Delta [Epsilon #2]

Chapter Two

(A/N) long 4.5k word chapter lol enjoy

*****

I blinked once. Twice. Three times, trying to discern if the image before me was real. Whether or not this was just another trick of the werewolves; a façade. But if the glittering scene before us wasn't enough to convince me, then Azure and Raina's equally shocked faces certainly were. 

No, this was definitely real.

And it was gorgeous. 

I didn't even realize the wolf below me had started moving, not as my eyes rushed to drink up every little feature. The court had an open area much similar to the Southern Court's, littered with the occasional tent or building, but that's where similarities ended. 

This was not the cobblestone castle of the Southern territory. No, this was a palace. A palace made wholly of white stone, its pale spires reaching far into the bright blue sky. Like a slash of winter cutting into a summer's background, or a dash of snow in a world of eternal Spring. I gazed at the pale walls, at the glimmers blinking along the surface, as though quartz or some other precious stone had been integrated into the smooth framework, sparking a symphony of glints that diluted my focus. Windows of all sizes embedded the walls, glittering like black stones embedded in a silver band. Even the sun seemed to enjoy the corners and crevices, for the structure itself retained a lovely, pale-gold sheen, almost like a second skin. Champagne on a lazy afternoon. 

I dragged my eyes away from the palace as we neared, its size simply too big for me to take in. I instead stared at the sapphire moat surrounding the entire length of the structure, at the series of wooden bridges that led from the castle's bank to the grounds itself, children frolicking in the amidst the waters while adults walked abreast along the bridges, lost in serious conversation. 

I was so lost in the sheer beauty of the palace that I'd failed to notice we'd stopped. Before us, a large, stone bridge with a pair of silver gates sat at the far end, two pillars erect at either side. Behind each pillar stood a serious man in a black cloak, and it took me a moment to realise the pillars were guard's platforms. 

"Who's this, Lord Gauss? The Epsilon?" One of the guards ground out, eyes sliding to mine. It was instinct to glare back. It had become an innate reaction for me these days. Despite his hard face, the guard looked slightly affronted by my coldness. 

"Yes, this is her," Gauss assured, oblivious to the silent stare-off. 

"And them?" The other guard chipped in, motioning to Azure and Raina. I didn't have to look to see the glower on Azure's face, or the blush on Raina's cheeks, from being spoken to so rudely. It occurred to me that, if we did indeed stay here, perhaps Raina's adjustment to everyone's attitude would become a problem. She was a respected Omega of the Southern Court. Well, was -- just another little thing I'd taken away from someone. I'm sure she wouldn't be used to rudeness, either way. 

"Epsilon's company. They are her sisters -- Sorors."

I looked at the red-grey coat beneath me. We hadn't told him we were Sorors -- sisters by battle. It made my trust for him grow, just a little bit. 

The guards shared a look, as though communicating in a silent language we couldn't understand, and it made me wonder if there were bound by battle, too. Brothers, in a sense. What were they called... Fraters? I made a note to ask Azure later.  

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of silence, the guards nodded and pulled the silver gates back, allowing our party inside the castle's front courtyard. As we walked, I took note of the neatly trimmed rose bushes, their white petals as pure and pristine as the palace itself; of the large, golden pyramid slanted at a strange angle, as though pointing to a certain point in the sky.