Chapter 8 - The Price of Redemption
In the days following the battle, the Lycan Citadel underwent a massive transformation.
The news of Reena’s miraculous awakening and her defense of the royal heir spread across the realm like wildfire. Packs from every corner of the continent sent emissaries, bowing before the "Wolfless Sovereign" who had subdued an army with a single gesture.
However, amidst the celebrations, one debt remained unpaid.
Reena sat on the polished throne in the Great Hall. Jacob stood at her right hand, wearing his royal regalia, but his eyes never left her face. He was no longer acting as the sole ruler; he had made it abundantly clear to the High Council that Reena reigned alongside him as his equal, his Sovereign Queen.
The heavy wooden doors of the hall swung open.
Guards dragged two figures into the chamber, forcing them to their knees at the base of the throne.
It was Reena’s father and her sister, Lissa.
They looked unkempt, terrified, and bewildered. When the debt collectors had collapsed following the Syndicate's defeat, the royal guard had swept through the Shadow-Ridge territory, summoning those who had mistreated the Queen.
Reena’s father lifted his head, his eyes widening in shock as he recognized the woman sitting on the golden throne. "R... Reena?"
Lissa gasped, her sleek silver wolf spirit shrinking in fear inside her chest as she felt the suffocating aura surrounding her older sister. "Reena... you're alive? But... you were wolfless!"
"I am still wolfless, Lissa," Reena said coolly, leaning back against the throne. "I possess no beast. I possess something far greater."
Her father immediately fell flat on his face, trembling. "Oh, my sweet daughter! I knew you were special! I knew sending you to the palace was the right choice! I did it to give you a chance at greatness!"
A dark growl rumbled from Jacob's chest. He stepped forward, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword. "Do not lie to your Sovereign, old man. You traded her away like cattle to save your own worthless skin."
"Jacob, wait," Reena held up a gentle hand, stopping the King.
She looked down at the man who had raised her—the man who had watched her sit in darkness under a hundred full moons, treating her like a broken burden.
"You told Beta Cornelius that I wouldn't be missed," Reena said, her voice terrifyingly calm. "You were right. I wasn't missed in your house. Because my true home was waiting for me here."
Her father sobbed, clutching at the carpet. "Please, Reena! Have mercy! We are family! Share your wealth with us! Help your sister!"
"You will receive mercy," Reena declared. "Your debts to the crown are forgiven. You will be given a small farm on the far eastern border of the kingdom. You will work the land with your own hands. You will never set foot in the capital again. And you will never call me your daughter."
Lissa wept softly, pulling her father back as the guards escorted them away. They were not executed. They were not tortured. But they were banished from the warmth of the royal court forever, forced to live in the shadow of the girl they had thrown away.
As the heavy doors closed, Reena let out a long, quiet sigh.
May you like
Jacob stepped closer, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Did that bring you peace?"
Reena placed her hands over his. "Peace doesn't come from punishing the past, Jacob. It comes from building the future."
