- 1 day ago
The Covenant Of Betrayal
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Short filmTranscript
00:00She stood at the Covenant altar wearing the exact same gown, moon silk, silver white, lily, she's just a friend,
00:06Jack always said, the vixen, her three red tails swaying behind her, each tip blushing pink, the sign of a
00:10fox in heat, or in triumph, she stood beside Jack, greeting guests together, my hand traced my moon silk gown,
00:16traditional bridal robe of the Lycan people, for the man I had loved eight years, ready, nervous, a scent drifted
00:23from the great hall, something sweet, clowing, and wrong, fox, I knew that scent, a female, young,
00:29her paramount's too strong for a guest, she shouldn't be here, I'm going to look, Rose, Rose, everyone is here,
00:37the five kingdoms, you can't, I know, I'm just looking, I pushed through the curtain, and saw her, Lily, Jack
00:43wore his half form too, golden lion's mane shining under the crystal lights, a hybrid, always ashamed of it, but
00:49today he looked like a prince, they looked good together, behind me, my mother sucked in a breath, the hall
00:53went quiet, ears turned towards me, tails stopped swaying, all eyes on me, I breathed in,
00:58wolves don't show fear, my father's first lesson, I walk into the hall, my moon silk gown, dragging across the
01:05stone floor, my ears straight, Jack saw me, his face changed, muscles tightening under his mane, he opened his mouth,
01:12Lily got there first,
01:15Rose, what a beautiful gown, oh, what a coincidence, ours matched, she looped her arm through Jack's, leaned her head
01:23on his shoulder, Jack didn't push her away, I looked at him, he looked at me, amber eyes,
01:28guilty, guilty, flustered, but not surprised, he knew she would come, he knew she would wear this, maybe he planned
01:35it, I smiled, you do look perfect together, loud enough for every beast in the hall to hear, a fine
01:42pair,
01:44Lily's smile froze, her tail stopped, three tips trembling, the tell of a fox caught in a lie, then her
01:51eyes welled up, Rose, how could you, Jack and I are just, just,
01:56she ran, gown tangling under her feet, Jack's face burned red, his mane flared, tiger stripes rising under his skin,
02:04Rose, how could you say that, Lily came to wish us well, his voice boomed, Jack, today is our vow
02:11ceremony,
02:12he stopped, five kingdoms are watching, your father, mine, do you really want to fight me here, over a friend,
02:19his mane flattened, he looked at me,
02:21then at the silent guests, his throat bobbed, but he didn't apologize, he turned and ran after Lily, left me
02:27standing at the altar in my moon silk gown, alone,
02:30one by one, the crystal lights went dark, guests rose and left, some gave me pitying looks, some smirked, I
02:36stood still,
02:37my mother came to me, said nothing, just draped a blanket over my shoulders, it smelled like her, cedar, frost,
02:43and a trace of old blood, war wounds, Rose, mother, I want to be alone, I stared at the altar,
02:50she left, the hall was empty,
02:52I looked up at the soul bond contract hanging above the altar, our names carved into a crystal,
02:57after the vow ceremony, the crystal would split in two, each of us would hold half, now it just hung
03:02there, a joke,
03:03I reached up and took it down, the crystal was cold against my palm, I remembered eight years ago,
03:08the lake, moonlight lake, Jack's first confession, he was a hybrid, I was the duke's daughter,
03:14our union could have healed old wounds between lions and wolves, I thought it was fate, now I knew
03:20better, it was just me, I got the news on the way home, Jack took Lily to moonlight lake after
03:26the
03:26reception, moonlight lake, our sacred ground, where the wolf moon goddess bathed, they said,
03:32where the waters healed all wounds, I was supposed to go there with Jack,
03:36for our mating moon, he went with another woman, griffin driven carriage clattering over golden
03:41city's stone streets, I set down my communication crystal, didn't reply, told the driver to turn,
03:47to the temple of life, head to the temple of life, the temple sat in the eastern quarter,
03:53run by deer druids, incense always burning, an old doe received me, her antlers grey, but her eyes clear,
04:01your certain child, yes, she sighed, took a purple vial from the shelf, a runestone,
04:09root severant runen, drink the potion, press the stone to your belly, three days, and the child's
04:15scent will fade, I took the vial, cold, my hand didn't shake, how long, the rune works fast,
04:21but recovery takes time, you'll need someone to tend you, the doe's voice was soft, I drank,
04:27bitter, then I opened my gown, and pressed the stone to my skin, cold spread from my belly through
04:33my whole body, like something being ripped out by the roots, three days later, the cub's scent was
04:38gone, Jack would notice, his kind didn't have lichen noses, but a father knows when his own blood goes
04:44missing, but what did it matter, he didn't care anymore, neither would I, pale moonlight bled through
04:52the fur curtains, frost wolf decorations from the ceremony still hung on the walls, they look like
04:57bad omens now, I dragged myself to the bed, collapsed onto the fur mattress, Lily's phantom
05:02image was the first thing I saw, lucky to have you, meant to be, the image showed Jack holding her
05:09close at moonlight lake, moonlight silver on the water, their lips about to meet, matching rings on
05:15their fingers, once I would have stormed over to demand answers, now I just turned off the crystal
05:21and rolled over, no tears, just tired, the next days brought no word from Jack, but Lily's phantom
05:28images showed me everything, kisses, selfies, market walks around moonlight lake, every image had a
05:33location marker, everyone had a sweet caption, I didn't react, I contacted a mage, started preparing
05:39to sever the soul bond, his name was grey claw, Avis, my classmate from the academy, his beast form was
05:44a
05:44grey feathered eagle, in human form, he still had those sharp raptor eyes, he asked when he flew to my
05:50house, you're sure, yes, he didn't argue, just pulled a roll of cured hide from his satchel, soul bond severation
06:05contract, he said, spreading it on the table, under the codex of beasts, severing a bond requires both parties to
06:11tear the contract before the council of elders, the guilty party pays cub feed, all costs from the pregnancy and
06:17recovery, what else, if a third party interfered in the marriage, the innocent party can reclaim
06:22all property the guilty party spent on the third during the marriage, grey claw's eagle eyes fixed
06:27on me, Jack bought Lily an emerald bracelet worth a million crystals, did you know, I blinked, then
06:34laughed, I do now write it in, two weeks later, I was reviewing grey claw's draft at home, when the
06:41front
06:41door opened, Jack walked in, Lily on his arm, he'd gotten tan, his mane had grown, golden hair bright
06:47in the sun, Lily's three red tails wagging behind her, our eyes met, Jack dropped her hand, uncomfortable,
06:53his mane flared, then flattened, tiger stripes flickering, his nervous tell, dry-throated,
06:58Lily had never seen the snowfields, I took her to see them, I said nothing, you're carrying our cub,
07:04the mage said you should rest, his voice trailed off, I looked back down at my papers, nodded, good,
07:10you, he stopped, watched me not looking at him, his mane flared again, you, what's your problem,
07:21I told you, Lily just wanted to see the snow, we can take our mating moon anytime, why are you
07:26making a scene, and I've told you a hundred times, Lily and I are just, just siblings, I know, my
07:32face
07:32was blank, wolf eyes flat, his face went stiff, mane flattening, stripes fading, he opened his mouth,
07:38nothing came out, Lily stepped forward, grabbed Jack's wrist, her tails low, ears pinned back,
07:44Rose, please don't be angry, please don't fight with Jack because of me, Lily's voice soft as
07:51cotton, he didn't take you this time, but he brought you a present, Jack, give your wife her present,
07:59she smiled at Jack, Jack fumbled in his pocket, pulled out a small box, pushed it at me,
08:04I got this just for you, open it, I glanced inside, simple earrings, flower shaped, tiny crystals around
08:14the edges, pretty enough, but compared to the emerald bracelet on Lily's wrist, worth a million
08:20crystals, it looked like market stall trash, I pushed the box back, no need, I don't accept scraps,
08:29the air turned cold, Jack's face went dark, mane exploding, stripes rising,
08:38Rose, what does that mean, I looked at the bracelet on Lily's wrist, moonlight lake yade,
08:44green as new leaves, worth a fortune, then I met Jack's eyes, what I said, you give her emeralds,
08:53you give me scraps, you think that's all I'm worth, Jack's mane frozen, his eyes flickered,
09:03Lily jumped in, voice breaking, Rose, don't be angry, Jack only gave me the bracelet because
09:08I loved it so much, if it bothers you, I can give it back, she said this, made no move
09:14to
09:15take off the bracelet, Jack pulled Lily close, glared at me, Lily, don't listen to her, the
09:22bracelet is yours, she's always been like this, small hearted, jealous, I looked at them, said
09:30nothing, turned back to my crystal, Greyclaw had sent a message, first draft ready, also, compiled
09:37list of Jack's gifts to Lily during the marriage, total, 3.72 million crystals, I replied, good,
09:45Jack saw me ignoring him, got angrier, he stormed out with Lily, slamming the door so hard he cracked
09:52two rooms, I knew what he was waiting for, he wanted me to run after him, apologize, like
10:02I always did, this time, I didn't even look up, on the eighth day, Greyclaw flew to Golden
10:11City himself, put the final soul bond severation contract in my hands, sign, he said, I'll handle
10:18the rest, I picked up the quill, dipped it in ink, I signed my name, Rose Frostclaw, daughter
10:24of the Lycan Duke, 72nd generation of Snowfield Wolves, then pressed my paw print beside it,
10:30silver grey, the print glowed faintly on the hide, scent rising, cedar, frost, and something
10:35bitter, my mark, from this day, Jack had no part of me, but the day before my follow-up
10:39exam, Jack sat in my living room, nervous, his mane flaring and flattening, Jack tomorrow,
10:46you'll come with me, of course, I smiled, then I sent Lily a message, maybe you're not
10:57as important to Jack as you think, he promised to take me to the temple tomorrow, he says
11:02everything between you was just pretend, Lily was quiet for a long time, finally, just wait,
11:09I set down the crystal, smiled, fox pride is more fragile than their tails, I knew she wouldn't let
11:19me down, the next morning, Jack was gone, his pillow was still warm when I woke, he'd left recently,
11:29the sheets smelled like scorch, his lying smell, my crystal lit up, Lily's phantom image, Jack and her
11:40kissing, the caption, true love doesn't check the calendar, I set down the crystal, picked up the
11:49soul bond severment contract, walked out, Greyclaw waited outside Covenant Hall, he came, no, but the
11:57council is inside, then let's begin, the 15 elders sat in their places, three from each kingdom, their eyes
12:05followed me, my grandmother sat among the wolf elders, she nodded once, I nodded back, Rose Frostclaw, wolf,
12:12the high elder spoke, you petitioned to sever the soul bond with Jack Golden Mane, is this true?
12:18yes, evidence, Greyclaw stepped forward, laid out the rolls, phantom images, crystal messages, gift
12:25records, the elders read, the defendant, defendant not present, wait, Jack burst through the doors,
12:32Mane a mess, shirt untupped, he stopped in the center of the hall, breathing hard, amber eyes locked on me,
12:38Rose, you, his voice shook, you planned this, I said nothing, yesterday, you asked me to come
12:44with you, you knew I'd go to Lily, you set me up, defendant, do you admit to improper relations
12:51with Lily the fox? Jack opened his mouth, closed it, she's just a friend, he finally said, murmurs,
13:01a friend, the bear elder laughed, you kiss your friend? Jack's mane flattened, I made a mistake,
13:11enough, the high elder struck his staff, this council finds in favor of the petitioner,
13:15the soul bond is severed, Jack Golden Mane shall pay cub feed and damages totaling 5.3 million
13:20crystals, Rose Frostclaw, do you accept? yes, Jack Golden Mane, do you accept? Jack stood in the
13:26center of the hall, shaking, his eyes were red, mane flat, stripes gone, I, I, I don't accept,
13:34louder now, Rose, you're carrying my cub, how could you? gone, he froze, what? the cub, I looked at him,
13:46calm, two weeks ago, at the temple of life, I did the root severment, the whole gasp, Jack's face lost
13:55all color, turning deathly pale like ash, his lips trembled, you what? his voice came from
14:02somewhere hollow and deep, the cub is gone, the day you took Lily to Moonlight Lake, Jack's legs gave
14:10out, he fell to his knees, how could you? how could you?
14:19how could you?
14:19mumbling now, our cub? you knew it was our cub, I looked into his eyes, spoke each word clearly,
14:31then why did you take another woman to Moonlight Lake while I carried it? he had no answer, just
14:37knelt there, shaking, completely broken and defeated, the elders exchanged looks, judgment
14:43stands, the soul bond is severed, this council is dismissed, one by one the elders rose, the wolf
14:51elders each touched my shoulder as they passed, my grandmother said nothing, just pressed a warm
14:57crystal into my palm, the blessing of wolves, I closed my fingers around it, walked out of the
15:04hall, behind me, Jack still knelt on the floor, not moving, I didn't look back, after the bond was
15:12severed, I went home to the snow fields, wolf territory sits between frozen mountains, winter
15:18all year, I liked the cold, cold that went to the bone, kept you awake, my mother made me recovery
15:26food every day, bone broth, fish stew, wild greens, different every time, my father didn't talk,
15:35just left fresh kills at the door and walked away, it took me a long time to heal, root severment
15:40is
15:40hard on the body, the deer druid said three months at least, I didn't follow Jack's news, but Greyclaw
15:46told me anyway, Jack's not well, he sat across from me in the longhouse, his sharp eyes watching intently,
15:54he's been in the taverns every night, drinking until he can't stand, a few times he shouted your
15:59name in public, the lion council warned him, Lily, she tries to see him, but golden mane, Jack's father
16:07forbade it, said if she comes near Jack again, he'll have her whole family run out of golden city,
16:12she won't give up, no, Greyclaw shook his head, she's been talking to me, you're a new patron,
16:17one more thing, I nodded, Greyclaw pulled a scroll from his satchel, the frost wolf trading house,
16:22all of Jack's shares have been transferred to you, he signed, didn't fight, didn't fight,
16:26no, Greyclaw paused, he was drunk, after he signed, he cried, said he wanted to see you,
16:35I was quiet for a moment, no, I said, Greyclaw put away the scroll, stood, I'll be going then,
16:43send word if you need me, he spread his grey wings, shot out of the longhouse, into the sky,
16:49I watched him disappear into the clouds, then looked down at the roll in my hands,
16:54frost wolf trading house, Jack and I started it together after we left the academy,
16:59a market stall at first, selling snowfield goods, hides, herbs, crystals, then it grew,
17:06became one of the biggest trading houses in the five kingdoms,
17:09bards used to sing about us, the hybrid son and the duke's daughter, against all odds,
17:15building an empire together, pretty story.
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