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A Biography of a Human

Chapter Forty-One:

“Yalta"

Princess Regent, or in full: Supervising the Alphate, Senior Princess Selene, Imperial Littermate of the Alpha. That was the approved title created by the Board of Rites for her role.

To regard this as a novelty to established tradition would be an understatement. Granted, the Imperial System was new and traditions were still in the embryonic state with only the idea of a hereditary succession of that lofty position of Imperial Alpha, being around for four generations of Imperial Alphas as of Ulric.

The role of Supervisor of the Country, Regent, was, in the recent traditions, a duty thus forth given to the Heir Apparent. It was a way to train and test the abilities of a future Alpha wolf in the role of holding the pack together and managing the Alphate. For a sibling to be granted this role was unheard of. There was always a risk of causing fratricidal conflict, as was the norm in horizontal succession patterns which was practiced in the old Alphate.

Rumors abounded, some strangely bold talk of Selene possibly being made Heir Apparent were heard. The fact that Ulric had not designated a pup thus far born as Crown Prince motivated such speculation. Naming an heir is more than just a whim, it was the highest of the highest politics and was one of the main reasons for the pressure on Gao'ao to adopt prince Bakti.

I have written of her initial offense to such a proposal but with the recent turn of events in her hated rival Consort Kun's son being rallied for by some members of the court was slowly changing her mind. Last I heard of that, just before the departure from Lupercal, was that she would go through with it. That is, until she gave birth to her own offspring, in her words.

Any issues of naming an heir were to be put off until we returned from Yalta. Little Wolf was adamant that he did not wish to be bothered with that while there.

“Every time it's brought up the audience becomes deadlocked. Titus and his faction argue for waiting, and the other, led by a relative of Kun, a certain Orest, furthering that her son Prince Guan be installed as heir without delay," Ulric would exhaustedly say to me of the issue, his back leaning on my chest while I massaged behind his ears.

This was how he was after nearly every audience now. I tried my best to lift his downtrodden mood but to little avail. I had my own affairs to tend to before setting out, namely Elyk's position in the palace he agreed to and trusting Yosef to deliver a message to the Elyk who shall take it to the overseer of the palace.

Issued from Human Imperial Consort Iskander of Clan Koff to that of the overseer of the palace metalworks.

Greetings to you. May the Imperial Alpha live for one million years.

The fox bearing this letter is of the name Elyk. His talents of management are commendable and have thus arranged that he should be given the duty of deputy supervisor of the palace whetstones in the palace metalworks.

Honor this.

That was all done with no issues and soon I heard that my childhood friend was there and working his position which made me pleased. Jao managed to buy out members of the palace armory in his attempt and stash away weapons for it without being noticed. With Elyk now there, his sharp nose would ensure that if anything strange happens it would be made known to me before such a repeat occurs.

Coups, such blight on the Kutlars. I've heard it said that when Lycan did the act of fratricide and forced his father to abdicate in his coup, that a curse was placed on the pack to suffer from the indignity of that vile act. In a more rational explanation, it's said that, “If Lycan can do it, so can I," after all, Lycan was a great Alpha worthy of emulation in his rule with the consequence of his violent take over being so as well.

Worrying things, I do admit. Fortunately, since the attempt of Jao, the Imperial Guard have been increased in numbers since they were cut back in the calm of Wuffrim II's rule with an entirely new battalion of elite guardswolves being officiated, christened as the 'Sacred Silver Fangs,' with the commander being one of the wolves who showed much valor in the counter-offense against Jao.

Dillian elected to stay behind and in his stead he sent an understudy of his to be Ulric's attending Eunuch. Wise choice, he would stay behind and make sure things were going well and send unofficial bulletins on anything that might happen.

How long the duration of this excursion to the mountainous coast would be was not certain. It was going to be more than just one month, that was for sure, taking into account the plans and provisions of it all and needing to name a temporary regent.

Only matters of the utmost importance would be sent to Ulric to look at, everything else, the near-daily audiences, reports, petitions, memorandums, approvals and rest would be dealt with by Selene be it for good or ill.

“The Deputy Master of Ceremonies was here earlier Xan…quite boring," Ulric's ears lowered, showing his feelings about that. “I had to listen to how the court would be conducted for Selene…I wanted to fall asleep," a groan followed from his muzzle as I cuddled up next to him.

“Don't sound too indolent, Little Wolf, a good ruler is one that pays attention to even the most boring of things," I chided the lupine. “You want to be a real Alpha wolf, don't you? I know you are one, if the power of your knot means anything..."

Ulric's half-shut eyes turned to me, showed me how drained he was from such trivialities. Even flirtation from me was having no effect, “An hour of listening to a wolf go on about how my throne will be left empty and that a throne for the Princess Regent will be placed on the west side of the throne hall and facing east to hold coat and that the officials would first bow to my throne before bowing to the Princess Regent's... Xan this lasted over an hour and she even brought diagrams and schematics of the positions of everything from the carpets to the lighting…"

“Well…you have a point, that's a bit…over the top" I paused.

“But you are the-"

“The Imperial Alpha, yes yes, I know!"

“Yes, exactly, and the responsibility of that is carrying out the proper decorum and ceremony as a reflection of the proper order of the cosmos and nature," I replied, ignoring the angsty attitude as if it was not there. His muzzle and head turned slowly at me and his half-closed, blue lupine eyes looked at me with such an expression of being done with it all.

“Xan, please stop reading those classic texts, you just sounded like a wolf ritual specialist and I just spent an hour listening to one already today," I playfully bopped his wet nose.

“Oh you, stop it! But I'll stop boring you with this, after all, you are wanting a reprieve from all of this."

“YES! That's why we're going to Yalta, so please stop, there's only so much I can bear."

“So grumpy!" I teased at the wolf as he replied.

“Well maybe if you want, I should make you regent instead since you seem to like it."

I laughed, “Well, if your intent is to kill your Uncle, then that would be a fast way to achieve that," he followed suit with howlish laughter. Getting up, I made him some herbal cha of tribute chrysanthemum and lavender from the imperial park. I offered him a bowl of it, saying how it would help him relax and lovingly watched as he lapped the steaming brew delicately.

Ulric then broached the rather awkward subject of the trip. Since I was the most high-ranking member of the Harem going along I had the rare privilege of selecting a few she-wolf maidens to come along to serve him, “Yes, I selected some, not many, around five," I said further on about how calculating their last heat cycles should mean that they should enter their next during the time we were residing in the Yalta Villa.

I should also mention how the wolves I picked were ones I knew were bullied by Gao'ao for minor faults and mistakes in proper respect to the arrogance of her rank. I felt I could trust them and knew they were disaffected by Gao'ao. Most importantly, Ulric needed heirs and more than his father had considering that Ulric only had two half brothers.

Thinking over the names of the wolves I had picked, I recited them to Ulric after he asked about who I had selected.

“Let's see there's ladies, Ayse, Khatuna, Shui, and…oh! And maiden Ainu,'' Ulric recognized none of them and that was no shock.

“Tell me about one Xan, how about that Ainu?''

I pondered for a bit making sure of the correct information for that one and began to recite what I could recall.

“Well she's not much, she's from a normal clan, and serves in the palace greenhouse as an arranger of flower bouquets," I stated. “She's a bit weak in body, some complaints about her health but the palace doctors check her over and can't find what's the cause…"

Ulric then chimed in, “Some form of physical condition?"

“I wish I could say yes or no to that but I do know that they look her over and then say she's healthy. Her family has had no issues in recent generations for if they did she would not have been placed as a potential concubines," I sighed, having exhausted all that I knew of this wolfess, concluding that whatever the issue with her it's not serious with her episodes being along the lines of colds and fevers.

“She's a good choice regardless though. Not assuming, a bit timid, no wild dreams or passions. All around good from what I have seen," Ulric nodded and said that he trusted my judgments and changed the subject to his plans for going hunting in the villa parks during autumn.

This would have been such a nice moment to share each other in bodily union but Ulric was much too tired, having no stamina for that even though he might want to. I did not even bring it up as a suggestion. Ulric did want me to stay the night with him rather than return to my domicile. How could I say no to his needful blue eyes? I did not resist nor did I want to.

He called out loudly to the eunuchs that were stationed out of view and on cue there was shuffling and lights began to die out in succession around all the chambers and room as the two of us departed to the Imperial Bedchamber.

A single shout rang from out a cry of an announcement, “ THE IMPERIAL ALPHA NOW RETIRES!" it was Dillian's voice which I could recognize distinctly. No doubt would he soon come inside and take his own rest in the small chamber next to the Imperial one.

With a small train of carts and coaches, the procession to the Yalta Imperial Villa was a speedy one. Only the essentials were bothered with. Just prior to leaving, announcements went out to the provinces making the prefects and governors aware of the Imperial Alpha's plans to retreat for the remainder of the year. If any pressing information of the kind that affected the Empire came about, there would be no confusion on the whereabouts of their Alpha. Of course, blatant abuse of this would result in reprimand for anyone that dared to try and bother with trivialities of provincial squabbles which often happened with overly ambitious governors wanting to tattle on rivals. None of that would bother us now, of course though I personally find such matters quite amusing as I can always see through bad acting. My hobbies can be quite strange, that's what Ulric often would say to me.

But what I felt and found amusement in did not matter then, Ulric needing a retreat did. Furthermore, I too was fed up by the pettiness of Gao'ao and her stifling court, keeping the mask on there was tiring. I pitied those left behind. Dillian made sure to keep me informed about her antics and there was a wealth of them to bring up now that she felt restraint lifted with Ulric gone.

The worst by far was her having a maid beaten so violently she died the same evening. That horrid she-wolf, oppressing her lowers who could not do anything but take it. Foolish girl, tyrant of the henhouse who plucks out the eyes of all the other hens while her own nest lays empty!

This event occurred while we were a few months into the sojourn at the villa, Dillian sent a message informing me of not only that but the corruption too. Nu hid it and pressured the Palace Doctors to say she died from a fall and also gave a hefty payment to the family just in case. Now this sounded like Nu being nice to her daughter-in-law but that was far from the case. Nu made sure to make Gao'ao aware of how she helped her out of the matter and if she dared cross her that the truth would leak out.

I should bring up a dream that came to me during a night which I found odd at the moment but even more so after a happening that I shall speak of after. The only reason I remembered it was through the event which followed.

I was within the darkened confines of a forest, the moon on high, blood red in color. Ahead of me in the darkness was a dark form on the ground, barely discernible. Approaching it, the stench of rancid blood made itself known to me and the red light of the moon shifted so it shined like a beam upon the form.

It was a hare, motionless, of a female, but as large as a feral dog; dead and covered with blood. When I say covered, I mean by not realistic means but as if the whole form was dipped in a vat of blood and thrown upon the ground. The abnormally large hare's belly was filled with erect daggers like stems of flowers sprung forth from the ground. How I knew it was female I do not know, just knew it was.

A howl then rang out in the distance and turning I saw a wolf atop a high rock, howling out to the crimson red moon.

When I awoke I took note of the odd dream and quickly forgot it, that was until a month later when a frantic message came from Lupercal bearing shocking news of a death. One that was so massive that it was severe enough to warrant Ulric being made aware.

Consort Kun.

She was dead.

It took everyone by surprise. She was all well the day before and come the daybreak she did not wake and when her maids checked on her, her body was cold. Dillian gave me some information on the side which raised my suspicion of this all being off. Gao'ao did not sleep the whole night. The lights of her chambers were blazing with scarlet-tinted light the whole of the night and when news rang out she came out, not even phased by the event.

Was Gao'ao that stupid? On the heels of murdering a maid to doing away with her rival like this? Dillian was even unsure of this himself and he had a head for such things. He signed off to me saying he would keep his eyes and ears open for anything. I wrote back saying that anything he does find he should keep between the two of us for pragmatic reasons. Accusing Gao'ao would be risky, even with solid evidence, she was too big a part of Titus' clique with her uncle and mother.

If Gao'ao was to be taken out at all she would need to be without any support from anybody. Even Alpha Dowager Nu was vested in keeping Gao'ao in place despite the mutual animosity and holding blackmail of the maids death over her.

“Maybe Gao'ao is aware of how needed she is?" I thought to myself how she could have called Nu's bluff with the accidental death done under her orders. That is of course, if she even was involved in the death of Kun, which at the time was still an enigma to me in the astonishment at the stupidity of it being her doing being even too much for me to comprehend.

The hatred was there to give clear motive and her behavior afterward was further damning and she was foolish enough to attempt something like this…but it still did not quite fit fully.

If she did, then I felt like this was the first serious offense that could be used to take her down in the future, that is, it could even be proven, which is why I was holding out hope for trusty Dillian to find any.

Ominous feelings took hold in me. I only met the wolfess once but still, her untimely passing left a grave sense of unease in me, bringing to me remembrance of losing Gernan so suddenly.

Ulric was shaken by the news as well. His affections for her were not strong only that of needing to have an heir, still, he felt shaken by her expiring like this and leaving pups behind. Ulric decided to posthumously promote her up to the next harem rank in her honor. Her pups would be given into the care of their Grandmother Nu in the meantime.

This put a damper on the excursion from Lupercal for a moment, as we all took to mourning rituals and colors: black and white was everywhere, on the walls in the form of drapery, to vases, table covers, and even upon our bodies. Such somber hues stole much of the color of the sojourn, both literally and figuratively. For the entirety of the month abstinence from drink, meat, music, hunting and sex was the rule. Every dawn was ordained in an assembled mass of libations to the spirit of Kun in the main hall, arranged as the mourning chamber.

When I would enter the mourning chamber, the wolves I selected for Ulric's bed would, without delay, hurry to my side, buzzing around me, asking how my sleep was and bidding me a good morning. Ulric would be there dressed in mourning regalia, I would go up to bid him the ceremonial greeting.

Chimes were rung, bells and cymbals were hit. Incense and candles lit and placed about. All assumed positions and honor paid to the spirit of Kun in the form of repeated bows. Only Ulric, as Alpha, did not bow but stood on his knees at the head of the groups of mourners.

Then a eunuch came forth and called out, “Let the grieving commence," and the whole group of us started our pretend crying. It was all show and theater but it was ritual and ceremony as prescribed in the codes.

I had no doubt about her pups having real grief to show at the same rites that took place in the palace at Lupercal. I hoped that Nu treated them well and gave them the comfort they needed at this moment. I knew this well as a person who lost his parents and how I nearly went into madness from the trauma of it.

Ulric though, was the foremost object of sympathy for me. With this death and it's incurring death rituals, my Little Wolf was once more in that which he sought to escape from: court protocol and rituals. Though in the Yalta Villa there was less of an audience to watch his every move in these rites. You move your tail wrong and it's seen as a breach and you could have the Grand Auditor writing you on improper showing of the proper emotion.

The only good of this was that the mourning for a lesser mate of an Alpha was only a month and a half in the ritual code. No year-long affairs that one might expect for the Imperial Mate or Alpha Dowager would ordain.

The imperial bedchambers were made into a mourning chamber as prescribed, simply spun cloth of white, grey, and black covering everything and all sexual partners barred from its interior and his presence therein. Periods of fasting for him and everyone else as well.

To try and keep Ulric from losing his sense of sanity, I sent him secret messages of support since even I could not make visits to him in his chambers while the mourning was mandated across the villa and its grounds.

Biding my time in this listless and dour period of time, I found myself reading up on the history of this Yalta Villa. Apparently it was built on the foundations of a much older human structure, modeling the rebuilt structures according to its form while adding some off to the side for use as audience halls and auxiliaries.

The local humans, who claim their ancestors have lived in this place for time immemorial, recounted stories of the location's history during the human epochs. They say that over three millennia ago, a triumvirate of the most powerful humans in the world came here to carve up the world between them after a rebellion of an Austrian warlord who dreamed of a world empire. Also, it was said to be the second such meeting, after the first which was held somewhere in Persia, and after which was held again in someplace in Germany after the defeat of the rebel.

Upon hearing this story, Yosef recognized something in the character of the Austrian rebel. He turned to me and told me how growing up there was a story about an evil wolf born from the shadows of the mountains of the land of Austria, ironically named Noble Wolf, who ordained that their ancestors were the cause of all evil in the world and had them rounded up and thrown in the fires of Moloch, a monster of metal in the shape of a bull. Yosef was certain this was the same figure being discussed, despite the species being different and I was inclined to agree with him.

Memory is a fickle thing and I speculated that this event must have been of great importance to be perceived through the ages, even during the dark ages of the post-Anarchy age. This Austrian rebellion must have shook the world monumentally to be remembered so vividly as was told by the locals. Accounts exist of the human epoch but only written after the fact and much is varied by historians, who, mainly being Chimerian, write it with a bias against us and as an example of why the human holding of the Mandate of Heaven expired and fell into the paws of the Anthro race.

The only real witness of those days is made from stone and sitting dilapidated in the gardens of the Villa. Two weathered stone, feral lions with maws open and with paws on a sphere. They reminded me of the monumental head in Africa that spoke to me in a vision and uttered those strange words.

Being parted with Ulric, I found myself out in the gardens looking at these sculptures, placing my palm on their pitted surface and thinking about how in a way I was reaching back in time through the very touching of the stone.

Closing my eyes, I could see in my imaginations of the three Emperors of Man dressed in their finery and seated on their thrones debating the restoration of world order. The defeat of the Austrian rebellion.

Then was epoch of Mankind

Now is the Epoch of Beast

Though it was their age, I refused to allow myself to be trampled under their paws! I would not be in the background as the legacy of a marked people that offended the gods with it's hubris.

Titus and his party will be destroyed and I will do it at the side of my Little Wolf, Ulric! I will help him be the greatest Alpha the world over!

I swore to it.