Forgotten Kingdom (The Winter Court Chronicles Book 1)

by Stephany Wallace

  My hands trembled on her cheeks as I looked into her tear filled eyes.

  “I can’t kiss you and not feel anything. Not with you.” I shook my head as the mere idea of it scarred me. My thumb caressed her bottom lip, wishing there was another way. “I have dreamed about you since you developed into the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on, since you opened your mouth and I realized that your mind entranced me just as much as your body. Since the first time you looked at me like you did a moment ago. As though I was the only man you could ever love, your universe, your all.”

  “You are…” she whispered, and I shook my head letting go of her face. I stepped back when the first tear fell from her eyes.

  “Soon everything in your life will change just as Mother described, and you’ll forget you ever thought you felt anything for me. Oddly enough, I want that for you.” My fingertips reached for her cheek, but I forced myself not to touch her again. I took another step away from her. “After you are gone with your fated, I want to remember you like that. Eyes filled with love as you looked at me, telling me you only wanted to be mine… even if it hurts with every breath, even if it haunts me for the rest of my life.”

  I turned towards the corridor, giving my back to the only woman I had ever loved. My gaze was low as I looked at her over my shoulder one last time. “I hope you understand, Avrielle, but in light of that, I won’t be at the Blooms Ceremony, and I can’t be around you anymore.” I began to walk purposely towards the exit, forcing myself to leave.

  “No, Kyr. Please, don’t do this! I don’t want to be mated to anyone else. I love you. Only you…”

  “It is not your decision. It’s best this way.”

  “Kyr!” Avrielle called with a sob, but I didn’t stop.

  “Please, stay away from me!” I ordered.

  The flames of the roaring blaze of my fireplace danced in the night under my gaze. I grasped my hands together before me, while I sat at the edge of my wingback chair. The sound of Avrielle’s sobs while I walked out of the greenhouse still echoed in my eardrums.

  I straightened as my door suddenly opened, and for a split second, I hoped it was her. I let out a heavy breath as my brothers walked into the room. Ash held two bottles of cognac in his hand, while Nyx carried the glasses. My gaze returned to the fire. I knew exactly why they were here. “Don’t you know the meaning of privacy?”

  Ash sighed. “I have Extrasensory Perception brother. I can hear, smell, and see everything within a hundred miles radius, among other things. It’s not exactly my fault that I heard you two.”

  I dragged my hands down my face, trying not to kill him. When my eyes opened again he was holding a glass half filled with the brown liquid. “I’m sorry about what I said during dinner. I wasn’t thinking, and in all honesty the comment wasn’t directed at you. It was actually—”

  “At Father,” Nyx and I said at the same time.

  I ripped the glass from his hand and gulped the cognac, feeling its fiery burn travel down my throat. Ash refilled it, and once again I threw it back, when I reached for the bottle he moved it away from me.

  “Easy there, bother. This is no regular liquor. It’s Remy Martin Cognac Louis XIII, and each bottle is like seven thousand dollars in the human world so—”

  I growled grabbing the second bottle he held and smashed it against the floor. The glass exploded, flying all over the wooden surface and the liquid splattered everywhere. Nyx cringed, still carrying the other two glasses, and Ash reluctantly handed me the remaining bottle.

  “Bottoms up,” he said, as I chugged it back. “Okay, you talk to him while I get one more bottle for us. He’s not sharing that one,” Ash instructed and walked out the door.

  Nyx sighed, and wiped the mess on the floor with one of the blankets on my bed then threw it aside, sitting on the chair beside me. “I’m sorry. Ash told me what happened between you and Avrielle.”

  I nodded, remaining silent as my thumb caressed the seal on the bottle.

  “For what is worth, you are right in walking away from her.” My gaze went to him, and he shrugged. “It doesn’t matter who we wish we could love, the Yaevastra orfay Bellirosmae—the Year of the Bloom, decides for us. There is nothing we can do about it, and we’d be fools to think otherwise.”

  I took another sip as I nodded. “Then why does it feel like this?”

  “Well, scientifically love is a chemical reaction in our bodies. You see—”

  I laughed sarcastically, shaking my head as Nyx stared at me. He slowly grinned as though prompted by my sudden humor, but he had no idea of how absurd my life was at this moment.

  “Thanks, I needed that.” I took one more sip.

  His gaze turned serious. “It’s best for you two to stay away from each other. It’s the logical thing to do. Once her bloom begins, her essence will open up and send out a call to her mate, just as he will to her. But the male surge is the strongest, once it’s dispersed there is no deterring it. It will blast into her, connecting them and pulling her to his side. No woman can resist that call, it’s our nature, our destiny, and it will overwhelm her, robbing her of will until she is finally by his side.”

  “Damn it, brother! I told you to calm him down, not push him over the edge!” Ash protested, walking back in with two more bottles and sitting on the other side of me.

  “No, he’s right. The only way for me to move past this is to rationalize it. It’s our biology, and there is nothing I can do.”

  “Furthermore,’” Nyx added. while Ash chugged the bottle, offering the third one to him. Nyx accepted it, taking a small sip. “If you were meant to be together you both would have bloomed in the same year. The fact remains you are much older than her. Your breeding phase passed over three thousand years ago. Although it’s true that the two of you might seem in your twenty-first and twenty-six years of human life, because of the nature of our race, the real difference between your ages would make you about thirty years older than her on Earth. In human years, you would cause quite a stir simply by being interested in her.”

  “How old do you think we look in human years?” Ash asked, interrupting our little brother.

  “Well, considering that you and I are a few hundred years older than Avrielle, and each other, I would say maybe about twenty three or twenty four years old.” Ash nodded, as though Nyx had just confirmed something for him. Nyx’s gaze returned to mine. “I’m sorry. There is no rationalization in which you can be with Avrielle, Kyr. When she blooms—”

  “Can you stop saying bloom, blooming, blooms!” Ash protested, interrupting him. “Who gave it that stupid name anyway? As if we were freaking flowers, it’s fucking ridiculous!”

  I chuckled, feeling the effects of the liquor in me, and took one more gulp.

  Nyx fixed his glasses, and stared at our brother, insulted. “For your information, you ignorant Neanderthal, it’s called Blooming because like a rose in the peak of its season, our essence opens to the universe, emanating a surge of our magic and spirit. Like the scent of a flower, this will be a physical aroma released by us, which only our mate will smell and recognize. One that will entice only the one meant to be with us, compelling them to come to our side.”

  “Freaking perfect. Now every woman in town is going to be smelling me too?”

  “Yes, brother. Perhaps you should take this opportunity to bathe.”

  Ash snorted and I shook my head. The bickering between them continued, as everything turned dark around me.

  Avrielle’s image returned, moving towards me as though she was floating.

  “…I love you. Only you…”

  I dipped my head back and let the liquid flow continuously, hoping its fire would burn through what I felt for her, incinerating my heart… and leaving me truly numb.

  If I couldn’t feel Avrielle, I didn’t wish to feel anything at all.

  Chapter 4. Royal Politics

  AVRIELLE

  *

  “After you are gone with your fated, I
want to remember you like that. Eyes filled with love as you look at me, telling me you only want to be mine… even if it hurts with every breath, even if it haunts me for the rest of my life.”

  The intricate carving of the marble walls before me blurred as tears gathered in my eyes. It had been three days since Kyr ordered me to stay away from him. He had actually used a royal command over me. I hadn’t needed to see his royal markings glowing, because with every word, the magic slammed into my chest. It rooted me in place, when all I wanted was to run after him and wrap my arms around his neck, claim his lips, share his bed and never leave him. I didn’t care about the damn blooming ritual. Kyr was mine, and I was his, and everything inside of me told me that.

  Straightening, I gripped my hands tightly before my waist and forced myself to calm. I held my head high, taking small deep breaths, and concentrated on the blue, lavender, and turquoise light rays that hit the otherwise plain white floor. They made elaborate patterns on its surface, while passing through the stained glass window at the far corner of the throne room. The voices of the king and The Earl of Quphro resumed around me, my senses cleared and Kyr’s words finally disappeared.

  “I shall take your concerns into consideration, but that doesn’t excuse your behavior under my kingdom. You will be dealt with, but first, we must find a solution for your quarrels. Once I have made my decision, my will shall be done,” King Laeroth spoke, and his threatening voice resounded around the room.

  The earl instinctively took a step back, intimidated as the power rushed over him like a wave, a reaction the entire kingdom shared, except me. I had been the king’s High Counselor for two thousand years, what intimidated others, was natural to me. King Laeroth’s gaze settled on me.

  “What do you recommend as a course of action, Avrielle? Should I send the troops to settle the dispute over the land, as the earl requests?”

  I turned to face the king and earl as I mulled over his words. “We shall send an emissary to divide the land, so that you both keep ownership of the groves. Then the argument will be settled.”

  “Outrageous!” The earl stepped closer, enraged. “Those lands have been in my family for over five generations and I—”

  “Yet you had no issue with the Jarrah family working your orchards without compensation for the duration of that time, did you, Earl Obat?”

  He bit his tongue, but I could tell he was seething. So was I, I despised hypocrisy. I stepped closer to him and looked into his eyes.

  “It wasn’t until they began consuming the fruit of their labor, to sustain their family, that you decided they were not allowed to touch the harvests. The Dark Army will not be used to appease selfish conflicts on our own soil, when it is best served to win the war against the Summer Court, once and for all. Don’t you agree, Earl Obat?”

  He remained silent, his fists clenching, my gaze returned to King Laeroth.

  “We shall grant ownership of the few orchards they have spent so many years working, without payment, to the Jarrah family. They’ve earned the right to them with their hard labor. The rest will remain under the earl’s possession. The Jarrah family will be entitled to consume or sell the fruits of the harvest as they see fit. A fence shall be erected between the divided land, and Earl Obat will replace the Jarrah’s horses he killed in spite.”

  “This is absurd! I will never agree to that.”

  My gaze returned to the earl. “It would be wise for you to remember who you are speaking to, earl. I am the king’s High Counselor.”

  “I agree with her decree.” King Laeroth’s voice boomed around us as he stood and stepped down from his throne, the sight was daunting, and for a moment my eyes roamed over his features.

  Like Kyr, he had long coal hair, but it wasn’t nearly as lustrous as his son’s. His skin was pale like that of all winter Fae, and royal markings adorned it. His crown formed a band of intricate patterns across his forehead, framing his slate gray eyes. They were constantly filled with a harsh sentiment, which made them cold and ruthless as opposed to Kyr’s ice blue, love filled, sparkling eyes.

  The king’s large cloak slid over the stairs with each step, fawning around his large body. It dragged behind him on the floor, mirroring his six-feet tall build.

  “And since you have demonstrated such disrespect towards my court, you will spend three days in the dungeon,” King Laeroth continued, bringing my attention back to the matter at hand. “After which you will pay for the horses we shall give to the family. I should mention, royal bred horses are three times the gold of a regular one.”

  “Royal horses for that peasant!” the earl spat, outraged, and King Laeroth’s lips stretched into a sinister smile.

  A jolt of cold energy rushed down my spine as it did the guards’. We knew that look in his eyes, and it was what people should fear about him, not the venom in his voice. The king had a strange affinity for punishing people. He enjoyed it as though it were a game he was incredibly skilled for; it wasn’t about justice for him, but about retribution. He craved the rush of the challenge presented in front of him. The fear and anger of his victims drove him, and at that moment, the emotions in Earl Obat were fueling every single cell in our king’s body.

  “Five days in the dungeons and he shall be flogged daily, in my presence.” He ordered in a low, eerie tone. His victim’s reaction wasn’t lost on him; the king’s smirk flourished.

  I took a slow breath, tensing my body to repress the shudder as my gaze roamed the cloak on the king’s back. The last time a lord had challenged him, he was flogged under the king’s orders until a patch of his skin fell off. The same patch that now rested near the bottom of King Laeroth’s cloak, along with that of everyone who had defied him during his reign. To complete the sentence, he allowed the lord to live as he did the others. The scarring on their bodies to serve as a reminder of what they should never dare to do again, and a warning to any other.

  King Laeroth never took the cloak off; it was his most precious possession. Yet, it was only one of the reasons why they called him the Dark King.

  “Any other objections, earl?” the king asked, lifting his hand and caressing the earl’s cheek admiringly. “You have very radiant skin.”

  Earl Obat’s eyes widened, and he dropped to his knees, kissing Laeroth’s rings. His hands trembled. “I’m sorry, my king. Thank you for your generosity. You are the most gracious and benevolent ruler.”

  The king laughed mockingly, and turned towards me. I forced myself to smile as though I too found it amusing.

  “Rise!” the king ordered, his gaze shifting to the guards. “Take him to the dungeon and send for my son, Kyr. He shall be my emissary and present the horses to the Jarrah family.”

  My chest constricted at the mention of Kyr, and my pulse began to race as the guards dragged the earl out, to carry out King Laeroth’s orders. I had to leave. The king’s hand reached for mine, and he cradled it firmly between both of his. His gaze turned appreciative. “Brilliant judgment as always, Avrielle.”

  I smiled and slightly bowed. “Thank you, my king. It is a pleasure to serve you.”

  His lips stretched wider. “You have grown into a strong and wise woman. It’s an honor to rule with you by my side. You are the most capable High Counselor I have ever had.”

  “You flatter me, my king.” My eyes nervously went to the door, Kyr would be here at any moment, and I needed to be gone before the magic of his command removed me from the room. “May I be excused?”

  “Not yet. I want to talk to you.” He walked back to his throne, pulling me with him. His hand patted mine as he gazed at me. “I wanted to ask of the reason why you haven’t joined us for dinner in the past few days.”

  Because your stubborn ass son won’t accept that I love him, and put a royal command on me to stay away from him, the same reason I need to leave now. “I’m sorry, my king. I didn’t mean to upset you. I have just been feeling a bit tired, lately. I’ve gone to bed early, needing the rest.”

  “Ar
e you ill?” He asked concerned, his hand reaching for my forehead in a fatherly way. My smile was sincere then, he had always treated me as though I was family.

  “I’m not. No need to worry.”

  His touch left me, but he didn’t seem pleased. His slate gray eyes roamed my face, as his hand plunged through his coal hair—A telltale sign that he was concerned about my wellbeing. “You shall take a week to rest, at my command. I will have the healer sent to your chambers. Please let me know if there is anything you need.”

  I sighed. Working by his side was the only thing that kept my mind busy enough to set aside my heartache. Then again, being in my chambers would make the transition easier on me. “Thank you, but it’s not necessa—”

  “Sorry for the interruption, Your Highness,” Mitha, the royal usher, stepped in. “I just wanted to announce that Prince Kyr is on his way.”

  “Thank you,” King Laeroth said, dismissing him with a lazy wave of his hand. His gaze returned to me as my heart hammered against my chest. I was running out of time. “I’ll be brief then, so that you may go rest. I know your Blooming, like my sons’, will begin soon, so I wanted to inform you that I do not wish you to leave my palace. I have decided that whoever your fated shall be, he will be ordered to come live with us.”

  A gasp left me with his words. The king had never done that. He smiled, almost in a tender way.

  “Although I’m thrilled that you will finally be mated and start a family of your own, I will not lose your counsel. You will remain by my side, Avrielle.”

  I stared at him, taken aback by his decree. Conflicting emotions ran through me, but my mind had decided. I would get to remain close to Kyr, even if he didn’t want me here, even if I belonged to another I knew my heart would always be his. Mated or not. “I am so pleased to hear that. Thank you.” I reached for his hand to kiss his ring, but he pulled me close and cradled my cheeks instead, kissing my forehead.