A daughter needs a dad to be the standard against which she will judge all men...

  - Unknown

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  1850

  “Children, e,” Luna Andorra said to her three children, Ariana, Andria, and Nathaniel, “We must go to the parlour for the portrait.” The family of five were to gather in the parlour to get their annual portrait fixed.

  “Mama, do I look prese-notable for the portrait?” asked Andria while grabbing a hold of her mother’s hand while her sister held on to the other hand.

  “Yes, my dear, you do look presentable,” Andorra replied, with her motherly smile.

  “Oh dear Goddess, could we please stop with this nonsense and do something more eaining?” asked Nathahe twins older brother.

  “Like what?” asked Ariana’s small voice.

  “Let’s race to the parlour. The winner will be whets there first. ” Nathaniel spoke with an evil glint in his eyes.

  Ariana gri her brother before they both ran off, with their mother shouting behind them.

  “Ariana, Ariana, please return my child!” her mother yelled, “Ladies, don’t run!”

  “Oh Ma, leave her be. She is more wolf than human anyways,” Andria said with a chuckle, which caused Luna to narrow her eyes at her daughter.

  “Do not speak to your sister like that,” her mother scolded her, causing Andria’s grin to fall.

  Ahead of them, Nathaniel had reached the parlour, where his father embraced him in a tight hug. “How are you, my son?” Alpha Alec asked his son while ruffling up his hair.

  “I am well, father,” replied Nathaniel.

  A few moments pass before Ariana reaches them. Her face falling wheices her father standing beside her brother. She quickly averts her eyes and looks down as she goes to stand near her brother, trying not to upset her papa, who easily angered when ever she misbehaved.

  They are about to head ihe parlour when a loud voice is heard, “Papa! You’re back!!! ” Andria shrieks out loud before running across the hall to embrace her papa, who iurn lifted her into the air a out a whole-hearted ugh at seeing his daughter’s excitement. “How are you, my darling child?”

  “I am well papa” Andria said with a wide grin pstered on her face, as her sister stepped towards her mother, holding her breath in hopes of preventing herself fr as her father tio ignore her.

  Andorra could feel the sadness p out of her daughter , causio discreetly her arms around Ariana as she whispered in her ear, “It’s okay.”

  “Papa, did y any presents for us?” Andria asked eagerly.

  “Yes ,sweet child I have. You’ll get them after the portrait is pleted,” Alec said as he gently lowered his daughter onto the ground.

  The family all walked into the parlour where a painter waited with a picsephere . A picsephere was a-armed creature like an octopus that had three eyes, which allowed it to paint portraits at a faster rate. The family took their pces before the picsphere began it’s painting. In under an hour, the painting was pleted.

  They all left the parlour room and headed into the great room, where the Alpha had told the servants to pce the presents for the children.

  Andria shrieked with joy when notig that the room was filled with reasures and tris. The walls all covered with new paintings and the floors covered with furniture made from the fi woods, which were filled with clothes made with the fi silks and linens. The tables were covered with the fi jewellery, ranging from silver to diamond. For once, Ariana had hoped that she would receive a gift.

  “e dear, let me show you the treasures I bought for you,” said the Alpha as he held onto Andria’s hand.

  The father-daughter duo walked around the room, ughing and pointing at the tris and clothes. Whereas Luna had pced herself in front of a painting and had goo what seemed to be a daze. She loved painting with every fibre of her being , always intrigued by their splendours. so it was no surprise to see her so dazed.

  Even Nathaniel had found a way around the trio a stack of swords and bdes, which all had his name engraved in gold . While little Ariana stood in the room looking baffled, not knowing where to go, she decided to speak, “Papa, do I get a present?”

  Her father looks at her with narrowed eyes, making Ariana wish she could hide behind a tapestry or her mother.

  “I heard your sister say that you always act more like a wolf than a human,” her father says, his eyes dark. “We all know that wolves don’t get gifts or presents, so why should you?”

  Hearing her father’s words made Ariana cower within herself, embarrassed by her stupid question. She knew she shouldn’t have asked, because the answer was always the same. She could feel her eyes brimming with tears. Not wanting to embarrass herself further, she rushed out of the great room, her ma tellio return back, but she ran till she reached her chambers and began to cry as she fell on her bed.

  A few hours had passed and the sun had gone down when she heard a soft kno the door.

  “Let me in, Ariana,” her brother said from the other side of the door.

  “No, you’re only here to mock me,” said Ariana, with her keen stubbornness.

  “I promise I won’t. Please let me inside , sister.” Nathaniel spoke, which was only followed by silence, causing him to sigh before he said, “I’ve got something for you.”

  He waited till he heard rustling and the door opeo a sad looking Ariana, ” Nate , papa said there were no gifts for me,” she spoke, looking at her brother disapprovingly, before asking, “Are you lying?” Ma said it’s bad to lie.

  “How do you know I’m lying?” He asked as they both walked into her chambers.

  “Because papa said there were none for me,” Ariana said with a small huff of annoyance.

  “Oh really, papa said that, not me,” Nate said while giving her a sword. She looks at it quizzically befiving Nate a questioning look.

  “It’s my gift to you,” he said with a small smile.

  “What? ...but swords are only for boys. ” Ariana said, looking baffled.

  “No,” Nate said as he traced the engravings on the sword, “swords are for strong people, and you are a strong person, so keep it.”

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  A few days had passed sie had given Ariana the sword, when a meeting was called with the whole pa attendao discuss a grave matter. Ariana and her siblings stood on a podium alongside their parents as the wind blew and the sky darkeheir parents both looked tired with pale skin and sunkehe children had known that a tragedy had occurred as they had even heard the pace maids talking about it.

  “Attention all, I am here with grave oday.” Alpha Alec’s solemn voice broke out, “The king and queen are no longer with us; they have passed to the after life.”

  Loud gasps from the crowd filled the air at the revetion as they went into a frenzy and the pack members imploded with questions of their own, “Who will be the king ?” One person screamed over the crowd.

  “How did they e to pass?” asked another.

  “Who dares hurt our monarchy?” The cred on.

  “My dear friends, please stop. The king and queen were poisoned by a man who will face a fate worse thah itself.” Alpha Alec’s voied with anger over the crowd, even though he didn’t speak the whole truth, only enough to keep the crowds silent and the world at peace.

  “Our new King is Prince William James Alexahe Regina,” The Alpha’s voied. “I know he is not of age, so the Royal Alpha Michael will assist the King for the time between now and his ation.”

  The crowd calmed with every word the Alpha spoke as they waited for his words until the Luna spoke , “We will be holding a dinner and a pack run for the m of the King and Queen. Please be free to join us and please, from the kindness of your heart, bring gifts of m that be sent to the Diamond Pace for the funeral. ”

  The Diamond Pace was the main residence of the Royal family, which was located in the heart of the try, and the Royal Pack.

  After Luna’s short speech, the crowd dispersed to make arras for the m gifts. Even the Alpha childreold te gifts.

  Ariana had asked her nanny, Cudia, if they could arrange a number of flower bouquets for the funeral. Her nanny had agreed, so the duo had spent the afternoon colleg flowers like roses, tulips, marigolds, and Yasmins in the flower fields.

  When dinner had arrived, each of the Alpha children with the pack had preseheir gifts to the Alpha and Luna of the pack. When it was Nathaniel’s turn to present his gift, he had made maps of the whole kingdom and its packs while also including the territories the king had quered in his reign. Andria had woven silk and linen handkerchiefs which were then embellished with the royal talisman and coat of arms through embroidery. Meanwhile, Ariana had presented a dozen bouquets of flowers, with each flower being native to the nation and havireme importan royal festivals.

  The Luna looked proudly at all three of her children, while the Alpha sat up from his chair and appuded his daughter Ariana in mockery as the dining hall fell into an unfortable silence.

  “Lady Ariana, do you really think these juverocities will satisfy the standards of the Royals?” Alpha sneered.

  “Papa....I.....I... thought” Ariana stuttered, finding it difficult to find the right words.

  “Child, there is no reason for you to address me as Father when Alpha will suffice,” the Alpha said, his voice sounding loathsome as the Pack members in the dining hall gasped in surprise but kept their mouths shut, afraid of the alpha’s wrath.

  “But...but...papa...mama” Ariana spoke, looking up to her mother fuidance.

  The Luna was about to respond to her daughters Plea when the Alpha Alec spoke up again “If I am Alpha to you then my mate is your Luna and not your mother.”

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  ok, that was brutal.

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