The Lycan's Queen : A tale of fate

The King remained silent for the entire ride, his thoughts consumed by the sinister plans brewing in his mind. The carriage rocked gently as they traveled, but his eyes remained fixed on the horizon, lost in contemplation. His internal struggle gnawed at him—something dark, something dangerous roared in his soul, urging him to act. Yet, no. If he ever did so , he would anger his mother, and in this game of power, he couldn't afford to let his emotions take control. It was a delicate plan, one that must remain intact. He had to think, plan, and not let his heart betray the path he had chosen.

His gaze shifted to Elara, sitting quietly beside him, staring out the window. A subtle shift in her posture caught his attention. There was something distant in her eyes, something not quite tethered to the world around them. "Tell me," the King spoke at last, his voice as calm as ever, but with a sharp edge lurking beneath. "What is on your mind?"

Elara turned to him, her face blank for a moment as she processed his words. The weight of her thoughts had clearly been far from the surface, but she relaxed into her response. "Nothing that should bother you much, Your Majesty," she said, her tone careful. "But—"

"No," Theron interrupted, his voice suddenly more personal. "You don't have to address me that way when we are alone."

Elara faltered at the unexpected change in his demeanor. The memories of their last encounter lingered in the back of her mind, but she pushed them aside. The present moment mattered more than anything else. She nodded in acknowledgment, shifting in her seat as she began speaking again.

"It's just been a dream."

'A dream?' King Theron's thoughts immediately sharpened. Queen Elara was said to never dream. She was different, untouched by the usual mortal afflictions, and yet here she was, speaking of a dream. He couldn't help but feel a flicker of confusion and interest in this dream .

"Yes," Elara said, noticing the pause in his thoughts. It seemed like she had heard his unspoken question. She hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I don't really know how to explain it, but... I felt like I was in the sky, not on Earth. Like I was floating, surrounded by these tiny, glowing blue particles. They were coming toward me, different shades of blue and white, almost... alive. They felt electric, like they had meaning. They whispered to me, and if I had listened closely, maybe I could have heard what they were saying. But then..." She trailed off, as though the image itself was too strange to fully grasp. "I heard the sound of a steaming pot, and something like plates or teacups fidgeting."

The King took a moment to process her words. A dream that felt more like a vision, a fleeting moment where something deeper was trying to make itself known. It was strange, but not entirely unfathomable.

"I'm not a dream interpreter," he replied, attempting to brush away the strange sense of unease stirring in him. "But I can tell you, it probably doesn't mean much."

He removed his hand from atop her gloved hand—an action that felt oddly final—and turned his gaze back to the window. "Sometimes dreams are just nonsense. I've never heard anyone wake up saying they had a meaningful dream. It's always something silly, like talking animals or a flying spoon that transports innocent people only to strange places."

"A flying spoon?" Elara raised an amused eyebrow, a soft chuckle escaping her lips.

Theron nodded,"Yes, a flying spoon."

Her laughter filled the carriage like a melody, sweet and melodic, and Theron found himself entranced by the sound. Her eyes were closed, her expression pure joy, and the moment hung in the air like a suspended note.

"Who dreams such a thing?" she asked, still smiling, her eyes opening to meet his.

Theron blinked, snapping back to reality, momentarily frozen by the unexpected beauty in her laughter. "Cedric," he said, before his gaze flickered away as irritation quickly bubbled beneath the surface. He turned his face toward the window, his mood shifting.

Elara's chuckle faded, but her amusement lingered in her eyes. "He has such interesting dreams, unlike mine. How I wish to be in his shoes now." She smiled, as if the idea of being swept away in a dream like that was something she could envy.

Theron, however, couldn't quite shake the feeling that he had been too caught up in her laugh. The way she laughed so effortlessly, so freely—it irritated him more than he cared to admit. He quickly cut her off, his voice turning cold. "You'll have to drink the tea to sort out your dreams."

Elara stopped laughing, her smile fading slightly as she tensed. The mention of tea brought an uncomfortable twist to her stomach. She didn't like tea—not at all.

"But I thought the tea was either for calming my nerves or was my favorite-"

"It's for many reasons," he cut her off , his tone becoming more detached. "It helps you sleep better and can ease nightmares. You'll need more of it, especially with these... strange dreams you keep on having ."

"But they aren't that strange ," Elara retorted, her voice firm. She opened her mouth to explain further but was cut off by Theron, his tone sharp.

"Weren't you the one complaining about your dream just now?" His eyes narrowed, and his temper flared, sending a warning through the air. "You'll drink the tea to stop dreaming these strange things. And that's final. Remember our last conversation—when it almost cost you your life? Listen to your King."

The carriage came to an abrupt stop as the King's words hung in the air. Elara had no chance to react to the sharpness in his tone before the door opened. The King's command was unyielding, and she could feel the weight of it settle between them.

"You will have lunch with the ladies, and I will meet with the ministers and lords," King Theron stated coldly as he exited the carriage, leaving her behind. "By dinner, we'll all be together—along with the children, the lords, and the ministers."

Elara sat still for a moment, staring after him. The finality of his words lingered, and she was left to stew in her thoughts as the castle loomed ahead.