Chapter 383: I Need Your Help, Sister
How many days had it been? Three weeks? It certainly felt longer. To the three of them, waiting and searching day in and day out, it felt like an absolute eternity. It was a ridiculous concept if anyone else heard it.Three powerful sovereigns put their territorial differences aside and came together for the sole purpose of searching for one wolf. Well, half-wolf. But despite their combined resources and manpower, he was simply nowhere to be found.
A person just could not vanish into thin air. They had scoured every inch of the land. Their respective territories had been turned upside down, every border checked, every guard questioned, and every rumour chased down, but there was absolutely no trace of Riven. It was as if the earth had swallowed him whole. So, by process of elimination, that meant only one place was left to look. The Black Panther clan.
Leon had naturally taken the lead in this matter. The panthers were notoriously reclusive, completely isolated from the rest of the world by choice. The only reason they even had a tether to the outside was through their trade deals, and those were formed exclusively through the Lion Kingdom.
When Leon first left home, he had been so confident. He left thinking he could just crash at Riven's place full-time. He had packed his bags, thinking that this was finally the beginning of something real between them, a fresh start.
But fate decided to put an end to that fantasy so quickly that Leon didn't even have the time to process it, let alone react. One moment, Riven was there, and the next, gone.
So, when Leon finally returned home, looking utterly haggard and drained of his usual golden energy, his sisters were genuinely confused. Leon was the prideful, charismatic prince of the Lion Kingdom.
They truly did not believe their little brother's charm would ever prove ineffective, let alone see him return looking like a defeated stray. He dragged his feet through the grand halls, his boots heavy against the marble floors.
"You're home..." Catalina was the first to notice him. She immediately abandoned the paperwork on her desk and walked towards him. She had always been the protective older sister, and one look at his face told her everything was wrong.
"Why are you home?" Celeste didn't bother moving from her velvet armchair. She simply peered over her spectacles, thoroughly confused. She wasn't one for emotional outbursts. She just waited for a logical explanation as to why Leon was back and looking miserable.
"Did you get utterly rejected?" Sofia teased from her spot by the window. But her smirk dropped almost instantly. She too walked towards him after realising the dark bags under his eyes were not just from a long journey. Something was really, really wrong.
Leon spoke softly, his voice rough and devoid of its usual booming confidence. It was entirely uncharacteristic of him. "We have searched everywhere. All over the kingdom..." He rubbed his temples, a massive headache forming. "The others searched their territories top to bottom, but we could not find him. Not a single clue. I need your help... We think he might be in the..."
"In the Black Panther territories," Catalina completed the sentence, her tone turning serious. She crossed her arms, processing the weight of that statement.
"So that was why you mobilised some forces within the kingdom earlier this week," Celeste said, quietly connecting the dots. She devoted all her time to her own research and usually paid little attention to military or political movements.
Who cared if their brother mobilised some troops? After all that happened, she did not think of her brother as the enemy any more, so they didn't have to worry about a sudden rebellion.
"Go wash up first. You look like you haven't slept in days. Her highness will definitely help you out," Sofia assured Leon, giving his shoulder a gentle, comforting squeeze.
Hearing Sofia say that, Leon realised he hadn't even addressed Catalina properly since walking in. He had just spoken casually, letting his exhaustion dictate his manners. Since Catalina was crowned, things were supposed to be different.
The previous Leon—the arrogant, carefree prince from a few months ago—would not care even a little about titles behind closed doors. But he was not like that version of himself anymore. Riven had changed him.
He looked at his older sister, straightening his posture just a fraction. "Your highness..." He paused. He had grown, yes, but not so much that begging came naturally to him. He swallowed his pride, struggling slightly to say the word, "...please."
Catalina softened, coming from Leon, that 'please' was basically him getting on his knees. "Of course, Leon. We will figure this out. But go wash up first, as Sofia said. You're no use to anyone in this state."
The three sisters stood in silence, watching Leon slowly leave the room. He walked like a deflated balloon, his shoulders slumped, and his usual fiery presence completely dimmed.
Once the doors clicked shut behind him, the atmosphere in the room shifted back to business.
"Our relation with them is already highly sensitive," Celeste quietly added, adjusting her glasses. "They hate the middleman, yet they refuse to initiate any direct connection with the other clans. Sticking our noses into their borders to find a missing half-wolf might provoke them."
"As sensitive as it might be, the Lions will always get what they want," Catalina said, folding her arms, her voice turning cold and authoritative. If her brother wanted this boy found, they would find him.
Meanwhile, Leon was escorted down the long corridors to his private chambers. The maids had already prepared a hot bath for him, the steam rolling off the water in thick waves. Usually, they would stay to help him undress and bathe, fussing over him as they always did. But he waved them off, telling them to leave him be.
If these past few weeks without Riven had taught him anything, it was independence. He found that he preferred doing things by himself now. The quiet isolation of the bathroom, the heat of the water—it was a safe haven for him to just sit and think. He sank into the bath, resting his head against the edge, staring blankly at the ceiling.
He thought about the vivid dream he had... And when he searched the kingdom... On his journey home, many of the scenes he saw had aligned perfectly. His 'wife' existed, she was living a very different life.