Back at the party, King Aurion clasped Thornak's forearm and then turned to Lara, his gaze softening.
"You have a greater family than you know," he said gently, "and my realm waits to welcome you home."
Lara smiled, warmth blooming in her chest, and nodded.
"I promise, I'll come. I want to meet them."
King Aurion bid his farewells and departed, the Starborn riding eastward to their realm, where an even grander celebration awaited.
As the crowd thinned and the stars stretched above Vargorath, Thornak caught Lara's hand and pulled her gently toward him.
"Careful," he said, his golden eyes gleaming. "Keep smiling at me like that and I'll forget this is a public celebration."
Lara blinked up at him, heat rising in her cheeks. "Thorn... there are people watching."
"Let them," he murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "They should see how lucky their king is."
She looked away quickly, laughing under her breath, trying to hide the blush that bloomed across her cheeks. Thornak just chuckled, victorious.
....
Aedric stood beneath a sky of pulsing stars, silver light bathing the field.
Araya faced him, glowing softly.
"My love," she whispered. "You can love me again. Find me where your heart already knows I am."
He reached for her, but she vanished into starlight.
He woke with a gasp. It was a dream.
The fire was low, shadows thick.
Beside him, Rell slept, her arm warm around him.
He lay back down, with a heavy sigh.
As the morning sun spilled golden light over the courtyard, Aedric walked back from the stables, where he had just bid farewell to Rell as the northern Lycans have departed. Her absence already left the air colder.
At the gates, he nearly collided with Ninzu, the Silver Seer, robed and ready to depart.
"Forgive me," Aedric said, stepping aside.
But Ninzu did not move. She peered at him with a glint of strange knowing in her eyes. "You're the prince who walks with old regrets," she murmured. "You carry the name Val'Razen in your blood."
He froze. "Pardon me?"
The Seer's gaze grew deeper. "I have an interesting tale to share with you. Some years ago, a girl died, but on the night her breath faded, the Moon Goddess intervened. She gave the girl's body new life, placing within it the soul of another, one who had loved deeply, died too soon, and was owed a second chance. Her memories were sealed, her spirit quiet beneath the surface, waiting for love to stir what the stars once hid."
Aedric stared at her, his breath catching in his throat.
Ninzu stepped closer, her voice low and certain. "You and she are Val'Razen, soulbound by ancient right. But the bond lies dormant. You must awaken it."
Aedric swallowed hard, remembering his dream. "I don't understand, Ninzu? Who are you talking about?"
The Seer's violet eyes suddenly gleamed brighter.
"Hmmmm," she murmured.
Then she turned and walked away, her silver-cloaked priestesses gliding silently behind her.
Aedric stood frozen. Then the wind shifted, and suddenly, he felt cold. As though something vast and divine had just passed through him.
As the Seer vanished down the corridor, the world around him suddenly dimmed.
In his mind, a woman appeared, her figure wrapped in mist, her face hidden, blurred like water in motion. He stepped toward her, but the vision dissolved before he could reach her.
He blinked and the corridor returned, but he was alone.
That same day, Thornak led Lara through the tall, carved doors of Queen Maravelle's chambers. The scent of myrrh and old roses clung to the air. Lara had never stepped foot in this part of the palace. The walls felt too grand, the silence too sharp.
She hesitated, instinctively ducking behind Thornak's broad frame, but he caught her hand and gently pulled her to stand beside him.
Queen Maravelle stood by the window, framed by pale curtains and early light. She turned slowly as they entered, her face unreadable.
"I know everything," Thornak said, his voice calm but hard-edged. "The letters. The plotting. Even the kidnapping. I've remained silent for too long, but I'm warning you now mother. Do not try to interfere with today's ceremony."
He voice became dangerously low.
"She is my mate and my queen. That is final."
Maravelle's chin lifted with practiced pride. "I know I have been selfish," she said coldly, "but you forget yourself, Thornak. You do not speak to your mother this way. Know your limits."
"You brought this out of me," he said, his voice low. "You left me no choice."
A pause.
Then, slowly, her gaze shifted to Lara.
"Well," she said, her voice softer, "I have… accepted your bond. And if the Moon herself has chosen you, who am I to defy it?" Her eyes met Lara's. "Forgive me, child."
Lara blinked, stunned, heart thudding. "I… I already have, Your Highness," she said quietly, unsure if her voice was even audible.
And the hour of coronation drew near.
....
The sun blazed through the high arched windows of the Great Hall of Vargorath, casting beams of golden light onto polished obsidian floors. Tall columns wrapped in silver vines lined the path to the throne dais, where banners bearing the crest of the Lycan royal line fluttered lightly in the warm breeze. The air hummed with reverence and expectancy.
The hall was filled to its vaulted ceiling with power and pride. Highborn Alphas of ancient blood, both Lycan and Werewolf, stood in solemn attendance, cloaked in their finest regalia. Lords and ladies from distant provinces, emissaries from mountain clans and forest tribes, stood shoulder to shoulder.
The Starborn King, Aurion, attended with two of his sons, accompanied by several Starborn officials and warriors. They stood in a place of honor near the front, their presence a quiet testament to respect and alliance.
Ninzu, robed in moon-silver and shadow, stood with her fellow Seers in quiet vigil. Beside Queen Maravelle stood the full council of Vargorath, dressed in ceremonial black and crimson, Lord Edrion among them, his expression unreadable. Thornak's sisters, Iris and Jasmine, stood proudly near the throne, their eyes shining with unshed tears.
And at the center of it all stood Lara.
She was clothed in a gown of white and gold, woven from moon-thread and sun-spun silk. It clung to her form like light itself, regal and ethereal, embroidered with the sigils of every Lycan house. A flowing mantle of gossamer trailed behind her, catching sunlight with each step. A delicate circlet shimmered on her brow, holding back her golden hair, which had been swept up in a crown-like twist. She looked every inch a queen, radiant, fierce and beloved.
At her side stood Thornak, the Lycan King, his bearing proud, eyes locked on hers.
He spoke, and his voice echoed across the vast hall:
"By the power of the Moon Goddess, and the blood of our ancestors, I claim this woman as my Queen, my mate, and my equal. Let Vargorath bear witness to her strength, and to the unshakable bond we share."
The gathered crowd answered as one, a thunderous chorus rising like a storm:
"We acknowledge her as our Queen, bound to our King by love, by loyalty and by right."
Together, Lara and Thornak approached the sacred fire lit at the center of the dais. Ninzu stepped forward, anointing Lara's forehead with sacred oils drawn from the roots of the Silver Tree. As she murmured the ancient rites, the hall seemed to still, time holding its breath.
Lara felt it in her bones, the power, the recognition, the acceptance. Her senses expanded, her connection to the Lycans deepening until she could feel them all, a great living chorus of hearts beating as one.
Thornak placed a ceremonial torque around her neck—dark steel shaped like a crescent moon, etched with the names of queens past.
A hush followed.
With steady hands, Maravelle lifted the Queen's crown, its silver and moonstone glinting in the sunlight. She placed it gently on Lara's head.
Then she stepped back and raised her voice to the gathered hall. "Long live the Queen of Vargorath!"
A thunderous chorus rose in answer, Lycans, werewolves, nobles, and Starborn alike, filling the great hall with the echo of loyalty and triumph.
"Long live the Queen, long live the King... Long live the Queen..."
Howls of celebration split the air as the crowd rose to their feet. Warriors stamped spears and swords to the ground. The sound was joy, strength, and belonging all at once.
Thornak pulled Lara to him and kissed her, and the people howled even louder.
Queen Lara of Vargorath had risen.