The night of vigilance

"It's a pleasure to have you with us, your majesty. I hope you enjoy our hospitality and pass on our regards to Lady Jess" once upon a time, this greeting would have sent him on cloud nine. Not only was he being recognised but also Jess.

It would have paid homage to the fact that they were a perfect couple and his choice had been the right one all along.

Now, these words ran hollow and made him question everything he knew. Were they praising him or his crown with such flattering words? He did not want to hear them any longer, their falseness making his ears itch.

He averted his eyes from that fake smile and it fell on Noah who gave him a disapproving glance. Right, they had work to do.

"I'm happy that you made the time to receive me. Have I introduced my personal servant to you yet?" The other looked surprised at the gesture and Noah was giving him the stinking eye for sure but it did not matter to him.

If he had to suffer, then so did Noah. That was what it came down to.

"I was not aware you were bringing your personal servant with you? Or that you had one? I-I'll make arrangements for him in the servant quarters right away" and the fun was drained away from the situation just like that.

Keito's face went from an uncomfortable smile to a scary one that he was unaware of.

He did not know why, but the thought of Noah not being in the same place as him, to be with strangers for a night did not sit right with him. What right did the other have to separate them?

'He needs to be with us' and for some reason, Keito could not tell if that thought had been his or his wolf but he did not care because he felt the same.

The masked teen took the other's expression and misunderstood it completely.

"It's best if I could stay in the same space as his majesty for the stay. I'm ordered not to leave his side for any time of the day" Noah felt like the king was uncomfortable with being left alone.

If someone knew the roof they were staying under was a traitor's roof then they would be uncomfortable too and rightly so. So, Noha needed to be with the others to make sure their plan went off without a hitch.

"I see" the governor was a man in his thirties, fair-skinned and lean body without much muscle and fat. He was someone who had never faced struggle but even he knew the dangers such high positions put someone in.

That was the primary reason he had married his wife from the valley. She was beautiful, resourceful and dominant. Also, he knew just how dangerous the valley could be with their voodoo magic. They had already disposed of the royal couple so their win was almost guaranteed.

He was doing what he could to spare his people the same fate and he did not regret his decisions at all.

Still, could this prove to be a problem in the future?

"Please lead me to my room. I wish to rest for a while" the king ordered, keeping the same tone in his command as was expected of him. The other did not reply, too busy in his memories to bother.

"Our rooms please" Noah interrupted the other who seemed to be in deep thoughts. Finally, he snapped out of his thoughts with an almost embarrassed expression and coughed to distract them. Neither fell for it.

"This way, please. I want to accompany the king to his room myself to make sure he has everything he needs" he ignored Noah completely which did not bother the other.

But it did bother the king who wanted to say a few words to the other. He did not get a chance though, as his arm was lightly squeezed by the fox in a warning and he could only comply.

They made their way to their new room, the noble leading them through a series of marvellous interior and architectural features of the building. This was so different from any of the modern palaces one could visit, everything was authentic here.

The huge corridors that joined different blocks of the building were lined with waterways and scenic gardens with colourful blossoms. The most eye-catching was the violet showers of the Jacaranda tree that made this palace look eternal.

These trees were not local and must have required huge manpower and resources to make it flourish as such. It was truly marvellous to see.

And sickening when one knew where those resources were coming from.

"Here is your room, your majesty," the other gestured to the traditional room behind the door. It was the classic one could imagine the ancient castle to have with the central bed draped in huge curtains to the classic furniture.

It even had a huge bay window facing outside and directly to the garden complex.

"It's sufficient. Now, please leave us" the other looked confused for a few seconds, forgetting that Noah was supposed to stay here too but one glare was enough to make him come back to his senses.

"Yes, please. Enjoy your stay here and I'm sure your majesty will get to learn a lot of new and valuable information he did not know beforehand" joke's on him, Keito had already learned what he could.

The fox nodded and closed the door right on the governor's face. Keito knew the other was likely fuming at this disrespect but he would likely not say anything out of fear.

"I'll do a quick sweep to make sure everything is safe. Please don't move" Keito did not say anything back and they both knew it was a confirmation on his part.

The other's magic glowed around him, the light making the highlights in his hair giving off a luminescent effect that looked thermal. The clothes were not unaffected either, matching the same glow which was likely a clue that it was also not normal.

It lasted all for a few seconds, too short for Keito to really be able to enjoy it fully. The other finally moved, his body relaxed.

"There is nothing here which means we need to be careful. I'll go and check out other places to figure out their plan" and the other was off, the door once again a barrier between them.

Keito lamented the loss before he began to work himself. He had carried over some paperwork with him which he needed to do urgently and let his mind wander.

From what he knew of such people, their first instinct was the removal of any threat which meant that this would be a long night.

That night, Noah and Keito exchanged positions for sleep and then waited. The night passed in silence and sleep weighed heavy on their senses but neither scumbled to its sweet embrace.

But their patience paid off when the first ray of the sun hit their room. In the silence of the early morning, one could hear the call of the cock from far away and smell the sweet smell of the breeze.

There was nothing else that could disturb the serene atmosphere of the place.

Nothing except the cry of the sword as it went through flesh and an anguished cry filled the air. The king was shaking, his mind still in disbelief as the blood splattered all over him.

It was red and hot, the perfect temperature to tell someone was still alive when he had been cut and all he wanted to do was help.

But help which one?

In front of him, two figures clashed, one masked and one unmasked. Both were bleeding to different degrees and would not be able to keep up for long.

Ideally, it should not even be a competition, Noah was a clear winner that should receive his help but he could not bring himself to do so.

The other was someone he recognised, who had tried to earn the respect of even when he had been alive.

Jess's dead brother stood in front of them, his eyes not seeing and registering anything but the skill he had helped when alive was still there.

The other had been slain in a minor war and had been buried but it was clear that it was no longer the case. Because here he was, trying to kill them which should give Keiot enough reason to attack him.

But he was Jess's brother and she would be angry if something happened to that body. He could not allow for it to be defiled like that.

Noah was fighting him, but even he had to hold back since Keito had shouted at him to not harm the other. It had caused Noah unnecessary injuries for his trouble.

But finally the other was down and Noah made a motion to strike him.

But just as he was about to dispatch him, he felt pain in his side and his vision blurred. His hands reached there only to meet the blood-covered metal and those wide golden eyes of the Alpha.