Wolf King And His Fox Consort

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Back in his cell, Xiao Zai tried to get his frantic thoughts in order. 

He hadn't participated in a hunt since his early teen years, and he had been a lot more naive back then -- even knowing how treacherous the palace could be. 

Now, he knew to expect traps, and all kinds of obstacles thrown in his path. His father had a set outcome in mind, and it didn't involve Xiao Zai coming out victorious.

Xiao Zai had his doubts if it involved him coming out alive, at all.

At least his grandmother had found a way to get Chu Yun out of it. He couldn't imagine she had been moved by the kindness of her heart. While she never set out to torment him or his dam like many others had, she was always cold and distant. Like an impenetrable wall of ice.

Whatever her motives, Xiao Zai was still grateful. Although he suspected that she would come collect, in due time.

He paced the length of the small cell back and forth while thinking of the best way to catch Chu Hean as soon as possible and get the hunt over with. His father's original intention was for Chu Yun to be the prey, so he was going to be forced to improvise. That didn't meant that Xiao Zai was going to have an easier time.

Moreover, it would just be him and Fan Jiang, while his brother's household boasted at least six wolves. The odds weren't in their favour. 

Something like a hunt required a level of trust in the people in your party. It wouldn't be possible for them to talk in their wolf forms, although they would retain their minds. Communication would be incredibly limited, forcing them to rely on instinct, and the ancient pack connections that primitive wolf societies relied on to conquer and retain territory. 

Seeing as he and Fan Jiang hated each other, he doubted a natural understanding would be born during the hunt.

Hours passed, the guards came and threw some slop into his cell which could barely pass for food. 

Stomach rumbling, Xiao Zai struggled to keep it all down, he would need his strength if he wanted to make it through the hunt.

---

The hunt would be happening in the large woods just behind the royal palace, and which were still considered part of the royal grounds. Chu Yun, along with Hua Nanyi, and all the servants in their household who had been summoned to watch the hunt. Many of them, despite being humans from Su, had lived in Zui for years, therefore they knew what a hunt was, although they had never seen one.

Chu Yun was in the same boat. They were all waiting in a clearing, surrounded by tall, dark pine trees. Some time ago, wooden stands had been mounted along the tree line, which the court spectators rushed to fill, coveting the higher seats, that would give them a better look over the trees.

The contingent of the households participating in the hunt had seat of honour in even higher, tower-like structures in opposing sides of the clearing. The King, in a display of his impartiality, and indifference towards worldly affairs sat in a raised platform between the two towers, almost at ground level.

"Awful view, I never understood the point of this, it's not as if we can see much beyond the tree tops," a familiar raspy voice said from Chu Yun's right.

He was surprised to see the Queen Dowager ascending the stairs, her face obscured by a dark blue veil affixed to her heavy crown. Two servants helped her up the stairs, carrying the train of her robes. 

Less surprising was seeing Gu Wei's stern face appear behind the Queen's servants.

"I didn't know her royal highness would be joining us," Chu Yun said, not hiding his surprise.

The Queen took a seat at the end of their little viewing gallery, truly not interested in the hunt about to happen. "Well, I have to sit somewhere, and I didn't like the feng shui on the other tower."

Chu Yun looked across the clearing towards the wooden tower hosting Xiao Yuan's household members. Compared to theirs, and the large amount of humans from Su, it looked positively empty.

"Ah, I see," Chu Yun said, one corner of his lips ticking up. The Queen had an unusual sense of humour, Chu Yun had to giver her that.

Beside him, at the front of the box Gu Wei snorted, "No, in fact I think you don't see." He shook is head, and nodded towards the ground before Chu Yun could ask him what he meant. "It's starting."

---

Xiao Yuan and his contingent approached the King's seat. They all bowed to him, and without fanfare disappeared into their own robes as they shifted into their wolf forms. Xiao Yuan was the first to emerge from his apricot coloured robes. He was a grey wolf with brown eyes. He towered over the other wolves in his pack, which were all different colours of brown and cream. His ears and tail were the smallest among all, despite his larger size.

Cheers sounded from the stands behind him. And when Chu Yun turned around, many people were on their feet to get a good look at the wolf forms of royalty. In a society that made so much mystery out of the beast form, and involved it in so much ritual, this was an unprecedented event -- surely to make the rounds in Haolin's teahouses for many months to come.

Guards dragged in Xiao Zai, still manacled. Chu Yun's stomach boiled with indignity at seeing him publicly humiliated like this. Fan Jiang followed behind him with his head lowered. 

Xiao Zai didn't bow to his father, in a blink he disappeared inside his robes, and emerged moments later as a menacing black wolf with ice chip eyes and white tipped ears. He was the tallest among all the wolves. He snapped his powerful jaw at the guards near him and they scattered like frightened ants.

Seeing him like this made something settle sweetly in Chu Yun's middle. His husband looked like he could maul the competition without even trying.

Just as it should be.

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