Veritas

Chapter 73

Defeated, and feeling like a failure, Reinhold just looked at Gwen with confusion. He had no fight left in him to figure out who she was.

"That woman is nuts" Gwen said, staring towards the staircase with a confused expression. "She said the King and Queen destroyed the Moon Thread pack?" She clarified, looking to Reinhold for confirmation.

He let out a sigh in response and just hung his head. Gwen let out a sigh as well; but, one of frustration. "Look, you're not who I wanted to find here; but, I need time for my talisman to recharge so you'll have to do" she said, walking over to him. She rummaged in a bag she kept at her hip and pulled out a tiny vial of rust-coloured dust which she knelt down to sprinkle on the shackles at his ankles.

Reinhold remained quiet, no longer certain what was part of Shaela's game and what wasn't. It made no sense for a witch to be within the palace walls, so he was certain it was a ruse. With the continued silence, Gwen decided to explain the situation.

"If you're upset about what the crazy bitch said, don't worry. She is wrong about the former King and Queen. I was at the Moon Thread pack during the attack, and I have a sneaking suspicion that the vampires are to blame" she explained, then bowed her head and whispered "Incipio" into her hand. The magic term caused her finger to alight with a blue glow, which she used to trace symbols on the shackles. "Your sister was actually the one who saved me after the slaughter" she added, pulling one shackle from his ankle.

The mention of his sister had his eyes blazing in anger. He let out a growl and kicked out at Gwen, slamming his foot square into her chest. She let out an "oof" as she tumbled backwards to the ground.

"Don't speak of my sister, you witch!" He snarled at her.

Gwen sat up and glared at him. "What is your problem? I was just sharing a fact with you" she shouted at him.

"I know you're part of her game. Leave my sister's good name where it belongs, and let her rest in peace" he growled back at her, suddenly finding the will to fight back.

Fortunately for Gwen, his strength was at the level of a human thanks to the silver; and so, she was mostly unharmed. Still, his comment alarmed her and she jumped to her feet quickly. "What?! Rest in peace? Did they execute them already?! The psycho only just left!" Gwen insisted, panicking at the thought that she'd lost her chance to save her friends.

"Nice try, you wicked creature" Reinhold said, spitting at her. "The part of my heart that I held for my sister crumbled to ash with her over two decades ago. You can anger me with her name; but, your taunts wont hurt me" he warned, his voice laced with venom.

Gwen stepped back a moment and frowned, feeling like there was a missing puzzle piece snapping into her understanding of things. "Your sister died two decades ago?" She asked for clarification.

Reinhold just laughed bitterly; but, didn't offer her a response otherwise.

"Listen, Reinhold, my name is Gwen Celimine. I'm the daughter of the last Oracle's sworn Oraculi, Cate Celimine. There is a whole lot of shit going on, and it's all leading to a war with the vampires...I know some witches are involved; but, now we know there are werewolves involved too. I suspected it; but...Now I'm certain" she said with a sigh. "I need to understand what happened, there are pieces missing that maybe you can help me solve. I know that twenty years ago, your sister left the Royal Pack's main lands, and went to visit your old home territory" she began.

"I don't believe you. Stop" Reinhold warned, growling at her as he tried to stop her from bringing up painful memories for him.

"Fine, just tell me if I'm wrong. That night she died, she had been in an argument with her mate, right? It had come to light that if she stayed, he'd be in danger...So she had suggested he reject her, and it caused a fight" Gwen continued, wanting him to believe her, so she was sharing details that Rei had only ever told her. She could tell by the stunned expression that her hunch was right. Rei's mate had shared these details with Reinhold, and likely few others.

"That night, to give them both time to think, she left the main territory of the Royal Pack to head to your old home territory" she continued, pausing to cross her arms across her chest. "And this is where I think our versions may differ."

"Our versions?" He asked with a frown, shaking his head. "What version? My sister went there, probably hoping to find me for comfort. I was an ass, and blamed her for losing my home...Our home. I had abandoned her for selfish reasons, and wasn't there to protect her when she needed me" he shouted in anguish. "And she died. She was killed, and it's my fault!" He cried, hanging his head once again. All the pain he'd felt back then, he had thought he'd buried it deep enough, and separated himself far enough, that it would never reach him again. Now, though, tears began to spill down his cheeks as he relived all the blame he'd hoisted on himself when he learned where she'd died, and why.

Gwen tilted her head to the side, uncertain how to break the news to him in a way that he'd believe. "I said versions, because..." she began hesitantly, her voice softer, gentler now. "That is not the version your sister told me."

Reinhold lifted his head to stare at the witch before him. "Told you? How? She's gone" he whispered before letting his head droop again.

Gwen ignored his comment, walking over to sit in the plush chair while she told her story. "In my version, your sister did go to the old Titan pack's territory; but, she was never attacked. Instead, she felt her mate not only reject her...But banish her from the pack" she explained calmly, no longer believing this to be the case.

"...What?" Reinhold whispered, staring at the ground with wide eyes as her words sunk in. He began wondering if it was possible that he was lied to, and her death was more her mate's fault than his. He whipped his head up to look at Gwen, wanting to cling to this version of events.

"In agony, she returned to the Royal Pack's gates; but, was met by the then-Captain of the Royal Guard, alongside the Oracle...And she was told that, for the safety of his people, and himself, her mate had banished her. He could not stand to do it to her face, nor to see her off...He wouldn't even let her say goodbye to their son" Gwen continued, telling the story as if it was a fairytale.

The chains holding Reinhold began to clink together as he began to tremble, his emotions everywhere. He went from despair to hope to anger so swiftly, his body had to physically manifest his feelings. "He wouldn't...He couldn't...There was a funeral...And Darius..." Reinhold murmured, beginning to sound hysterical.

"No. After today, I don't believe he would. I saw the state he was in, and suspect he loved her too much to ever go through with such a thing...I believe that woman, that supposed-Oracle, was working with the vampires and the witches from the very beginning. There is a spell...It is the darkest of magic, and most covens forbid it...But, if you can find the right people to participate, you can sacrifice one bond, and in exchange break another" Gwen explained, getting up to walk closer to Reinhold. "This woman appeared as a Rogue, and was accepted into the pack as a precaution after claiming she was the Oracle. How better to cement her claim than to provide a prophecy, and ensure it came true? The Queen did bring about the King's downfall; but, I think Shaela caused it" she explained quickly, excited to finally be putting more pieces together.

"It's a pretty story" Reinhold said, some of his anger dwindling as he realized his friend wasn't the cause of his sister's death. While Gwen's story would remove some of the burden of his sister's death from his shoulders, it wouldn't ease his pain.

"It's not a story, and I can prove it" Gwen said with a grin.

This caught Reinhold's attention, and he looked up at her. "How?" He demanded.

"I'll have the Queen tell the truth herself, at her own execution hearing" she said with a laugh. "How perfect! By the way, Reina's alive, and I need your help to save her."