Chapter 116: A Kingdom Rewritten

Araidne sat gracefully on the throne with a diffused aura of power, her calculating eyes scanning the room. "We must firm our hold upon this kingdom," Araidne said, the council she had reinstated composed of her own men. Cold as an unsheathed blade, her voice cut through the great hall. "No stone left unturned till that body is found." The assembly nodded grim as a unit-new faces loyal to her and what was left of the old guard, too terrified to resist. A young wolf rose: Corvan, his eyes dancing like fire. "We've sent search parties over borders, but no sign of Alpha Lleus's body exists. Whoever did this was clever, and our suspicion is that he has gone underground. Araidne's face contorted into a snarl. "Clever? Or maybe aided by traitors within these walls." The room grew cold with the sweep of her gaze across the occupants. "Posters, notices, and bounties. I want every villager, every merchant, every traveler, to know the stakes. Whoever returns that body-or brings me the heads of Reika, Viktor, Alfonso, or Kael-will be amply rewarded."   And so, word went out of Araine's edict: no quarter asked nor given. Soldiers marched into villages and towns, hammering up broadsides upon everything visible. Reika, Viktor, Alfonso, and Kael stared from the parchment in bold print-the words WANTED CRIMINALS heavy bounties placed upon their heads for capture stared right back at them. It yielded no more than muffled tones from them, while even the whispering of people would have easily drowned out under a cacophony of a marketplace: calling from the merchants peddling their wares. "Do you see this?" An old woman, her fingers tightly clutching at the corner of the poster, whispered, "The queen has fallen now and she was hunted down just as one would an animal. The boy with him, slinging a sack of grain over his shoulder, glanced around him nervously in all directions and whispered in barely audible tones, "Speak in low tones. You will get us both killed. Araidne would think little of making an example of either one of us that speaks out against her. And in truth the seeds of Araidne's cruelty had already been sown. Inside the council chambers, Ariadne directed her attention to the elders who remained in their posts from the old regime: whereas there used to be twelve in the circle, only seven sat before her now. The five others had been executed after refusing to pledge their oath of fealty. "Your decision to stand with me has spared your lives," Araidne said, smiling coldly to the elders who remained. "But let this be clear: do not think my mercy a weakness. Betray me, and you will join your former comrades in the earth." The frail elderly man, but with a mind still as sharp as tacks-Eldric-spoke for the first time. "Your Majesty, we have sworn oaths, yet loyalty cannot be compelled by threats of punishment. Trust must be-" Ariadne rose in one smooth, fluid motion. Her eyes stopped him where he sat. "Trust? Tell me, Eldric, did you trust Reika to keep this kingdom from collapsing under her care? Eldric faltered. His face, lined with age, drew taut as he bowed his head. "Quite precisely," Araidne said, her tone smooth, venomous. "This kingdom doesn't need trust. It needs power. My power." The changes of Araidine did not stay beyond the palace walls. The streets that once rang with laughter and traders now donned the weight of her rule. Her banners-a black wolf with crimson eyes-replaced the old insignias of Reika's lineage. Schools were closed, their halls turned into military training camps. Heavy taxes were levied on the markets, and any semblance of dissatisfaction was put down with immediate effect. And a huge pyre was erected right in the middle of the capital, in which were to be compulsorily burned-with pressure on the citizens standing and watching-the history going into ashes-all the symbols of the old regime in the shape of books, paintings, and relics carrying the mark of Reika. "It's a new time," Arachne spoke to the gathering before her, "one where iron hands prevail. And under mine, we are not to whimper in shadows, but be uplifted in places of might to take as our right." But for all her display of superiority, Araidne simply could not get rid of the annoyance regarding Alpha Lleus's body. She stormed into the war room, and Finley was there to attend her. You promised me the body would be recovered," Araidne spat, her eyes ablaze. "It's been weeks, and still nothing." Finley tensed. "Our scouts have searched every known hideout. Whoever took him is skilled at covering their tracks. 'Skilled or lucky, it makes no difference. Failure is not an option," Araidne snapped. She paused, her mind working furiously. 'We need leverage. If Reika is still alive, she'll want to protect her husband's body. We'll draw her out." 'How?" Finley asked. Araidne's smile returned, cruel and calculated. 'We spread false information. Word of a hidden cache where Lleus's body might be. If she's out there, she'll come running." Posters were plastered at every corner of the kingdom, their stark words impossible to ignore: REWARD: 1,000 GOLD COINS For information leading to the recovery of Alpha Lleus's body or the capture of these criminals: Reika, Viktor, Alfonso, Kael. The dim interior of a small tavern near the borderlands was a shelter for the company of mercenaries who surrounded one of the posters. "That's a fortune," one of them muttered, tracing the figures on the paper with a gloved finger. "Some fortune for risking your life," another said scornfully. "If these fugitives outsmarted Araidne once, they won't go down easily." "Doesn't mean we can't try," the first man replied with a grin. "Gold like that doesn't come around every day." Confident outwardly, Araidne could not shake off this feeling of being followed. Well into the night, she had paced her chambers, her mind racing. "What if we never find the body?" she muttered to herself, her fingers clenching the edge of her desk. Finley entered quietly, his face grim. "You should rest, Araidne. Stress will only cloud your judgment. She turned to him, her eyes narrowing. 'I'll rest when this kingdom is fully mine. Not a moment before." --- Unbeknownst to Araidne, pockets of resistance were already forming. In the shadows of abandoned buildings and the depths of the forest, whispers of rebellion spread. 'We must find Reika," said one rebel leader, his voice low but resolute. 'She's the rightful queen. She's our only hope." Standing on the balcony of the palace, Araidne spoke again to the kingdom. Her voice rolled over the crowd assembled before her like a tempest. "Let it be known: this kingdom is mine now. To those that would resist, let this be your warning. Submit, or be destroyed."