The Lycan King's Puppet-Chapter 78: Plead the Guards

"Please. I won’t be harmed if you watch over me."

Aurora joined her, pleading with her big, wide eyes.

Rory’s guard remained unmoved, but she could see the indecision in Terrence’s eyes.

If she could convince him...

They didn’t even have a carriage, and wagons were out of the picture completely - the King had made her understand how demeaning it was to ride a salesman’s wagon.

"I want to see... I want to see what the festival looks like. We would return immediately after. And... and we won’t wander off." Aurora said.

Terrence adjusted his stance and stared straight ahead.

The King’s orders.

Blast the man.

"I have silver."

Rory darted a quick glance at her.

"You do? From where?"

Claire flushed crimson. "You must not know all my sources of money, Aurora." She tried to scold, but no one was buying it.

"Just take us there for heavens sake!"

"Then, give me a written note from the King." Rory’s guard said, pulling off his helmet.

He shook his head, revealing a full head of golden hair that flowed down his shoulders.

"You look pretty."

His jaw twitched - it was clear he was trying it stifle a smile.

"You could say ’thank you’."

The man tossed a brief glance at Claire before returning his gaze to Aurora.

"I swore to protect you, little Miss Stenly. Such an environment is not suitable for an amateur and unshifted wolf like you."

"That means you’re saying that you are incapable of protecting us outside the confines of this palace."

They both parted their lips to speak but no words came out.

"We would take you there on one condition." He stepped forward and waited for her to assimilate his words.

"What condition is that, if I may ask?"

"That we would remain on the hill - joining the crowd would be too dangerous for the two of you."

Rory nodded, her hair bobbing up and down.

Claire hadn’t even finished considering his words.

"Let me grab the shawl I was knitting!" Aurora said and ran off. Her footsteps echoed through the building and she ran off.

Claire stared down at her gown.

"This is decent enough, I believe." She said mostly to herself, smoothing her sweaty hands over the bodice of the gown.

The bodice of the gown suddenly felt too tight to breathe properly, the collar felt like it was choking her.

Aurora returned with two shawls, one a dark blue shade, the other bright red.

"Thank you." She said, running her hands over the smooth wool.

"It’s not yours. I’m only borrowing it to you."

Her smile vanished immediately.

"Shall we?" Aurora said, descending the stone stairway that led to the driveway.

Claire moved hesitantly.

What carriage were they intending to use? Were they supposed to fly there?

The guards followed casually behind, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords as their eyes constantly roamed the environment for threats.

Not even when her father was alive and well did she have a guard.

Rory tripped over a stone but her guard caught her arm just in time, saying nothing.

They had no reason to protect them, but their loyalty to the King binded them.

Loyalty. Andon had mentioned the same word.

Truthfully, the only person in the whole world she was completely loyal to was her sister.

"Are we going to find horses hidden in some secret place along the way?" The question slipped out.

"Move away." Terrence said.

Claire didn’t move an inch. Instead, she glanced up at the darkening sky.

It would soon be time...

"Move away-" His breathing became forced and erratic, his chest heaving painfully fast.

She took a calm step back and surveyed him, wondering as to his sudden change in demeanor.

"Get out of the way!"

Claws jutted out of his arms, his bones cracking and elongating.

Rory ran behind her and hid her face in the curve of her back.

Her own breathing was worse than all of theirs combined.

The last time she had witnessed a wolf shift was when he father had lost his temper in the woods when she was very little. It was something concerning her mother - so she knew very little about it.

Deep brown fur lined his large body as he stared down at her.

The eyes were still the same - safe and reassuring.

Then, he lowered his head to the ground, folding his fore legs underneath him.

Rory’s guard started walking off.

"Find someone else to play horsey with! I’m not doing that. The King’s guard has a thousand times more honour."

Claire looked from one man to the other, confused.

What did honour have to do with anything? It’s not like they were asking him to crawl on the road like a toddler. Or were they?

Taking a deep breath, she lifted her dressed and moved closer to where Terrence’s huge bear of a wolf still waited.

How did she even begin to climb? Where did she hold onto?

All she could see was fur, fur and fur.

Without requesting her permission, the other guard held her by the waist and lifted her effortlessly onto his back.

Aurora just stood there, staring at them with bright eyes. The other guard finally succumbed with a low grunt.

His own wolf was also dark brown. The initial shock of watching Terence transform had died down.

When Aurora was comfortably seated on his back, they set off.

With each unsettling stride, the sky grew darker.

By the time they got there, it was dark and the moon shone like a candle lit in the sky.

They had arrived at last. The place was extremely crowded. There was no space to even climb the mountain so they had to remain at the bottom of the hill. Carriages were crowded everywhere.

"All those Carriage riders need to be hanged." Rory was saying.

Claire was barely paying any attention.

Her stomach was ... She leaned over and retched out everything she had tried to eat that day.

When she looked up from her very unladylike business, a very large red wolf in the crowd caught her attention. The fur glinted in the firelight, unmistakable.

Was that Uncle Jarren?