A Biography Of A Human

Chapter Eighteen:

“The Wedding"

Months passed, Winter came and Spring emerged with the Lunar New Year. The start of Spring was the beginning of the year to wolves, the first full moon after the twelfth one being the start of the first month of the next year. In human reckoning, that would be February.

The start of a new year was a big deal for the wolves, it was when the hunting season began and the fields were planted, and they celebrated it grandly over the course of eight days, each day symbolically marking the number of moon phases. The first day was always marked by colorful costumed parades in the streets of Lupercal and the selling of festive foods such as dried meat candied with honey or sweet cakes made to look like the moon, filled with ground meat.

Gernan would take me to these places to see all the celebrations and I always enjoyed that. It was a really special treat to walk around the lanes of the city and witness all the festivities. Once, he even bought me a festive wolf mask for me and when I put it on after he had bought it he laughed and said “Looks like I finally have my own male pup!" giving my shoulder a playful smack.

Then there were the story tellers! They seemed to be on every street and it almost looked like they were competing with each other over who told the best story.

But this was not all fun and games though, there was a solemn side to all of this as well. Wolves of all walks of life would go to the countless shrines through the endless capital city to pray and give offerings in hopes of getting good blessings for the new year.

This went up even to the Imperial Alpha, who would go to the Great Temple of the Moon and worship Canis along with his family.

The last four days were marked by lanterns. It was a custom to make and display lanterns on these final nights of the New Year holiday. The lantern was meant to represent the light of the moon and the previous days were spent making them, but it was not unheard of for some to work on it for weeks before hand, especially the lanterns of the wealthy whose would be grand spectacles to be beholden by all when they were displayed outside their manor's on the nights they were up.

Gernan would not let me get to near a particular sector of the city, always when I would look down a certain road he would quickly distract me. This I would later find out was the red light district, and though I had heard it mentioned a bit before, I never knew the big deal about it until much later on.

I remember how Elyk was caught having gone there once. Iahel took one sniff of him and went ballistic, beating his hide with a ladle, telling him about the hidden “Dangers," and how dimwitted he was for going there.

I could go on and on about these antics but I will save my words on this for now. As this new year did not begin well for me, I did not even bother with going out to the festivities or even my own birthday, that of my thirteenth, that came up in Spring for that matter! I was too busy tending to the side of Ulric and keeping him company.

Dillian would always sporadically come to the tutor's compound over the days and ask for me to be with the Prince. He would say my presence had a calming effect of him and when he was worried or uncertain about him, he would go and fetch me.

The Prince was no longer bedridden but was still weak and lethargic, and Dillian was worried about his mind as well. Telling me he would often have night terrors and end up calling out, “Xander! Xander! Save me!" before he would wake him up. But Dillian told me that my frequent visits reduced these episodes and it made me glad I was there for him like that.

There I would often tell stories, stories from back home by my Grandpa, ones he has never heard of before, being they were from humans. I recall I told him about that one with the cinder girl and her shoes made of glass, and the ones about those old gods from long ago, one of them being that of Ganymede and Zeus.

Though I didn't know it then, being blissfully unaware in my youthful naivety, but the heir of the Alphate was becoming dependent on me. He was starting to see me as a person to look to for strength and guidance.

I sometimes wonder to myself if future Lupine historians will look to this moment with keen, disapproving eyes and label it the start of something. The first ripple that would become a gigantic wave crashing on the history of the world. Would these same historians, with their misanthropic dogma, title me the successor of Human Noble Consort Jao?

I kept by his side, giving constant companionship and would occasionally meet with Consort Nu who would often visit as well, but I made sure to keep my distance from her lest I draw her attention again, remembering that last time. Thankfully, she seemed to be more focused on her pup and it was during one of her visits I first encountered Prince's Ulric's two sisters, Princess Selene and Princess Neaera, who would sometimes come along with their Mother on her visits.

They looked much like their brother but were more feminine in their physiognomy and both shared the puppy fuzz that their brother had.

If Ulric was bratty, then they were thrice as bad! They always called me servant which made Ulric livid, but they were quite witty ones for their young age, I have to admit. Selene was bright and quite boastful of it, while Nearea was more shadowy and reserved. There was obviously a hierarchy between the two with Selene being the top wolf, one can say.

And good Canis, they were very aware of their status! They entered a room with their childish paws stretched out from their cascading chiffon sleeves, waiting for others to kiss it, and they made sure everyone did!

Those two, what trouble they would cause me latter in life, both of them! In particular, her highness, Princes Nearea! The damn snake she would become! Damn her! Damn her to the fiery pits of hell and that slimly mate of hers too! But I digress, this is something best saved for a later time.

Things took a turn for Ulric around this time, he was to be married. Married to that teenage wolf girl, the niece of Galba.

After the attempt on the Prince's life, Gernan and Nu both realized the danger of the Crown Prince's position and started to ponder the thought of marriage. It was Gernan that suggested Galba Chen's niece Gao'ao to consort Nu and since she was the mother she was a major figure in her own pups marriage arrangements and had great authority on the matter.

Consort Nu ended up agreeing to such a match, against my hopes that she would refuse and it was sent to the Alpha for final approval which ended up being given.

I was really cross with Gernan about this and I did not hide it from him.

“Master, I am not happy with this arrangement with the Crown Prince! Must he be married to someone old enough to be his older sister!?" I remember shouting out at him as I marched up to his desk while he read over some state documents in his study room.

The old wolf looked quite surprised at my brazen interjection coming from out of the blue, startling him slightly as his hackles raised for a brief moment. He had been busy in his capacity as Prime Beta, looking over at reports about foxen pirate activity in the Mediterranean and Black Seas and what the options were to deal with it. The wolves never had much of an interest in naval matters, with the army getting most of the glory, and the Alphate's official navy at that time was quite small and lackluster both in ships and command, historically being barely adequate enough to protect their chartered trade ships. It had gotten so bad lately though, that I considered it a small miracle that the ship I was taken on didn't get seized by fox corsairs. In another life, I could have been sold in the Fox Republic.

“Pup! What is wrong!?" his eyes were wide with shock as he looked over my enraged form standing in front of him.

“Don't you 'what's wrong' me, master! You are selling that poor cub into a marriage with an adult stranger!" I yelled at him as I slammed my palm against the oak desk with a loud slap that caused Gernan to flinch slightly.

“Calm down, pup! Calm down! There is no need to get yourself so worked up about all of this! This will help the Crown Prince!" he ventured back at me diplomatically as he stood up, towering above me, which made me realized that I was dealing with a wolf who could rip me to shreds if he so wanted to. But I was not going to back down on this matter.

“Good for the Crown Prince!? How!? Has he not been through enough! He was only almost killed several months ago and now you are going to sell him off like this!? Tell me how this is good, Dear Master Gernan Koff!?" I snapped, the last part of my outburst dripping with sarcasm. Thinking back on this moment I cannot believe I talked to my master like that! I could have gotten myself killed if I did not know Gernan like I did and knew he would not do such a thing. I blame “The Change" that was occurring to me at that time with my body.

“Iskander, the attempt on his life is precisely the reason why this is for the best! Gao'ao is the niece of Galba Chen and his family is a prominent house of the old aristocracy in the steppes of the East! By promising him ties with the Crown Prince we will have his house's weight added to that of the Crown Prince's person, ensuring he will be the most prestigious Prince next to those Princes now under that Human's custodianship! Plus, having a wife who will be always close by will be very vital to thwarting any future attempts on his life!" he said all this as he walked around his desk and faced me, speaking in a soft but forceful tone as he held my shoulders like a father would do with an adolescent boy.

“But-!" I started out wanting to continue to be combative and fight for the rights of little wolf but I found I had nothing to say in rebuke. He was right and I knew it! There was no logic in fighting it and he had a strong point. I just gave a defeated sigh and looked down at my slipper clad feet, dejected at what will have to happen for the Prince to be safe in his future.

“You are right…" I hated to admit it but I had to agree with him. The fear of another thing happening to that pup grossly outweighed my outrage at the proposal of this marriage, “he won't be happy though, Gernan," I continued as I finally looked back up at him.

“I-I know…" he sighed, looking off to the side with his face, eyes showing signs of slight guilt.

He turned his long snout back at me.

“He can have others when he is older if he does not like her as a partner. She is just going to be the legal spouse, the Crown Prince's Mate," he said, trying to give some hope. Yes, it was true he could just leave her aside and have others, but that was such a cruel thing for this wolf girl to go through as well! Being an unloved spouse kept just for her political dowry.

“So, it's for sure now? It will happen, but when?" I asked.

My master straightened up as he started to rub the tip of his muzzle in thought.

“Probably in the summer. That would be best, it will give us time to arrange events befitting the status of the Crown Prince, and also at the same time, good timing for our situation in the court." Summer, that made sense, the weather would be perfect for such a ceremony but I knew that for Ulric the weather would be a gloomy, overcast sky and I dreaded when he would get news of these plans. I already knew he would end up being the last to know as that was how it always went with unwanted plans.

Gernan then tried to lift the mood by patting me on my arm before starting up in a jolly tone.

“Just be happy Titus was not here when you ripped into me like you did, pup! He would have thrown a fit and had your hide for such behavior! I raised you well, Iskander! I raised you well and though you have the body of a weak and pitiful human, you have the heart and stomach of an indomitable wolf!" he spoke proudly, conjuring images and memories of my own Grandfather when he spoke to me.

And as he caressed my chin, his calloused finger pads rubbing over its skin, looking into my eyes with a grimmer of melancholy admiration, he spoke words that still make me feel pride.

“You are the son I never had."

“And I am proud to call you my human, Iskander. I really am."

I flipped the thin paper pages of a book I was reading as a way to busy myself in the evening, reclining on a small mesh platform, my back supported by a wooden half-circle backrest that wrapped around me as I absorbed myself in the text.

It was a Text of Hierarchy, it was not one of the canon texts by The First Wolf or Ysengrim, but rather a commentary by a later wolf on the those works, exploring their meaning, framing their words and advice into a practical sense.

“The First Wolf once said that Heaven supports the just and able ruler and casts down the ill ruler and that the will of the Heavens knows no discrimination. After all, Heaven once supported the rule of man before the leaders of man became filled with apathy and decadence, and transferred its mandate of rule to our own kind, even thought the exploits of that selfish fox Reynard ruined everything with his schemes against the others in the aftermath of the Great Crusade Against the Skin."

I found myself snickering at the disdain for foxes, it made Elyk's face pop into my mind! His red-orange face, those brown slits full of mischief and the corners of his muzzle turned up in a smug look.

“We should have been united! It was the will of Heaven! I sometimes wonder if we Chimera are truly better than that of man! I can already see my critics pulling this quote out and using it to slander me, but I am an old wolf and have seen and heard many things and I really don't care anymore what others say or think any more!"

I really enjoyed this bygone writer's take on things, he was such breath of fresh air from those works that harp on and on about the vices of man and how to have a good order in society was to keep man on a short leash, all the while ignoring any and all bad sides of wolf-kind and constantly extolling the true nobleness of wolf nature.

This author was Gernan's favorite and I can see he took a lot of his own nature from this more relaxed and practical stance on the works of Hierarchy, unlike Titus who was a walking text book on the strict dogma of old-fashioned Hierarchy.

I am honestly surprised that Gernan and the Titus got along in the first place! There were times when I overheard them arguing with such ferocity when they happened to differ on their views of Hierarchy that I feared they would soon come to blows! But it always ended with them erupting into hearty laughs with one of them inviting the other to go get a bowl of common ale.

That was another thing about him, Titus scorned any and all kinds of luxury for himself and family. Instead of nice ale from the good brewers, he got his from a small tavern in the more humble sections of Lupercal. When in casual wear, he wore simple cotton and had his mate sew all of the clothe;, the only item he owned that were made of fine cloth or silk was his court robes!

I know I have written of Titus in a harsh light but he was not all bad as a wolf, well to other wolves at least. He just wrongly hated humans when they showed any kind of will in them, much preferring that the flames of freedom lit within all human beings be forcibly snuffed out for good. Often I heard him talking about his desire for having humans be 'bred' better, saying that humans should have their 'willfulness' be 'bred' out of them and instilled with a constant sense of inferiority from birth.

Gernan would always give Titus a bewildered look when Titus brought up such a plan to make humans realize they are lesser beings. His eyes would wander from side to side and he would uncomfortably rearrange his seat.

He would then bring up his little project he had going in his small County of land he owned as a nominal Count, noble titles having no real power in the modern Alphate like it did in the old days. He would go on about about how he raised a newborn human and how good and docile 'it' was, saying how when he would enter the room the human would fall on the ground and proceeded to take off his footwear and rub his paws with no incentive at all, and how he planned to expand it into a business alongside his small revenue from the farming work on the land.

“Gernan, I am already writing a book on this! It will be called 'On the Nature of Man,' it will be a great success I am sure of it!" he would say aloud.

Oh, Titus, you were a strange one! Full of admirable virtues but with such a hatefulness against humankind!

As I was studying by the lamplight I was interrupted by a voice.

“Human, Iskander?" looking up, I saw he form of the lanky bear Dillian dressed in a casual ankle-length, crossed-collar robe.

“Eunuch Dillian! Why are you here?" I thought the worst in that moment and sprang up.

“Little wolf! Is he hurt!?" the bear was quick to put my worries to bed.

“No! No! He is fine but he is rather upset, I must say," he did not have to say it, I already knew what it was that upsetting him.

“He just found out, didn't he? About the betrothal?"

“Yes, I see you also know," he replied, downcast.

“I knew it, I know he would be the last to know!" I mused out.

“Iskander, please come and help him! Please, I beg of you! He really trusts you and I know you can make him feel better! So, please come!"

“Dillian, there is no need to beg! I would go regardless if you did or not, I care as much about little Ulric as you do."

The Ursine nodded, happy that I was going to save the day for him and as we were walking to the residence of the Prince he gave me the details of what had gone down.

Apparently, Consort Nu and the Alpha himself came over and broke the news after they felt he was back in good heath. I was worried about how he acted in front of his imperial father and made an audible gasp at what could have happened.

“I know what you are thinking and no, he did not make a scene in front of his father, thank Canis! His Highness knows how to keep his feelings in when meeting with his Father and his Mother always warns him about the never doing anything to make “Imperial Father" possibly mad!" I was relieved to hear that, worried about the Alpha's recent change of personality that has been building up slowly over the years, even Gernan was starting to talk about how the Alpha, his old friend, was beginning to have a gleam of paranoia in his eyes. Master blamed Noble Consort, Jao saying the human spits poison in his ears whenever he gets the chance.

“I took the chance then, as they were talking to His Highness, to order most of the servants and guards to leave, knowing what would happen the moment His Imperial Majesty and the Consort left. I don't want any stories about my master's reaction to bleed back to anyone!"

“You know Prince Ulric so well, Dillian!"

“It's my duty. We depend on each other, If he goes I go. If I go, he will lose a good protector in the courts and I have been with him for years! So, I know how best to help him and know full well you, Human Iskander, have a great effect upon my Prince's well-being."

I scoffed, skeptical of his words about my influence on the Crown Prince.

“I am just his friend! You talk like I am his favorite consort!" I laughed, half-expecting to be joined in by the Ursine but soon found myself being the only one laughing and awkwardness soon fell over me as I saw Dillian look back at me deadpan.

“Come, there is no time to waste time with chit-chat!" he sternly said and I followed the rest of the way, not once speaking again.

As we entered into the courtyard of the Prince's residence, I began to hear wailing and after a few moments it hit me, it was mournful howls coming from within the walls of the dwelling of the little Princely wolf.

“Go on in, I will wait out here until you are done," looking back, I nodded back to the bear before turning forward and pressing on again, climbing the stone steps and pushing open the door into the building.

The moment I entered what was the same foyer and small throne hall I has seen before when I meet with Nu those many months ago, the sobbing howls became clear.

Disregarding everything else, I rushed ahead, not bothering to look around and seeking out Uric, following his pained cries.

Opening the ornately carved double-doors that led into the Princely bed chamber, I found him.

He was on the floor at the foot of his bed, a bed whose sheets and draperies were shredded, pillows were strewn around the room and small, elegant benches were overturned, also bearing claw marks in their veneer.

“Ulric!?" was all I could say after seeing his form on the floor, laying on the rich carpetry. Worry overtook me as I feared he hurt himself and I flung over to him before he could even look up to see I had even entered the room.

“Xander!? What are you doing here?!" I did not answer as I was occupied looking over the wolf pup, checking for any hint of self-harm.

“Oh, thank Canis! No wounds!" I said aloud to myself before focusing my attention to the little wolf face of Ulric.

Though he possessed no tears like any other wolf, they were not needed, his eyes were enough to show the depth of his despair, but soon those same eyes lit up with rage.

“You…YOU KNEW!" how could he tell! I was speechless, I did not know what to say and despite him being so young I grew afraid of him due to the power his status held. “HOW LONG!?" I said nothing as my view darted around the room.

“YOU STUPID HUMAN!" he screamed as a clawed blow flew across my face.

“YOU HUMANS ARE ALL WORTHLESS! I SHOULD HAVE KNOW BETTER THAN TO TRUST YOU!" I reached out to calm the irate pup only for a lighting snap of movement to come down on my bare arm.

Sharp pain exploded across my nerves as what had occurred came into reality. My arm was in the vice of lupine jaws, the white canines sinking into my flesh. The wolf cub became a wild dog and started to shake and pull my arm.

I was shocked I did not scream in pain, I had always thought I would but instead I did not. Only clenching my jaw and grunting out minor displeasure as instinct kicked in.

Raising my free hand, I smacked his forehead as hard as I could.

He gave a pained yelp, letting go of my arm which soon trickled with beads of crimson as he started back up growling.

Thinking quick, I grabbed the cub, overpowering his arms as I used my other hand to forcibly keep his muzzle shut as I had his back to my chest.

The growls then turned into frighten whimpers and his blue eyes looked back up to me with fear.

“Listen here! Yes, I knew! And yes, I did not tell you! Why!? You just showed yourself why! Look at what you did! You are such a spoiled brat! No one can say anything to you because of fear about how you will act!"

“You said back in the garden of master's that you longed to be talked to as a normal person, yet look at what you just did! Lash out at me! And you wonder why no one likes you!?" I could not believe what I was saying! Part of me was screaming I was going to get myself killed this way but adrenaline took me over.

I then let go, having said my peace and felt good about it. But instead of lashing back out at me as one would think a mad wolf would do, the cub collapsed on the floor in a mix of whimpers and howls.

“I'M SORRY XAN! I AM SO SORRY! I DID NOT MEAN TO HURT YOU!" he pawed at my legs, too ashamed to look up at me.

Crouching down, I pulled his body into my arms gently as he rested his snout on my shoulder and I stroked the fur on the back of his head.

“Please don't leave me! I promise I won't do that again! Please don't leave me!"

“There, there. I don't hate you now! You've never been disciplined, haven't you? Look at me Ulric," pulling back, he looked up at me.

“I know you won't like this, but I think you need to get married," his ears shot up and he looked like he was about to explode again but stopped, remembering what happened.

“What!? Why are you saying this!? Why!?" he started to get hysterical but I stopped him from going further.

“Do you want to know why!?" I firmly stated as he fell silent. “I don't want to lose you! I don't want to see you die!" I paused, taking a breath.

“This marriage will help you! I know it's cruel, but for your sake I beg you to do it as you are the future of the Alphate!"

That night was rough! It felt like I was there for hours on end talking to him, but I managed to convince him to accept it, though it looked like it killed him in doing so. I think he was won over by how scared I was to lose him again and he was only doing it for me.

I stayed with him for a while, just holding him and consoling him. Sensing that the time of my leaving was coming, he finally spoke.

“Your amulet, Xander!" he pulled from around his fuzzy neck, the chain and soon the eye amulet came forth from the mass of fur it was hiding under. Pulling it over his head and resting it in a tidy pile on the soot-black leather of his palm pads, he reached out to me.

Shaking my head, I refused.

“My Prince, it is yours now. It brought me strength when I found myself in this brand new world when I was just like you, a frightened pup with the world bearing down on me," I said this as I took it from his pads and placed it back around his small puppy-like head.

But I soon grew worried about the time, I did not want to be caught by master or anyone else if they came looking for me.

I hated having to leave but I felt sure in one thing.

That crafty Dillian! He really does know his lord well! I am so glad he is here to look after him.

Him. My pup. My little wolf Prince.

I tucked in the Prince personally to bed before I said my goodbyes to him, blowing out the candles and lamps in the room before retreating past the various doors until I reached the outside, walking past Dillian with a simple nod before leaving.

When I got back 'home' I made sure to dress my wound and put on a long-sleeved tunic and sneaked into the kitchen to get a slice of veal to place on my check for the night before creeping into one of the unoccupied servants cubicles as to not be asked why I have raw meat by Pantaleon, I could better explain why I took the wrong room than the former!

Over the next few weeks I met with Ulric, mostly whenever he came by for his studies. We never brought up what happened that night, but I knew he was counting down the days until his doom and so was I.

The date of his wedding.

I was so upset that I did not even want to see any of the preparations that were in store as they made me ill to witness.

And soon the date came.

I faked illness on that day as to get out of going. Master wanted to take me to witness the investiture of the Crown Prince's mate and her union with the Prince, letting me watch it from one of the side-gates with Pantaleon as all the pomp went on in the courtyard of the great ceremonial hall of the Crown Prince.

To everyone else, it was a wedding. To Ulric and myself, it was more like a funeral! A funeral of one's freedom and proof that the life of a Prince can be worse than that of a beggar! At least a beggar can do as he pleases.

I was afraid if I was there to witness it all I would throw up and I did not want that nosy Pantaleon to pick up on my odd scents from being so upset and start asking questions.

But I made sure to have Dillian send a message to Ulric to give him some support. I told Dillian to tell Ulric to draw strength from the eye amulet I gave him during that awful night I almost lost him. I felt horrible and selfish for not going but I could not bear it! I felt like I should have done better and done something to avoid this from happening but still give the Prince the security in his position.

I just wanted to stay in bed all day and not move and that's what I did. Just gazing at the simple ceiling of my room, sometimes looking over at Pantaleon's vacant cot.

There was no need for me to go, I could already see it.

I could see the richly adorned envoys of the Crown Prince leaving the palace in the early morning, followed by a palanquin bearing the symbols and trappings of the status of the Crown Prince's mate.

Marching down the roads, bells and symbols chiming, making their way to the bride's family's home.

Then the veiled almost adult bride and her family would prostrate themselves in front of their dwelling and the head envoy would pull out an edict about how the Crown Prince knows of the fair beauty of the maiden, Gao'ao of the Chen clan and how he wished to join in marriage with her and that she shall be escorted to the palace immediately.

The sound of muffled drums and horns snapped me back to reality. The main ceremony was happening.

Distant howls rang out and I saw it in my cloudy vision.

I saw her, or what I thought she might have looked at that moment.

Dressed in gowns of silk, her veil formed around her slender muzzle as she walked across the courtyard filled with lines of government wolves who howled in reverence as she made her way towards the hall, flocked by lady wolves in waiting.

And there was the Crown Prince, seated upon his throne next to a vacant one for 'her' atop the stone terrace before the great hall, his legs probably not even reaching the ground as he sat.

These images and thoughts made my stomach churn and I pulled my pillow over my ears, not wanting to hear any of the festivities, desperately trying to clear my mind of it all!

“MAKE IT STOP!" I screamed out in my head, commanding myself to stop as a pushing pain blew up across my forehead, as if my mind was being torn apart by my internal struggle.

Every time I imagined “her" my blood felt like it was magma.

“Little wolf is mine!" part of my mind screamed out in a rage at the figure of that teenage wolf maiden with Ulric, both doing the marriage bows to each other.

“What is wrong with me!"

“You love him Xander..." a whisperer answered back.

“Love him!? He is a child! A snotty-snouted brat!"

“Than why are you so sick over this all? Hmm?" it snidely quipped back.

“I-i-i-its because…because I, uh, I should have stopped him from doing this…this arranged marriage! He is a child! I can't be in love with a puppy! Impossible!"

“You will be, Xander…you will be…"

“What are you talking about!?"

“Just imagine how he would look as an adult, as Imperial Alpha, all strapping and handsome!"

“Now imagine you seated beside him, you, his Alpha's Imperial Mate! Just imagine it!"

“Nonsense! Nonsense! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Drained, I keeled over in my cot, my head pounding forward as my empty stomach recoiled.

Then thing went black. A blanket of darkness overcame me and I finally received reprieve from my torment.

When my mind came to, the world through the covered windows was twilight. A knocking was heard and that soon evolved into pounding, followed by a familiar girlish voice.

“Human, Iskander!?"

“Dillian! Why he is here!?" I asked myself as I got up, finding my mind was purged of conflict and my body back to normal as if I was given a new life.

Opening the door, I was faced with a rather frantic looking Ursine who wasted no effort pulling me out, running off with me in tow and stumbling over the entrance gate leading out of the Compound of the Imperial Tutor.

“Wha-Whats going on?" I managed to get out as the walls of the causeways zoomed by me, blurring in with the blackish-blue sky above.

“The bedding ceremony! The Prince's bedding ceremony with his new bride!"

“Bedding ceremony!? He is only six year old! Don't tell me they actually think he wil-"

“No! No! It's just for show in situations like this! Sleeping in the same bed with his new mate for the night makes the whole marriage official!" that was one worry put to rest! But still, seeing a six year-old pup in bed on his wedding with a bride of sixteen or seventeen was a bizarre and laughable image indeed, but I had no time to laugh at this wild moment.

“So, what is wrong?"

“My Prince left, saying he had to go to the bathroom and now he won't leave! I had to tell your master, the Prime Beta, that Titus fellow and a few others of the court there to view the bedding rite that he is having bad constipation! I have already made two excuses for him already in half an hour so far!"

“Oh no!"

“YES! You have to save this!" I said nothing, silently agreeing as I was soon dragged in to the rear entrance of the dwellings of the Prince's Compound.

“Why are we going this way?"

“The whole court is in the front rooms! Damn wolves would throw a fit if they saw me drag you into a ceremony like this!" Dillian said out of breath as he led me inside the lighted structure and down some small hallways. I heard the mumbling from where the Prince's audience hall and bedroom were located.

A door was slid open and I was thrust in into a small room and saw that Ulric was there.

“You talk! I will address the crowd" Dillian said leaving in a huff.

Seeing that time was of the essence I forwent greeting Ulric, who looked rather shocked to see I was here.

“Little wolf, you have to go!" his face soured and turned around, crossing his arms petulantly.

“Nah-uh! I am not! I said I would marry her, not have her in my bed!" feeling desperate, I started pulling at an ear length hair, starting to pace in the small clothing room that was lined with shelves of folded robes and headdresses for the Prince's use.

“Please! Be reasonable!" and thus started the negotiation to get him do what was needed of him, be good and not cause a scene.

I don't know how I did it but he finally agreed! When he finally, but defiantly said okay, I was about ready to pass out.

But…

“I want to see you!" my faced drained. First he agreed, then he made a demand like this! Oh how I wanted to just die!

“But…HOW!?" I imagined seeing Titus pitch a massive fit if he caught sight of me coming out of a side room, guiding his nephew and future Alpha to be bedded! It would not be not pretty! Kind of hilarious, mind you, I could very well see him jumping up and down in anger like a toddler and a devious, but illogical part of me was grinning and wanting to do such a thing, but I could not help but think of the political fallout for master and I couldn't do it.

“If I can't see you, I am not doing it!"

“Ulric! If any of those wolves see me, I am fried! And not to mention my master!"

“You don't have to be that visible, silly human! I just want to know you are there!"

“How can that work!?"

“My bedroom has an opened side-room that has curtains, just stand there! No one will see you!"

“Are you sure about this!"

“Yeah! Promise!"

“Okay! Okay! But you better be sure about this!"

The two of us left the room just as I saw the bear Dillian run down the hall.

“They are getting worried!" he panicked.

“He is ready, he will go," I said calmly, which made the face of that bear look so pleased as I told him about Ulric's conditions. He pointed out a doorway that led into the side-room and confirmed that there was a curtain there separating it but told me to stay close to the wall frames as the cloth was a bit sheer.

Nodding my head that I understood, I watched Dillian guide his ward down the hallway towards the door that led to the audience hall as I entered the side-room, making a beeline to the small section of wall that served to divide the room from the bedroom and where the large semi-transparent curtain hung.

Poking my out from the wall, I could see clearly the bedroom, filled with wolves dressed in official garb and the form of the young wolf tucked into one side of the large bed under blankets of scarlet silk that shined in the light.

I came just in time as the little Prince came into the room guided by Dillian, his pointed ears appearing and disappearing behind the forms of all the officials that bowed forward including that of Gernan whose back was turned to me.

He got into bed and Gernan walked forward to his bedside, followed by what looked like a wolf shaman as he dressed very differently, donned in all white and with an odd, tall hat adorned with a sliver disc and feathers.

“May this Mateship be bountiful and harmonious" the figure in white said solemnly before continuing on.

“Prime Beta Gernan, child of the Koff pack clan and Chief Minister of the Great Kutlar Imperial Alphate, please tuck in the Imperial Crown Prince."

Then, to my abrupt surprise, music, and odd music at that. Pounding of wood with sporadic striking of chimes and bells in a slow, stately beat. There was a full orchestra here, I could not see it but I sure heard it! I guessed it was coming from the audience hall space.

My master, on cue from the strange tone of the music, pulled up the sheets of the bed and covered the Prince's body in unison to the odd beats of the song playing.

After this was done, members of the other official wolves left their rows, clearing in rank and walked up to the foot of the bed, bowing three times before departing, walking backwards all in beat with the music being played.

This went on for a while until the room soon became void and during the whole time I caught Ulric glance over where I was located, just a few feet away from all of this going on.

Finally, when all was done and gone, the room went dark as Dillian and a handful of other ursines snuffed out the lights in the room.

It was done, the ceremony was saved and Ulric was bound in marriage to a family that will bolster his position for the future.

This would not be the last time I would stand behind a curtain to assist Ulric.