Harem King's Collection: Turning Beastkins Into Desperate Wives!-Chapter 83: The Power Struggle Begins

Erden was intently focusing on holding their minds together but still squeezed out her answer.

`Maybe... I can give you a couple of seconds at least... Hurry, though... Gods, this is exhausting.’

As she finished her statement, Stahl turned the corner into the blacksmith’s, panting profusely as she shouted to the young fox who had been working away.

Rust was worried about his auntie, she seemed to be under great stress, but when the she-wolf spoke, the fox dropped the hammer he had been affixing a new handle to, barely avoiding his paws as it crashed into the dirt right between them. His father was there.

As Erden forged their visual connection, Stahl knelt down to look into the young fox’s eyes, letting her older brother see for himself. Stahl spoke for Amboss, placing a gentle hand on each side of her nephew’s shoulders.

"Rosten! My son... Thank the gods... I thought... I thought you were taken from me... Are you hurt? Are you alright?"

Rust was already crying profusely, the moon had made him quite homesick that afternoon, which he had tried and failed to bury in his work, so this was the best gift he could ask for as he stuttered his response.

"Dad... I... I’m ok. I’m with Stahl, so I’m ok... I miss you so much... Is mom there? Is she alright, too? I was so worried about you, that demon... I... I didn’t know if you... I just... I’m so happy to hear from you, dad!"

Stahl quickly picked back up as her brother was rapidly running out of time.

"We are fine, my son... We will be ok now... I’m coming to get you, I swear it, I’m coming to take you home, my cub. Just... Just be strong until then. Stay by your aunt. Stay out of danger. I love you, Rust. By the gods, I truly love you more than anything."

Stahl knew her brother was crying, and that overflow of emotion even forced a tear to fall from her own eye.

Rust lunged forward, giving his "Father," the biggest hug he could manage as he simply wept with him.

Erden gave them all the time she could, but Stahl felt her straining, and her own shared vision quickly blurred. So she made the call herself. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

`It’s alright, Erden, you can drop Amboss now. We still have much to discuss.’

As Stahl quickly explained to Rust that she needed to go, the meek fox simply nodded, not wanting to say goodbye yet, but knowing it was what was needed.

He was happy with what he got. He was just happy to know his father really had made it out in one piece.

The fox wasn’t exactly correct in that assumption, but Stahl wasn’t planning on revealing her brother’s missing hand to the cub. Rust deserved a small victory.

Stahl doubled back and ran to get Mollis and Aster before moving to Prince Tyfin. When the she-wolf proudly exclaimed the good news as she burst into the door, she couldn’t help but feel there was something off about the air between the human and the rabbit.

The usual friendliness and sexual tension weren’t there, but a heavy silence and somber expressions certainly were. Stahl wanted to know what had happened, but their time was short as it was.

Mollis turned to the wolf, her face shifting back to her usual cheery expression before she declared they needed to get to the prince in that moment.

Aster followed the pair out the door, though, remaining silent all the while.

Prince Tyfin was still speaking with Chief Crag when he heard the she-wolf’s call from outside. His breathing stopped entirely in anticipation.

The prince quickly bowed his head and announced his leave, turning away from the orc chief before he even had time to give his own bow.

Prince Tyfin hurried from the building and immediately began asking the wolf questions when he emerged.

"What news do you have? The Capitol? My father?"

Stahl began repeating what her father told her, bearing a look of remorse for her prince as she was forced to be the one to deliver the verdict.

"Prince Tyfin... I bring troubling news... Your father has fallen. King Alocer has gone to the afterworld to be with his queen... You are the rightful king of Alora now... But even that has its own set of hurdles."

As Stahl paused to let Prince Tyfin process that information, the prince could only close his eyes and turn his head as his worst fear was confirmed.

Stahl wanted to give him more time, but that was something they were quickly running out of, so she continued.

"I am sorry to be the one to deliver this news, my king... But there is more... The capitol... The capitol has been declared as lost. When you all disappeared, something else took your place... My king, I can’t be for certain... But I believe... We think-"

The prince cut the wolf off.

"It’s a legendary beast, isn’t it? So the rumors are true? A beast has awoken in Alora... Which one?"

Stahl paused for a moment, attempting to grasp that her father really was speaking the truth before she mimicked his speech.

"The beast of the sky... The great bird with wings of fire... The Crimson Phoenix. I know this is troubling enough... But there is one more thing we have to discuss while there is time... Before your father fell, He... He thought you were dead... We thought ALL of you were dead... He invoked the Regicide’s Endeavor.

"We may be able to fight it since his heir still lives after all... But, multiple beasts have already placed their name among contenders, and the order was given under activated life oaths... We may be able to make little arguments to invalidate his final order. You may be the rightful king, Tyfin, but it may not be so simple reclaiming your crown."

Tyfin weighed on these words heavily, knowing he couldn’t hesitate with their limited time, but making sure he was confident in his decision. He wasn’t sure he was the king his people needed anyway.

"What great houses have laid their claim? Who aspires to rule our kingdom."

Stahl began repeating her father’s words once more.

"The Raxos family, The Candori family, and... The Venatus family have all made a claim so far. We expect more as the solstice grows near, but those are the only three major houses to declare their intent to rule at this time."

Aster was floored by this news. The Raxos family could absolutely go fall off a cliff as far as he was concerned. Straga was all the evidence he needed to support that sentiment...

But the Candori line was equally as troubling. If what Rust had said about Oust’s father was true, and if his sister’s vicious stance at the trial was any indication, Aster would surely end up executed if either family seized control.

More than anything, though, he was shocked to hear his own family name. He could only assume his father had done it to protect his human son from another king yet again. Aster finally spoke.

"The Venatus line? Why would my father lay claim? He always hated the duties he had as the right hand, and those would only increase with taking the crown..."

Stahl turned to Aster, and an expression of worry flashed across the she-wolf’s face as her father answered. Stahl cautiously repeated the report.

"Jagón Venatus did not stake a claim... He was injured during the battle at the Selection Grounds, and although his body has made a miraculously full recovery... He has not regained consciousness at this time... It was Talan Venatus that made the claim... He wants to use the crown’s resources to help locate his b-"

Stahl’s eyes went wide as her father finished his report. The she-wolf wasn’t sure if she could tell her human... Aster had dealt with so much already, and now Cortist? His only real support growing up?

Stahl cursed the gods for throwing so much upon Aster’s shoulders. Even still, she knew Aster deserved to know the truth.

"Talan Venatus seeks the crown to use the resources behind it to locate his brother, Cortist Venatus... Who went missing after the battle in the arena."

Aster lowered his head and closed his eyes as he grit his teeth. His father was badly injured... His brother Cortist was missing... And the same beast that put that scar on his face was no doubt now vying for the power to put him out of his misery once and for all.

No matter who came out on top to take the crown, Aster was destined to come out the loser no matter what. He grew silent once more.

Prince Tyfin picked back up.

"Talan Venatus will withdraw when he learns I live. He will rally his support behind me, I have no doubt... The other two, not so much. Reiner Candori has sought such power for a long time, and I fear what he would do with it... More so, the Raxos line. Whether it is Straga that made a claim or his father, we will have roughly the same results... Tell me, Byron... Do you believe I should make my own claim?"

Stahl resumed speaking for her father.

"That is your decision, my king, but know my family will back your claim, as well as your fight... But I should clarify something. The Raxos line had two entries, both Straga and his father would compete against each other...

"I think we may be better off hiding your presence for the time being. We have a good deal of time before the solstice... And you know from our history what kind of dirty tactics come into play when a power struggle is evident. I plan to tell no one of my contacts today."

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