Chapter 117: Reinforcements

It had been nearly two days since the attack on the city and Adolph had gone to recover Laurel. Raven had been pacing the office she’d been given with nervous and fretful strides. Her brother was strong, valiant, and brave, but everyone had their limits. She knew that Laurel’s near-death had nearly sent him over the edge. She couldn’t imagine what their abrupt separation was doing to him.
She clasped her hands and sent up another prayer for Laurel’s safety and their timely reunion and return. She was certain that the entire temple was sending up the same prayer.
The door opened and Henry entered with a grave expression.
“What is it?”
“Come with me and I’ll explain,” Henry sighed. “This is a *fucking mess*.”
Raven didn’t know what was worse, the fact that he described it as a mess or that he cursed while doing it. Henry never cursed.
They arrived in the meeting hall and her gaze lingered on the throne for a moment. She sat quietly beside Henry, trying to calm her racing fear that something had happened to Adolph.
“I’ve returned to report,” the knight said, still looking wind-swept and breathless. “His Majesty is headed into the vampire’s territory after the caravan to retrieve our luna. On the road, we apprehended a suspicious caravan of werewolves transporting a large amount of the kingdom’s gold, food stores, and clothing.”
They were going to be detained and questioned in time, but Raven had heard all she’d needed to hear. It sounded like a conspiracy to commit treason. Even if the caravan wasn’t heading to the vampire nations, heading into the neutral zone with that sort of caravan wasn’t the sign of a merchant, but a recruiter of rogues in the area.
They were having the money counted and looking into trying to trace where the caravan came from, but she had a feeling that they wouldn’t have to look far with their speculations even if they had to look far for evidence.
She glanced at her nephew and found him slouched in his chair. He looked a mess. His eyes were dark and the scent of alcohol wafted from him across the hall. A glance at Henry told him that he had meant that Basil was a fucking mess. She had to agree.
“More than likely his majesty will organize a smaller force to serve as the vanguard and have the border camp’s troop follow soon after,” one of the generals said. “What do you think?”
Raven nodded, “That does sound reasonable.”
“What should we do?” Henry asked, turning to look around the room. “The border camp has all of a thousand troops, right?”
“Maybe a couple hundred more,” a general said. “I’m not overly concerned about sending the troops, but this caravan is concerning.”
“Well, your speculation and concern are fine,” Gavin spoke up. “But none of you have the power to move. The prince is in charge, in his father’s stead.”
Basil turned his head and looked at Gavin through bleary eyes, “Am I?”
Raven winced as he slurred his words. Basil leaned back.
“The most prudent course of action would be to send troops as backup in case it becomes a major battle,” the general said. “His Majesty won’t allow our luna to be behind the vampire’s border for long without a fight.”
Raven nodded.
“Followed directly after should be the start of the interrogation of this caravan,” Dorian said. “They weren’t merchants for sure. It’s the eastern border, isn’t it? We all know there is a large amount of rogue activity there, vagabonds and thieves…”
Gavin twitched and shifted in his seat and Raven swallowed the need to call him out as she looked at Basil who shifted to lean on his other side. He was inebriated and inundated with guilt and complacency, but she had seen hope in her nephew for reformation. His wish to earn his father’s approval and follow in his father’s footsteps had not been destroyed by Gavin’s games.
She just had to pull it to the surface. She wished she knew more about Basil.
“... I guess,” he said morosely.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Gavin said, evenly. “It’s best to just wait until His Majesty returns as we always have.”
“Yeah,” Basil said, with a sigh. “Grandfather’s… probably right.”
It had been just fine during the war. There was no one stronger than his father. He was King Adolph the Invincible, the Goddess-Blessed King. How could he ever have expected Laura to want to return to him when she had the chance to stand at the side of such a man as his goddess-ordained mate?
He had been lucky to have had her at his side for any amount of time.
Raven clenched her fists, “You meant to wait until your father returns, Prince Basil?”
“Yeah,” Basil sighed. He’d rescue Laura and return even more of a hero than he was now.
“If I may, what is the purpose of being the prince if you will not make decisions of merit?”
Basil’s eyes grew hard at Raven’s words. They struck a chord in him and he glared at her.
“What did you just say?”
Gavin growled, leaping to his defense, “You have no right–”
“As a citizen of the kingdom, my entire family, my pack, depend on His Majesty to protect us. In his stead, we depend on you. *How long do you plan to allow your grandfather to play the part you were born to?*”
Basil froze. The world shimmered and Laura’s vibrant green eyes glared at him from within his aunt’s face.
What had he told her then?
“What do you know of His Highness’ ability to lead this nation?” Gavin sputtered. “He is the prince and makes decisions far beyond your understanding.”
Basil shuddered at his grandfather’s words, echoing and melting through his memories. Yes, he’d said something like that, and hearing it from his grandfather’s mouth just made it sound more ridiculous than it had then.
Raven was hopeful. Basil looked as though he’d been slapped and his eyes were wide as he stared at her. Raven didn’t know what it was she said that had gotten his attention, but she knew she’d had it. Some desperate part of him had woken up at her words and it would be best to act on it before he slipped back into the haze of his intoxication.
“You are the only son of King Adolph Raymond,” Raven said. “There is no one who should make decisions for you about how you should support your father nor govern your future subjects. Are you going to sit there and overlook the needs of the kingdom and the suspicious actions of a caravan who might be organizing a force to move against you and your father?”
Basil blinked, he sat up a bit as Gavin looked panicked.
“You are being dramatic! A caravan carrying gold and food could just be escaping!”
“Escaping from what?” Raven pressed, turning her glaring eyes on Gavin. “We aren’t on the edge of a war that we know of. It’s suspicious and needs to be investigated!”
Henry winced as a flash of moonlight went through her eyes. Gavin and the remaining ministers flinched. Basil’s eyes widened as he stared at her.
Many didn’t know much about werewolf twins, especially not the Raymond twins. They were both black wolves. Where Adolph’s eyes glowed red like blood, Raven’s eyes glowed silver-blue like moonlight. He thought once that it meant she was a candidate for priestesshood, but she had assured him that wasn’t the case. It was just another gift she had from the moon goddess, marking her as connected to her.
“I… think Aunt Raven is right.”
Raven gasped, flinching at the mention of their familial relationship. Gavin’s eyes bulged and the ministers stared at Basil.
“My father… if he were here, would want them interrogated. He would want to know what they thought was so important to flee over the border with gold,” Basil swallowed and nodded. “And as his son… as his heir, it’s my duty to make sure the forces support him in protecting the kingdom and retrieving the luna.”
Basil looked at the general, “Get as many soldiers you can spare from the security of the city and the borders up to the border’s camp within the day.”
The general seemed stunned and he nodded with a proud and smug little smile, “As you wish, Your Highness.”
“Uncle Henry and Uncle Dorian, would you take the lead on the investigation of this caravan.”
Henry and Dorian nodded, “Of course, Prince Basil.”
“Aunt Raven, Irene, please take over the luna’s duties until our luna is brought home.”
Raven smiled and nodded, “As you wish.”
“B-But, your–”
Basil looked at the ministers and frowned at them, “You… all do something useful, please?”
Gavin sputtered in shock and tried to come up with words as Basil stood from the table. He was oddly steady for a drunk man.
“I’m beginning to realize why my father wants to get rid of you all,” Basil hummed, nodding to himself. “Yes… I think… Guards!”
The two knights at the door straightened, “Yes, Your Highness?”
“Could you escort them back to their offices… Make sure they aren’t meeting with one another? They seem… strangely against making sure our king and luna return to us from behind enemy lines.”