Family

With the hem of her dress dragging across the floor, Tricia took long strides to reach the balcony. She stood there for a while taking deep breathes when she felt the presence of her brother long before he approached her. She acknowledged him with a faint but genuine smile.

“How was your run?”

“You won’t believe what happened today Phoebe! Father let me lead the run and scrutinize those pups .” The look on his face could not be mistaken for anything other than pride. Pride of living up to his father’s expectation.

Seeing her brother happy, Tricia too broke into a bright smile. “First of all, of course he would. We wants you to not only lead but connect with them and secondly, they are not pups. Some of them are probably stronger than you”, she teased.

“Oh, you did not just say that. I have Alpha blood in my body, my wolf is ruthless and I am taller than everyone”

“Taller doesn’t mean stronger”, she shrugged.

“Wait until I defeat your mate in a duel”, Frederick smirked.

“Now, why will you possibly duel my mate?”, Tricia rolled her eyes.

“To prove that I am the strongest and you are the dumbest.”

“I might not be physically strong but I can surely outwit you. Besides, I am just wait for the day that your mate will come into the scene and put your arrogance into place”, Tricia mimicked Frederick's smirk.

“Or me turning her into an obedient wife is a greater”, Frederick countered with his chin held high.

“We shall see”, Tricia challenged.

“That we shall. Anyways, dinner is ready. People must have arrived at the table by now”

“And you have come to fetch me. How nice of you”. They started walking.

“I have always been nice and punctual unlike yourself.”

“Really? You must have forgotten all the excuses and lies I had to make to cover up your shenanigans, but I haven’t.”

When they reached the dining hall, the sound of her footsteps died, so did their banter. After showing necessary courtesy to eminent people, they took their respective seats.

As Tricia flipped the plate in front of her and started serving herself, Maria acted to sound quiet but instead spoke in volume as if making an announcement. “You are late sissy”.

Everyone at the table stooped.

Controlling a strong urge to roll her eyes, Tricia turned to Maria who was in her right. “Sissy?”, she Rose an eyebrow.

“Yes, of course. Sissy is short for sister”, giggled Maria alongside Mary, daughter of Beta Richard.

“I apologize to everyone for turning up late specialty to you big sissy”, replied Tricia not taking off her eyes from her sisters for a while, then picking up a fork and start eating.

Luna Rose cleared her throat, making everyone resume with theirs eating. Tricia and Frederick shared a look and an identical smirk before continuing to eat. This didn’t go unnoticed by Alpha Iroh as he sighed and shook his head.

>>>>>>>

During dessert time Alpha Iroh stood up before speaking, “As we are aware that the kingdom was being handles by Duke Lorenzo as a regent, but now as the Crown Prince is capable of exceeding of the monarch, I am ecstatic that he shall be taking his throne on a fortnight from today.

Not only the people inside the hall, but the pack members were acquainted with the announcement through mind-link as loud claps and roar filled the surrounding. Everyone had been expecting to hear this news for quite some time. People inside the hall stood up and clapped before taking their seats as motioned by the Alpha.

“I and Beta Richard along with our families have been invited to attend the coronation ceremony and pledge our loyalty to the monarch. We shall be leaving for the capital after a week”

“How old is the Prince, Alpha?”, came an excited voice from Mary.

“Beg your pardon, my child”

She lowered her face from shame. “How old is the Prince?”, this time came a timid voice from her. Frederick snickered.

“Uh- Frederick is the same age as the Prince. I reckon”, answered the Alpha in a awkward manner.

Everyone excused themselves leaving the Alpha and the Luna.

“A fortnight from today, you say?”, Luna Rose asked. Alpha simply nodded. “But that is the day-

The day our King and Queen were murdered by those blood sucking creatures? I know”, Alpha cut day

“I was going to say something else Iroh”

“And what could that possibly be?”

“Have you really forgotten or are you just pretending?”

“Shall we go to sleep now?”, replied the Alpha dismissing the whole matter.

>>>>>>>>>

Tricia knocked on Frederick’s door and waited before she heard. “What?”

“I have already waited for five seconds and now I am letting myself inside”, Tricia announced before barging in. They came face to face with each other before Frederick started clapping his hands slowly.

“Congratulations dear ‘sissy’ for invading a kingdom called ‘my privacy’. I am so proud of you”

Tricia broke into a grin and approached her brother who was sitting on a chair , reading a book. She sat on a chair next to him. “Thank you. I have always wanted to do that”.

Frederick offered his hand which was gladly accepted by her and they did a mocking handshake.

“Now why are you here? Pups are supposed to go to school early”, he ruffled her hair.

“You think everyone in this world except you is a pup, don’t you?”, she folded her arms

“Yes”

“Even the Alpha King?”

“Yes”

“Yes?”

“Yes”

Tricia let out a hearty laugh. “You know I am very happy that the coronation ceremony shall take place on the same day as my birthday. People will now stop seeing it as the day the former King and Queen died.”

It hadn’t gone unnoticed by Frederick how every year his and Maria’s birthday would have a grand celebration unlike his little sister’s in which people will wear black and mourn. It was painful for him to witness his sister’s heartbreak when their father will avoid her like a plague on that day.

“Now off you go and let me have my handsome sleep.”

“Beauty sle-“, she tried to correct but “- whatever. Goodnight.”