The king's return

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More people now stood on the interior balcony. A woman named Integra had joined Sebastian and Nicholas.

Nicholas wasn't on his throne but was now leaning on the railings and watching the ball from above, looking for a nice drink since the last one finished, while Sebastian was in a conversation with the woman.

"How is the situation with the rogues?" he asked though he already knew the answer. His hands were placed in his pockets and he carried a relaxed expression on his face.

"Gradually getting worse," she sighed, "It's about time they had a King," Integra stated. They had left the matter in the hands of the werewolves but seeing as how the situation wasn't improving, it was time for the upper echelon to step in.

Her long black hair cascaded down her back and her black mask hid the small frown that had formed on her forehead. Her black dress hugged her body perfectly.

"It would be nice if the previous king woke up soon," she added. His awakening would save them a lot of stress and lengthy procedures for choosing a new king.

"He has," Sebastian stated calmly and Integra's eyes widened,

"He has?! Then why haven't you said anything about it?" she asked him. With her position as the council head, it was her duty to welcome him back, and more importantly, she could finally release some of her workload that had doubled since he disappeared.

"He didn't come out publicly so it wasn't my place to say," Sebastian replied and she sighed,

"When do you think he'll make an appearance?" she inquired of him.

"I'm still uncertain but he should-" Sebastian paused midway and his eyes shot to the entrance of the balcony, "No, he's here,"

"What?!" Integra's eyes widened and she turned to the entrance as she had her back facing it, even Nicholas who was staring lazily at the crowd below felt a chill run down his spine causing him to stand straight. His demeanor turned serious and his gaze immediately moved to the entrance.

And true to Sebastian's words, a man wearing a full mask appeared at the entrance of the balcony followed closely by a brown-haired man. His blue and green eyes glowed in the darkness created by the drapes and his presence was felt by any significant person.

Sebastian bowed while Integra curtsied just after the man put one foot on the balcony. And the waiter standing close to the entrance with a tray of wine abandoned his tray in the air and fell face down to the ground.

...

"I agree, it is quite magnificent..." Alois Trancy was in the middle of speaking to a group of people when he felt a strong chill that left goosebumps on his skin. He stopped talking and looked in the direction of the balcony. Someone important just arrived!

"Is something wrong, Mr. Trancy?" a guest asked.

Alois stared intently at the drapes covering the balcony. Not even he could see what was happening up there. The master's return wasn't scheduled until two weeks from now, so it meant someone else of similar standing was here. It seemed it was time to pay obeisance to the king.

He turned back to the people and smiled at them, "It's nothing," he stated before continuing their discussion.

...

Mr. Leighton leaned on a pillar in a secluded area outside the castle with a cigarette in between his index and middle fingers. He raised the cigarette to his mouth and was about to take a drag when he felt a sudden chill run up his spine.

His eyes widened and he crushed the cigarette in his hand and threw it away, "The midnight ball never ceases to surprise me each year," he shook his head as he walked back to the castle.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

*Back to the balcony*

Xacier bent and swiftly caught the falling tray in his hand before it hit the floor, without any of the wine spilling out. "That was close," he said to himself.

"Welcome back, your highness," Sebastian and Integra greeted in unison while the waiter just trembled in fear, unable to move, speak, or breathe.

"Rise," Mael ordered. Sebastian and Integra took a second more before standing straight and the waiter who was finally able to move his body stood up in shock at what just happened. His body had just moved on its own!

"Here you go," Xacier handed him the tray and the waiter collected it with trembling hands.

Mael didn't speak and so one else did which made the atmosphere tense and the air heavy.

Xacier noticed that the waiter's continuous trembling made the glasses clink against each other so took the tray from his hands, "You can leave," and dismissed him. The waiter gave him an apprehensive look before thanking him and running out of the balcony.

Mael studied the people on the balcony. From

Integra, to the man who held similar attributes with him, none of them had changed. Then his eyes moved to the man who stood unaffected, the man with a golden crown on his head.

"It is good to see all of you again," he broke the silence. "Congratulations on becoming king, Nicholas,"

Nicholas took a step forward, then another and another, his pace increased as he took hurried steps towards Mael wrapped his arms tightly around him.

"Were you planning on sleeping forever?" he said with his eyes closed. His action removed the tension from the air.

"Now, now, that's my job," Xacier said while sipping on a glass of wine at their back.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to touch me, Nicholas," Mael said irritably which earned chuckles from the others.

"And when have I ever listened to you," he unwrapped his arms around him and bowed.

"Welcome back, my precious king," he greeted with a smile gracing his lips. "My crown fits perfectly, doesn't it?" he asked.

"It does," Mael answered. A small smile graced his features as they remembered the promise Nicholas had made on the night of the full moon.

"Did you enjoy your rest, your majesty?" Integra asked, turning Mael's attention to her while Nicholas interacted with Xacier.

"Yes, apart from a few interruptions, it was a good rest," he answered.

Then, he shook hands with Sebastian who said,

"It is good to have you back, your majesty. If I had to guess I'd say you've already met,"

"All-knowing as ever, Mr. Michaelis," Mael replied.

Integra wanted to say more, he had returned after so many years after all, but that had to wait, this wasn't a time for pleasantries. The midnight ball was a perfect opportunity and that was why Mael chose to be here, they all knew that.

"I presume your presence here means you want your position back," she said. Her demeanor was, serious and her tone professional.

"Yes, after giving it a thought and seeing the state of things, I realized that the throne was practically begging for my return," Mael answered.

Integra frowned after hearing his words that held an indirect insult to her and all her efforts but she ignored it.

"Then we need to spread the word of your return," she stated while Mael walked to the railings and watched the sea of people in and of different colors at the ball downstairs.

"Would that waiter be enough?" Xacier asked.

Meanwhile, Mael's eyes sought her ought amid the crowd. He shouldn't have left her alone but the more time he spent with her, the harder it had been to let her go. Abstinence was best until he accomplished his goals.

But, his eyes darkened when he found her on the dance floor in the arms of another man, with a smile on her face.

"That will take too long since it will spread around the commoners first, before reaching the ears of the elite, our target market," Sebastian voiced his thoughts.

"I suggest dancing. Everyone has their eyes on the dance floor," stated Nicholas.

"That's a good idea but," the question was if the man in person was willing to do it, they all thought in unison.

"I'll dance," Mael stated to all their surprise and a second later, he placed his hand on the railings and jumped down.

They rushed to the railings and saw that he had already mixed with the crowd without anyone's notice.

"What's gotten into him?" Xacier asked their unspoken question.

"It works out this way though," Nicholas said and finished a glass of wine, he dropped the glass cup on the railings and removed the crown and mask from his head. He threw them on his throne and ran his hands through his brown hair, making it fall on his forehead. "It's time I made an appearance too,"

...

Mael walked amidst the crowd. His full mask garnered attention as it got people wondering what kind of person would wear a mask that completely covered one's features. Meanwhile, a few people, not up to five, recognized the man's stature and aura.

The previous werewolf king had returned!

But Mael didn't care, all he had in his mind was that his mate was in the arms of another man. He approached a woman speaking to her acquaintance and saw the woman's eyes widen.

"Care to dance, love?" he asked.

The woman was a bit apprehensive but she quickly changed her mind. Only a man of high status and influence would do something as daring as wearing a full mask and his voice wasn't something a commoner could hold. There was a possibility that he could even be the king!

With that, she replied, "Yes, I would love to," and placed her hand in his.

"Perfect," came Mael's reply as he led her to the dance floor.

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