The Messenger( Iva) novel Chapter 350

The Ball I

The next day, the grand hall was a masterpiece of light and elegance.

Thousands of candles flickered in crystal chandeliers, casting a warm, golden glow across the marble floors. Flowers cascaded from every surface-roses, lilies, orchids, their petals shimmering with dew. The music was soft and melodic, a gentle waltz that floated through the air like a whispered promise.

The ball was a grand affair.

And by ten o’clock, the hall was full to the brim with wolves from every corner of the kingdom.

Iva stood at the edge of the dance floor, her hand resting lightly on her growing belly, her eyes sweeping across the crowd. She had been nervous, anxious, her heart heavy with the weight of the previous day’s events. The appeal had been rejected. Attia and Lori’s bond had been dissolved on paper. The injustice of it all still burned in her chest like a live coal.

But as she looked out at the assembled guests, something shifted.

The red threads of life.

They were everywhere-glowing, pulsing, connecting wolf to wolf in an intricate web of fate and destiny. Iva’s breath caught in her throat as she saw them stretching across the ballroom, linking wolves who had never met, who had no idea that their other half was standing just a few feet away.

A smile spread across her face-the first genuine smile she had worn since the hearing.

Caleb appeared at her side, his hand finding the small of her back.

“You look content,” he murmured, his voice warm with amusement. “I take it you found some matches.”

Iva turned to him, her eyes sparkling.

“Not some,” she said, her voice filled with wonder. “A lot. I can’t wait to make this happen-to unite these people, to give them the happiness they deserve.”

Caleb’s smile mirrored hers.

“Patience,” he said gently. “First, we have three important announcements to make.”

He took her hand and led her toward the stage at the far end of the hall.

The crowd parted as they approached, their eyes following the royal couple with a mixture of curiosity and reverence. The music faded, the conversations died down, and the entire ballroom fell into an expectant silence.

Caleb stepped onto the stage, Iva beside him.

He raised his hand, and the last of the murmurs faded.

“Thank you all for making time to attend this ball,” he began, his voice carrying across the hall with practiced ease. “I know that many of you have travelled far to be here tonight, and I am deeply grateful for your presence.”

A ripple of polite applause.

“I have three announcements to make before I release everyone to enjoy the festivities,” Caleb continued. “Three announcements that I believe will be of great interest to all of you.”

The crowd leaned forward, their attention fixed on the stage.

“First,” Caleb said, a warm smile spreading across his face, “I am pleased to announce that the Crown Princess and I are expecting our first pup.”

A wave of happiness swept through the crowd.

Cheers erupted, mingling with gasps of delight and warm congratulations. Iva felt her cheeks flush with pleasure as she placed her hand over her stomach, her heart swelling with joy.

His breath caught in his throat.

His hands clenched at his sides.

And slowly, carefully, he lifted his chin, meeting the gaze of the crowd with a quiet dignity that silenced the whispers before they could begin.

The silence in the grand hall stretched like a taut wire, ready to snap.

For a long, breathless moment, no one moved. No one spoke. The wolves of the kingdom stood frozen, their faces a canvas of shock, disbelief, and barely contained outrage. The chandeliers above them flickered, casting dancing shadows across the marble floor, as if even the light itself was unsettled by what had just been announced.

Then the storm broke.

A roar of voices erupted from every corner of the hall-shouts of protest, demands for explanation, frantic whispers that spread like wildfire through the crowd. The elegant facade of the ballroom crumbled in an instant, replaced by chaos.

“An independent kingdom?” someone shouted. “He cannot do this!”

“This is unprecedented!” another voice cried out. “The Bloodfang Pack is part of the kingdom! He has no right-”

“The Council will never allow this!”

Iva watched the scene unfold, her heart pounding in her chest. She had known that Caleb’s announcement would cause shockwaves, but she had not anticipated the ferocity of the reaction. Wolves were pushing toward the stage, their faces twisted with anger and desperation.

But the Praetorian Guard was ready.

They formed an impenetrable wall around the stage, their hands resting on their weapons, their eyes cold and unyielding. They did not speak. They did not threaten. They simply stood there, an unbreakable barrier between the few angry wolves and the royal family.