The Lycan King's Puppet-Chapter 19: Choices

He was on his third goblet of wine as he went through the Crown’s inventory with the Treasurer.

Yeren was bored out of his skull. Moonstone had asked for a private audience, which he declined. If it was up to him, Jarren would remain in the dungeons until he drew his last breath - not just for Claire, the man was a pain to everyone in court.

If privilege were based on merit and not birth, many of the Peers of the realm would find themselves on fishing boats, mines, and farms. Most of them had knowledge equivalent to that of cows in heat - no decision was made from an impartial point of view.

And he was starting to act like them, he reasoned. He was secretly protecting the interests of Miss Stenly, even when the Crown owed her no obligation.

Andon interrupted his reverie, a cool smirk on his face. The man was dressed for riding, Yeren noted. He was wearing black leather riding breeches, a grey woolen tunic, and leather gloves. Of course, he was carrying the Crown’s sigil.

"Where are you going?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

Andon’s gaze drifted to the Treasurer seated across the King. He cleared his throat, subtly requesting a private audience with the King.

The Treasurer, Lord Malric, darted a glance at Yeren.

Yeren dismissed the man with a nod. "We will conclude the inventory on the morrow."

The older man nodded and rushed to pack his scrolls littered over the table. One of them rolled off the table, but Yeren caught it just in time. The man coloured, muttering his thanks as he took the folded scroll from Yeren.

Andon followed the man with his gaze.

"What a clumsy fellow," he said as soon as Lord Malric disappeared through the oak doors.

"The good thing is, he isn’t clumsy with numbers. That’s what makes him very valuable to me."

Yeren set his goblet on the table, circling the rim with his fingers as he waited for Andon to state the purpose of his visit.

Andon moved to the window and leaned against the sill, sighing when the cool breeze washed over him.

Yeren smirked. "When are you going to tell me why you are here?"

His first man flipped his long locks over his shoulder. He was a handsome man for his years. He had no wife or children because of his pledge to the Crown.

"I thought you would never ask, Your Grace," he said as he spun around, his eyes glinting with mischief.

Yeren grounded his jaw. More games. He hated such games. In fact, games of all sorts.

"I am off to rescue your damsel in distress. Say the word and I will march to Penbrook with twenty men."

Yeren rubbed his brow. "Dressed like that?"

Andon stared down at his clothing. "What is wrong with it?"

He swung his feet over the table and picked up his goblet, relishing the opportunity to ridicule the ever wise Andon.

"Marching to Penbrook with my sigil? People would think I ordered the abduction of the young Lord Straught’s bride. Did you not think of that?"

Muttering under his breath, the man pulled off the brooch and set it down noisily on the table. He raised a brow at Yeren.

"I do not want you to go. Too many people will recognize you. Send only five riders you trust. She’s just one woman. No need for twenty."

Andon perched himself at the edge of the table. "Are you ashamed of rescuing the Stenly girl from a parasitic marriage?"

"No."

A brief pause.

"I thought you damned all the consequences."

Yeren blinked at the man’s choice of words. He gulped before saying, "I did."

"You are the King of Reden. No one would challenge your orders. Give the word and I will bring her back to you." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Then, as an afterthought, he added, "Safely, no matter what it takes."

Yeren stared into the contents of his goblet.

"You make it sound so simple. I can’t just send men marching to retrieve her after I just imprisoned her uncle. He deserved a dungeon sentence, but taking her would add a partial sense to my sentence."

Andon’s gaze softened. "You understand that even five men might not be able to bring her back. She’s feisty and defiant."

Yeren ran a hand through his hair. He knew that for certain she would fight anything that had his name or house associated with it. She would never believe that he just wanted to help her.

"If we send private riders, she would be more compliant."

Andon rubbed his eyes. "Compliant? And who would they pretend to serve? Anybody but you?"

Yeren pushed his feet off the table and stood up. "I have had enough of your counsel for one day. Do as I say, for once. Just bring her back and use the back entrance. I would like to have a word with her."

With that, he left the room.

What was he even doing? She clearly didn’t want his help. And the last thing he wanted was to be at odds with the only man he trusted with his life. The crown was his first obligation. Any slip from him could cause chaos across the whole kingdom.

Why couldn’t Andon understand that? Even his emotions and desires had to be subdued in favor of his position. All eyes were on him - good and bad.

He walked into his private resting chamber and slung down on the chair by the hearth. Thunder struck overhead. It had been raining a lot in the past few days. The harvest would definitely be delayed.

And he was beginning to dread the coming blood moon. When the council would convene, the main topic of discussion would be his fated mate.

Claire was his fated mate, but she rejected him. The rejection had silently stung at first, but gave way to intrigue. And now he understood her reason perfectly, he couldn’t blame her.

He sat there until the sky darkened outside. The rain had grown very heavy, splattering loudly around the stone walls that surrounded him.

He began to doze off gradually. He only wore a shirt which was loose at the neck and a dark hose.

He saw her.

She was running through the woods, away from him. No matter how fast he ran after her, she always remained beyond his grasp. He was panting and rain-soaked as he ran, his feet splashing into the mud with every step.

"Your Grace!"

He jerked awake, startled. His left hand darted out, reaching for a non-existent weapon on the table beside him.

It was a dream, he realized with sick certainty.

Yeren’s breathing was ragged as he focused his gaze on the man before him. Andon.

"Forgive me for waking you, Your Grace." Andon’s hair and garment were wet, his boots caked with fresh mud.

"Where were you?" Yeren’s gaze narrowed.

"At the battlements." He surveyed the other man with narrowed eyes. Andon’s expression was unreadable, his eyes blank. But Yeren couldn’t help the bad feeling he had. He sensed there was bad news.

Then, he saw it. Andon’s hands twitched slightly.

"What word do you bring? Where is she?"

Andon lowered his eyes. Yeren could hear the edge of his own voice.

"She’s missing."

Yeren ran a hand through his hair. Somehow he expected that. But expecting something and knowing it for a fact were two different things.

"Did she run away or was she abducted?"

Andon cleared his throat lightly. "The former is more likely. There was no sign of force. And Lord Straught’s son is gone as well."

Yeren’s gaze pierced his.

"Are you certain?"

Andon nodded. "From the testimonies of the servants, they saw her and the boy leave together. Hand in hand, if I must add. Neither of them was seen to have returned to the manor."

Yeren rubbed his eyes, wiping away every trace of sleep.

"And their scent? Were you able to trace them?"

Andon inched closer. "The house was in an uproar. They had sent their delta wolves to hunt them down already. As it is, they are trying to get word to Lord Straught about the sudden disappearances of his niece and son. Sending our own hunting team would have been disastrous."

Yeren leaned forward on his seat. "Were you with them? Did you go against my orders?"

Andon shook his head. "I could not, even if I wanted to. I mindlinked the man I sent."

Then he sat back with a sigh. "So no one has found her."

"So it would seem."

"I left two men to patrol Penbrook, just in case they are found," Andon said.

"Good. Tomorrow, more men would ride to the woods to search for her. For a woman, the forest is more dangerous than Penbrook. Just imagine the rogues, lycans, thieves lurking in the dark. The boy would be of no use to her in such a regard."

Andon ran both hands through his hair. A wisp of wind blew into the room just then, sending the candle flames dancing. The room smelled like rain and freshly dyed linens.

"Tell me all of it."

Andon gulped. "It is only a speculation. There is no certainty. But there have been rumors of the boy living with her and her sister in the ruins of her father’s house."

Yeren flexed his jaw. "Get to the point."

Silence.

"I heard that she’d left with another man. And she had been caught in his embrace a few days earlier."

Yeren’s hands twitched, but he fought the urge to clench them.

"Zachary?"

Andon could only nod.

"Leave me."

Andon left the room without another word.