It is the middle of the night that I should decide to make my move. I am leaving my realm, and I will not bring the wolves with me. After all, a rogue must embrace himself if he deigns to change an entire tradition. And that’s what this wedding will do. Bring a new union. Pouring over the history after our meeting, looking at a time when hunters must have attacked us before, forcing the realms to band together.
Though it had been hidden from us, the truth that is smothered beneath talk of war and famine for unknown reasons, I am seeing how much stronger we were as a joined realm. All of us marrying outside of our kind. We had all worked together. No borders.
And now we can begin again.
If only our people will let us, we must try. Lions and wolves, like the tigers and bears of the past, can start a new bond that will be a force to be reckoned with.
For selfish reasons, I want her, Liana, to be my warmth and fire in the land of Winter, but for my realm now too, I see potential. An unstoppable front against this new enemy.
But first, there is the matter of securing her hand. And I will not sit idly by and ignore the weakness that it will purvey to her realm if I do not challenge for that hand. I would never have their respect. Or hers.
So, it is with that in mind that I sneak past the guards and wardens as I so often do in wolf form, but only now I am myself. Riding my horse to the southern boundaries, I do not tie him, but rather remove his bridle and send him loose back to home. Just in case I should not return.
I try to ignore the guilt creeping up, the grief my family will be put through, should I fail. My mother would despair, my father would understand more, but equally blame himself. But, it is done already. I am committed to it.
For the betterment of our union, there cannot be any other way.
I risk changing into a wolf I can hardly trust, but I mentally try to impress upon him my purpose, so he will go where I direct for once. Inside my mind, I plead with him to head in the right direction. Because only as a wolf will I be stealthy enough to approach the lions alone.
This time, it’s as if he allows me to see more than usual, lets me into that side. Not for control, but perhaps to share what it is he sees during these ventures.
For the first time, I imagine myself being able to find some balance to this nature of mine. Maybe there is a treaty of my two halves to be had.
In the night, the prairie is nothing like winter. Our wolves prowl unceasingly at the borders. Though nocturnal cats may be, they stay close to their pride for strength in the dark, and they rarely leave it unless there is trouble. They’ve only a few guards miles apart so I make my way easily into their realm.
It troubles me that a hunter, too, could enter the same way. My first instinct, even as a wolf, is to protect Liana better than this. I could offer the king some wolves to help but hopefully without offending.
Also, their ability to sense me would be less than a wolf. Not less keen, perhaps, but more easily masked in this hot climate that would dull the senses with so many bright smells of the plains.
Even now I am bombarded with wet marsh smells, blossoming trees, everything that grows and enjoys the beauty of the sun. It hides devious entry.
The night is warm, and immediately the heat clings to my coat from humidity, a full winter fur so thick that I can lay in the snow without worry. But here, it slows me down. I’m not fully healed yet either. As I trot along the prairies, I feel doubt begin at my grand idea.
I get close to the pride when I sense that I’m being stalked. A large male lion has flashed in the pathway before me only to disappear into the brush once again.
Pretending I hadn’t seen him, I rush through the trap, and he pounces on me, but this time, I am prepared. Being on the road for the castle, no brush to hinder my stride, I take off at a run. Lions are fast, but I am lucky this is a male, heavy, brutish almost, he can’t keep up with the lightning swift pace of a wolf.
I make it to the palace, and I change back into myself at the gate. Naked now, I’ll have to beg clothes before I see the king. I call up to the servants at the tower and tell them who I am.
The male lion catches up finally and changes back as well.
Unworried about our nakedness, he seems unbothered by it in the least. In our realm, we would seek clothes immediately lest we freeze
“You must be Noble,” he says, trying not to seem out of breath.
“I am.”
“Crede,” he says motioning to himself.
When I don’t recognize him, he pushes out his chest. “I am soon to be king of this realm. Of all of the realms. You should recognize your future king of all kings.”
“Is that how we greet our guests, Crede?”
We turn to find Liana there, watching us, arms crossed, that chin stuck out. Her beautiful eyes shift between the two naked men at her gates. Her color is high, so it must not be as easy for her to go around in her skin as it is this male lion.
For some reason that relaxes me. I’d prefer it if every male in this realm has not seen my bride before I had. I have a moment to notice the keen jealousy I already feel for my future mate and enjoy the feel of it. Something about Liana screams “nobody’s” and that instantly pushes me to want to claim her as mine.
Crede, I see, is busy in his own assessment of the princess. This is the lion that has already been wanting to claim Liana as his own. He’d been betrothed to her or will remain so if I fail.
If I lose her, then the two realms will be tense over the attack and possible death of the wolf prince. Peace might only be a memory.
“I am here to see the king,” I say and Liana looks at me, really looks at me, with her narrowed cat eyes. She takes a deep breath, and I don’t see dislike sitting in her gaze. I see quite the opposite.
Crede notices, and he practically shifts back into lion so fast that I don’t see the change. The giant beast stalks into the weeds, but not before making a growl and hissing sounds so loud I feel it rumble through my chest.
“Come with me,” Liana says. “Let’s dress you.” Her mouth twists up into a smirk.
I follow her into the palace. “That might be a good idea.”
She walks ahead of me with her hands linked behind her back. Her hair is long enough to cover her backside. She walks like a princess of great privilege, although I suppose I must do the same. She is not lithe in her movements, more graceful and poised, but she is strong, more than feline, in her stature. There is nothing small about her. Not a thing.
Her lineage, I’d looked it up, is all warriors and warrioresses.
The great hall of theirs is littered with flags of each family line. She points hers out and I stare at it wishing for clothes, but interested in her history first hand rather than through tomes written by strangers. Makes sense that her shields are covered with a lion whose hair turns to flame. I smile and give a small laugh.