by G. Bailey
“While I do enjoy talking about blood and death,” I say, narrowing my gaze on him, “I came here to fulfill a bargain, and I despise those who waste my time.”
Greyhorn dares wave a hand at me dismissively. “And it shall be fulfilled, for I upheld my end of the bargain. The king fought in the war and Corvina won. In return, you promised to hand over the Lost Princess of Draconia. Where is she?”
I scoff at his reply. This fae believes that he is a god, which he is no more of one than I am fae, but his insanity has me questioning his motives. His intentions cannot be as pure as King Cyrus’ were. The snake-like Greyhorn cares only about power and greed.
“What do you plan to do with this child?” I eye him closely, waiting for his facade to crack. “She is weak-minded and her spirit frail, much like her mother. She is not fit to sit on that throne no more than you are.”
A derisive grin slides onto his face. “Do I detect a hint of concern, Dark God?”
In reply I lift my hand, seizing the air in his lungs. “Enough of your wasteful talking! While I am a god of my word, if you so much as touch a hair on this child’s body, I will feed you to my dog and bind your soul so that you will endure your death for the rest of eternity with Cerberus feeding on your rotting flesh.” Tightening my invisible grip on his throat, I pull my lips back into a snarl. “Do. You. Understand?”
“Y-yes,” he chokes out, grasping his throat to remove my invisible hold. “Re…lease…me!”
I let him go but only because I have a deal to honour. If I had my way, I would drag his pathetic corpse down to the abyss and let him rot. As he struggles to catch his breath, I climb onto the dais and bring my face inches from his.
“Now, if you want to remain up with the living, you will tell me exactly what you are doing in Draconia and what your intentions are with the Lost Princess.”
Still gasping for air, he shapeshifts into a face that I recognise.
Julius Griscor.
This means it was Greyhorn who convinced the king to help my son win the war, which means he is the one to reap the rewards. A bitter taste rises into my throat. I don’t like dealing with snakes at the best of times. They are too slimy for my liking.
“The throne,” he manages to say, rubbing his throat. “I wanted the Throne of Luna but the halfbreed stole it from me! All I want is to rule my own kingdom. This is the only one left. I have the trust of the people here and the power to protect them. When the child is of age, she will inherit the throne and I will wed her. That is all. Until then, she will be my ward and under my protection.”
“You are no dragon,” I point out with a snarl. “And there are three princes before you. They will rule and protect her.”
He grins. “They died in the war.”
“How convenient!”
“I am a god whether you think me one or not,” he snaps, straightening as much as he can on the throne. “I will be the king here, one day, whether you want me to be or not.”
I step back from the dais, clasping my hands behind my back in contemplation. I am unfortunately bound to honour this deal and have no choice but to hand Draconia over to Greyhorn.
The Dragon Queen is too weak to rule and her other surviving daughter, Kaida, cares not for the throne. It was the sole reason her father summoned me and asked that I retrieve his lost child from the mortal realm. He wished to replace Kaida with the more tameable sister. The desires and cruelty of the fae never cease to amaze me. Truly, they do not, and they far exceed those of the gods, contrary to what the tales would have people believe.
While I don’t really care what happens to magics here, I vowed to Persephone that I would protect her forest should she ever fall. It is why I made this deal with Cyrus in the first place—to honor my wife’s dying wish. One child in exchange for an entire forest. I have sacrificed more for less. And I will be able to ensure her safety from afar, at least until she is of age. It is the least I can do for her father who, while frail, was a noble ruler to his kingdom.
With a wave of my hand, I summon the girl and lay her sleeping body on a chaise by the window. She is young enough to be moulded into a queen, but hopefully, with time, she will be strong enough to give Greyhorn his just desserts once and for all.
For now, all I can do is watch from the shadows, but time is no matter to gods like me. With one final look at the soon to be king of the dragons, I turn away into the shadows and reappear on the edge of the forest near Shadowborn Academy. My son sits with the new queen of dark fae, his arm wrapped around her shoulder, and I simply watch.
He may not want me in his life, but I will always protect my only son.
Looking up at the night sky, I send a silent prayer to my long lost mate.
Your forest is safe in my care, my love. Rest well. We will meet again soon.
The End
“I foresee problems if Nieve doesn’t choose one of our sons.”
I chuckle, hooking my arm through Izora’s as we look down at the ball. Nieve, Sage’s twelve-year-old daughter, looks so pretty in a pink dress. She is dancing with Henrik, Izora’s son. Both of them look like the picture of innocence.
Then there is my first born son who is only a year their elder, but somehow he seems so much older than them. My dark prince glares at them from across the room, his foot tapping constantly on the floor.
I grin at Izora, and we both can’t help but laugh. We have been watching this play out since they were babies and they would argue about who got more time with Nieve. Although Izora and I each have more than one mate, if Nieve chooses both boys there will only be one queen of the Enchanted Forest. Something that has never been done before.
Pushing away all the thoughts of a future a long way off, I search the glittering ballroom. My mates are with Izora’s, all of them drinking shots of some kind of magical whiskey. Sage and her mate are happily dancing near the children, and just about everyone I love is in this room.
Izora’s little girl cries in her pram and Izora lets my arm go to turn around and look down at her. I stick close to her side, smiling down at my niece. She looks just like Izora with her big, bright eyes and light silver locks of hair. Just seeing her makes me broody, but then I remember the sleepless nights, my mates struggling to deal with the throne and no sleep, and me being overly emotional.
Yeah, babies are cute. But I know I’m done for now.
“I never thought I’d be lucky enough to have one beautiful child, let alone two,” Izora murmurs softly.
I glance back at my sons. My oldest is still glaring, reminding me of his father in more ways than one, and my other son is stuffing his face at the buffet. He reminds me of… well, me. Even with my royal duties, my first port of call at any gathering is always to sample the catering.
“We are both lucky,” I say with a smile. “And by the way, you look too perfect in that dress for someone who had a baby just two weeks ago.” I nudge her shoulder playfully. Our silver dresses are exactly the same, made to be that way in honour of Danica herself. Today marks the end of the last war and the start of peace in our land like we have never had before. Both the Light and Dark Fae kingdoms are thriving under our rule, and this is just one of the new traditions we have brought back.
She grins at me and I reach up, straightening her crown just a bit.
“I love you,” I add quietly, my heart bursting with love for my sister. I can’t imagine my life without her.
She wraps her arms around me, holding me tightly as I embrace her back. “Not as much as I love you, Vina.”
Feeling a rush of emotion, I lean back and clear my throat. “We should get a move on. This speech isn’t going to say itself.”
“Don’t you wish the guys could do the speeches?” she whispers before looking over at Willow in a dark red dress. Willow is a woman I barely recognise from the academy now. She’s actually turned out to be a decent person and sister to Izora. Who says villains can’t change their cards around?
She appears beside us. “I’ll
take the little one. It will be a good experience for me in about six months’ time,” she says.
I raise my eyebrows and Izora nearly knocks Willow over when she drags her in for a tight embrace. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” She leans back to tell her off, glancing at her stomach.
Willow blushes and pushes a strand of white hair from her face. “We only found out a few weeks ago. At any rate, you need to go. There are shit loads of people waiting for you two.”
With a smile from me, Izora releases her sister. “Okay, but don’t think you can escape my questions later.” Lowering her voice, she says, “I’m so happy for you.”
Poor Willow blushes an even deeper shade of red, but she smiles her thanks. She takes the pram and I nod my head to the side where the hardwood stairs of the academy rest.
The Shadowborn Academy, once a place just for young shadowborns to be hidden, has not only been extended but holds this ball once a year when the sun and moon are highest in the sky. We both stop on the third step down and I close my eyes before letting out a wave of dark magic in the form of butterflies. They spread across the room, catching everyone’s attention before they disappear into gold dust that falls gently on everyone as they look towards us.
“I do love your dramatic entrances,” Izora whispers, and I grin. “And you know that’s my favourite spell.”
It’s my favourite too, not only for its beauty, but because it reminds me of my mother, may she rest in peace with the Zorya Sisters.
Clearing my throat, I cast a quick spell to raise my voice. “Thank you for coming here today to celebrate the day the war ended so many years ago. That day we all lost so many close to our hearts and we honour them everyday by continuing on the peace our Enchanted Forest has found.”
Izora takes over the next part just as I catch Pitch standing in a tux within the crowd, his dark eyes glistening. He smiles proudly at me, and beside him, the rest of my mates follow suit. My heart soars at the sight of them. I’m just as proud of them as they are of me.
“To honour this day,” Izora says clearly, “Queen Corvina and I have a special announcement. Both of us grew up as Shadowborn, and no matter who we are to the fae, part of us will always remain loyal to the shadows. The Shadowborn Academy has become so popular that there has been no space for over two years, and both Corivina and I have been aware of the situation. So with that in mind, tomorrow there will be a new academy and orphanage opening in the Enchanted Forest. In the ruins of the Shadowborn Prison, a new building has been built that can house thousands of students and children of all ages.”
Whispers and gasps fill the room. I wait for them to quiet a little before I speak my next part. “The Shadowborn Academy and the new Shadow Academy will work together with every race. Not only will shadowborns be attending, but we invite every species and their children to join them. We hope this further links all of our people in the forest.”
“And we hope you will support this new venture,” Izora adds, and then everyone breaks out into celebration. The cheers fill the hall and I spot our guys catcalling and hooting over the noise.
I hook my finger in Izora’s and smile softly at her. “Thank the goddess we are here,” I whisper.
She smiles. “No, thank the forest.”
With the speech over, we step onto the dance floor. It’s customary for us to begin the night’s dancing. Pitch joins me and Gold takes Izora’s arm, then the four of us are dancing to the music. Soon the rest of our mates join us, as does everyone else. The room fills with laughter as everyone loses themselves in the music. I dance with each of my mates until I spot Alastair standing alone by the side, his gaze cast to the door.
“Excuse me,” I say to Pitch, kissing him on the cheek. “Your son needs his mother.”
He smiles and watches me go to him.
I tuck my hair behind my ears and extend a hand to Alastair once I reach his side. “I request the next dance.”
My son smiles. “I thought you would never ask, Mother.”
As we glide onto the dance floor and begin dancing, I notice the tension in his body and the frown etched on his forehead. Something is bothering him, and I think I know what it is. Still, I choose to voice it in hopes to share his pain. To be young and in love like this is both a beautiful and torturous thing. I should know.
“What’s troubling you?” I probe him softly.
He shakes his head and puts on a smile. “I was thinking about visiting Uncle Ambrose.”
I duck under his arm and sidestep him in time with the music. “Oh? You haven’t been to Draconia in years.”
He spins me around, his tone and expression unaltered when he says, “Yes, but the Dragon Kingdom is always exciting this time of year, especially with the Fire Festival. I was thinking I could go there and return in the spring.”
My feet root to the spot at his words. “That’s six months. You’ve never been away from Zorya for that length of time.”
He pulls his lips into a lopsided smile and spins me once more. “A bird’s got to fly from the nest sooner or later. And it’s only six months. I’ll be back before you know it.”
The song ends and I lead Alastair over to a quiet corner of the room. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with Nieve, would it?”
As if electrocuted by my words, Alastair searches the dance floor for Nieve. She’s dancing with Hendrik, her long amethyst gown spinning around her. For a long while, my son is quiet, and I wait for him to open up to me. He’s not as quiet as his younger brother, but he can be a little apprehensive when it comes to talking about his feelings. He’s like Pitch that way.
“Grandpa says a prince can choose however many mates he desires.” My son follows Nieve, spinning into Henrik’s arm, the two of them laughing. “Why can’t a princess? Why must she choose only one?”
Despite my best efforts, I tense at the mention of his grandfather. While Hades has never stepped foot in the Forest since the day he tried to take Pitch from me, he’s doted on Alastair since the very moment he was born. Pitch says it’s because our son shares so much in common with him. Even though in the beginning that used to frighten me, I’ve come to accept it. I grew up desperately wanting to belong to a family and so I will never deprive Alastair of his.
At the end of the day, Hades is his grandfather, and he does love him. The good news is that he only communicates with Alastair through the magical mirror in my throne room, and either myself or one of my mates are always present during their encounters.
My son loves his dark magic and is proud of his heritage, but thanks to his father and I, his soul is blessed with the warmth of Danica’s light and Selena’s love. As the future king of Zorya, He’ll make a powerful leader one day, and I can’t wait to see him ascend the throne when he’s of age.
“No one says Nieve must choose one of you,” I say quietly, caressing the side of my son’s face. “It’s only that the Forest has never had only one queen before. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done, only that it’s new, and you know how fae feel about doing anything that isn’t traditional. They can be as stubborn as the Faery Pools when they want to be.”
His eyes search mine, and my heart warms at the vulnerable look I find churning within them. He looks like a little boy again, and yet he towers over me and is almost the same height as his father. I can’t help but smile. Even with Alastair’s military training and accomplishments, he will always be my little boy. Always.
Henrik appears and slings an arm over his shoulders. “Looks like I’m in the lead, cousin. Three dances down. How many have you had with her ladyship?”
Alastair glowers but doesn’t shrug his cousin away. With a bow, I remove my hand and join Zander by the buffet table. Still troubled by the conversation, I can’t help but glance back at the two princes. It’s incredible how opposing they are to each other. Alastair, with his black hair and eyes, his breathtaking ebony wings, is the epitome of darkness. Henrick is the mirror-image of his Draconian father—he’s tall, blonde, and
his silver eyes make him the epitome of light. Even their natures are completely opposite to each other. And yet, despite this, the two of them have remained inseparable since they were babies. It’s only been recently they’ve started to fight each other for Nieve’s attention.
Sage’s only child loves it, and I have a feeling she won’t choose either of them until she graduates. My poor son and nephew will be put through the wringer until then. I pray Selena will guide them through it without any ill feelings toward each other.
A warm hand slides under my chin and tilts my head. “What’s wrong, Vina?” Zander touches the crease between my brows. “You always have this when you’re worried about something.”
I smile and gently take his hand in mine. “I was wondering when Nieve will choose. I’m worried if she doesn’t soon, they’ll go to war with each other.”
Zander follows my gaze to where the boys are playfully fighting each other. It’s more brotherly than anything, but I worry as they get older, their desire to claim Nieve as their mate will intensify. So much destruction has happened in the name of love. I want to protect the Forest as much as possible, but I also want to protect my son’s heart.
Right on queue, Nieve approaches them. The boys stop their fighting and straighten upon seeing her, eager to see which one she will address. But Nieve merely swirls on her heel, her gown billowing around her, and giggles as the boys chase after her.
Oh, Nieve! I can’t help but giggle into my hand. She reminds me so much of Sage in her younger days, and it’s not because they have the same pink hair and sassy attitude. I remember the first days she started dating her husband, David. She had him running after her between classes like a love-struck puppy, too.
“What did you say that causes our queen to frown?” Gage demands, sliding his arms around my waist. He gently nuzzles into my neck and kisses me. Before Zander can answer, Gage whisks me onto the floor, and I’m dancing again.