FULL NOVELXO Chapter 16~ Wire brushes
Damien’s POV~
Two days.. two days of nonstop dawn to dusk work! We finally have electricity and water in all the cabins. The kitchen is put together and our pack are training the cooks here how to use the appliances. The castle is clean and gleaming. Our new furniture is due to arrive today.. thank Goddess! The mattresses in this place are impossible.. stuffed with feathers! That’s it. Like sleeping on a dog bed.. which may seem ironic, and a little humorous,, but I only sleep in Demon’s form when we are outdoors.
We found the throne room.. formal dining and ballrooms. The study.. library a d our offices. My dad found a set of rooms in the west wing he is converting to his office and council chambers. We all know the existing werewolf council will balk.. when the realize the monarchy has arisen once again. We also know there is a possibility of many battles. Colette and Lyn are both confident the wards on the kingdom will hold the 72 hours we go down.. No one in or out of the kingdom until we wake!
Today, we are meeting with the poor prisoners to listen to their stories. We decided to hold these meetings in the study and not the throne room yet.. we will wait until after the coronation to start following all royal protocol. We opted to start from eldest to youngest.. deciding to hear them all out. Just because they had similar experiences.. doesn’t mean they have the same story to tell!
Our first interview is an elderly man who is literally trembling. Lyn pours a cup of tea… bringing it over to him, she sets it down on the table beside him with sugar and creamer and takes his shaking hand “Hi! What’s your name? Please don’t be frightened. We only want to help.” He whispers “I’m Edgar, your majesty” Still holding his hand, she pats it with her other.. telling him “You call us by our names, unless we are in public. I am Lynette..and my mate is Damien. Now, please relax, Edgar. And tell us your story” and she came back over to sit with me.
Edgar begins “I was the butler, in charge of the running of the household. I wish I could tell you how long I was locked down there.. or when everything started falling apart. When the monarchy fell, every one of us were sealed inside the kingdom. Like a living tomb. Time didn’t move inside. Every day was simply a repeat of the one before. I can’t tell you when Seamus took up residence in the castle.. claiming he was king. Or when he started abusing everyone. He would beat us.. for things we had no control over. He couldn’t enter the library. The King’s offices or personal chambers. He couldn’t open the throne room.. which meant he couldn’t access the private vaults that hold the crown jewels. Because I was in charge of the household, he believed I should be able to help him access all these places. When I couldn’t.. he called me a liar and would beat me. When that didn’t make me comply, he would beat other members of the staff.. believing that would make me do it. What he even thought he would do with the jewels was, and still is, a mystery. Eventually, anyone who didn’t move fast enough to suit him was beaten. And locked away. Several died from the severity of the injuries we sustained. The young women were used.. and abused.. until he tired of them.. then they were thrown down there. It could have been days.. weeks even years. We had no way of knowing. May I ask what you have planned for him? I fear his band of thugs will try to come after you.. or try to break him out.”
I smiled at him “You need not fear him. One week from today, we will hold a public execution. He will serve as a reminder that this is not how we act, in our kingdom. Now.. if you would like, and please know, we will in no way fault you… we would like you to continue in your former role to the old regime. Take a week to recuperate and recover.. then you can resume duties and get your house in order!” And he broke down in tears. I look at Lyn… the fuck did I say? She grins!
Edgar stood and walked over to me.. dropping to his knees, he kissed the knuckle of my left ring finger.. “Thank you, your highness! It will be my greatest honor and privilege to serve you” and I shook my head… “Yeah.. we will be changing a lot of things.. that ring kissing thing being top of the list! But, we thank you, Edgar! And let my mate or I know when you feel you are fully staffed once more. I will also need to speak with you further regarding Seamus’ associates… if that’s okay” He nods and bows his way out of the study.. walking with more of a spring in his step. Lynette starts giggling “Your face! The look on your face when he kissed your hand! Oh Goddess! I wish I had a picture!” I grabbed her and kissed her telling her to shut up!
The rest of the day went along the same lines.. servants.. housekeepers.. groundskeepers.. cooks..and stable hands… All with roughly the same story to tell. And by the time we had spoken to the last of them.. I was irate and barely restraining Demon from ripping Seamus apart!
Liam and Blaze came bounding in… and, if I’m honest.. I needed the distraction. He was asking “How many security cameras are we going to need? Wi-Fi and satellite are going in tomorrow and I want everything operational before you go into metamorphosis.” I laughed “The fuck you mean?” He smirks back “You’re turning into a beautiful butterfly in five days.. and I want 100 percent coverage of the entire kingdom while that is happening. You will be vulnerable and I am responsible for keeping you both safe! I intend doing exactly that! I have ordered 300 cameras.. and installing them tomorrow. Which is why I need to know how many we should have in the castle.”
Lynette jumps up.. “Come on. Let’s take a look around. Figure out the best places are to have a better vantage point! Let’s go up the towers first. I’ll bet you can see to the kingdom’s edges from up there!” And she races out of the room. The energy of this woman!
Having to admit the towers were pretty cool.. and that cameras would catch a lot of movement along our borders, I left Liam and Lynette to plan it all out. I am heading to meet with the building contractors to see how the cottages and cabins were coming along. Catching up with my father along the way, he asks “Overwhelmed, yet? Because I gotta tell ya.. I have been an Alpha for thirty years.. and these past days, have me past ready to pass the torch! I find myself looking forward to simply overseeing a board of overly opinionated old wolves who have nothing better to do but throw bitchfests and drink whiskey! This is a huge undertaking. Yet, in my heart, I know you are the man for the job! The Goddess chose well!”
I sighed “Thanks, dad! I had my little meltdown.. and I caused my mate pain! I will endeavor to never do that again and I promised myself to remember.. everything happens for a reason. Besides.. when I need help.. I have you to ask! You have trained me well and I am ready.. but, for those moments of doubt, I rely on you to smack some sense back into me!” And we both laughed!
Reaching the construction area.. I really am impressed. I walked over to the general contractor.. and asked if he had enough materials.. enough labor and ge assured me he did. I’m still a little stressed about it. The remainder of our pack arrives tomorrow. I want everyone to be able to settle in without too much disruption.
Liam links that he and Lynette were running the borders.. deciding where cameras would be best placed. He has set himself a monumental task and I can’t help but be grateful that he is taking the role of Royal Beta seriously. We certainly didn’t see this as being our lives! His ascension ceremony.. and Blaze’s…will be right after our coronation. He has scheduled a recording of the entire coronation to be released the day we wake up. We all believe there will be an influx of transfer requests, once word is out. We know for a fact the werewolf council will make an appearance to try and refute Lynette’s claim to the crown. Little do they know we already have all the irrefutable proof they could possibly need!
Finding my mom and Colette in the main ballroom.. it was amusing listening to them arguing over the placement of floral arrangements. I am doubly blessed. My beautiful mate is my greatest gift.. but to have both her mother and my parents becoming such good friends is a great thing! And just to throw a wrench into their organizing, I said “I really thought the standing floral arrangements looked better along the back of the stage” . My mother turned with a look of horror and Colette hit me with a wire brush! Well, damn!