Chapter 267
Chapter 267 ASHER
The capital city of Yurene was heavily guarded, even more so than I'd expected. While I’d been well aware that the place would be swarming with security, given the scale of the wedding, the sheer amount of guards that stood around was impressive.
Our car joined the line of other vehicles waiting to approach the enormous gates, and when | rolled down the window, the guards began to speak. We were told once entered through the enormous gate that our identities needed to be triple-checked before we could enter the castle that stood in the distance. The castle was equally impressive, its walls soaring so high into the air that it looked like it was kissing the clouds. It was an amazing sight to behold, though | hated admitting that anything in Yurene was impressive.
While | had been nervous to come here, | knew | had a low chance of getting caught, especially since | had disguised myself using Darwin's identity.
When I'd initially proposed the plan, the Sky Pride wolf had been agitated by the idea of me using his name to sneak into Yurene, but Kane reminded everyone that crafting a new identity for me might raise suspicion. It would be easier to assume the name of another wolf, and Darwin made the most sense. As the hand of the Alpha, Darwin would be the most suitable for attending the wedding on behalf of Sky Pride’s leader.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.
Thankfully for us all, Kane had been right. Taking Darwin’s badge in his stead had made it easy for me to pass through the checkpoints. The guards stationed in the different zones had a list of names they referred to whenever a guest approached, and | had made it through the first two without issue.
As | approached the third and final checkpoint, | began to grow nervous, but when the guard scanned the list and found my “name”, he smiled at me, gave a short bow of respect, and then opened the gate.
Our car passed through with ease, and once we did, the gate closed heavily behind us, ready for the next guest to present their badges.
| glanced around in amazement. The minimally decorated grounds were filled to the brim with ser vants hauling luggage and leading guests to the number of buildings around the main castle.
Though the castle appeared to be bustling with people, the gray buildings seemed quite grim. This whole place was sad and gray and bland, the sky included. | had never seen a more dismal region, and the mere thought of Cassandra being here made my heart ache for her.
Cassandra...
Was she in one of those buildings? | didn’t know, but | had to remain hopeful that she would be here.
When the car pulled to a stop, a well-dressed maid opened the door for me. Her hair was pulled 1/3
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into a severe bun and her icy blue eyes were intense as they stared into mine.
“Welcome to Yurene,” she said with a polite smile. “My name is Ms. Benn. Allow me to lead you to your quarters. | apologize for the inconvenience, but the main building is full, so you will be accommodated in one of the side buildings on the left. Rest assured, the standards of the rooms in those buildings are exactly the same.”
| nodded and offered a kind expression. “Thank you very much, Ms. Benn.”
| had brought six soldiers with me to Yurene. Ms. Benn informed me that they would be sharing three rooms while | would have the room at the end of the corridor to myself. | was pleased with this arrangement. In fact, it was completely ideal. It would be convenient for me to sneak out and look around in a room at the end of the hall.
Ms. Benn told us that our luggage and personal belongings would arrive in a few minutes, and then tactfully recommended that as Southerners, we shouldn't go out at night in Viokwell, because the patrolling guards might take us as assassins or spies.
“It's purely for safety,” she explained with a small shrug and then she smiled. “Is there anything else | can do for you before | leave?”
| had the impulse to ask her where their soon-to-be-queen would be, but that would be too risky. So, instead, | just asked if any of the other guests from the South had arrived.
Ms. Benn nodded and named a few of them. “They’re in the same building, but on different floors.”
| didn’t recognize any of the names of the guests, but | knew their Packs. A few of them belonged to Wegalla, just like Sky Pride. As | pondered their names, | wondered if they were ready to betray Wegalla and collaborate with Yurene on this impending war.
| supposed | could visit some of them later. “| hope it’s alright to wander around inside the building,” | remarked. “Of course,” Ms. Benn assured me, and then she bowed again. “I hope you have a pleasant stay.”
The night fell quickly, and after dinner, | returned to my room and leaned against the windowsill as | stared out at the sky. To my dismay, the moon and stars weren't visible due to the thick cloud
cover. The grounds below had finally quieted, as all of the guests who were supposed to arrive today had
all arrived.
| glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. It was nine. The maid, Ms. Benn, had mentioned before she’d left that all serv ants would be off-duty past nine, so if | needed anything, it would be better to call them before then, otherwise, there would be a significant delay and | might not receive care until the next day.
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| stepped away from the window and approached the door of my room. | couldn't hear anything out in the hallway. The corridor had fallen silent, which made this a pretty opportune moment.
| reached into my pocket, retrieved the letter that Cassandra had left for me, and after | said a small prayer, | pressed a kiss on it before returning it back to my pocket. It had become a ritual of mine and | used the note to give me courage. | surely needed it if | was going to pull this mission off.
After | took a moment to steady my breath, | opened the door and peered around. Once | was certain the hallway was empty, | stepped out quietly.
From what Ms. Benn had told me, | was on the fourth floor while the rest of the Southern guests were arranged on the third floor.
| wasn’t sure what my plan was, but | knew that time was of the essence and | could delay my snooping any longer. | needed to gather intel on Yurene, and | couldn't do some from the confines of my room.
Cassandra was here somewhere, and while | had no idea where she was hidden away, | vowed that | would search this entire fortress to find her. | would stop at nothing to find my mate and bring her
back home to Anemond. Back home to me.
Where she belonged.