Prologue “Sire, you need to be there for your kingdom!” a small wolf argued. A growl welled in my throat, snapping at the poor canine in my frustration. “I am there for them!” I snarled, my cyan-blue gaze catching on the moonlight from the window. The room buzzed with a sudden silence, allowing my ears to pick up on the crashing between the sea and shores of the Ionian Sea that surrounded Ithaca. Mist curled around my paws, billowing in front of my face as the canine stared in terror. My head snapped up at the sound of a confident knock. “Sire, y-you’re too angry to be handling guests!” the canine yelped, flailing his arms as he scrambled backwards in an attempt to avoid me running into him. “What if one of the gods is visiting? Do you want Hades to rain on the kingdom because we didn’t open the door?” I snapped. “C-Come on! A-A god visiting at this hour isn’t likely!” the canine whimpered desperately. “Keep your jaw shut, Rocky,” I snapped. Rocky recoiled. “I-I think I’ll go to my dorm…” he stammered, yelping as the doors suddenly swung toward with a draft of cold night air. Rocky grunted as the door slammed him into a pillar. “Are you okay?” I asked as concern bled into my voice. “Never better,” Rocky said with a strained grunt. I turned my attention to a maiden, her hair flicked with silver strands. I shifted my weight and forced myself to lock my cyan gaze with her intense silver gaze. “Can I help you?” I asked, trying to keep my voice level. The maiden simply walked past me and headed towards the balcony. “Can I help you, Ma’am?” I asked again, firmer. She held up her hand. “Hold your tongue, Zephyr,” she said calmly. “I’m not sure who you are, but you just slammed my friend into a pillar,” I huffed. “Zephyr, she just called you by name,” Rocky pointed out. I pinned my ears back. “Rocky, I have ears—“ I sighed, pausing as his words finally settled. “Oh Hades—“ I mumbled. The maiden smiled calmly and tilted her head backwards as she looked over her shoulder. “Yes, I know your name, Zephyr.” A small smile formed on her lips. “Forgive my attitude, but you’d be furious if someone slammed your friend against a pillar with a door, do I lie?” I asked, heading over to pull Rocky to his paws. I steered him towards the step where my throne was and draped my cloak over his shoulders. I stepped in front of him, swallowing a low growl as I spoke. “Who are you?” I demanded. “Really? You can’t tell?” she asked, waving her hand. Suddenly my tail started to wag. “What? What’d you just do?” I yelped, trying to keep my tail straight. “Zephyr, I think that’s Artemis…” Rocky whispered. Yeah, that makes sense why she was able to control my tail, I thought. “Hare! Set up a room for our guest!” I commanded firmly. A small hare burst from the shadows and dipped her head. “Oh no need for that,” Artemis said. “Please, I insist,” I said, offering a moonlace bloom. I glanced back at Rocky. “Go ahead and go to the medic—I’ll be fine,” I said, cutting off the canine’s protests. Rocky frowned and draped the cloak back over my shoulders before limping away.
Artemis pushed my paw away. “Keep the flower, you’re already doing enough for me,” she said, shaking her head. “M’lady? What is taking so long?” another voice chimed in from the doorway. “Go ahead and head back to the other Hunters,” Artemis responded with a dismissive wave of her hand. The maiden glanced into the throne room before leaving. My ear flicked anxiously. “Were you ready to attack me?” I asked, knitting my eyebrows in worry. “No, some of my Hunters insist on escorting me to places far from the forest,” Artemis said, adjusting her silver bow. I chuckled. “That’s how Rocky is when I leave the castle.” “For future reference, I’d be careful how you use Hades’s name; rightfully, he hates his name being spoken as a curse,” Artemis suggested firmly. Hare rounded the corner, tripping over her massive paws. “Sir! Y-You have to see this!” she yelped.
