The Crown's Entrapment



By the time they arrived at the Grant Manor, Aurelia was actually getting tired of putting up a concerted effort to ignore Calypso's attempts at small talk. Truly, instead of being petty enough to thoroughly ignore him, she had gone back to snarkily and sarcastically having a conversation with him, which was already kind of their normal way of speaking with one another anyway. Then again, why did she even expect that she could keep up the act for longer than a day anyway?

[You did manage to do just that to a few of your former patients,] her wolf chuckled.

Aurelia rolled her eyes in amusement at her wolf's reminder. Well, her name was Aura now, a rather fitting name for a personality that she trusted to think exactly like her.

[And I in turn am delighted at such a name,] Aura softly smiled. [I am your proverbial shadow, an extension of you in more ways than one.]

Shortly after their carriage stopped, Calypso quickly opened the door for her, stepping down onto the ground before then stretching his hand out to her. 

"Welcome to our new home," he greeted with the same smile that he always wore. "In here, we'll set ourselves apart from the rest."

"That, we will," she scoffed as she accepted his hand and let him escort her out of the carriage. "I trust that my belongings are being offloaded as well?"

"Yes," he nodded. "I'll tell them to bring them inside your chosen room as soon as possible."

"Just tell them to place them all in the main lobby of the manor," she waved him off. "I'll attend to them as soon as I have the time."

Aurelia watched as Calypso told his men to do exactly that, her keen eye taking note of how her belongings were handled as they all took her things into the manor. She was going to personally see to that tomorrow. For now, she was sure that a celebration was brewing within the manor itself.

"Lord Calypso," one man called out to her mate. Seth, if she recalled his name right. "We've prepared a welcoming feast for you and Lady Aurelia."

"Is that so?" Calypso smirked. "Well, what kind of Alpha and Luna would we be if we didn't partake in the celebrations?"

Aurelia simply shrugged as she took her place beside Calypso. Even as prickly as she was, she knew the roles she had to play. She was Calypso's Luna now, and that meant that she must be seen being united with her mate at all times through all manners of situations.

[I know you'll hate me for this, but I can tell you want to be united with him in more ways than one,] Aura cheekily teased.

Of course, Aurelia did hate what her wolf just said to her, but she was far too busy smiling and greeting her new subjects as she and Calypso went into the Grant Manor. With Seth leading them to the manor's great hall, she kept pace with her mate as she clung onto his arm, ignoring any and all sensations that such an action was doing to her as she schooled her expressions.

Eventually, they reached the large doors of the great hall, and Seth ordered the men to open it for them.

"Announcing the arrival of Lord Calypso and Lady Aurelia, the new Alpha and Luna of the Midnight Pack!" 

At Seth's announcement, the entire room exploded in applause as men and women alike celebrated their arrival. Letting Calypso lead her, she kept up her usual smile as she nodded and waved at her new subjects. She knew that she was now responsible for their well-being now, both as a healer and their new Luna.

But just as Aurelia thought that she was doing with her usual pleasantries, a pair of surprise guests almost made her trip on her own feet.

"Congratulations, Calypso," King Darius greeted, his Queen Xenia by his side as they both acknowledged them. "And to you too, Aurelia."

"Cousin?" Calypso asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"What? Is it not right for me to congratulate my own cousin now?" Darius chuckled. "But in all seriousness, Xen just wanted a change of pace and what better way to do so than to go on a small trip?"

"It's just natural to congratulate friends and family," Xenia quickly defended herself with a smirk. "Besides, Aurelia's here. She's my friend, and is practically my second personal healer."

"I'm flattered, Your Grace," Aurelia chuckled as she smiled at her royal friend. "I only hope that you're taking good care of yourself, especially since your due date is fast approaching."

"I'm following the diet you gave me if you must know," Xenia cheekily pouted. "I don't like it, but I want what's best for my babies."

"See to it that you do," Aurelia jokingly scoffed. "You wouldn't want me administering something truly unpleasant into your regimen."

The Queen pouted even harder, but it was all in good fun as they all began to enjoy the feast that was prepared for them. To the surprise of no one, Calypso announced that he was doing absolutely nothing to the current rank and file of the Midnight Pack. Some might think that it was mostly out of deference to the former Alpha's rule, but Aurelia could tell that her mate was just too lazy to try and replace those that Lady Clara already trusted. It was less work, after all, and even she could tell that the men already working for the pack knew what was best for their new rule.

All in all, she couldn't help but be pleased with how warm the reception to them was. The fact that the King and Queen were with them also probably helped smooth things along as Calypso did the usual things that were associated with taking over a pack as an Alpha. Likewise, she did the same, and she stood right beside him as he addressed the crowd.

"As your newly-sworn Alpha, I promise you all that I'll do my best to see that our pack will be just as prosperous, if not more so than the previous Alpha's rule!" he confidently announced. "With all of us working together, I'm sure that we can take the Midnight Pack to even greater heights, and we shall all have fun and be happy while doing so!" 

Aurelia clapped alongside all of the others as she took in her mate's words. In her mind, she was already thinking up ways to exercise her new powers as Luna for the better. 

Really, even if Calypso somehow proved to be an incapable ruler, which she was sure he wasn't, she'll at least make sure he'd do a damn good job for their new subjects.