Page 17

Chapter seventeen

Erendrial

T hat night at dinner, I danced with my wife. She laughed as I twirled and glided her across the dance floor. I had truly thought I would never see this version of her again, yet here she was, tucked into the safety of my arms. I hated that we had so many political matters to handle. All I wanted to do was worship her body for the next century, but we were royal and didn’t have that luxury.

After dinner, we made our way back to her room and called for our ragamor. I wasn’t thrilled that we were headed to the place that still haunted my nightmares, but I still believed Narella would align herself with us. Though, it disturbed me that she could manipulate Gen’s visions, even if that meant we had a way of communicating with the god.

We landed near the dreadful cave. Poppies still lay at the base of the entrance, even though winter had come, and summer was on the horizon. The place must have been enchanted. I hadn’t been able to look at the flowers since I had found Gen’s body inside six months ago. She came up beside me, wrapping her arm around mine and leaning into me.

“We haven’t talked about that yet,” she said. “Lily told me you were the one that found me?”

I tore my eyes away from the cave, thinking about her body mutilated and half-eaten in the center of a burning pentagram. “I was,” I said shortly. “Another time. We need to focus on Narella.”

“Yes, you do,” Narella’s voice came from behind us.

We turned around to see the stunning blue-haired goddess leaning against a tree. She wore a blue flowing gown that contrasted her snow-white skin. “Glad you got my invitation, Princess Genevieve. Though, I don’t remember asking you to bring guests.”

“Where she goes, I go,” I said.

“Yes, I’ve noticed.” Narella snickered. “Oh, Otar, you can come out of hiding now.”

Otar yelled out in frustration and anger as he came down from the mountain, cussing and tossing small rocks at nothing in particular.

“Controlling bitch,” Otar spat, taking a place next to me.

“I’ve missed you too, you little hellion,” crooned Narella. She puckered her lips and blew Otar a kiss. “I see you’ve replaced one master with another.”

“If you try to hurt her, I will pull out your heart and eat it in front of you,” threatened Otar with a growl.

“You’ve grown attached. How sweet,” said Narella with surprise.

“You have no clue,” I added.

“Why did you want to meet with me?” asked Gen.

Narella focused her eyes on Gen. She walked over slowly and extended her hand out to touch her face. Otar and I both stepped in front of her. “Calm down boys, I am not going to hurt your lady,” Narella assured us, stepping back.

“Then what do you want?” I asked.

“You already know what I want, you clever boy. You figured it all out, without me having to say a word,” answered Narella. She looked me up and down slowly, taking in my figure and the details of my face. She leaned around me and looked at Gen. “I can see the appeal. Got any more like these in that mountain of yours? I would love to have one of my own,” she said, turning her eyes back to mine.

“Afraid he’s a collector’s item,” replied Gen. “But back to what you say you want. Are you being held against your will, like Otar?”

Narella exhaled with a laugh. “My … situation is similar, yes. I am unable to answer your questions due to some magical restrictions, but I am confident you both can find a way around that. I’ve been watching the two of you and I am impressed, to say the least.”

“Alaric restrains your ability to speak about certain details of his operation,” I said.

“But, if that’s the case, then how are you here now?” asked Gen. “If he has that much control, wouldn’t he be able to locate you and see that you’re meeting with us?”

“My power allows me to break from his sight for ten minutes at a time. That was how I freed Otar’s mind, returning his memories about Alaric. And how I helped you save your princess, twice,” she emphasized.

“You were the one to free my mind?” asked Otar in shock.

“You were always one of my favorites,” she said, winking at him. “But that means I only have about a minute left.”

“What do you need from us?” asked Gen.

“I want you to destroy him. I want to be free,” she said.

I had seen enough wild animals in captivity to recognize the one before me now. The desperation and pain of entrapment flickered behind her eyes.

“We are working on it,” I said warily.

“Start getting creative with your questions. You need to focus on building your strength. The massive group of creatures I told you about is coming soon. He fears you, Genevieve. He is searching for a way to defend against you, and he will find it. But for now, you have the upper hand. I will reach out to you again when it is safe. Do as I have said and prepare yourselves,” With that, Narella disappeared into the air.

“Can I have her hair … once we kill her?” asked Otar.

“We’re not going to kill her. She’s telling the truth,” said Gen.

“What makes you so sure?” I asked.

“The first time I met her, I saved her. She was testing me. She knew who I was, even then. The traps the light court set weren’t designed to entrap gods. She could have gotten herself free, but she was waiting to see what I would do with her. I showed her she could trust me. She was looking for someone to save her. A way to set herself free,” explained Gen.

“If we trust her, we’re taking a huge risk,” I pointed out.

“What other choice do we have?” asked Gen.

“We can kill her,” suggested Otar. “We kill her and then I will suck the marrow from Alaric’s bones as I roast the prick’s fat over a fire and fashion rugs out of his hide.”

Gen laughed at the creature.

“Are you really encouraging him?” I asked.

“What? I think he’s cute,” she said.

Otar turned to her and growled.

“And horrifying, and wicked, and violent, and powerful, and brilliant,” she added with endearment in her eyes.

Otar smiled, nuzzling against her side.

I pulled her from him, but he yanked her back.

“If you are going to stick around this time, then learn to share,” he snapped at me.

“Not a chance,” I said, pulling her into me. Sick little fuck.

He growled.

Gen laughed again, pulling his head into her, and kissing him on the cheek. “Go kill some fairies for me. I will call when I need you,” she said.

The creature laughed with delight before disappearing.

“Your relationship with that thing is disturbing,” I noted.

“His name is Otar, and be nice. He has never hurt me or lied to me. He is very helpful and if he needs to cuddle occasionally, I don’t mind.”

“Just remember what he is.”

“I don’t really know what he is, but I know he is my friend. He is loyal and I think he even cares for me—as much as he knows how.”

I shook my head. “This is a losing argument. Just promise me you will be careful,” I said, pushing the hair back behind her ear.

“I promise. Now let’s get back to the castle. Your room or mine tonight?”

I smiled at the eagerness in her eyes. “Your bed is bigger,” I said, leaning down to kiss her.

We consumed each other that night. I had never been with someone that I desired so deeply. I couldn’t get my fill, and I prayed to Azeer it would be like this forever. I took in every moment of our time together: her sounds, her smile, her scent. The way her mouth would grin and then form into an O just before she climaxed. I would never take her for granted. I had lost her once, and this was my second chance. My second chance to have everything I never knew I wanted.

We skipped breakfast and stayed in bed till lunch. I didn’t care about our duties or responsibilities. All I cared about was pleasing my female, my princess, my wife. We finally pulled ourselves away from the bedroom and made our way down to the training arena where the twins were waiting for us to show off their new inventions.

Gen wore a loose, sheer dress revealing the shoulder that bore my imprint. All her dresses complemented the marking, bringing a sense of satisfaction I never knew I desired. Seeing my imprint on a female had never appealed to me until now. The marking fit her little body perfectly.

I pulled her in front of me, pushing my chest against her back as we walked through the halls to the arena. I traced my fingers over the dark lines, feeling myself harden while I pressed against her perfect, firm ass. She giggled, scrunching her shoulder as I tickled her. Dammit, I couldn’t take it. That little giggle sent me over the edge.

I pushed her into a nearby hallway and took her up against the wall while court members passed by, oblivious to our presence. She looked out into the busy hall as I buried myself inside of her, making sure no one was watching. Once I hit the top of her, all her concerns and reservations disappeared. She began to moan. She sunk her teeth into my neck. I took her mouth with mine and quickened my pace until I pushed us both over the edge.

We straightened our attire, trying to make it seem as if nothing had happened, but the scent of our sex lingered all around us. She smiled up at me, pulling me in for another kiss.

“And to think,” I whispered, holding her in my arms, “when you first arrived you looked down upon alfar who took their lovers in the hall. Hypocrite.”

“That’s before I had experienced the ambassador of pleasure. Honestly, I think I’d allow you to take me anywhere.”

I laughed. “You’ll regret that you said that.”

She scrunched her little nose and shook her head. “No, I don’t think I will.”

I pulled her back into the hall as we made our way to the twins.

“Okay, now hold them firmly,” said Voz, showing Gen his latest invention. “They got a bit of a kick to them,”

She held two crescent-shaped dark weapons with large blades that could cut through a piece of metal like parchment. Runes were carved into the surfaces just like the rest of the black weapons. They were close combat weapons, a sharp point at the end of each blade. Grooves etched into the curved body allowed the wielder to catch and disarm their opponents. They looked so large in Gen’s small hands. She smiled, admiring the artistry.

“They aren’t going to explode like the first models of your dark swords did, are they?” I asked, my arms crossed over my chest.

“No, smartass, they aren’t going to explode. They’re perfect,” said Voz,

“Just like we designed them to be,” added Oz.

“Now, these were designed to mimic a creature that we killed last year. It could send out massive waves of kinetic energy that slammed into you like a wall,” said Voz.

“Leenia was also his inspiration. She’s his muse,” said Oz, batting his eyes at Voz.

Voz punched him in the gut. “Shut up, whore,” Voz snapped at his brother, turning back to me. “They aren’t only good for close combat, but when you spin them in the right sequence, the dark magic that feeds from you to the weapons acts as a net for the energy around you. When you have collected enough, you slam the blades into each other towards your target to release the energy. But remember, they have a kick.”

“Got it. Slide, absorb, and slam,” recited Gen with excitement.

“Right, now, follow me,” Voz said. He began to spin and twirl the weapons around him like a choreographed dance. Gen watched closely. He did the motions slowly while she absorbed every movement. When he was done, she nodded with a smile and mimicked his movements, except at a faster pace. Voz and Oz started to panic, putting their hands out to stop her.

“No, no, not so fast, princess,” said Oz.

Voz cut in. “The release is going to be—”

Gen brought the two weapons down in front of her towards the target. As the metal of the crescent blades clashed, a loud whine screamed from them, followed by a blast of pure green energy that sent Gen flying backwards through the air. The wall of energy expanded. When it hit the target, the wood evaporated into dust.

I rushed towards Gen, picking her up off the floor. She shook her head as she stumbled to her feet. The twins came rushing over to us, checking to see if we were okay. The whole gym turned in our direction, trying to figure out what had just happened.

“Are you okay?” I asked her, checking her over for any injuries.

“We’re sorry,” said Oz.

“We should have told you about the speed factor,” said Voz.

She grinned at them. “That was freaking awesome!” she yelled, laughing with joy. “I want these. I want a pair. Can you make them for me? Please?”

The twins looked at each other and smiled. “Of course,” they answered at the same time.

“You two are brilliant!” she squealed. “These are my new favorite weapons. I want to train with them as much as possible in the next week. Can you help me?”

“It would be our pleasure,” they said in unison, followed by a small bow.

She turned to me. “You have to try these.”

I smiled, running my hand down her back. “Adrenaline junky. I almost forget.”

The rest of the day she trained with the crescent blades. Zerrial met us after he got back from a hunt and began training her properly. Even though she was fierce in a battle, I didn’t trust Varches with her. He had been close to her cousin, Toreon. Though we had found no evidence he was involved in the attempt on her life, I wanted her to be safe, which meant keeping her within my inner circle.

We got dressed for dinner and made our way to the throne room. The king had not spoken to either of us since we had told him about the queen and Gen’s mother. I could tell it was eating at Gen, but we both agreed to let him come to terms with the situation on his own. He was a private male, and I knew he would eventually open to her when he was ready.

We ate dinner together while we laughed and talked with Vena, Zerrial, and Lily. Icici sat quietly off to the side, observing like she had ever since her father and brother had been killed. A small part of me felt sorry for her. Her own brother and father had planned to kill her to install Toreon as heir to the throne.

The king retired to his rooms after dinner. I pulled my princess into my lap, teasing her to create that smile I’d do anything to see spread across her face. Besides Jestu, I usually kept my personal life to myself. I never showed affection to the females I was bedding in public, but she wasn’t just any female. She was my life.

Doria came up beside me, bowing before she leaned into my ear. “The Sollerums have agreed to speak with you,” Doria whispered. “Hashen wants to take the deal. We just need to make sure Helor is on board.”

I nodded, turning back to Gen. She looked at me curiously. I kissed her head, running my hand down her beautiful black hair.

“I have to go make a deal,” I said, winking at her.

She scrunched her nose and smirked, moving to her throne on the platform as was custom for the royals after dinner.

I made my way into the hall, following Doria to an empty meeting room. The Sollerum brothers were already waiting for me. I stepped in, feeling the weight of my mantle for the first time since I had been crowned prince. I unbuttoned my jacket and sat in a chair, folding my hands across my lap.

“Lords, what can I do for you this evening?” I asked them.

Hashen looked at Doria before shifting his attention to me. “We wanted to hear this supposed offer from your own lips, Prince Lyklor,” said Helor.

“Why don’t you both first tell me what you want?” I said mockingly. “What are your ambitions and goals in life?”

The brothers looked at each other and took a seat in front of me. Doria stood by my side at the head of the table.

“We each want a seat at your table when you take the throne,” started Helor. “We also want the throne’s treasury to run through our bank. We will handle all the crown’s assets and dealings during your reign. We plan to prove ourselves. At the end of your reign, if you are pleased with the way we’ve handled your accounts, the deal that we make today will be transferred to our heirs.”

I paused, taking into consideration what they were asking. It wasn’t a lot. Their reward wasn’t worth the death of their father, but who was I to weigh their options for them.

“Deal,” I said.

They looked to one another, speaking that creepy, unspoken twin language I had seen Oz and Voz do many times before.

“Is there anything else, Lords?” I asked.

Hashen swallowed and tensed before looking at Doria. “There is one more thing, your majesty,” said Hashen. He paused.

“I would like to get back to my wife, so what is your request?” I said, annoyed.

“I would like you to make an exception for a union between a High Lord and a lowborn,” he requested.

I turned slowly, watching Doria’s eyes widen with shock.

“I would like to be granted permission to marry Doria Felzborne at the time of our choosing,” Hashen said, sitting taller than before. “I was hoping, considering your own situation, you would make an exception.”

I took a heavy breath, acting like I was contemplating my answer.

There it was: the real reason they were agreeing to the deal. Their father would never allow him to marry a lowborn, especially one connected to me. Helor was going along with the deal so he could help his brother find happiness. Plus, their new stations and source of income and power wouldn’t hurt.

“Please give Doria and me the room,” I said to the brothers. “Wait outside. I will call you when I am ready.”

They stood and nodded before leaving.

Doria collapsed into the chair next to me, her eyes flashing from side to side, reeling in shock.

“I assume you didn’t know this was part of the deal?” I asked.

“No,” she said frantically. “I would never use your situation to advance my own. My actions were solely focused on making sure you were safe.”

I took her hand in mine. “You don’t have to defend yourself. Not to me. Ever.”

She grinned, turning her attention back to the table.

“Does he treat you well?”

She nodded. “I did try to get rid of him all those decades ago. I really did, but he wouldn’t give up. He was the first male, besides you, that saw me for who I was. Not my past, or class, but the real me. The one I try to hide.”

“And is this something you want? To marry him? I want you to know you have options. I would never broker a deal if it meant your unhappiness. You are my family. You come first,” I said.

She gave a slight laugh. “I want this. I want him,” she admitted softly.

I stood up, pulling her into me, holding her tightly. After all she had endured, the decades of abuse and torment, she had found her happiness. Just like I had. I pulled away and looked down at her.

“If he ever hurts you, I will personally skin him, understand?” I said, holding onto her.

She laughed with more emotion than I had ever seen her display. “You forget who you’re talking to. You don’t think I’ve already threatened him with the thousands of ways I could torture him? You taught me well, Eren.”

I kissed her on the head, and she fetched the brothers. They came in and took their seats. I looked at both of them and smiled.

“I want you both to know that I want this arrangement between us to be real. I want to be an ally to you, and I hope in time you will feel the same. If you ever need anything, you may come to me freely. I would like to build something sustainable that can flourish between the three of us. Is this possible?” I asked.

“We would like nothing more, Your Highness,” said Helor.

“Of course, Your Grace,” said Hashen.

I turned to look at Hashen. “Understand that what you are asking for is precious to me in ways you cannot begin to understand. If you ever hurt her, I will destroy you. Are we clear?” I said, sharp threat lingering in the air.

“Perfectly, Your Grace,” Hashen said, looking up to Doria with a smile.

“Then we have a deal,” I replied, reaching for the parchment and quill.

We signed the contract and sealed our bond. Helor and I left the room while Doria and Hashen celebrated. We both smirked and nodded in respect to one another before we entered the throne room. This arrangement wasn’t about power or my position. This arrangement was about our families’ happiness.

Though that deal took an unexpected turn, I was happy to have one of the three contracts in place. I stood at the entrance of the throne room, looking into the crowd of dancing alfar and humans. They were laughing and gliding across the floor to Lily’s beautiful voice. I moved my focus to my princess.

She sat on top of her throne, looking as exquisite as ever. Her attention was locked onto someone in the crowd. Her face was full of relief, pain, and surprise while she stared. I looked past the dancers to see a woman approaching her. She had long black curly hair and wore a plain dress. Her face was familiar in some way.

Gen stood from her throne, descending to the dance floor as she walked towards the stranger. Her face lit up with joy. Tears began to run down her cheeks. I looked at the familiar woman again. I had seen her face before; when the king shared his memory of his human lover with me. Gen’s mother. Gen’s dead mother.

No, this wasn’t right. It couldn’t be her. It had to be … the queen. She was a shapeshifter. She knew what Gen’s mother looked like. This was a way to get close to her to—

I looked at the woman’s hands. An orange blade slid from the sleeve of her dress as Gen rushed towards her with joy. Before she could touch the queen, I misted and caught Gen in my arms, just as the queen reeled back and drove the ulyrium blade into my back.

I held onto Gen, looking down into her eyes as pain rushed through my body. The queen pulled the dagger free. I saw Zerrial, Leenia, and the twins tackle her to the ground as they slammed their powers into her. I held onto Gen, losing feeling in my legs.

Her eyes filled with tears. She cried out in pain, ushering me to the floor. I couldn’t make out what she was saying. My vision went black. I felt my heart pumping harder, trying to keep me alive. My grip on her arms loosened and everything around me faded. The last thing I remembered was her calling my name.