4. The Presentation #2
I could tell that Eclipse was hell-bent on winning the selection, as they sent two candidates, and both of rare beauty.
I heard several courtiers gossiping among themselves that Prince Damien had already invited a male omega, Lovel Eclipse, to join his group in the Full Moon Hunt tomorrow and had sent a diamond necklace to him as a gift.
People were so sure that Damien would select Lovel that they even began to treat the omega like a Luna.
I didn’t care that much. If he selected Lovel, then Leif would be safe.
I would just have to find some other way to gain the king’s favour.
Gillian and Lovel came out of the audience hall as though they were already the winners, their heads held high and proud, looking at the rest of us as though we were pathetic losers who hadn’t known we were done for.
More and more clans were called in; some candidates came out smiling, while others came out almost in tears. The process took forever, and by the time we were about to be called in, Leif looked nervous and kept biting his nails.
I pulled his hand away from his lips and said in a low, steady voice, “It’s alright. You’ll be fine.”
“You don’t know that ...” he said, flustered. “What if I fail? What if we can’t get the help we need?”
“That’s not on you. I’ll figure something out, I promise.”
That seemed to calm him down a little. When our clan was called, he took a deep breath and nodded at me.
I guided him in by his left arm, just like other presenters had.
The audience hall stretched before us, dark and solemn.
Two rows of pillars lined up on both sides, their tops meeting the giant vault decorated with glazed tiles, glistening in the resplendent light from the iron chandeliers.
Many courtiers crowded behind the pillars, chattering in low, constant voices, their gleaming eyes following our every move.
A long black carpet under our feet led all the way to the front, up three stairs and ended right before the throne.
Wolf King Octavian’s steely, evaluative gaze pierced through the long distance and pressed down on me, and I had the urge to straighten my back, to show him that I was confident and strong, an alpha wolf that could be valuable to him.
I understood that this selection was not only a test for Leif but also for me. Father’s health was declining rapidly, and I could be the new jarl any day now. The Nocturne King would want to know if Winterthrope would stay strong and worthy to be his ally.
On King Octavian’s right-hand side sat Queen Seraphina, whom I had met last night.
On his left stood Prince Damien. He was again all dressed in black, with the only pop of colour a blue sash at his waist. His unreadable brown eyes looked almost pitch black in the dimmer light, and they paused on Leif for a long moment before fixing on my face.
A subtle smirk crept up at the corners of his mouth.
We stopped before the stairs, and I stood one step ahead of Leif. I bowed to the king and announced loudly, my voice echoing, “Revered King Octavian and Queen Seraphina, I am Fenris, Son of Jarl Harald of Winterthrope. Allow me to present to you my brother, Leif, the Sapphire of Winterthrope.”
Leif stepped forward and kneeled on one leg, bowing his head to a perfect angle that still allowed the king and queen to have a clear view of his face.
“What a beauty,” the queen said with a warm smile. “I’ll admit I didn’t expect such delicate beauty to be born from the harsh wind, snow and ice of the North.”
The king asked, “How old are you, Leif?”
“I’ve seen nineteen winters, my king,” Leif answered, his voice crisp and steady.
“Nineteen? Still very young, though full of potential,” the king commented, then looked at me. “How is Harald? I heard he is sick.”
“Father has wrestled with the malady for a year now, but the fight still burns bright in him,” I replied.
“So you are the one running things in Winterthrope?”
“I do what I can. But Father is still the heart and soul of our clan. We look up to him in these hard times.”
“A loyal son and a formidable warrior, both are commendable traits for a leader.” The king smiled, then glanced at Prince Damien. “You would do well to observe his example.”
Damien kept that barely visible smirk as he stared at me, and said in the same dark, magnetic voice as last night, “Rest assured, Father, I’ll observe Fenris very closely.”
I nearly hissed at him but held myself back.
The queen and the king then asked Leif a few more questions about his studies and hobbies. Leif answered all the questions fluently, with confidence and eloquence. I could tell they both liked Leif very much.
Though Damien seemed more preoccupied with having a dead stare contest with me rather than paying attention to my brother ... Perhaps something good could come out of our rivalry, after all?
As the king had finished his inquiry, Queen Seraphina turned to her son and asked, “Do you have anything to add, Damien?”
“Yes, Mother,” Damien said, then started to make his way over to us.
He stood before Leif, gazing at him with a completely different look than mere moments ago.
His eyes were softer than the finest black velvet, looking at Leif with rapt attention, as though Leif was the only one he could see, and his smile was tender and charming, entirely different from the dark, acerbic smirk he gave me.
“Would you like to sit next to me during the banquet tonight?” he asked with bright sincerity. “I would like to know you better, Leif.”
Leif was blushing fiercely. “Of ... of course, my prince.”
Oh, shit ...
Then, Damien looked up at me. While my seething anger was rushing to my face, the bastard’s smile could only be described as downright sinister. “And I had hoped that you would join me, too. We have so much to discuss, Lord Fenris.”