Chapter 48
For the next couple of hours, Damian took his new friend around, showing him all compartments and hidden places; the empty court, the kitchens, the guest quarters, the nursery, the pair went around surveying all parts of the Silver pack-house. Ronan was awed at the sight of all that Damian showed him, and when they were done with the tour, Damian decided that it was time to return to the conference, as he realized then that his parents might be looking for him being out of the room for so long.
"There. I've shown you all there is to see Ronan, I think it's time we head back, mom and dad would be worried sick by now."
"Thank you, Damian, this place is beautiful, but before we go, there's still one more thing I would like to see."
"What? I've shown you everything. I don't think there's anything else."
"Yes, there is."
"What then?"
"The royalty stone. Have you heard of it before? Dad once told me that it's in this pack-house. I'd like to see it."
"Yes, it is," he then remembered something before shaking his head, "But I'm sorry. Dad says I'm not allowed to show anyone."
"Please Damian. I thought we were friends."
"We are Ronan, but I promised my dad not to tell anyone. A prince does not break promises."
"But you promised me too that you would show me everything. Please, I promise I won't tell anyone. Please Damian," Ronan persuaded.
"Okay, but cross your heart first."
"I cross my heart."
Along with his word, Damian took his hand and led him to one of the basement doors in the steepest parts of the house, the basement then led to an underground tunnel, and at the end of the tunnel, a small lake beneath the ground surface, there at the heart of the lake, stood the royalty stone in all its splendor. Ronan could already see it glowing from the distance as they approached.
"There, you've seen it. Now let's go, before someone sees us," Damian tried grabbing his hand to lead him away, but Ronan refused to budge. Instead, he brought out a small whistle from his pocket and began to blow on it with all his might.
The sound of the whistle nearly deafened Damian, so much that he had to place both of his hands to shield his ears.
"What are you doing?" He yelled. "Do you want us to get caught?"
Ronan didn't listen, instead continued with the whistle sounds, indeed it was all a planned scheme, as the King of the rogues, King Rakur, hand sent his son to fool the Silver Alpha Prince, in order to redeem possession of the coveted royalty stone.
Immediately, soldiers started storming into the tunnel in their numbers, soldiers that Damian didn't recognize. These weren't silver soldiers at all, they were rogue soldiers that had infiltrated the pack-house. His "friend" had tricked him, it was all a trap and he fell for it.
As soon as the soldiers gathered in the tunnel surrounding the lake, King Rakur came in too and stood at the heart, where the two boys were. Upon seeing his father, Ronan quickly rushed to him and bowed.
"Well done for leading us here, Ronan, you never ceased to make your father proud!" King Rakur stated, patting his son on the head before shoving him aside. "Now, to redeem my prize!" All his focus was placed on the stone, as the King stared at it as someone entranced.
"No!!!" Damian shouted. "The royalty stone does not belong to you! I'll never let you take it!"
King Rakur turned to the young prince who'd grabbed his attention through his courageous words, and after sizing the height of Damian through wicked eyes, the King burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"I'd like to see you try to stop me, you're nothing but a filthy rat!! And I can just imagine how thrilling it will sound when Alpha Cillian finds out that his own blood betrayed him."
Damian passed an angry look towards Ronan, who simply avoided eye contact with him, placing his head down, he was then unable to catch any hint of guilt written on his face.
King Ronan ordered his guards impatiently, "Enough wasting time, get the stone!"
"NOOOOOO!!!" Damian ran into the lake, standing defensively in front of the stone. "NO ONE touches this stone! You'll have to go through me first." He growled.
"I've had enough of your insolence young boy; you'd better stay out of matters that do not concern you, else you'll pay a hefty price."
"Do whatever you wish to me, you evil King! I'm not scared of you!"
King Rakur grinned, "Very well. Seems like guarding the stone properly was not the only thing Cillian failed to do. He also seemed to have raised such an ill-mannered and disrespectful child!"
He then gave his guards a new order, "Take the boy and give him some marks. He will live to remember this day for the rest of his life. Make sure it's bold enough for his parents to see, then the rest of you, grab the stone."
The guard nodded, "On it sir!"
And that was how the rogues stole the royalty stone, the final ornament that they'd been wanting to get for years before their planned attack, but due to their inability to penetrate the Silver pack-house barriers to locate the stone, they'd had to wait patiently, for a time the Silver house would be at its weakest point. A time that the majority of the wolves would have left for the conference, and such time was now, through the help of prince Damian, the rogues took the stone, and left the poor prince in a bad state that nearly claimed his life.
The stone was the final power they needed for the rogue wars to begin, and then the very next month, they began attacking the other packs.
***
Present time
"Oh! It must have... It must have hurt so much!" Miranda cried, unable to control her emotions.
"It did, but apart from a punishment for standing up to the rogue King, it also turned out to be a lesson for me, these scars will forever be a reminder that trust is something that should never be given."