by N L Nold
As soon as she was back to her partially scaled body Reign collapsed being caught by strong arms. The smell of Eerikki filled her senses as he wrapped one arm around her back, placing the other under her legs and cradling Reign to his chest.
He pushed his way through the crowd nodding and acknowledging to the fae showering her with worship and praise as they passed. Many hands touched Reign as they walked past each gentle and kind attempting to offer her strength.
Reign closed her eyes trusting her men to take care of her. The sounds of the crowd died down and soon the only sound she heard where the steps of her men as they descended the stairs likely headed back towards the prince’s suite.
The men never said a word, they didn’t need to. There mere presence offered her strength and she had never been more grateful for anyone than she was for them right now.
Eerikki paused shortly followed by the soft sound of a door. Reign opened her eyes once she felt Eerikki sit readjusting her in his lap so he could wrap both arms around her in a comforting embrace.
She looked to Eerikki as he rubbed slow circles in the middle of her back, he was staring into the flames of the fireplace in his room appearing lost in his own thoughts.
Turning her head, she found both Maikoh and Abban seated on the floor on either side of Eerikki offering her silent comfort with their presence.
The three sat there silently for a long time none feeling the need to say anything. Finally, Reign adjusted herself on Eerikki’s lap enough to address her men.
Her words came out so quiet but they all heard her
“She killed her, she killed my mother.”
The words where barely out of her mouth before the tears began to fall. Eerikki’s grip on her waist tightened, Maikoh and Abban reached up each taking a hand. They sat there and allowed her to cry comforting her in any way they could.
Reign cried deep into the night wrapped in the embrace of her men, she cried until their where no more tears to cry. When she finally stopped Eerikki picked her up and placed her in his bed. Her men crawled in with her and she fell asleep surrounded by their love and support.
Chapter 21
A new dawn
She awoke alone in the large bed where Eerikki had lane her the night before. Her eyes opened slowly still slightly puffy from the tears she shed for her mother. The light shown through the window illuminating the grandeur of the room.
The lightness of the morning felt wrong, she thought to herself. She felt sad and hopeless, all her life had been a lie. She suffered hating her parents for abandoning her.
Her hate lessened when she found out her mother would have sacrificed her life to give birth to Reign, but it didn’t change the fact she should have had those years with her. She should have been able to grow up feeling loved and wanted, knowing what she was and what she could expect. Instead she grew up a tool for mans greed.
The more she thought on it the more the pain and sadness turned to anger. She had been used her whole life and had her mother ripped from her at a young age and for what?
To satisfy someone else’s lust for power. Well no more! She sat up in bed with a new-found determination, she would be no one’s tool any longer.
She would find Saline and make her pay for the loss of her mother. Reign was ready, completely ready to take on the world, claim her role as Valdraken, and bring justice to the land that had wronged her.
She slid out of bed and stood in front of the floor length mirror. The cotton nightgown the men placed her in did not fit the mood she was in so she transformed into her Valdraken form. This was the first time she had the chance to really look at herself as the Valdraken.
She stood silently in the mirror admiring the black scales glinting in the morning light. She braided her hair over her shoulder and decided this is who she was. They wanted a weapon to save the world she would be that weapon but, on nobody else’s terms, but her own.
She heard the voices of her men coming through the door into living space. Reign couldn’t quite make out what they were saying but it sounded as if they were arguing. She stepped away from the mirror and towards the door.
The men must have heard her because they immediately stopped talking. She steeled herself for the looks of pity and sympathy that where sure to be on their faces. Pushing open the door she stepped through.
Abban and Eerikki stood in the middle of the room facing each other both tense and clearly arguing. They both looked to her as she raised an eyebrow in question. Maikoh was curled up in wolf form by the fireplace clearly not interested in whatever the two were arguing over.
He was also the first to greet her his voice ringing clear in her mind
“Good morning my Valdraken.”
She nodded to Maikoh in return acknowledging him but not feeling like exchanging pleasantries. She wanted to know what the fae and mage where arguing about.
“Don’t stop on my account you two, by all means continue your argument. Judging by Maikoh’s lack of participation it would appear as if you two are having a lovers quarrel.”
She tried to joke but couldn’t quite bring her face to make the smug grin she intended. Abban stepped back from Eerikki and the thing she was dreading washed over his face, sympathy.
“Don’t Abban, don’t you dare feel sorry for me.”
The mage looked shocked by her statement opening and closing his mouth but unable to speak the words he intended. Reign steeled her spine and looked to all three of the men wanting them to find the same realization she had this morning.
“I know what happened yesterday shocked us all, and the things Saline said…”
Cringing a little at the thought of what she did reign continued on
“There is nothing I can do about the past. Am I sad? Yes. Am I angry? Hell yes. Do I intend to sit around and mope about something I can’t change? No.”
She looked to each of them hoping to convey her feelings. As her eyes locked with each of them individually, she saw the recognition she hoped for reflected back at her. She would take time to heal, but it would not deter her from her revenge or newfound duty.
Eerikki stepped towards her softly grasping her hand in his.
“My Valdraken now that Saline is gone my father, the king seems to have awoken from his stupor and wishes to speak with you.”
Reign had wondered after his father since they arrived, never seeing or hearing of this king aside from the story Eerikki had told her. Acknowledging him with a nod of her head she twisted her hand slightly and interlaced their fingers. He stepped to her side Abban joining them on her other side mimicking Eerikki in holding her hand. She looked to Maikoh
“Well are you coming too big guy?”
Maikoh opened his large muzzle in a yawn bearing his sharp fangs and long tongue. He slowly stood stretching out lazily and sauntered to over to stand to the side of Abban.
Reign shook her head, Maikoh was beautiful in his wolf form but incredibly frustrating. She wondered if he spent so much time as a wolf because it allowed him more leeway in the manners department.
Proving her point he spoke in their collective minds
“Well are we going or not?”
With a sigh of frustration and a slight smile she pulled at the hands joined with her own and ventured out of the suite.
The tree was relatively quiet, very few fae seemed to be out and about in the halls as they made their trek once again to the throne room.
None of them spoke as they ascended the stairs only the soft sounds of their footsteps echoing off the walls kept them company.
Reaching the top landing they all paused slightly outside the double doors where two guards now stood.
They both immediately bowed at the waist softly acknowledging Reign and the prince. They each reached for a handle and opened the doors in a synchronized move that would seem practiced by the exactness of it.
As soon as the doors where open the cheers began from the large crowd that seemed to have gathered within. No wonder the
halls where so empty it appeared as if the entire fae community was on the platform.
Reign looked to Eerikki receiving a shrug of his shoulder as response to her questioning glance. The fae was clearly not going to say anything so she dropped both his and Abban’s hands and walked forward into the awaiting crowd.
Stepping into the room felt different this time, it was just as beautiful and majestic as before. Well minus the newly added sunroof of charred branches over the thrones. There was no longer a sense of misery residing over the court, the fae seemed lighter, happier even.
As she made her way up the aisle, she noticed the two thrones where now gone only one large gold throne now sat at the front of the benches. She kept walking towards the empty throne nodding to the smiling fae she passed.
As she reached the front of the room stepping out of the cheering crowd and onto the first step of the raised daises an older gentleman stepped out from behind the throne.
The crowd of cheering fae immediately went silent bowing their heads in respect and acknowledgment of what could only be their king.
As the fae made his way around the throne Reign was able to view him fully. He was beautiful like all fae his long silver hair hung to the middle of his back, his dark gray eyes shone with wisdom, and he wore white and black embroidered robes that accentuated his tall lean frame.
He looked to Reign with a smile only adding to his beauty.
“Welcome Valdraken. The great Northern forest sings with its gratitude for your arrival.”
Reign withheld a slight giggle at that looking towards the new hole in the canopy she doubted the forest was very happy with her over that. The king’s eyes followed hers his grin growing even wider when they returned to hers once more.
“We shall leave that their as a reminder of how the great Valdraken rid this forest of a great evil.”
He stepped down from the daises coming to a stop right before her and her men. He looked to his son another beautiful smile gracing his lips just before he turned to Reign and knelt before her. He gently took her hand into his placing a kiss upon her knuckles.
Withdrawing his lips but not releasing her hand he looked up to her and began to speak.
“I Jordik king of the fae, protector of the great northern forest, and loyal servant of the Valdraken; hear by pledge myself to you.”
Reign looked to Eerikki with a panicked look, was his father really trying to be her mate she began to pull her hand from his just as Maikoh spoke in her mind.
“Relax Valdraken he pledges himself to you as a loyal subject as many will do. I, Eerikki, and Abban are your only three mates and anyone who dare disrespect our bond would have us to answer to.”
She relaxed mentally chastising herself for ever thinking Eerikki’s father would pledge himself to her in that way and looked back to the fae kneeling before her.
“Will you accept my vow of allegiance great Valdraken, will you allow me to continue leading the fae as your loyal servants?”
Reign did a slight double take, was the king of the fae really asking her permission to remain king? She looked to her men they all nodded encouraging her to accept.
“I Reign the Valdraken accept your pledge Jordik, I would be honored to have you continue leading the fae people.”
The king’s smile grew to monumental proportions just as she added
“On one condition of course. You will vow to never forsake your people again. I understand Saline manipulated and used you however you have allowed your peoples suffering and mistreatment to go on for far too long. You will spend every day rebuilding their trust in you and earning back your place as their leader. I will not always be here and I will only leave the most worthy and capable people in positions of power.
I know what grief can do to a person and even I am not immune from it, because of this I will allow you a second chance just know the fae are mine and they will by the ones to decide if you are worthy of keeping your position over them.”
The king’s regret was vividly portrayed on his face as his smile dropped.
“You are wise beyond your years Valdraken, and I could not ask for a more esteemed honor.”
With that he rose and addressed the gathered fae.
“I have left you to a horrible fate while trying to deal with my own faults and mistakes. I do not deserve to lead you but I ask that you allow me the chance to prove my worth and earn my place not above you but beside you.”
He bowed to the crowd as they erupted into various cheers and signs of support for their recovered ruler. The king looked to Reign once more
“May I?”
He extended his arm in invitation for her to take. Reign took it unsure of what he was doing now as they made their way to the top of the stairs. Once in front of the throne he gestured for her to sit.
She hesitated unsure of what to do
“My Valdraken you are a queen; this throne is yours just as every throne in the entirety of Taru is yours. You are meant to claim this mantle and show the people of not just the fae race but of all races, who you are.”
He once again gestured to the throne and Reign stepped forward. She turned facing the crowd which had gone silent once more. Her men and every fae in the room looked to her with smiles on their faces as she sat claiming her rightful place amongst the first group of her people.
Prologue
Saline gazed into the bowl of water at her feet watching that pathetic excuse for a king pledge himself to the Valdraken. She shook her head in disgust and kicked the bowl across the room causing the man chained in the corner to wince.
Standing up from her stool she took slow steps across the damp block floor of the dungeon watching as fear flashed across the man’s face.
She enjoyed his pain and misery, reveled in the fear that wafted off him in waves whenever she entered his cell. She pressed her body to his running her tongue up the side of his neck.
“Your fear tastes sweeter than the finest wine.”
The man tried to pull away from her but the chains allowed him no movement. The spell Saline had placed on him kept the man clean and alive, his fae heritage kept him young but it was his unwillingness to break that kept her coming back to him.
She could have easily killed him when she killed his wife and stole her power but something inside told her to keep him alive.
She grabbed his chin forcing him to look her in the eye
“You will break for me little fae, of that I have no doubt. Just think now that I’m no longer queen of the fae you and I will have all the time in the world to spend together.”
An evil smile spread across her lips as the man yanked his chin from her grip. She stepped back laughing to herself.
Turning towards the door she began to make her way out of the cell when she heard the man’s faint voice. It came out cracked and scratch from not being used but his words where clear and she could detect the hint of strength behind them
“She will find you, and when she does, she will kill you.”
Saline stopped looking over her shoulder towards the fae.
“Your daughter may be the Valdraken but until she seals her bond with each race and gains her full powers, she is no match for me.”
She slammed the cell door shut and heard the man began to hum that annoying toon he always did.
++++++++++++++++++++++
Reign awoke covered in sweat panting from yet another nightmare. Something was coming, something evil and it had plagued her dreams for the last several weeks.
She had stayed in the fae kingdom to watch them rebuild their lives after Saline’s departure and to keep an eye on Jordik. The longer she stayed however the worse the dreams got and the more frequent the warnings from her child self.
She had not gone a single night in the last week without being woken. Her men were so worried they started taking shifts. Two slept while one stayed awake keeping watch over her. Tonight, was Abban’s night and she could feel him in the corner of the room watching her.
>
“My Valdraken are you alright, can I get you anything?”
Reign shook her head before realizing it was dark and he could no more see her than she could see him.
“No thank you Abban, just a bad dream.”
With those words he stood and made his way over to her side.
“My Valdraken your nightmares have been growing worse by the day and I can’t help but feel as if they are trying to tell you something.”
“I know Abban, but I don’t know what they are trying to tell me. I always have this sense of dread when I wake like something is coming something terrible.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and placed a gentle kiss to the top of her head.
“Maybe it’s time we moved on Reign, the fae are only a small part of your kingdom and word has surely traveled now. People have to know the Valdraken has returned. Maybe the answer to our current situation is to find ourselves in a new one.”
Reign thought on his words and found herself agreeing with him. Perhaps this sense of foreboding she had was in fact trying to tell her she needed to keep moving.