AAAH!!! So sorry for this. I am still thirty minutes late... it's December 9 already :/

Yes, I kind of forgot I had to update. It was a bad day in the office and the fact that I have exams going on didn't help matters at all :/ I could have postponed but I didn't want to disappoint you all and I ended up doing just that ☹

More about it in the end... for now, presenting Chapter 25 which is dedicated to @Arsenio_love :D 😊

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GOOD POSTURE:

Slouching over a phone or a laptop is a common thing today but it has immense negative effects on one's joints and muscles. A balanced and upright posture is essential as it puts least amount of strain on the disks and spine. A good posture also allows the lung to expand fully, thus improving breathing and blood circulation. It makes one feel good and confident, thus increasing energy and productivity.

Standing tall, sitting straight helps maintaining a good posture. On the exercise front, planks, back crunch and elbow crunch exercises, daily are the best for an overall good posture. Planks are fun but so very difficult to do. I could barely last 10-15 seconds but I am getting better...

Along with these exercises, it's also very important to constantly remember and be mindful of our posture because slouching makes one look unhappy and heavier. So remember to stand straight, tall and proud!

___

"When you know what a man wants you know who he is, and how to move him."
― George R.R. Martin,

___

CHAPTER 25 – BOON

Sitting on the floor, in-between the benches of the palace library, Gian stared at the drawing of Boon as painted by a very famous artist. The artist painted it based on the description given by a wizard who though had never encountered Boon, had dreamed of them.

Short, curly black hair and skin as dark as coal, Boon was a creature of the night. Their lips and chin were the colour of blood for they were always drenched in them. Their eyes were the most noticeable feature in their face for they were wide and upturned.

In the picture, they were portrayed as reed-thin and the artist also took the creative liberty and covered them with flower garlands, which the wizard had claimed Boon liked a lot. Boon also looked relaxed and harmless as it sat atop several dead bodies and Gian paled because it reminded him of the Boon caged in the Iron Fort. They were the one who had killed his elder brother.

With a desire to save their clan by bringing back their stolen Star Essence, Gian's oldest brother had marched into the Iron Fort in the Kingdom of Aelius. He had not been seen or heard since then and everyone already knew in their heart that he was dead. Killed by Boon. Just like many others who had stepped into the Iron Fort before him.

Gian had not heard of anyone else stepping in there after Dante but he knew Cyane was planning to go inside the Fort.

Gulping, he stared at the picture of Boon and wondered Cyane facing the fierce-looking creature. He couldn't imagine it either because she was so fragile and lovely. However, she had made up her mind and she was determined to step in there. He had promised to help her and he intended to keep that promise because he was shamefully aware that he had broken every other promise he had made to her.

It had taken him nearly three weeks to come this far and right now, he finally had Boon's picture in his hand. The picture had been torn from a book and had been hidden inside another by Dante's friend on Dante's instructions. The book it was taken from was burnt and that had been the only one copy of that book.

In the other page of the picture, there was a piece of information that Boon appears for a particular purpose and only when the purpose was fulfilled, they returned to their realm. Nothing and no one could make them go back a day before that.

The books, materials and information Dante had collected were all gone. Burned as per their father's instructions because after losing his eldest son and heir to Boon, Gian's father did not want to lose his other children and also did not want anyone else in the clan think of going inside the Fort.

After Dante's death, almost everyone in the Alfonsi Clan had given up trying to get back the Star Essence. They looked at the easy route and that had been a Lycorian's protection, which was why his father had desperately tried to arrange his alliance to Cyane.

Staring at the piece of paper in his hand, Gian sighed and leaned back against the bookshelves, disappointment written all over his face.

When he had been planning to go to Iron Fort, Dante had spoken to several people and had collected as much as information as he possibly could. For the past three weeks, he had spoken to some of those people and tried to find out everything they knew. Most of them were reluctant to share anything and those who did had no full info either.

Lucy was also on call, trying to find out things. It was difficult as they had to keep this a secret from everyone. Lucy encouraged him to see the positive side and Gian stared at the picture. Well, at least now Cyane would know how the creature looked.

He took a snap of the picture from his phone and after neatly folding and pocketing the piece of paper, he began picking up the books from the floor and rearranged it on the shelf.

His phone rang that moment and he immediately answered.

"They are here," Lucy told him in Italian and Gian gulped for he knew the Lycorian's were back.

For the last three months, they had routinely visited him to ask about Cyane and every single time he had told the truth but this time, he had to lie. He would have been fine lying but what had him nervous and fidgeting was the fact that this time Ronnie was the one who would arrive to ask questions. He had tried cancelling, postponing but Ronnie's patience had worn thin and now she was here, along with the dark wing's warrior. Praying for courage and patience, Gian turned to leave.

Once he was out of the library building, Gian spread his wings and flew straight towards the courtroom, where he was told Ronnie would be waiting for him.

Ronnie would grill him for sure and she didn't have to probe much because he knew what he had to do to protect Cyane.

___

Politely declining another serving of coffee, Ronnie looked at King Orlando Alfonsi who looked uncomfortable by her sheer presence.

Smiling, she leaned back in her seat but did not take her eyes off him.

"Do you need anything else?" King Orlando asked quietly.

"What I need hasn't arrived yet" Ronnie replied and Orlando gulped and impatiently looked at his hovering secretary, who nodded and quietly left the room.

"I am very sorry that you haven't found her yet but Cyane isn't here. My son has disappointed her and I think she would want nothing to do with him."

"Indeed" Ronnie agreed with Orlando, "But I have found out that Lucy had booked two tickets to Mainland since my last visit and I was curious."

"Oh! That was because they both had to attend a meeting there. A business prospect... we, since the wedding has been called off no other kingdom is ready to ally with us and we have no option but to earn money through our family business which I and my sons are trying very hard to keep afloat" Orlando said without meeting her eyes.

Ronnie knew the Alfonsi clan was suffering and she wanted to help them too. She had already made arrangements for it and since they were still in the process of completion, she chose not to share the details with Orlando.

Knocking the door, Orlando's secretary walked in and he announced the arrival of Prince Gianluca.

"You asked for me, father?" Gian said entering the room and then looked at her. "Hello, Rhonwen."

"You have already been informed who our new queen is and it will do you good to address her with her title" One of the dark wing's warriors reprimanded with a frown.

Nodding once, Gian bowed his head in respect and apologized to her.

"Well, Gian is here and I think it's time for me to take my leave. It was good to see you" Orlando stood up and after shaking his hands with her, he left the room without uttering a word and without looking at his son.

Ronnie was aware that their relationship had gone sour after the wedding debacle.

Once the door was firmly closed behind him, Ronnie sat back in her chair and Gian occupied his father's vacant seat.

"You wanted to see me" he began and Ronnie nodded.

"Have you heard from Cyane?" Ronnie questioned; forest green eyes fixed on Gian, watching his every move.

"No. I have not. I have told you this before too and I don't understand why you keep—"

"There was no business meeting in Mainland. Instead, you and Lucy took another flight to Scevola. As far as I'm aware you have no association whatsoever with that kingdom. So, why go there in the first place?" Ronnie demanded sharply.

"There was no association as of now, but there will be one soon" Gian nodded his head and Ronnie narrowed her eyes, curious to know more. "It's a new prospect and it is in the early stages which is why no one knows of it yet."

"Once you landed in Scevola, you booked a cab for yourself and drove off straight to Aelius, where you rented a hotel room" Ronnie finished and Gian paled. "Lie to me once more. I dare you."

Gulping audibly, Gian lowered his head, refusing to meet her gaze.

"Did you meet her?" Ronnie demanded.

"Yes," Gian whispered and stunned, Ronnie blinked. She had known Gian had gone to Aelius only because of tracking his movements in cameras and making certain enquiries but she hadn't known Gian had met Cyane there. She had bluffed and Gian failed to call her on it.

"How is she?" It was the first question Ronnie asked because she was genuinely worried about Cyane and wanted her to be safe.

It shook her to know that Cyane was in Aelius. Why did she stay in that kingdom when she knew her grandpa hated that place?

"She is good. Safe... Happy" Gian looked up as he said the last word and Ronnie narrowed her eyes because she did not like his implication. "She called me there."

"Give me the number."

Sighing, Gian pulled out his phone from his pocket and gave the number to a dark wing's warrior, who promptly noted it down.

Compressing his lips, Gian closed his eyes and took a deep breath before looking at Ronnie. "What I have to say next cannot be said with others around."

"Solitude" Ronnie decreed, her eyes fixed on Gian and all the people hovering in the room, rushed out, leaving her alone with Gian who looked uncomfortable every passing second.

There was something that Gian was hiding and if he was willing to share it with her then she wanted to hear it because she had a feeling he knew more. About Cyane. About everything else.

"I don't know where Cyane is staying. She didn't tell me that but I can assure you that she was fine" Gian said hastily.

"It's obvious to everyone that you don't know anything about her so you can keep your assurance to yourself" Ronnie bit out angrily. "You knew we are looking for her. You knew how worried her grandparents were about her, yet you didn't breathe a word about her call. Not one single word."

Her people would get into action and they would find out from whose number did Cyane call, Gian. Within a couple of hours, they could then set off to Aelius to find Cyane.

"I promised her."

"Everyone knows your promises mean nothing Gian. You have never honoured any of it."

"I know that. Which is why I wanted to honour this one" Gian said genuinely and Ronnie looked away. "You... you can take your whole army to Aelius but Cyane will not come back."

Ronnie's furious green eyes flashed like emeralds as she glared at Gian, who immediately lowered his head.

"There is no one and nothing for Cyane in Aelius. She has no reason to stay there" Ronnie hissed through gritted teeth.

"Maybe there is no one but there is something" Gian breathed out, which caused her to frown.

What else could be there?

Closing his eyes and muttering an apology, Gian pulled a folded paper from his pocket. Unfolding it, he then set it on the table for her to see.

When Ronnie lowered her lashes to look at the picture on the paper, her eyes rounded in disbelief and pushing back her chair she stood up with a sharp inhale.

"No" she whispered, her eyes on Gian, waiting for him to deny it.

Boon.

Morsimus had told her that someone was planning to go inside the Iron Fort but she had never expected Cyane to be the one to come to that decision.

What was wrong with her? Why would she willingly decide to jump into fire? That Iron Fort was a death trap for all the fairies and that was the main reason their clan members stayed away from that kingdom.

"It is true. Cyane asked me to keep this a secret too but I... I cannot. Her life could be in danger. This creature is bad. Plain bad. Initially, I thought she could do it and it would solve all our problems but now... I cannot... I cannot let Cyane go there. Not after what happened to Dante" Gian shook his head and rubbed his temple.

Gian was right. There was no way Cyane could go in there and survive.

Cyane was upset and not in a rational mind when she made this decision. However, Ronnie knew what was right and she would never let Cyane step into the Iron Fort. Not as long as she was alive.

"Thank you for telling me this" Ronnie gritted out angrily and then swiping the paper from the table, she walked out of the room.

"You have one hour to submit all the details of that contact number" Ronnie commanded to the nearest warrior, who nodded anxiously.

Her guards followed after her but found it hard to keep up with her and when she spread her topaz green wings and glared at them over her shoulders in warning, they bowed their heads and stopped following her.

She flew high over the thick forest trees surrounding the kingdom and came to the ground when she saw a clearing near a narrow stream. Her wings were wide open as she clenched her fists and glared at the water flowing over rocky stones.

She was alone here and she was waiting for him to make an appearance.

He didn't disappoint. He joined her almost immediately for when she looked up, she found him standing on the other side of the stream, watching her. His dark eyes fixed on her.

A beige coloured horse, standing tall and proud, on fresh green pastures spread around the cold water. It was picture perfect and a sight to see but Ronnie wasn't into the sight at the moment.

"You knew it was Cyane. She is planning to go into the Iron Fort" Ronnie looked at the Pure Soul with accusing eyes.

"Yes," Morsimus admitted.

"You know it's a death trap. No one. Fairy, wolf or humans. No one who has gone in there has survived" Ronnie continued. "Yet, you kept this from me?"

"I keep a lot of things from you, my dear, and I do it to protect you and the clan" Morsimus replied calmly.

"The star essence of the Alfonsi clan has nothing to do with us. They lost it because they were careless and if it's time to fetch it back then it should be someone from their clan. Not Cyane" Ronnie hissed and then blinked as tears clouded her eyes. "Why is Cyane being made a scapegoat every single time? Why does she have to SUFFER?" Ronnie shouted the last words.

"Why do you think she will suffer?" Morsimus demanded. "Why does everyone in your family think the worst for her?"

Hastily wiping her tears, Ronnie looked at her clan's Pure Soul and whispered, "She is innocent. She is not—"

"Her innocence died the same day her parents and brother died" Morsimus cut in and Ronnie closed her eyes in pain.

Morsimus was the only one who always mentioned Cyane's deceased brother freely. No one else in their family talked about Vasilios loudly because Cyane did not even remember him.

She did not remember the brother who had given up his own life to protect her in the only way he knew he could. She did not remember the brother who gave her his memories so that she could remember their parents at least.

Tears continued to trail down Ronnie's cheeks as she remembered Vasilios. Had he been alive, he would have been twenty-six this year, the same age as Ari.

She missed him. She truly missed him because Vasilios had been her playmate when they were little.

"Cyane doesn't remember what happened that day and you once said, it was for the best" Ronnie reminded.

"At the time it was for the best" Morsimus affirmed.

"But not anymore?"

"No. Her loss of memory is becoming a hindrance in her progress of becoming the woman she is meant to be."

"Cyane was meant to be a queen" Ronnie whispered because that was the truth. Cyane didn't even remember what had happened in the duel that day. She is still not aware that Ronnie had been crowned the queen and Ronnie feared how Cyane would react?

Will Cyane be upset? Will Cyane hate her? Will Cyane accuse her of stealing her crown? Ronnie had no intention of doing so but that day... that day if she hadn't stepped in then everything would have fallen apart.

"Cyane was not meant to be a queen, my dear. It was something your family forced on her. She never wanted to be a queen."

"Then what is Cyane meant to be?"

"She is a harbinger of peace."

Ronnie's eyes widened when she heard the words and stunned, she stared at Morsimus.

"Peace does not come easily to the dwellers of this planet. Before peace, death and destruction happen and there will be darkness around. It is only in darkness that people pray for the light. Cyane is like a dark cloud. In a fertile land, people fear the dark clouds for it brings storm but in a barren land, people pray for the dark clouds for it also brings rain."

"Maybe Cyane did not choose to be queen but she did not choose this darkness either," Ronnie said shaking her head.

"No. But she is also the only one strong enough to carry it. She is a victim of circumstances just like..." Morsimus paused and then sighed.

"Just like who?" Ronnie demanded.

"Another innocent woman in the past" Morsimus answered and Ronnie furrowed her dark brows. "Cyane is what the Kingdom of Aelius needs the most at the moment. She is the only one who can bring peace to that land and she is also the only one who can show them the light."

With that said, Morsimus vanished from her view and Ronnie gasped.

What did he mean? What has destiny written for Cyane?

Ronnie's heart thudded in her chest and closing her eyes, she prayed to God Supreme for Cyane's safety.

It would only be days now. They are close... When they get all the details, she and the warriors will go to Aelius and bring Cyane back.

Morsimus had been cryptic in their conversation but Ronnie also got a feeling that he wanted Cyane to go in there. However, Ronnie wouldn't allow that to happen. No matter what, Ronnie wouldn't allow Cyane to go into the Iron Fort. Not after knowing about the creature that lies in there.

A creature that has no mercy and no soul...

•••

"Did you sign in the register?" Liam, a guard working in the Iron Fort asked Grayson as he changed into his uniform.

"Yes. I did" Grayson said with a sheepish smile. The sign was to mark their attendance and if they failed to sign a day, then they wouldn't be given any salary for that day. He had forgotten about the attendance a couple of times and now signed on the register without fail.

After clipping his ID to his shirt pocket, Grayson followed after Liam towards their station.

"Where's your hat?" Liam demanded. "Put it on! The king is coming over today with Ajax and he might fire you simply because you aren't wearing the full uniform."

Startled by that information, Grayson rushed back into the locker room and pulled out his hat from the bag. He then jogged the length of the corridor to catch up with Liam.

"Do you know why they are coming?" Grayson asked nervously.

Did Ajax suspect he was a mole and that he was the one who leaks certain important information about the palace to Ash? Including Saint's kidnapping?

Sweat began to coat Grayson's temple as his wolf paced anxiously inside him.

He just wanted a better future for his little brother and for that, he had broken all his moral codes, betrayed his friends and done several crimes. His parents would have been ashamed of him but Grayson had no other choice because, after the kidnapping, he couldn't complete his education and instead had to look for any jobs that brought food on the table.

While the king never paid anything to Grayson and his friends, Ash did pay him handsomely every time he shared something. It didn't matter how vital or trivial the news was, Ash paid him almost immediately.

Swallowing audibly, Grayson pulled out his phone and dialled Skyla's number which he had byhearted. There was no way he would save her number on his screen and risk the suspicions of his friends.

The call went unanswered and Grayson sighed. Instead of just giving a piece of random information, it would be for the best if he gave a complete report after the King's visit and he knew how to collect the complete information.

___

An hour later the royal convoy arrived at the Iron Fort. As his driver opened the door, King Stanislaus stepped out of his Rolls-Royce and stared at his surroundings with a frown.

"Why isn't the garden maintained? I can see weeds everywhere" he snapped at no one in particular.

Muttering apologies, the Maintenance Manager rushed forward to welcome the king and Ajax, who soon joined him.

"Spare me the lies" Stanislaus growled, raising his hand. "Get it done immediately" he ordered and then proceeded to march towards the entrance.

Built on the coastline of the Kingdom of Aelius under the guidance of King Evander Zeke in the 17th Century, the Iron Fort was the largest in the island of Clara Collis, spreading over 9 acres of land. Like many structures of the Zeke rule, the Iron Fort was also built with Laterite stones and had high double walls, tunnels and zigzag pathways. To defend the forts from attacks, there were several holes on the walls that helped the guards in gunning down the farthest as well as the nearest enemy.

Originally the fort had three fortified gateways but overtime, one of the entrances was completely blocked. The fort had four watchtowers at four corners that gave a spectacular view of the ocean, the Sylvan mountains and the kingdom.

Climbing up the wide entrance steps, King Stanislaus walked into the fort with his entourage.

From his stance at one of the watch-towers, Grayson watched the parade with immense curiosity while at the same time he prayed no one would suspect anything was amiss.

In the middle of the fort, several steps led to the underground basement and just like Grayson expected, Stanislaus and his men descended downstairs. It was where the creature, Boon was living and Grayson wondered what work did the king have down there!

Snapping his fingers, Ajax barked orders at a couple of guards who rushed to open the trunk. Grayson's eyes rounded when he saw them carry a burlap sack.

"What the—"

"Shut up!" Liam hissed from beside him. "Not our place to comment."

But Grayson couldn't stop staring. It was clear that there were people inside the burlap sacks because not only was it slightly soaked in blood, but whoever was inside the sack was also struggling and whimpering loudly, probably because their mouth was sealed with a tape.

Grayson gulped when Ajax and the guards disappeared down the stairs.

___

They were gone for forty minutes and when they returned, the guards had no burlap sacks with them. Everyone had heard the screams of a man and a woman but no one had reacted. Grayson quite understood what had happened in the basement and that made him very nervous.

Only when the king and Ajax's car was out of his view, did Grayson decided to take a break.

"Come soon. I need a break too" Liam muttered from behind as Grayson walked down the perimeter walls.

Instead of taking a left turn that led towards the washroom, Grayson turned right and marched towards the second entrance.

"I accidentally dropped my phone" Grayson grimaced as he passed a guard who simply chuckled and shook his head.

He strode towards the east and then picked up his phone that he had kept hidden in one of the tiny windows of the outer wall that gave some view of the basement. It was from this window that he had heard Boon screaming the first time he had come here.

Pressing the pause button, he then stopped the recording and quickly pocketed his phone.

When he was in the locker room and was sure there was no one around, he played the video.

The minute he had found out the king was closer to the fort, Grayson had kept his mobile down there, which was why, the first twenty minutes had no recording, except for the distant sound of the ocean.

Then he heard King Stanislaus and his troop arriving. A fire torch was then lit bringing some light into the darkroom.

"How are they?" King Stanislaus demanded and Grayson furrowed his brows. They? Were there two creatures in there?

"They are fine. They do love it when visitors arrive though," the maintenance manager replied with a chuckle. "You are already aware Sire; how much they love drums and trumpets."

"And food" Stanislaus added.

"Of course. Raw meat."

"And we have brought fresh meat" Ajax could be heard saying and Grayson sucked in a breath.

He watched in horror as the guards untied the sack, revealing one man and a woman. Wolves, who were badly beaten and covered in their blood.

"This is your last chance" Stanislaus drawled watching the wolves with a smug look. "Tell me what do you know about Ash."

While the woman whimpered, Ajax harshly pulled off the duct tape of the man's mouth. The man groaned and then hurried towards Stanislaus's feet.

"Please. I am begging you Sire" he cried. "I don't know anything about Gideon working for Ash. I am telling the truth."

Grayson looked up from the screen as realization dawned on him. These wolves were from Gideon's pack and that meant the king knew Gideon and Minerva were mates.

Damn!

On Xan's orders, he had kept quiet about it but the king had found out through his people which meant Gideon's pack was in danger.

Did Ash know about this?

"Truth?" Ajax spat and then roughly clutching the man's hair, he forced him to look up. "If you were so into telling the truth, then why didn't you tell Sire that Gideon was mated to Minerva? Why did you lie then?"

"The Alpha ordered us to keep quiet and I had to listen to my Alpha" the man cried.

"I am your king and I am above your Alpha" Stanislaus growled nastily, glaring down at the man. "You obey me. You Alpha is dirt beneath my shoe just like you are" he added kicking the man in the chest.

"Forgive me, Sire. Forgive me" the man wept, bowing down at Stanislaus's feet.

"You will face the consequences for your betrayal. By hiding Gideon's truth, you have caused great danger to the throne and my son which is an unforgivable offence. Your punishment is that you have to watch your mate die."

"No" the man screamed and Grayson closed his eyes and locked the screen.

He took several deep breaths to calm his anxious wolf and then put on his earphones. Unlocking the screen, he hit the play button.

Roughly yanking the woman's hair, Ajax forced her to stand up and removed her duct tape. The woman screamed and so did the man as one of the guards opened the gate. Ajax shoved her into the cage but before he could close it, the wolf rushed inside to save his mate.

"Fool" Stanislaus hissed. "He thinks he can save her but he doesn't know that death awaits them inside."

Stanislaus laughed when Ajax closed the gate and locked it for good measure. Someone shifted their position and the view was blocked in the video but Grayson could still hear them talking.

For the next ten minutes, there was no sound until finally footsteps could be heard.

"They are chasing them," the manager told Stanislaus who nodded. "It means the traitors are as good as dead."

The deafening scream of the woman was followed by loud growls until eventually, those growls stopped too.

"This is what happens to anyone who tries to take the kingdom from me," Stanislaus said smugly and Grayson gulped. "All my enemies will die a painful death. No one can harm me because Boon is protecting me."

That was the end of the video and it left Grayson disturbed for a few minutes.

He was a traitor himself and he feared the consequences of his betrayal. He was not only betraying the king but also his friends.

The king killed Gideon's friends for his betrayal and would he do the same to his friends? Grayson growled because his friends were genuinely nice people and they had become family to him.

Xan, Miki and Brody were as important to him as Jayson and he had known them since he was thirteen. They considered Jayson as their brother too and were always supportive of him. Xan had even helped him financially several times.

The guilt had always been there but Grayson knew if he continued betraying his friends, he would end up miserable for the rest of his life. He had no family and eventually he would end up with no friends either. He didn't give a damn about the king but he cared about his friends.

He opened the private messaging app developed by Ash and then sent the video to Skyla. He followed it soon with a text that told her that this was his last job for them.

Ash and the king could do whatever the fuck they wanted, Grayson thought with a growl for he was done with them. They were both very cunning people and trusted no one.

But Grayson trusted his friends and knew they trusted him too. It was time he chose his friends because they were the only ones who had been with him from the start of his struggle. Especially Xan, who from the start had always shared a portion of his earnings to help finance Jayson's education.

It was now time for Grayson to support Xan, who was betraying the King for his mate Cyane and if there was one thing Grayson remembered about his parents, who were mates, was the love they had for each other.

By supporting Xan and Cyane, maybe he could wash some of his sins and make his parents proud, wherever they are.

After deleting the video from his phone and the app, Grayson threw down his hat and changed out of his uniform.

He was done working here.

•••

In the three week's that he had spent locked up in the room, Gideon had learned to become attuned to the slightest of sounds.

Ash had kept him locked in a room that had a window which gave a wonderful view of the sea. Gideon had tried to escape from the windows but breaking the iron fence was not an easy task, even with his claws.

He had given up breaking the fence after the first week and had instead tried to find other means of escape.

Ash had kept him in a nice room, equipped with a bed and a separate bathroom. A laptop without an internet connection had also been given, however, he had broken it in the second week.

Day after day his wolf was getting agitated and it was getting difficult for him to push back his wolf. Ash let him talk to Minerva every once in a while, and that was the only good thing in the past three weeks.

Sitting on the floor, Gideon toyed with the Rubik's cube that Ash had provided him along with some coding books for kids. The bastard probably thought it was funny!

Gideon, who was an accounting and finance graduate, did not know the C of coding unlike Ash, who probably read it like a holy book. He couldn't even solve the Rubik's cube! Growling, he threw the cube against the door and snarled violently.

"FUCK YOU!" He hissed staring at the CCTV camera.

Once he was out of here, he would kill Acheron just for imprisoning him. His wolf growled violently, completely agreeing with him! But then, Gideon paused and took a deep breath.

He couldn't behave like this. He had to be rational.

His priority wasn't killing Ash. His priority was Minerva and his parents. She had told him that the King had held them captive but Ash's men were around, protecting them. Though grateful for that, he was still pissed because his parents were in this situation only because of Ash.

He was being held captive against his wishes and even though he had agreed to stay as collateral to save Minerva and her father, the truth was that Ash forced him to choose that option.

Gently massaging his temples with his thumb, Gideon closed his eyes and began to think of the best ways to deal with Ash. Of the best way to escape from here.

Ash was playing games with him. In the second week, Ash had mentioned that the security code that would unlock the door was in the room and if Gideon found it, he was allowed to leave.

Gideon had searched in the books, on the laptop. Had even tried to solve the Rubik's cube but nothing had given him the code.

Every day he was given food and he had started looking for clues in his meal and his plates. He had moved furniture, raided the closet, torn blankets looking for the clue but had failed every single time.

His wolf perked up and growled nastily when he heard the thwack-thwack noise of the helicopter approaching towards the island. In his three weeks here, Gideon had learned quite a few things and the first one was that Ash did not live on the island. Initially, he had suspected it, but after Ajax's attack last week, Gideon had been sure because Ash hadn't been there when Ajax and his men had tried to attack the island.

Ash had arrived in time for the funeral and that's when Gideon had grasped that the helicopter always signalled Ash's arrival. He would always be gone for a while and whenever he arrived, it would usually be late afternoon or evening. Ash had been gone for a whole week this time and it had made Gideon curious.

Growling, Gideon sat on the floor and leaned against the foot of the bed, patiently waiting for Ash to begin their routine chat.

Thirty minutes later, he heard the white noise coming off the speaker and Gideon took a deep breath to calm himself.

"Evening" Ash said cheerfully from the other end.

Raising his lashes, Gideon glared at the CCTV camera.

"I see you are still mad at me" Ash sighed, "The key is with yousunshine. You just have to look for it."

"Don't play your stupid games with me."

"I wouldn't have if I had known you had no interest in them. But you do! You were playing your own little game with the king, without including me and that was not fair" Ash said pitifully and Gideon scowled.

The bastard was enjoying this. Gideon knew it!

"Why? You think you are the only one allowed to play games?" Gideon snapped.

There was a long pause before Ash spoke again. "No. No one is allowed to play games. No one is allowed to fuck up another person's life" he growled.

"And yet, you are fucking up my life. My mate's life. My family's life" Gideon hissed.

"I am. By kidnapping you I became exactly what I hate the most. By kidnapping you I became exactly like your King" Ash's voice turned animalistic and Gideon furrowed his brows.

How did he become like the king? Gideon did not understand but he wasn't about to let it go.

"If you didn't want to become like the king then why kidnap me in the first place?" Gideon demanded.

"Because you took something from me" Ash replied flatly.

"Cyane?" Gideon growled.

"Yes" Ash confirmed.

"I did as you told. I asked Minerva to get Cyane to the mall and she did. It's not my fault Cyane ran from there" Gideon muttered with a shrug, well aware that it would make Ash furious.

"No. But it's your fault that she escaped that day."

"What's your deal with her? Why are you after her?"

"That's none of your business" Ash stated with a growl and Gideon looked away.

Ash wouldn't tell him what's his deal with Cyane but Gideon knew one thing about Ash and that was his hatred for King Stanislaus.

Running a hand through his hair, he spoke again. "You said you have become like King Stanislaus but you are not. Unlike him, you seem to feel guilty for your actions. If you don't want to become like him then why not let me go?"

Ash scoffed at first and then burst out laughing which caused Gideon's wolf to snarl.

"My guilt is the reason that I have kept a clue for you to escape. Unfortunately for you, I cannot just let you leave because you are the perfect pawn to keep Lysander in check."

"He hates the king, just like you" Gideon stated.

"And yet, he did not kill the king when he had the chance" Ash pointed out through gritted teeth, venom seeping out of his hard, angry tone. "His one decision cost many lives and that is why it's better for me if he stays the fuck out of my way. I don't want his help or advise. I just want him to stay out of my business."

"Do you think you can stop Lysander?" Gideon asked with a smirk.

"Oh! I will. Even if I have to kill him" Ash swore and Gideon bared his fangs, furious to hear those words.

Ash was unpredictable. He had no sides and that made him all the more dangerous because he was powerful enough to destroy his enemies in one single stroke.

"You swore you will not hurt them as long as I am here. You have to keep your promise!" Gideon reminded, standing up to glare at the camera.

"I did not make any such promises. My condition was that I let them go if you stay here and I did" Ash clarified and Gideon looked away.

"Find the clue and set yourself free" Ash breathed out curtly and Gideon grunted. "And a word of advice, watch your back."

As the line got disconnected, Gideon furrowed his brows and then turned to look at the vast double bed and the wall behind him.

Watch your back? Why would Ash say that?

Getting on the bed, Gideon threw the pillows and tore at the blankets looking for a clue and when he found nothing there, he even ripped the pillows apart. Growling in frustration and kicking at the wool, Gideon stared at the wall.

All the walls were covered in textured wall paints of a lemon-yellow shade but for the first time in three weeks, Gideon noticed that the wall behind the bed seemed different. His eyes widened when he grasped that what he earlier thought as textured painting on the wall there, was, in fact, a wallpaper.

Bringing his claws out, Gideon slightly tore at a corner and then slowly began peeling the wallpaper off the length of the wall. The wall underneath was also painted in lemon yellow but there was nothing secretive in it.

Ash might have kept the clue but to buy time he wouldn't have made it easier for Gideon to find it either.

Gritting his teeth, Gideon aggressively peeled off the wallpaper, as far as he could reach. He pushed the headboard off the wall and continued peeling.

He found nothing or so he thought until he looked at the torn pieces of the wallpaper. The front side had a textured look, while the backside was a chessboard.

He picked up a long sheet and stared at it in puzzlement. Why would Ash keep that? What was he trying to say?

Game.

Ash always talked about playing games and how it fucked up his life. Chess was a game that had two kings but Ash had only one king as his enemy and the game in which only one king stands tall at the end was Chess.

Gideon's eyes narrowed and he stood up as it slowly occurred to him what the code could be. Taking a deep breath, he raised his hands and placed his fingers against the keypad.

In Ash's game, everyone had a role to play and Gideon's role at the time being was that of— PAWN

Hell, Ash had just called him the same! However, before pressing the numbers alternative for those letters in an old phone, Gideon hesitated.

His eyes flickered to the coding books lying on the floor. As he had previously glanced at it, he had noted that all the books had ASCII and Binary character table at the end for reference.

He picked up a random book and began looking for the actual codes that would open the door.

___

It was a tough job but ten minutes letter, Gideon successfully managed to open the door with the ASCII codes for the alphabets of the word pawn.

He slowly pushed the iron door open and grimaced when it clanged. He couldn't catch anybody's scent around but he thought it was more because of silver than anyone not being present in this part of the building.

Gideon knew he had to go left because for weeks he had been listening carefully to every single sound and whoever brought him food had come from the left side of the building.

Taking a deep breath, he clenched his fists and then marched forward.

Today, he would escape from here. After being locked up for three weeks, his wolf had grown frustrated and was even ready to kill.

The doors of the other rooms were all closed and Gideon did not bother looking into it as he trod down the long hallway of the old building, suspicious of his ghost-quiet surroundings. His wolf was on the alert, ready to attack anyone daring to stop him!

He ran down the stairs and came across a door that was locked from the outside. As the windows were all closed, the little night bulbs were on giving an eerie glow to the hallways.

When he heard sounds of footsteps, Gideon stopped and growled.

Of-course, Ash wouldn't let him leave freely!

Two young chocolate skinned men came to a stop when they saw him in the hallway with his claws out. Gideon expected them to attack but they simply stood, unsurprised to see him out of his room.

He couldn't catch their scent which meant that silver sulphide was spread all around!

"Before you leave Ash has two messages to share with you" one of them announced in a sombre tone.

"Firstly, he sends his congratulations on escaping the room although he thinks you wouldn't have been able to get the code without his little help," the other one said with a smirk causing Gideon to stiffen and his wolf to snarl furiously.

So, Ash thinks he couldn't have done it on his own? Well, then he shouldn't have given him that little clue either!

"Give Ash a thank-you hug on my behalf and when you do that, how about you choke him to death?" Gideon said cockily causing the wolves in front of him to bristle. Clenching his fists, he took a threatening step forward and demanded, "Now, what's the other message?"

The twisted smirk was back on the guy's face as he said, "It's the same as the earlier one!"

Gideon narrowed his eyes, confused but before he could react, a hand was wrapped around his neck from behind in a rare choke and he was pushed against the wall.

"Watch your back!"

The man said injecting a syringe into Gideon's neck.

Gideon's eyes widened as he finally realized why Ash had said those words.

That day in the factory, while Gideon had been making sure Cyane was truly gone, Ash had attacked him from behind in the very same way.

The man who attacked him right now was Ash himself and Gideon had already seen his face on the factory that very day which was why Ash had kidnapped him in the first place.

As Ash loosened the hold around his neck, Gideon used every ounce of his remaining strength to turn and finally look at Ash's face so that he could match it with the voice.

His face was visible to Gideon for a milli-second before darkness assailed him and he dropped to the ground with a thud.

___

Standing beside Acheron, Samuel and Sheldon stared at Gideon's limp body on the floor with a sigh.

"What next?" Samuel demanded.

"We take him to his new home," Ash said cheerfully crouching near Gideon's head.

Groaning, Samuel and Sheldon crouched down and together the trio carried him towards Ash's helicopter.

"Where's Skyla?" Ash demanded when he did not see her in the cabin.

"She got a call from Izara" Hopper replied, without taking his eyes off his laptop screen.

"Do the needful" Ash told Sam as they shoved an unconscious Gideon into a vacant seat.

It's done, Ash thought as he entered his mansion. Today the penultimate phase of his plan was completed and from tomorrow, his last and the most vengeful strike against King Stanislaus would begin.

He had his men move in and around his new mansion in the kingdom and from there, they would execute the last stage of his plan.

He came across Sklya on the stairs and stopped when he saw her worried expression.

"Problems?"

"Grayson quit," she said and Ash raised his brows, surprised by that piece of information.

"Why?"

"Don't know. He just sent a video followed by a message" Skyla said passing on her phone.

Leaning against the handrail, Ash watched the video with a frown.

"We can use this against the king" Skyla informed and Ash nodded thoughtfully. "The King is going to gather enough material against Gideon's parents and have them executed. It's going to happen sooner than we think" Skyla added.

"I will not let him execute them" Ash swore as he returned Skyla's phone to her.

"What are you going to do?"

"For now, we stick to the plan. I will make the changes as and when deemed fit. The king loves attention and he is going to make a grand event out of it which will give me the perfect opportunity" Ash said as they returned to the helicopter.

"How long is he going to be out for?" Skyla demanded from her brothers when she saw Gideon strapped in the seat.

"Long enough for us to get out of here" Sheldon grinned as he closed the door of the helicopter.

"Not long enough" Sheldon complained as he closed the door of the helicopter.

Once they were airborne, Samuel and Hopper watched the island until it turned a geoid shaped piece of land.

"I am going to miss it," Sam said wistfully.

"Me too" Neil who was piloting the helicopter along with Sheldon added quietly.

A groan from Gideon interrupted their peaceful moment. Scrunching up his eyes, Gideon hesitantly opened them to look at Ash's smug face.

"Morning sunshine" Ash drawled pleasantly.

"Mmmm... Mmmm" Gideon protested over his taped mouth, as he repeatedly shifted in his seat, ready to attack Ash.

Skyla, who was sitting beside Gideon and growing frustrated by his behaviour, pointed her sharpest knife towards his neck, "Since your mouth is already sealed shut, the best you can do is stop fighting and listen to what he has to say."

Gideon glared at her but did as asked.

"Now that I have your attention, let me make a deal with you," Ash said leaning back in his seat and comfortably stretching his legs, ignorant to Gideon's fury.

Before he could share his plans with Gideon, his phone rang and Ash tensed when he noticed that the call was from Roderick Swafford.

Cyane's grandpa rarely called him. Like, once or twice a year rare and Ash answered it hesitantly.

"Are you busy?" Roderick demanded from the other end.

"Yes, but I can give you five minutes," Ash said calmly.

"Good. I won't take longer than that" Roderick sighed and then continued, "Lysander paid me a visit this week."

Ash's blue eyes turned cold and hard the very moment and a ferocious growl emitted from him, stunning everyone around him.

His wolf was furious because Lysander was intervening in his work by going after Cyane's grandfather. The one thing and only one thing Ash wanted from Lysander was for him to stay the fuck out of his business!

Gritting his teeth, he glared at Gideon who was watching him in disbelief.

"Calm down," Roderick said from the other end. "He came here to ask me about the connection between Cyane and you after he found out that you were looking for Cyane."

"Did you tell him anything?"

"Nothing about you" Roderick swore. "We had a deal and I will keep my end of it until you keep your end of it" Roderick reminded and Ash nodded, staring at his clenched fists. "I just called to tell you that I am grateful that you are looking for my grand-daughter. Did you... did you by chance happen to find anything about her?"

Ash's gaze flickered towards Skyla who was watching him with a frown.

Closing his eyes and compressing his lips, he slammed the back of his head against the headrest of his seat before breathing out, "No. Nothing."

"Oh," Roderick said in a defeated tone and Ash gulped. "Just... just inform me if you find anything. Cyane is all that I have" Roderick whispered.

"Okay," Ash agreed and quickly cut the call.

Muttering a curse, he opened his lashes and looked at Skyla who watched him with her poker face. "Congratulations, you just signed your death warrant" she stated flatly before turning to look at the window.

That was exactly what Ash did not want to hear at the moment and he let out another furious growl before glaring at Gideon who was glaring right back.

"Maybe," Ash said, through gritted teeth, "But Lysander signed his, long before I did."

****

Oh well, Ash lied to his benefactor. How do you think it's going to end up? Also, what do you think of Boon? This was just a little introduction to what's inside the Iron Fort!

Also, as mentioned earlier, I have exams for the next two weekends. It was supposed to happen in May but got pushed back because of COVID ☹ I hate it when exams get postponed because I don't take it seriously until it's right around the corner which is why, the next update will be pushed back to 25th Decemeber- Christmas Day! Really, very, very sorry for this.

If possible, I will try to update sooner but not before 20th☹

Sorry again.

Please vote and comment and stay safe.

Love :-*