The Crown's Entrapment

The calm gentle breeze sweeping from the tower’s open window swept across the two of them. Some strands of Xen’s hair fluttered against the soft winds, and Darius couldn’t help but savor the addicting scent that wafter over his nose.

Truly, he just couldn’t get enough of her.

“An angel’s blood?” he whispered out in curiosity, his nose still lingering on her hair as he waited for an answer.

“Yes,” his mate hesitantly nodded. “I… I got it from Mother, you see. I don’t know exactly how or why it all happened though, just that, well…. I have some sort of power within me.”

Darius couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Angel’s blood? From her mother? It was so peculiar that he wouldn’t even believe it if it came from any other mouth. But this was Xen… His mate… She was opening up to her.

“And… what is this power then?” Darius cautiously asked.

She frowned, “I… I don’t really know yet. All I know is that I have it and that it’ll come onto its own once I’m ready for it.”

The King’s arms tightened ever so slightly around his mate the more he thought about the implications of Xen’s words. So she had a hidden trump card that she didn’t know how to use… On top of the fact that she was trusting him this much on what was obviously a valuable secret, his mind whirred on ways that he could unlock this so-called mystical power within her.

“Xen, if I trained you right now, do you think you’d be able to harness this power of yours?”

His mate hummed beneath him as she pondered on his question. After a beat, she replied, “I suppose so? I don’t know, really…”

“But if you really tried, do you think you’re capable of it?”

His words put her on hold as she smacked her lips in thought. All the while, Darius helped himself to more of her intoxicating scent. Even if they were to stay that way forever, a part of him wouldn’t mind doing so.

For but a single moment, the trials and the wedding felt so far away as he relished Xen’s presence being so close to him.

“I-I won’t really know until I’ve felt it, okay?” Xen sighed in resignation. “I just… I just know that I have the power if I need it.”

Snapping out of his brief respite, Darius frowned at his mate’s lack of confidence in her own abilities. If she was this hesitant to even try, then why was she so confident that she’d win back in breakfast?

Wordlessly, Darius removed his arms around her, letting Xen stand on her own as he looked at her with a scrutinizing gaze.

“My King?”

Darius held his breath for a brief moment, letting the winds flow around them as he thought about his next move. If Xen didn’t know if she’d even be able to harness her bloodline, then he’ll simply have to help her unlock it.

“The winds, can you feel them?” he vaguely asked.

Xen frowned at him as she answered, “Y-Yes? What’s wrong?”

He raised his hand up towards the open window, letting the breeze flow through his skin as he replied, “Wrong answer. Once again, the winds, can you feel them?”

Turning his body at an angle, Darius positioned himself in a way that let the winds control his direction and movement. All the while, he kept an eye on Xen as she visibly showed her confusion about his words and actions.

“W-wha- What are you even saying? Of course, I can feel the wind,” Xen pouted in her lack of understanding. “And what are you even doing?”

Instead of replying, Darius simply continued on with his projected movements. Slowly moving forward, he let the wind guide him as his feet followed the guiding breeze. He was moving all around the tower now, his path seemingly aimless as Xen watched him.

“I’m feeling the wind, my love,” he promptly replied, his whole body seemingly dancing to the tune of the breeze. “There are four elements for the trials, remember?”

“Yes? And what has this got to do with that?”

Darius stoically moved around her as he explained, “The Trial of the Air is yet another challenge you must face, Xen. In it, you must let your senses go and let the wind guide you.”

“Aaand… that’s what you’re doing right now?”

He held his smile from coming out as he nodded, “Correct. By allowing yourself to relax, you will be able to attune yourself even more to the winds that will be guiding you along your path. Doing so will let you avoid obstacles that might impede your progress, or let you move along the path of least resistance as you race towards the end.”

He almost bit his tongue after he uttered his last words. He knew that giving away blatant hints about the trial went against the spirit of the competition in the first place, but he didn’t really care. He just wanted Xen to win. And if her winning meant that he had to coach her through every single trial, then he’d gladly do so.

“A race, you say…” Xen mumbled in thought. “I guess I just have to be quick on my feet then.”

“Being quick on your feet isn’t enough, my love,” Darius quickly chided, his feet slowly coming to a halt in front of her as he stopped moving along the breeze. “You’ll be competing against other werewolves, those that are naturally faster and more agile than you ever will.”

“So I’ll have to let the winds guide me then,” she sighed in resignation. “Fine then. How do I do this?”

“First, feel the breeze coming from the outside,” Darius sagely instructed. “This is one of the few places in the kingdom where the winds are this strong, it’s best that you train properly to better attune yourself to even the slightest of breeze. Close your eyes if it’ll help.”

Heeding his advice, Xen closed her eyes, her arms raised up towards the window as the breeze flowed through her entire body. The sight of it almost made him smile as she began mimicking his earlier movements.

“L-Like this?”

“Exactly.”

With a wide smile running across his face, Darius watched as his mate danced to the breeze’s tune. It might not be enough for her to attune herself to the slightest breeze needed for the trial, but at least it was a start.

He only hoped that their current speed was enough.