Fate is a funny thing – at least that is what I have come to realize about it in these past months. Perhaps childish is what I had thought at first, for it had tilted my reality on its axis as I fell headfirst into the terrifying unknown of my new life. Falling headfirst into the reality of my true bloodline, but the relationship I had come to build with the very child of the family my own parents had detested. At first I thought fate was childish to play such games, yet perhaps fate is just a funny thing or a funny set of coincidences we really cannot control. Though fate is just a term tossed around to make it seem like there is something greater in this world, making it seem as if there are greater powers at play when it comes to our lives.
Yet I realized the irony in the reality of the situation when the truths were unfolded. To have River propose to me and ask me to be by his side when he was still ruling over Eternal Shadows when I knew our backgrounds. When we continued whatever physical and emotional relationship we had after our secrets became unlocked and we knew our parents would hate us for such actions. To think after Eternal Shadows was taken over from within and River sought refuge within Crimson Lock...perhaps that is when I came to the conclusion fate must have a wicket sense of humor. River's parents, wherever those two are and if they have come to receive such news already, I can only imagine the anger and shock which must live with them. Yet it was their own actions which had led to this, for they abandoned their own son decades ago. I know River's childhood is something I know not the entire truth of, but I understand River can never fully respect his father, much less really call Zion his father – for Zion did not raise him.
I can only imagine my parents must be rolling in their graves at the fact Zion and Sybil's son is protected under the name of Crimson Lock as well as the Maxwell name. My parents must have rolled in their graves when they learned it was I who extended a position of power to River himself.
But I do not see it as such. I know it is Crimson Lock in which River is protected and I know I am the one who can offer River power in the new government, but so much of this could not be possible without his aid. Without what River is going through right now, the battle ahead of my army would be near impossible to even reach the stone walls of Eternal Shadows. It was River who proposed a seat on my Council when I offered him a role in the Senate. River was the one who came to my aid when I called him, leaving his pack behind which Keva took to her advantage to massacre the werewolves of that pack. I cannot be the one who takes credit for these events, whether they are good or bad, for so many other factors and individuals have been at play.
"It's been two days," I mutter, glancing to Yusuf as he turns the page of his book and reaches forward for his cup of coffee. "How long do these things need to take?"
"We have never used Chaos – or whatever they call magic. We cannot understand its full potential or how long it takes," Yusuf responds, rephrasing what he had told me yesterday. As he drinks his beverage, I look outside to the rain which falls around the earth. "What we can do it prepare our full potential for the battlefield."
"The palace will be our battlefield. We need River's recollections for such a thing to understand the layout."
"We have been present in that palace too," Brie comments, pulling attention to her presence in the sitting room as I glance across the coffee table to her. "I lived there for many years. Though I did not have access to ask many places as River and my memories not as fresh, I can be of some use."
Yusuf leans forward, placing his book down as he is all ears. I follow through, wishing to hear what Brie has to say as Yusuf's Beta, Edward, pulls out a small notebook and hands it to his alpha. I watch Edward from the corner of my eye as he takes a seat across from Brie. Her blue eyes glance to me before she begins, asking us all to recall the times we had visited the palace, to recall the main rooms of palace itself and then the roads which stretched out within the walls of Eternal Shadows. "We enter through areas where artifacts are. There are many artifacts in secluded halls, others in the throne room, the ballroom, library, observatory, garden, and so many others – I am just listing rooms you may have visited. When River is woken and Declan has a list of these artifacts, we can think of the best way to enter. There are some places where we could be cornered easily and others where we would have the advantage."
"Are there hallways where we could gain the element of surprise?" Yusuf asks, the four of us looking up as Cedric and Finch enter the room.
"There is no true element of surprise when dealing with the elves. They will quickly adapt, but we will have a few good minutes of our hands to position ourselves. Besides, they should not be expecting us at all to come through portals of their own palace." Brie pauses for a moment, biting her cheek as she recalls something. "Perhaps the strongest portal which could be formed is within the walls of worship where the elves pray to their gods."
There is something in her tone that sets me off. "Is entering through there not ideal? Even if a strong portal could be made?" Finch asks, taking a seat beside me as Cedric follows.
"Easy to corner us in such a room," Brie replies, her voice low as something warns me about that room. The way she seems to shut down, as if recalling something from her past, it scares me if there is a chance many of our men could enter through there. "It is a popular room for the elves to dwell in, as a connection to their gods and ancestors is still of importance to their kind."
The conversation continues as Brie brings up different rooms of the palace and we talk of ways we could bring in our troops and attack. How we would have our men armed and aligned, how the first wave would attack, and so on. The eagerness in many present both excites and worries me. I understand we are all itching to get this war over with, but we cannot be trigger happy when it comes to someone like Keva – a woman who has lived at least four lifetimes and has played us all like puppets at least once.
Keva is someone we cannot be trigger happy with – we must be prepared for any sort of trap. She understands we are becoming restless and wish for this war to be over with. Declan and River do not believe Keva could expect an attack to happen from within, for she does not expect us to access ancient magic to make it happen, but Keva has not lived for so long to not be prepared for every situation. There are chances a trap could be set up, an ambush could be underway as we speak here, and so much more. With Penelope gone and her threat discarded, Keva knows our attention is now turned only to her.
Taking in a deep breath, I excuse myself from the conversation and walk towards the kitchen. Pulling my hair back in a tight bun, I lean over the kitchen sink, taking in deep breaths as I turn my gaze towards the garden outside as rain falls upon the dirt. Footsteps begin to near as I shut my eyes tightly, unwilling to get into another conversation with whoever this could be next. "Another day of sleep for lover boy?"
My lips purse together as I glance over my shoulder to Finley as he grabs a glass from the cupboard. With no one else in earshot, I still find myself aggravated at his comment. "A coven of mages going through his memories. Will they unravel the truth of his lover? What gossip."
"I trust my uncle and his fellow mages are professional in their work," I reply, looking back outside and away from Finley.
"And now River has no pack once more. What plans do you have from him, Leala?"
"Why should it be of your concern?" I snap, spinning around on my heel to face the aggravating alpha. "All you need to know is that he will hold no place within the Senate."
"Which must have been your idea...to give the alpha without a pack a pack one more. Giving him a rightful spot on the Senate floor so you could have some sort of power."
"Fuck off," I growl lightly, "this war is being fought under the flag of Crimson Lock, Finley. Matters of battle are more important right now than whatever politics you worry about every day."
Finley's face turns sour for a short second before returning neutral, obviously annoyed with me as he crosses his arms. "Lover boy does not care for the Senate, does he? Strange."
"You can take the Senate and shove it up your ass, Finley," I hiss, shoving past the alpha as I leave the room in a hurry, my blood boiling as I make my way up the stairs and back towards my room. Soon this will all be over with and if River is right, Finley will piss off enough people in time to eliminate getting my own hands dirty. Flinging open the door, I throw myself onto the bed, letting out a groan as I roll onto my back and stare up at the ceiling. "Soon this will all be done," I whisper to myself, closing my eyes softly. "Soon this will all be over."
I wonder if Penelope thought the same thing.
<><><>
Pacing around the hallway, I glance towards the guard I stationed at the entrance to the secluded hallway, wondering if he has heard any noise since we shut those doors three days ago. Only two guards have been stationed to this door, changing out every twelve hours as I can tell just how bored they have become as the hours slip by. The guard tries to suppress a yawn which barely slips his mouth, unwilling to make eye contact with me as I glance to the doorknob behind his left side.
"Have you heard any doors open or shut?" I ask, breaking the silence between the two of us.
"Only yesterday. I heard someone speak, but I could not understand the language." Nodding, I thank the guard, passing the hallway as I head back downstairs. Terrance approaches me on my descend down the stairs, asking if I would like to train later this afternoon. As much as I want to lay in bed and do nothing, I know I need to train. The bruises on my hipbone and arms are still fresh, but they are a reminder to the training I have done and need to continue until this is over. Who knows, perhaps what I learn today could save me in a few days from now.
Agreeing to meet my father outside within the next few hours, we part ways as I walk into my office, already knowing to expect Yusuf at least. Opening the door to what used to be a place of solitude and a place to recharge what batteries I had left; it is now a center of stress and anxiety. Yusuf and Finch have already taken their seats across from my desk, their posture and facial expressions informing me that what needs to be said is serious.
"What is going on?" I ask, taking my seat across from the two who own the land closest to Keva's own territory across the sea. We know Keva has a small army of men camped on the boarder, just west of her territory.
"We need to get this show on the road and charge into that palace," Finch begins, cutting Yusuf off before he can get a word in. "My men reported ships coming ashore this morning, at least another twenty elves now on this continent. If Keva is growing restless and will not wait for us to attack, she will come for us first."
Shaking my head, I lean forward, clasping my hands together. "Keva is not becoming impatient," I comment. "She has been planning this moment – this war – for at least decades. She is trying to make us anxious, to scare us into attacking the troops on land first. Maybe she thinks we will try and take those ships to Eternal Shadows?" I ponder, glancing to Yusuf. "We should not expect Keva to want those troops to attack either one of your packs, but we should be worried they will attack when our army is inside the palace."
"So we allocate troops back to our packs?" Yusuf clears up as I agree with him.
"We need to ensure your packs are still protected when we are within those palace walls. Besides, Keva adding more men to the mainland will mean we need to have more men than now stationed at your packs to not raise any eyebrows."
"Not adding men to our packs will cause her to arise suspicions about what we are doing," Finch comments, thinking about what I have said as he agrees. "So we continue through with the plan still and just allocate an additional platoon or two to our two packs?"
"Yes," I reply, noticing how the two alphas before me are still worried for the members of their packs. "I agree we cannot just wait around much longer-"
"It has been three days since River went with those mages," Finch interrupts, apologizing right after doing so.
"I am frustrated just as you are," I assure. "But we must have patience while it is still required of us. Before we know it, all of us will be leading our men into that palace for a bloody battle. We should take the time we have now to prepare." Yusuf glances to me, a hint of perhaps pride in his eyes as he hears my words. As I acknowledge the two alphas before me once more, they thank me for my time before they rise to their feet. As Finch begins to depart from the room, Yusuf walks up to my desk, scratching the back of his neck as his eyes trace the scar upon my cheek.
"When River is done with whatever magic is being performed, we cannot give him a prolonged time to recover," he whispers. "We cannot allow Keva to arise suspicion as to why we have not attacked her troops on land yet."
Nodding, I acknowledge Yusuf to be right. "River will have his recovery phase, but I will see to it that our army sets out for the walls of Eternal Shadows soon enough, Alpha Yusuf. I have seen how restless our men grow...how anxious they have become. River must still recover, for he knows that palace like the back of his hand."
Yusuf sees himself out of my office, bidding me a good day as he informs me he will be perhaps at the pack house for the rest of the afternoon. Leaning back in my seat, I let out a deep breath, repeating those same words to myself once more. "Soon this will all be over."
<><><>
RIVER
<><><>
They were fragments of his life he had forgotten, or perhaps he had tried to push away to the darkest depths of his memories. Recollections of days he had celebrated with those he thought were friends, those who he had come to forget the names of, and those who were no more. Recollections of days filled with no happiness, others filled with mixed emotions, and so much more. It felt as if he was taking a backseat in his mind, running through moments he had stored – whether he had wanted to or not.
The memories he had tried to forget were sprawled out before his own eyes, unable to look away as he could see himself walking through the walls of the palace. Even though he knew the purpose of what was taking place outside of his own head, River hoped the mages would think nothing of what he could see in these memories. River hoped as these memories played out that the mages would not focus on the events which took place, the words exchanged, and so much more. It felt as if his life was going backwards in time as he noticed just how younger he was in this recollection projected before his eyes – so much more naïve to the world around him and the truths which lie right before his own eyes.
Keva stood before him in this piece, making her way down the stairs of the palace as she was lecturing him about the importance River would play in the coming years of Eternal Shadows to shape the pack. As River watched his younger self descend the stairs with the woman who raised him, he remembered the day he shared with Keva and how she took him around every aspect of the pack that day – for he was made Alpha by the end of the week. A piece of the recollection seemed to change suddenly as the view shifted, magic running through the air as River could sense the mages locating artifacts on either side of the grand doors of the palace. Just as Keva was to inform River of his duties, River felt as if his body was being peeling apart from the world itself, his head spinning as the recollection became blurry and was no more as another one was soon before him.
One from the present which made River nervous as to what the mages would see in this one. He had hoped they would gather their information quickly, as he noticed the brunette standing in the balcony as the beams of moonlight shone down on the woman's face. As the moonlight illuminated her beautiful hazel eyes, River recalled the exact day which this happened to be. Once more taking a back seat, it was here that River whished he could kick the mages from his recollections, but he also knew they needed to see the interior of this room for it offered them at least a handful of artifacts from the ancient days.
As the memory River had of Leala walked into the room from the balcony, River watched himself from afar, stepping forward to the woman he had fallen head over heels for all those months ago. He noticed the soft smile which spread across her gentle face, how a light tint of pink spread across her face, and how she tilted her head to the side as his fingers brushed a lock of her hair back. In those moments, River noticed how he pressed his lips to hers, the moonlight cascading upon their bodies as they made their way further into the room before the fireplace.
Once more, the viewpoint of the memory began to shift and River's head began to spin, noticing how the mages had begun to pick up the location of different artifacts. River caught from the corner of his eyes the movement of himself and Leala as they fell onto the couch before the fireplace, entangled with one another. Just as the memory became more mature than anything, the room began to spin and River found himself being pulled from it.
It felt as if the process repeated for ages. Finding himself at different moments in his life from the past half decade, the memories, which were once a haze, became clear. Memories which brought back strong emotions caused the once-alpha the desire to ball-up and isolate himself. River felt stripped – the mages going through his most private recollections as they say his first love, the first individual murdered before his eyes, his own parents as Zion scolded him for his cowardice, and the betrayal River had felt when he learned that Evelyn was Leala – the daughter of Nixon Maxwell.
The world had lost track and sense of time, unable to age as River lay in silence within the prison of his mind. Shackled to his memories, they played on loop as he noticed just how his youth was molded around the puppet of Keva and she pulled the strings. River watched the projection of himself sit there and take in every bit of information she said as if it was told to him by gods. River noticed how he would defend Keva to anyone at his school or anyone who opposed her. Keva had raised him, made herself out to be some grand and perfect individual in River's mind. Yet now, as these memories replayed, River became bitter in how Keva had played him into the perfect pet.
He watched with his eyes glazed over the memory projected before him – the one he had tried to suppress for so long. The moment he knew it was either to become part of the machine or to become nothing. There a younger form of River stood, surrounded by what he classified as utter chaos from the night. With his hair combed back, a suit tailored perfectly to his teenage-self, and his eyes wide not with anticipation, but fear...there River stood at the young age of fourteen as elves and werewolves danced around in celebration. Yet as his dance partner drew away from him, those cornflower blue eyes of the woman he would later task with protecting Leala Maxwell, River noticed how alone he felt in a party thrown all in his honor.
Another young woman took his hand for the traditional dance, offering him a wide smile as she too celebrated the night Keva had been planning for months. The smiling faces surrounding River only encased him further in this nightmare, as if the grand hall were closing in around him. Keva stood at the entrance of the hall, adorned in gemstones from her ancestors, and that notorious silver hair of hers braided with lilies placed throughout. As those lavender eyes scanned the crowd below, they connected with River as the two exchanged a tense gaze.
River could recall the conversation from earlier that day and how Keva became enraged by his actions. Consumed by her rage, a white flame had danced around the room they were in, Keva demanding River to lose the wanderlust he claimed to have, to put aside the glorious purpose he believed to lie outside of Eternal Shadows, and to claim the title which was rightfully his. It was not only Keva who was voicing her opinions in that moment, for River felt as if his own father was speaking to him in that moment. Threatening to strip him of the haven Eternal Shadows provided, the friends he had, and the safety net, Keva gave him an ultimatum. It was the first moment River had seriously brought up venturing off of the island Eternal Shadows was and exploring the world outside which was not an elven realm. Keva had been approached by Zion about his concerns before for his son, but never had River told Keva how he felt.
It was in this tense exchange that Keva and River had come to learn of River's decision, for he would not leave the life he had come to know as his and the life he would come to live. It was this very night Keva, the leader of Eternal Shadows, had pulled another string of just another puppet and River had come to realize this all too late.
In the projection, River watched as a younger version of Brie chatted with him, asking him if he was okay. Brie had always watched out for River and Keva had come to realize this, declaring the two of them promised to one another. Yet that did not work out for Keva as Brie had discovered she had a mate within the very pack River would come to find shelter in when Eternal Shadows was a ruin of what he knew. River watched the projection with intense focus until the projection began to slip away from him the moment Keva was to make the grand speech which would project River to the title of Alpha within a matter of years. It was a speech River could never forget, no matter how much he wanted. As the memory fades away and those lavender eyes flashed through his mind, River came to debate the complexity of his relationship with Keva.
Keva was the hand which fed River for over two decades of his youth, molding him into the perfect puppet before he strayed too far from her path. It was when River bit the hand which fed him when Keva knew it was time to put the rest of her plan into action. Perhaps it was Leala which set Keva off and caused her to dismiss River – to commit genocide.
In those moments, all River could feel was complete and utter rage towards the elf with the lavender eyes who once promised she would raise him to reclaim the throne his father had lost years ago. Yet as another recollection was projected before River, those striking hazel eyes played before him once more as a kind laugh filled the air. River watched as Leala threw her head back, a joyous laugh filling the air as she sat before him.
River did not wish to reclaim the throne his father had thrown away nearly two decades ago. Yet he knew the woman he watched in these recollections, as she stood before him, eyes bright and a smile tugging at her lips, River knew he would be proud to watch her claim the throne. He would be honored to stand beside her.