Chapter 122: Return To The Castle

After the troops from the capital rested a bit, they loaded up the prisoners into carriages and headed back. Laurel sat on Adolph’s horse with him, leaning against him as Adolph refused to be separated from her. Chasel gave him an amused and grateful smile, but Adolph could only grin back, pressing stray kisses to Laurel’s head.
The ride back to the castle was longer than any of them had realized after the battle and the initial ride up to the border. Laurel was dozing against his chest as they traveled through the forests between the border and the imperial city.
The city did not receive them as they made it nearer to dawn than Adolph had hoped. They rode through the night until the sight of the castle rose out of the distance. The guards of the gates greeted him cheerily, gratefully, and they opened the gates for them. The servants came to help put away the horses and the supplies. Adolph dismounted carefully and brought Laurel into his arms and carried her through the palace. With each step, he felt a bit more relieved. He went up to their floor and walked into the king’s quarters to the bathroom.
Laurel remained asleep as he cleaned her up and slipped her into a sleeping gown then into bed. His wolf eased for the first time since she’d been taken. He cleaned himself and slipped into bed with a whisper of the sheets. He sighed and curled up to her, nuzzling her close and breathing her sweet scent, and allowing it to pull him into sleep.

Adolph woke up later that day, much later than he thought he would. He turned towards her with a little sigh.
“Laurel,” he whispered. His heart clenched with fear and eased quickly as the solidness of her beside him made her relax. “I love you.”
Laurel turned and murmured, “Love you…”
Adolph smiled and nuzzled her close, “Please tell me you’ll get rid of that necklace.”
She groaned, turning further into his embrace, “Adolph, no.”
He sighed, “I had to try it. Breakfast?”
Laurel chuckled, “Are you jealous?”
Adolph glowered at her, “Would any man want their wife to have a keepsake from a man who loved them?”
Laurel shook her head, “It’s for the Wiccan envoy.”
“Sure.”
Laurel shook her head then she sat up, “Did you… run into a caravan on the way up?”
His eyes narrowed, “How do you know that?”
“Eden… said that they were likely sent by a minister.”
Adolph glowered at her, “We’ll see about that. They were caught with a caravan full of gold and supplies.”
Laurel nodded, “Well… it could have been a lie, but what if he’s right?”
Adolph eyed her, “Then they pose more of a problem than simply being useless.”
Laurel chuckled and got out of bed. They cleaned up and headed downstairs only to find a private meal set out in the parlor attached to his chambers.
Adolph sighed with relief, “Thank the goddess for my staff.”
She chuckled and sat beside him before starting to eat.
After breakfast, Adolph and Laurel parted so he could check in with the investigation against the caravan of werewolves they ran into. Laurel’s words rattled around in his mind as he met up with Chasel and the general who was heading that investigation. They went to his office to speak privately and Adolph hoped they had something good to tell him.
“Those werewolves are a different caliber than the ones that attacked the wedding,” the general said. “They caved before we had even managed to start torturing them. I don’t think they were working for the same people.”
Adolph smiled coldly, “You sound almost disappointed.”
He laughed, “Only because of what they had to say. They said they were hired by someone in the city to go and recruit rogues. Couldn’t tell me who, but they gave me a place where they were supposed to bring them.”
He set the pages in front of him and Adolph looked at the map. The area was in a section of the kingdom not too far from the capital, but he had no idea what was there. It was just outside of any pack’s specific territory.
“To what end?”
“To stage a coup, an attack on the capital.” The general wrinkled his nose. “The plans sounded sloppy and hastily put together. The only thing that seemed to be smart about it was the method of recruiting.”
Adolph nodded, “Very well. Then we should hold a formal meeting with everyone and suss out the likely origin.”
Though his stomach churned at the thought that perhaps Eden was right. Had allowing the ministers to persist nearly cost him everything?
“Chasel,” he said. “When you get a chance, interview Laurel about her time in Eden’s camp.”
“Not… you?”
His lips twitched, “I need an impersonal approach. I hardly fit the bill.”
He nodded, “It will be done.”
He headed to the room with a deep sigh. Soon, the rest of the people he expected to arrive entered, each greeting him and settling around him.
“So glad you all could make it,” Adolph said, “A formal announcement is in order.”
Raven’s eyes narrowed in thought before relaxing as their gazes met briefly. She turned her gaze to scan the room.
“The vampire queen, Morrigan Ash, is dead,” he said. “The war is officially over.”
The general let out a startled laugh, “Yet… you look so grave.”
“There are still traitors among us,” Adolph said, “Until they are sussed out, there is every chance that the plot to bring down the werewolf kingdom has not been neutralized. We will celebrate in the city and Laurel and I will speak to the people this afternoon as this is our victory.”
Raven smiled, “How lovely.”
His lips twitched, “Yes, it has been a long time coming.”
Gavin looked outright sour and Basil looked as though he was thinking of downing another bottle of alcohol, but Adolph didn’t bother to say much else.

The roar of the crowd was near deafening as they stood out on the balcony overlooking the city. He had ordered the gates opened for the proclamation. Laurel stood at his side looking over the crowd with a smile.
Delia thought she was going to be sick, listening to Adolph speak to the crowd. His voice was strong, triumphant, and warning as he spoke about the traitors still at large and the changes that would come.
“For now, however, we will celebrate the victory we have.”
The crowd roared as he turned to Laurel and kissed her soundly. She clapped along with the rest of the people in attendance. Basil looked as though his next move would be to find the deepest bottle of alcohol to drown himself in.
She considered seducing him while he was drunk and pushed that thought away, doubting he would even be up to the task once he had drunk too much.
Delia remained at the celebration for as long as was appropriate before retreating to her rooms. As soon as the door closed, she slid to the ground as her eyes burned.
Eden was dead. The plan had failed, yet no one had looked at her suspiciously. At the least, he had remained quiet in death. Perhaps she was the backup plan. The plan, after all, was to simply destroy the werewolf kingdom, wasn’t it? Eden didn’t have to be alive for that to happen, nor did the queen.
If she could carry out the rest of the plan on her own, she wouldn’t have to share the power with anyone.
She would be luna over the werewolf kingdom. Perhaps once she was crowned formally, she could orchestrate Basil’s untimely death.
It wouldn’t take much, just a little extra something in the bottles of alcohol he liked to drink. The healers would think it was alcohol poisoning and say nothing. If not that, then she could perhaps find a witch in the vampire territory to give her something that would be completely undetectable.
She could mention Eden as a way to pave the way.
She nodded. She deserved the power. It was owed to her for putting up with Basil and risking her life. All she had to do was get Basil back into her palms and keep him there until the time was right.
The air shook with the cheering of the city outside her window. She stood and looked out the window.
The course of action, for now, was simple: keep a low profile. It wouldn’t be until everyone who had been captured had been interviewed and sentenced that she would be sure of where she stood.
She crossed the room to pack an emergency book. It had all the necessities. She stuffed it at the bottom of her armoire and sat at the table listening to the cheers of triumph outside and promising herself to keep the life she had and gain all the power she was owed.