The Rogues Who Went Rogue
Chapter 62

"NO!" Lucianne didn't know how many creatures growled that word her way, but their combined volume was enough to make her animal cover its ears in discomfort.

Xandar turned Lucianne to face him, and gently shook her by her forearms as he reminded her, "Babe, when we talked about this, we said we're putting our prisoners there, NOT YOU." "The prisoners won't necessarily do things our way or ask what we want, darling."

Juan exclaimed, "Lucy, are you out of your mind?! No one knows how that thing works and you just want to trespass like it was your own territory?"

Lucianne argued meekly, "Well, we're not trespassing if we have the forest's permission."

Greg was close to exploding when he asked, "How the f*ck do we even get that?! And you didn't think of bringing this up earlier, My Queen?" Xandar wasn't done either. "What about our daughter? Didn't you say it might affect Reida?"

"I don't think it will affect her or anyone else adversely in our case. It's like Greg said before, we're just trying to understand the forest. I understand where he was coming from now. The forest might really feel flattered and give us what we're looking for, some proditor hideout that no authoritative figure has access to or something like that."

Xandar threw Greg a glare for putting that thought into Lucianne's head. Greg was pissed too. "My Queen, putting what I said that way isn't fair. Like this cousin of mine, I suggested putting prisoners there. Or humans. Disposable creatures who are better off disposed of. You, as I'm sure everyone will agree, DO NOT qualify."

Lucianne wasn't giving up. "Think about it, Xandar. Every historical curse took effect AFTER a ruler sought to destroy the forest in one way or another. There's nothing in history that says one died of an unknown disease or had someone they loved taken from them by simply passing through with no ill intentions."

Greg argued, "Didn't you mention that no guards are stationed there because it'll emit some sort of lethal odor, my Queen?"

She turned to her cousin-in-law and argued, "Yes, because the guards weren't just passing through. They were there 24/7. How would you feel if someone watched you 24/7, Greg, someone who controls who comes to see you and invades your space as and when they please?" Greg refused to answer that question because it would only give Lucianne the upper hand, so he glowered at his cousin and uttered, "Even the most insignificant speck of dust in the kingdom knows that you're powerless when it comes to our queen, but for the love of Goddess, don't pick this time to be powerless, cousin. She CANNOT be allowed to go there."

"I don't need you to tell me that," Xandar addressed Greg with a subtle growl before speaking to his stubborn wife much more gently, "Alright, babe. How about this? We'll send someone else in there for a test run. If what you're saying is true, that it's safe, we go in. Deal?" Lucianne looked at him in suspicion and asked, "Who are you suggesting?"

Pellethia offered, "I have 26 vigils at my disposal, Aunt Lucy."

Lucianne's eyes widened in shock, and she caught a few vigils flinching at what the empress just said. She then stated the problem with that suggestion, "Pelly, the idea is to send non-vampires."

Octavia argued, "We heard that, Lucy. But if all that is needed to keep harm at bay is to enter the forest without intending to destroy it, then it wouldn't matter what species we send in there, don't you think?"

None of the werewolves and lycans were onboard with letting Lucianne go either, so the queen was on her own when she tried to persuade the vampire rulers to reconsider, "We're talking about sending your most trusted investigators, Octavia."

Pellethia immediately questioned, "So? You've said so yourself, Aunt Lucy, if they're just passing through with no intention to demolish the forest or stay for an extended period of time, they'd be fine, right?"

The lycans and wolves were internally grateful that Pellethia was on their side in this, especially Xandar. Pellethia just got back the person she thought was lost forever. She wasn't going to let Lucianne put herself in unnecessary danger now that she had the power to protect her in a way that she couldn't do with Rosalie.

The chamber fell into dead silence as they waited for Lucianne's answer. Her eyes studied the 26 vigils. Some of them might have families, spouses, perhaps even children. But what assured her was that even those who flinched earlier showed no fear now, only a readiness to serve. They reminded her of her and her friends before battles, a readiness to fight and die trying. She thought about what she told everyone, going through whatever she knew about the forest, and concluded that it should be safe.

After what seemed like an eternity later, Lucianne sighed in defeat and uttered, "Fine. Okay."

Those holding their breaths heaved an audible sigh of relief. Greg slowly leaned back into his chair and muttered under his breath, "Goddess, this creature takes stubbornness to a whole new level."

Toby found himself responding, "Well, now you know how we all feel in such situations, Your Grace." Even he was surprised by what came out of his mouth. The minister expected to speak against this duke for Lucianne, not the other way around.

But everyone jolted upright when Lucianne started speaking again, "But don't send them all at once, Pelly. Maybe two at a time, and don't wander too deep in at one-go. Take it slow. Maybe the first pair could go as far as six feet in, the second pair could go ten feet, something like that?"

Pellethia turned to her vigils and yelled, "Heard that?!"

"Yes, Your Majesty," they bowed and uttered in unison.

Pellethia's voice softened when her sights returned to the king and queen. "We'll start executing that plan tomorrow."

"And two days after that," Xandar insisted.

Before Lucianne could argue, Octavia uttered in agreement with a firm nod, "And two days after that."

A woman with dark hair that reached her shoulders asked, "Your Majesty, wouldn't that length of time put our own people at risk? Another village might be abducted by then!"

Octavia and Pellethia scowled at the woman at the same time before Octavia responded, "And what do you suggest we do, Vienna? Dismiss investigating the forest and wait while all our people become susceptible to abduction?"

After coming to terms that there was no way out but to back-out, Vienna swallowed her pride and said, "I...apologize for the...unhelpful opinion, Your Majesties, Your Highnesses. Forgive my intrusion that was...given without...proper thought on my part."

Without hesitation, Pellethia declared, "You're suspended for the rest of the week after this meeting, Vienna."

"Understood, Your Majesty," Vienna said with relief because she and many others thought that she was going to be permanently dismissed after what she said.

When that was settled, Pellethia faced the lycans and werewolves again as she asked, "Would there be anything else to discuss for now?"

Toby raised his hand and asked, "Can we borrow a few decipios and discretus to guard Blue Crescent?"

"Of course, minister." Pellethia obliged with a smile and signaled a team of six custodes (guards), who complied to her silent command with a bow.

Octavia then suggested, "Perhaps it's best if we sent a few to all of your packs, minister, just to be safe."

The wolves and lycans looked at Octavia wide-eyed. But Pellethia gently squeezed her consort's hand with a grateful smile.

Toby asked in genuine worry, "Do you have enough to spare, Your Majesty? Your territory isn't exactly...proditor-proof yet."

Octavia grinned at Toby's consideration and said, "Well, minister, I must admit that our species will be spread very thin across your packs, perhaps only two of each kind in each pack other than Blue Crescent. They will only act as a pair of eyes to see what wolves and lycans cannot. Some of them might not have the sufficient skills to fight, so the burden of fighting must still be borne by your people, I'm afraid. With the abduction threat still present and our limited population, that's all we can offer to help secure the safety of your sp-" Before he could finish, Zelena exclaimed gratefully, "It's more than enough!"

Juan agreed, "Yes, that really is all we need - a pair of eyes that can see something that we can't. Thank you, Your Majesties."

Lovelace and Tate thanked them, too. Every Alpha and Luna's scowl were replaced with grateful smiles. The cold and distant atmosphere lifted, and everyone felt a form of connection that they never imagined being established with vampires.

Just when Pellethia thought that was all, Rafael leaned in and whispered something into her ear. When he was done, he waited for her answer. Pellethia's eyebrows furrowed and forehead creased as she reminded Rafael with concerned eyes, "Just be...very gentle and careful with how you're going to phrase things."

Rafael nodded with a nervous smile, and looked at the king and queen before he cleared his throat and asked, "What I'm about to say is going to be potentially triggering for some...or for everyone uh..." he chose his next words even more carefully, "When the decipios...manipulated. what did it feel like, Your Highnesses?"

With Rafael's question, the lightened atmosphere that took a lot of time and effort to reach was effectively tossed out of the window.