A Fate Foretold (formerly: A World Gone Mad)

A Fate Foretold 19

        Although she had been preparing herself for this conversation since the unexpected meeting with Sir Walter the day before, Ally felt at a loss of where to begin her explanation. People like Christian wouldn’t understand merely the cold, hard facts of the political situation she had found herself in and the need to extract herself from a dangerous trap before it closed on her.

        “I think I’d better tell you a bit about my life first,” she began hesitantly. “It will give you a clearer idea of what I’m up against.”

        Christian gestured his agreement as he sat down on the sofa. Ally remained standing, leaning against the edge of the desk with her arms folded across her chest.

        “My parents were very much in love with one another at one point, although they were not true mates. So much so that the fall from love was devastatingly painful. When I was five, my mother took me away to England in the dead of night. My father, I think, was more hurt by my mother’s disappearance than by mine. However, I was an excellent bargaining chip between the two. My father argued that I could only receive the full education of a First Descendent at court. They both wanted to hurt one another by depriving each other of me. When I was ten, my mother finally capitulated and Sir Walter was sent to collect me and bring me back to Geneva.

        “She didn’t capitulate because of concerns for my education. Really, she only sent me back to drive a wedge between my father and his new love interest, Lydia Bubant. You might know her as the current queen regent. She was a rising star at court and had caught my father’s eye, although she was a few years older than he was.

        “When my mother died, the day before my twelfth birthday, Lydia quickly moved in. She was obviously power hungry, but incredibly shrewd. She knew how to play the game. Lydia also has two sons, both several years my senior. You’ve met Ralph. He’s usually known as Ralpheus Bubant. We’ve always gotten along well. He has few political ambitions and is generally a very laidback person. His older brother, on the other hand, is very much his mother’s son. Leonard Bubant and I have never gotten along. He disliked the fact that when I arrived in Geneva as a ten year old, I was addressed with far more deference than he or his mother ever were.”

        “You were the First Descendent,” Christian protested hoarsely. “Of course you were treated with respect.”

        “Ralph would agree with you. Leonard would not,” Ally shrugged. She took a breath and continued. “Lydia and Leonard constantly schemed to acquire more power. My father married Lydia less than a year after my mother’s death. But she was given the title of queen consort and did not share my father’s political powers, although she continually strived for more. I did not know how successful she had been until my father lay on his deathbed.”

        Here Ally paused and poured herself a glass of water. Christian did not utter a word while she sipped the water and cleared her throat. “My father and I had a strained relationship. We didn’t speak much. I suppose I reminded him of my mother, and Lydia always tried to coax him to turn against me. Not that she was ever particularly successful, I thought. I am the only First Descendent there is left. And we did love one another, as most fathers and daughters.

         “On his death bed, it came out that my father had arranged, with the permission of the Lycan Council, to pass his power over to Lydia after his death. Not as queen regnant, which would be in her own right, but as queen regent. It’s a tricky piece of legislation. Suffice it to say, Lydia would rule in my stead for the remainder of her life, but at her death, I shall become full queen regnant of the First Pack. As the First Descendent, the throne must be passed onto me.”

        Ally sighed. “To this day, I do not know how my father managed to convince the Council to allow Lydia to reign. I don’t know what possessed my father to hand over power to her. Based on the last thing he ever said to me, I imagine that had he thought it over again, he would not have done it. It was unprecedented. But it happened. Nevertheless, Lydia is not content with wielding power for herself, but would ideally like for her son Leonard to have such power as well. However, the decision the Council made is quite explicit: Lydia does not rule in her own right and cannot appoint her own successor. So she came up with the extraordinary plan to have me killed. If I were dead, there would be no named successor. It is then possible that the Council would name Leonard as Lydia’s successor. He has political experience and knows the affairs of the First Pack intimately.”