Brewing Storm - Chapter 148

The snowflakes coating her figure transformed into a resplendent, white robe. But that wasn’t what stunned Versailles. The delicate petals of each fold of the robe was what took her breath away.

The white robe with tens of folds was crafted out of delicate, snow-white, flower petals. Fragrant, light, and soft to the touch, each petal stretched to her toe and had cravings of intricate designs on them that glowed and shifted under the chandelier.

“So beautiful!”

Versailles admitted. She was in love with the dress.

In all her previous three lives, she had never worn or seen such a wonder.

“You like it?” Seeing his mate’s shining eyes, Ramose faintly smiled.

As long as she was happy, those performers would be rewarded splendidly.

“Ramose, I love it!” Turning her shiny eyes to the leader of the performing troupe, she lifted a fold of the petal dress and hurriedly asked.

“How did you do it? Will it disappear after the performance is over?”

“Your Grace, we cannot divulge the creation of the dress, because magic wasn’t the only thing involved in its invention. But, no. It will not disappear. Moreover, it’s the only one of its kind in the entire seven realms. As for whether a second one will appear in the near future is a matter of fate.”

The troupe leader sighed defeatedly.

He was in a tight spot himself. The creation of this one dress cost the lifeblood of a thousand soul-flies. The knives the beasts threw out weren’t for show. They were aimed at the soul-flies attracted by the Flame Boar, whose lifeforce was in turn, drained by the Flame Flies.

That’s how the giant Flame Fly came to be.

But that was not the end. The sacrifice of a thousand soul-flies, flame boar, and innumerable flame flies was just the finishing touch.

Before the troupe entered the purple hall, they heard the Werewolf King’s promise to generously reward them if they made his mate smile. Motivated by the possible reward, the beasts converged together and made a blood oath.

The method of the dress’s creation was a secret passed down to the troupe leader by a wandering beast. According to the beast, a day would come when they would be widely recognized for the magnificent feat of pleasing a powerful individual.

The premise, however, was that once they performed the feat, they had to take a blood oath to never perform the trick again. A blood oath that would instantly explode their bodies if they so much as had an intention to divulge the secret to the dress’s creation.

“It won’t disappear? That’s great!” Raising out of her throne, Versailles excitedly twirled, the tens of petals fanning around her in a semblance of a blooming flower.

The female beasts’ eyes turned red with jealousy. The Serpentine Queen’s dress was not just beautiful. It was mesmerizing. A pure white dress like this won’t be found anywhere in the Nar realm. Because such a color was easily tainted and needed to be handled with extreme care.

And a place where bloodshed and gore were a norm, it wasn’t possible to bred flowers or trees that comprised of colors that weren’t red, black, or grey.

Females, by nature, were lovers of beauty. Witnessing such a sight, which female wouldn’t feel envious and jealous?

Luciana’s blue eyes flickered with greed as she stared at the white dress in dazed silence. Over the years, as she managed the Crimson Palace, she came across robes of various designs and colors. But the one before her was by far the most dreamy and otherworldly. The shimmering designs that moved with the bright light made her breath catch.

“Is this Serpentine Queen that great? The Werewolf King is spoiling to no end! Hmph! As a Queen, she should be focusing on the Underworld Palace’s affairs. But look at our Queen. She is too busy admiring dresses to care.” Haley gritted her teeth in resentment, her red eyes filling with tears as she looked at the happily twirling Serpentine Queen.

‘Why was her fate so bleak? Even a Beta Wolf’s mate like Luciana lived like a Queen in the Crimson Palace for over 10 years. So why was she still living an ignoble and inglorious existence when she too was a Beta’s mate? If only I was the Werewolf King’s mate…’

“The Werewolf King is the one who is showering her with dresses. Why would you blame the Serpentine Queen for that? If you are jealous, you can try asking your mate to craft one for you.” Luciana sneered scornfully at the Finfish, her flaming eyes mocking the other for changing sides so quickly.

Hayley’s eyes darkened as she glanced at her hopeless mate.

Even though the two were soulmates, it didn’t mean that her feelings and dreams were filled with her mate. As bonding as the soulmate bond was, it also gave the females the free will to completely surrender themselves to the bond, and therefore, their mates.

Or go through a trial of fate to sever their original bond and form a new one.

But since the ordeals and suffering associated with such a trial were too frightening and painful, no female beast felt compelled to request a release.

This was a secret of the Werewolf Clan that no outsiders knew.

But for the first time in many years, Haley felt the desire to free herself from her mate and become the bedmate of the Werewolf King.

Her status would degrade and her identity smeared.

But at least then, she would no longer live in the shadows while others enjoyed enviable lives.

“Hmph! What is there to be jealous about? I was concerned about the future of the Werewolf Clan. That’s why I made such a statement. There’s no need for you to add unnecessary words.” Snorting coldly she turned away. Her eyes unwittingly drifted to the Serpentine Queen.

On the other side, the Ruling Wolf Pack exchanged secret glances and looked at the Serpentine Queen. It hasn’t even been 7 ice nights since the female entered their King’s life, and yet, she was already the center of his universe.

If matters kept developing this way, then it wouldn’t be long before the Werewolf King would be seen chasing after his mate’s skirt.

Ramose, completely unaware of the elder wolves’ thoughts, stood up and happily clapped.

“Hahaha…it seems my mate is quite pleased with your performance. As a reward, from today on, I free your entire race from the shackles of slavery. You and your kin can perform freely anywhere in the Nar realm without the supervision of the other races. This is my promise to you as the Werewolf King.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!” Exhilarated at the unexpected grace, the troupe leader fell to his knees and tearfully exclaimed.

‘Is this truly the feat that will spread our fame?’

“Thank you, Your Majesty!” The other beasts similarly knelt on the ground, their faces flushed with excitement. They couldn’t believe that a single performance earned them an eternity of freedom.

Now, even if they failed the Battle of Wars in the upcoming decade, they won’t serve as slaves or servants to other races. This was the Werewolf King’s promise. The most powerful King in the entire Nar realm.

“What!? Wolf King, you can’t! In the entire history of the Nar realm, there has never been a race that was completely released from the shackles of slavery. The rule of the realm is law of the jungle. They have to use their own strength to free themselves from their status!” Elder Truim shouted in objection.

First, the scouting of new homes and food sources for unrelated beasts. Then, the Purple-Radiance Palace of the Ancestral Wolf. And now, the eternal freedom of bond-slaves.

Their King was out of his mind!

The other Ruling Wolf Pack elders supportively stood behind Elder Truim and voiced out their objections.

“Werewolf King, this matter concerns the entire Nar realm. You can’t make a huge decision like this on your own.”

“Yes, Wolf King. Freeing slaves isn’t as simple a matter as you think. Once word spreads that the Werewolf King of the Underworld Palace freed an entire race from slavery, that too, as a reward for pleasing his mate, the Werewolf Clan will turn into a laughingstock.”

“We understand you love your mate. But loving and spoiling are two different matters. You can love your mate but within limits. If you indulge and spoil her without restraint, then one day, the Werewolf Clan will become the enemy of the entire Nar realm!”

“Werewolf King, please reconsider your decision!”

The performing troupe’s expressions turned crestfallen as they heard the elder wolves. King Ramose’s reward blinded them with excitement to the point where they forgot how impossibly difficult it was to break the chains of servitude.

A matter that hadn’t occurred in a thousand years, why would it suddenly happen to them?

Freedom was just a wishful thinking…

As they recalled their lives living beneath the feet of other races, being called upon to satisfy the needs and desires of other beasts without their wish, the performing troupe’s eyes filled with tears.

It wasn’t that they were being too greedy, but that life without free will was too painful.

Ramose’s eyes hardened.

The elders were bluntly calling him an indulgent King to his face.

Sweeping his sleeves, he solemnly sat back on his throne. His cold gaze and serious countenance caused the Ruling Wolf Pack to break out into cold sweat.

“That…Werewolf King, we…only mean well. Please…consider our suggestions.” Remembering their recent clash with the black wolf in the Crystalline Hall, the elders nervously shuffled their feet behind Elder Truim, who stammered as he tried to amend his forceful behavior.

“Elder Truim, you and the rest of the Ruling Wolf Pack…What was it you said? I should love my mate, but shouldn’t indulge her? I should love my mate but within limits? Heh…I wasn’t aware you had a say in how I treated my mate!” Ramose coldly sneered as he swept his gaze over the trembling elders.

“Who are you to tell me what decision I can or can’t take? Who are you to tell me what I can or can’t do? Who are you, I ask, to tell me I shouldn’t spoil my mate? Do you think yourselves to be my right and left hand commanders for me to consider your suggestions?”

With every word Ramose spoke, the elders’ hearts thumped. His dangerously low tone shattered their earlier confidence as they nervously wiped the sweat flowing down their foreheads.

Versailles didn’t want to speak out at first, finding it improper to intervene between the two parties when she only arrived recently. But as she watched the faces of the elders turn pale at Ramose’s every word, her heart softened.

Turning to her mate, she grabbed a corner of his sleeve and pleaded with her eyes.

Ramose only patted his mate’s hand. Even though he understood the meaning behind her pitiful eyes, he didn’t want to let this matter pass.

Over the years, the Ruling Wolf Pack had grown too arrogant and self-conceited. The years of free reign subconsciously made them believe that they had a say in the affairs of the Underworld Palace.

He needed to remain them of their place. Otherwise, this incident will not be the last.

“Elder Truim, Elder Saros, and Elder Helios…from today on, starting right now, you are all dismissed. From this moment, you three will no longer be a part of the Ruling Wolf Pack. If I see any of you partaking in any affairs relating to the Werewolf Clan and the Underworld Palace, you shall be executed on sight. King’s Pack, did you hear that?”

“Yes, Werewolf King! If we sight Elder Truim, Elder Saros, or Elder Helios taking part in the affairs of the Underworld Palace and Werewolf Clan, we will execute them on sight!”

Huuuuu…!

Gasps of astonishments rang out as the females clamped their hands over their mouths and, with wide eyes, stared at the Wolf King in disbelief.. That he would go so far for the Serpentine Queen never occurred to them.