Rain will not let Ralph go unpunished and I cannot foresee what my pack does to defend the honor of their Luna." Hard I hit the table now, tired of this round dance. So far, the Sages have not made any hard concessions.
"King Jasper is damn right!" Elder Antonius now shouts furiously, done with this nonsense behavior. "If you have no answer, consult the Oracle again. A whole specie cannot go down because of your arrogance. Why would the King keep his children here when you have nothing to offer?" Never before have I seen the man this angry. Normally he is the man who always seeks peace and looks for solutions. But now, only anger is plastered on his face. Cleo's silence is the greatest threat and Jace's icy face does not bode well. After we informed the Sages of our information, they seemed almost indifferent. And that bothered the high rankings quite a bit. I sigh deeply.
Elder Nicolas opens his mouth again.
"Let's stay calm, please. We will have a solution before the Name Giving Ceremony begins. That's in four weeks," he says in a dead tired voice. "Give us space to do our work. Before the day of the ceremony, we'll brief you again on this case". And then he turns to me. "King Jasper, it is reasonable that you value the safety of our Crown Princes. We greatly appreciate that, but the pups must not leave the Kingdom. That alone will bring a lot of misery if the packs find out. We must find a solution. Give us time".
I hear Jace release his breath. The man was high-strung.
"Elder, I'll hold you to your word. Before the Name Giving Ceremony, you will have answers for us on how to avert the coming debacle. In the meantime, I'll distract Rain from wanting to meet Ralph," I compromise with them. "Keep strictly to the deadline. Rain is hard to fool. And as my fated mate, she knows right away when something is on my mind".

The older men at the other side of the table nod. We get up and leave their office.
As we stand outside, I see Jace staring off into the distance.
"Ever seen Elders so calm when it comes to the safety of the entire Werewolf community? Just the word revolution or rebellion should make them stuffy," he says lowly. "Jasper, there is more to it. When Elder Antonius brought up the Oracle, I saw their eyes light up for a moment. We need to stay alert".
The Elder nods slowly. "Yes, get your intelligence to work. My old Lycan makes me aware that extreme events are imminent," he declares more to himself. Then he turns to Jace and Cleo. "Keep our people mum. No rioting. The Moon Goddess will bring the solution soon," he is sure. "Jasper, keep Rain away from this drama. Concentrate on the pups and make sure we get more Princes. Or rather, Princesses this time".
I stare at the man, incomprehensible that he can still think about the offspring in the middle of this situation. I mean, keeping the pups we have now safe in this whole malaise is a challenge. But when I see him suddenly grinning, I realize he just wants to relieve the tense atmosphere.
Shaking my head, I chuckle before getting in the car.
To the Palace and my little family....