messenger to your kingdom, so they should learn about this shortly; plus, we have invited them to the naming of our daughter for the same night as well, so I suppose we shall celebrate together in harmony of these miraculous occasions.”

“Indeed, my Lord,” the dark-gray wolf replied. “I’m sure my Alphas would agree to that idea as well.” He turned to the new mother and lowered his muzzle, remembering his place. “Please allow me to be the first to wish you congratulations on the birth of your daughter, your Majesty, . . . in honor of my Alphas’ current absence.” 

Renee, who was calming down her quietly whimpering cub with her tongue and nose, gave a slight nod with her head. “Thank you, kind Sir, for your kind blessings for us and our princess. I suppose we shall see your Alphas and the rest of your Kingdom at the Peace-Gathering Cave tomorrow night, yes?”

“Of course,” the messenger agreed. “I should make my way back to our kingdom to help prepare for our part of the celebration.” 

“Yes,” Taylor added. “Each of our Kingdoms will supply half of the feast so that we can eat together in this time of peace and celebration. Please have a safe journey back to your Kingdom, my friend.”

“I will, thank you,” The messenger nodded a farewell before sprinting back to his own kingdom. 

Taylor sighed in relief as he too began to approach the edge of the cavern, making his way to the outside of the serene scene of his wife and daughter beginning to rest. “Rest well, my loves,” He murmured quietly as he saw the dawn start in the sky in front of him. The moon was to one side of him, while the glow of the sunrise was on the other; just looking at the fading moon, the sight of the shimmering coat of his newborn daughter returned to his thoughts.

Oh my daughter, he thought. Your coat is so beautiful, just like the mysterious moonlight the lights up the night sky . . . and I shall name you after the lunar light above . . . 

The sun rose and fell in the daylight and the moon followed behind it during the night. Once more, the sun rose, signaling a new day, and fell again; at last, the night of celebration had arrived for the two kingdoms.

The stars were like faint glitter in the skies as the two kingdoms of wolves came from separate directions to meet within the large space of the Peace-Gathering Cave. Each Kingdom began with the leaders of the pack, the Alpha Male and his mate; the Alpha Female carefully held her newborn cub within her jaws, protecting the fruit of her long, strenuous labors as she walked closely beside the protective male of the kingdom. Behind the Alphas were several strong males – the hunters and protectors of the pack – who carried about five to seven large carcasses of deer or caribou within their teeth with help from other males and she-wolf servants. Following them was the remainder of the pack, carefully moving forward and chatting amongst themselves about the wonderful event that was the focus of their celebration. 

By now, every wolf of the Sun and Moon Kingdoms had learned of the arrival of the other cub, so many of them wondered how this occasion would change their ways of life. However, the four Alphas had planned to talk to each other prior to the Naming Ceremony, which was another reason why they wanted to be the first ones in their kingdoms to touch the sacred ground of the cavern.

Once the two packs of wolves had gathered in the main chamber of the cave, the four Alphas, followed by the elders of each Kingdom – Laxel from the Sun Kingdom and Luna from the Moon Kingdom – went into a smaller, more private chamber room where they could talk about an important matter. 

“Greetings, young Alphas,” Laxel began, greeting the four leaders with a respectable bow. “And to you too, Elder Luna,” he regally bowed before the servant, for she was as old as he. “It has been a while since my last journey here to the Peace-Gathering Cave to name a kingdom’s heir . . . actually, it was when my son, Sol, was born about two years prior . . . but yet again, I fear that this may be my last time here alive.”

The other five wolves gasped, most especially Sol. “Father, you can’t die yet! I have so much left to learn from you!” 

“Ah, my son,” Laxel nuzzled him gently. “I am old, and not the young pup I used to be long ago. It’s been nearly fifteen years since my christening, and it is a rare sight nowadays for even a male to survive for so long. Besides, Death is only a natural part of our existence. I don’t know when that time will come, but right now we have a bigger situation to deal with . . .” He again turned to the snow-white wolf. “Isn’t that right, Elder Luna?”

She tiptoed forward with a gentle nod. “That is correct, Elder Laxel.” She then faced the young Alphas with a mystical look of concern in her eyes. “As the Elder of the Moon Kingdom as well as a Royal Servant and Midwife, I have witnessed and assisted with the birth of many a cub to our pack within my ten years of adulthood; however, less than two days ago, I felt a strange feeling of things to come . . . and I fear that the Princess, the newborn heir of my birth kingdom, will only be half of the solution to this possible threat to our society.” 

“Our daughter?” Taylor, quick to defend the child that he had seen born into his paws, leapt to his feet, his ears pricked up in shock. “I don’t understand, Luna. What does it mean?”

Dionne, who had been listening the entire time, seemed to understand. “I think it has something to do with our son as well.” Everyone faced the she-wolf as she explained her reasons. “When I was giving birth to my cub, I could feel something else surging through me as I gave him life. It was . . .” She let out a relaxing sigh. “I don’t know exactly how to describe the feeling, but it was as if . . . as if I could feel how important this tiny child was to be once he was born.” 

“And you are right, my dear,” Laxel replied back to her. “Just as Elder Luna feels the Moon Kingdom heir is half of the solution, I feel your son . . . my first grandson . . . is the other half.”

“Hmm,” Sol thought aloud. “So, if our children will form this solution for this unknown threat to our future, perhaps we should bind them together now while we still can.” 

“What, do you mean . . . an arranged marriage?” Renee went up and joined the others, gasping in shock by the words the Sun Kingdom Alpha had spoken. “Is this truly necessary for our safety? For our children?” She lowered her head in tears. “Oh, my daughter should have the right to fall in love on her own, not to be a part of something that is out of her control! It just doesn’t seem right!”

“If we are to be saved from this danger that awaits us, my lady,” Luna comforted the Alpha Female, licking the tears from her cheeks. “We must arrange this marriage of your daughter and the Sun Kingdom’s prince.” Renee sniffled, raising her head and looking eye-to-eye at her best friend. “Ren, you knew bearing a child as an Alpha meant that they wouldn’t lead a normal life, mostly because they would be of royal blood. Your daughter has a destiny to be fulfilled, and this is what is necessary to save us all. You both have to face this simple truth, and there’s nothing that can be done about it.” 

“But . . . but wouldn’t this betrothal unite our Kingdoms once they come of age?” Sol asked his father. “Is this what must happen?” Laxel nodded, only causing more questions to spew from the Alpha’s mouth. “What about our customs, our traditions, our way of life? Wouldn’t we lose this once my son marries a daughter of another kingdom?”

“That is not necessarily true, my son,” the Sun Elder spoke. “Sure, we will become one Kingdom because of the marriage of our Kingdoms’ heirs, but that doesn’t mean that the ways of our culture would go away. We will still live on, but we would also learn the ways of the Moon Kingdom as well, and naturally pass down both histories of the kingdoms to the next generations of the new pack.” 

“Hmm,” Sol slowly nodded. “I understand. Perhaps . . .” he turned to the other Alphas after letting out a sigh. “perhaps it’s best for us to betroth our heirs . . . if this is to help our kingdoms live on.”

“I agree,” the two she-wolf Alphas bobbed their heads, agreeing to the terms of the ritual. Dionne of the Sun Kingdom was easy to understand the situation of her son’s future, and although Renee wished only for the best for her daughter, Luna’s guidance from moments prior reassured her that this was the necessary thing that had to happen. 

“I guess we have no choice, huh?” Taylor lowered his head in a worried manner.

“I’m afraid this is the only option, my lord,” Luna answered back. “Betrothal at a young age was common back in my day, but it’s nearly died off nowadays; besides, there doesn’t seem to be any other way in my mind to prepare for the future.” 

The Moon Kingdom Alpha sighed loudly. “But what about our kingdoms? They might not like the idea of this sudden betrothal once we complete the Naming Ceremony.”

Laxel decided to answer the brown wolf’s query. “It doesn’t matter what they think right now. This move is indeed strange, but in time, they will understand the severity of the situation once the time is right.” 

“Well, I suppose,” Taylor finally concurred to the idea. “If my daughter . . . and your son must be together to save us . . .”

“Then it is settled,” Luna barked, beginning to end the meeting. “We shall announce the betrothal of the Princess of the Moon Kingdom to the Prince of the Sun Kingdom once their names have been made official.” 

“And once they both pass the crucial test of the Adulthood Ritual, we shall complete their joining together by making their marriage legitimate,” Laxel added, beginning to lead the Alphas out of the room and back into the main chamber