“This can’t be,” Shouted Achilles making everyone in the room flinch. “I assure you, you highness, the results are positive, I am sorry. We can conduct the test again if you wish,” the alchemist offered. “That is not necessary,” Seraphina said, she tried to hold back the tremors in her voice. “the spell was performed correctly, the results haven’t been tampered with, Achilles we will just have to accept the truth.” The Alchemist offered Seraphina a sad smile.
Lady Briseis was grinning ear to ear, “Well, now that that is dealt with, we should discuss living arrangements. I will have my belongings brought to your quarters today,” She said to Achilles. A look of disgust came across Achilles’s face, “You will do no such thing! You will stay where you are and when the child
Lady Briseis stormed into the house De-Buccleuch. “You, you there, where is my father?” Lady Briseis addressed the servant with disgust. “Lord Stevano is in his study my Lady, he is awaiting your return,” the servant told her with his head down. Without another word, Lady Briseis stomped away to her fathers study.As Lady Briseis entered, her father was sat waiting expectantly, “Well, when is the wedding my daughter?” Lord Stevano asked. “There will be no wedding father,” Lady Briseis spat back, “All of this has been for nothing, the Prince is already engaged, he will accept this child as his bastard and nothing else.” Lady Briseis dropped down onto the seat opposite her father in a dramatic fashion and let out a long sigh. “No, he can’t do that, he impregnated you, he must
Aurelia’s face turned a bright shade of red as she looked down and began to fidget her hands. Seraphina had never seen Aurelia flustered before. “Well…” Aurelia looked at Seraphina hesitantly, “There is a man with whom I have been…intimate with.” Aurelia tried to compose herself but, Seraphina could see she was both excited and embarrassed to talk about it. Seraphina gave her a small nod of encouragement. “We have had an intimate relationship for 2 years now but, I met him 4 years ago in my first battle,” She told Seraphina. “Is he a warrior?” Seraphina asked.Aurelia paled. “He is now, he was a prisoner of war when I met him… he was our prisoner of war…” There was a heavy silence that followed. Seraphina quickly composed herself after the shock revelation. &
Grief. Bone chilling, stomach turning, blood curdling grief. That’s all Seraphina could feel. She collapsed and let out a wail that sounded demonic. She clawed at her naked skin and screamed into the night. Her screeches loud enough to disturb the heavens.She wrapped her arms around her stomach, she felt empty, hollow, lost. She could hear the sound of someone laughing at her, she turned her head towards the sound, her eyes reflecting the flames dancing as they were slick with tears. She stood to walk towards the person laughing at her, her hands partially shifted into the claws of her dragon. Ready to tear out the throats of whoever had dared to mock her.“Seraphina, Seraphina wake up!” The voice echoed through her head. &ld
Just then, Lucy entered with a tray and placed in on the bed next to Seraphina. Aurelia moved round to climb onto the bed with Seraphina and placed the tray across her lap. There were 2 pitchers, one containing water and another containing blood. There wa
Being naked in the water with Achilles was torturous for both Seraphina and Achilles. He had never realised just how sensual the act of bathing someone was. Watching the warm, soapy, scented water drip down Seraphina’s neck and shoulders, leaving little trails of bubbles behind had him groaning in response. He moved his hands forward to wash her front and stifled a moan as she gasped in response to his tender touch. “If you hadn’t gone and impaled yourself yesterday, I would take you right now, over this bath,” he growled at her.Seraphina felt the all too familiar burning begin between her thighs. She pressed her legs together in an effort to subdue her desires but, the friction only went to ignite the spark and she felt as though her whole body had become alight with flames. She stifled a moan as she let her head lull back on
“So, what did you and Aurelia get up to yesterday?” Achilles asked her whilst chewing on some freshly picked grapes. “Oh you know, just some basic combat training,” Seraphina replied nonchalantly. Achilles gasped and started choking on a grape, after a fit of coughing and Seraphina smacking him on his back, he finally regained his composure. “She did what?” Achilles thundered and Seraphina burst into a fit of harmonic giggles.Realisation dawned on Achilles and his face set into a smirk, “You know, you almost just signed my sisters death certificate,” he told her. Seraphina rolled her eyes dramatically, “Oh Achilles, you know as well as I that there isn’t a single soldier here who would be brave or idiotic enough to take on Aurelia,” she said with a chuckle.
Seraphina barely had a moment to herself before Aurelia strolled in followed by Rose and Melanie. “I thought we would come and join you for some lunch,” Aurelia announced with a smile as she placed the covered tray down next to Seraphina and jumped on the bed next to her.“What’s wrong Seraphina, you look a little…lost,” Rose smiled softly at her.Seraphina let out a sigh, “Lady Briseis surprised us with her presence earlier,” Seraphina rolled her eyes dramatically. Aurelia glared, “What did that whore want?” she spat.“Easy Aurelia, she’s still the mother of my step-son,” Seraphina weakly tried to defend Lady Briseis.
Seraphina rushed through the halls of their quarters checking every room as she passed them, her heart panged a little every time she was greeted with an empty room. Seraphina reached the room that was being built into a nursery for Achilles’s son, she entered and gasped in awe. It wasn’t yet finished but, beautiful cream silk drapes adorned the windows and in the middle of the room stood a hand carved, ornate, mahogany crib. Seraphina allowed her fingers to trail across the smooth wood, she looked down at the folded blue silk sheets and blankets that were placed inside. She picked them up and hugged them to her chest, her heart warmed as she thought of the child she and Achilles will hopefully one day share. She placed the sheets and blankets back into the crib and placed a gentle hand on her stomach, “One day, soon,” she said to herself with a smile.
“Do you think it will work?” Seraphina’s eyes followed Isobella as she paced back and forth.
Grief. Bone chilling, stomach turning, blood curdling grief. That’s all Seraphina could feel. She collapsed and let out a wail that sounded almost demonic. She clawed at her naked skin and screamed into the night. Her screeches loud enough to disturb the heavens. Raging fires encircled her like a protective wall.She wrapped her arms around her stomach, feeling empty, hollow, lost. She could hear the sound of laughter, a cruel, demented laugh. Turning her head towards the sound, her eyes reflecting the flames dancing as they were slick with tears. Stepping through the flames, she stalked towards the person laughing at her, her hands partially shifted into the claws of her dragon. Ready to tear out the throats of whoever had dared to mock her.
It felt as though a lifetime had passed by the time they arrived back at the manor. All the while, Seraphina had been calling out to Achilles in her mind, hoping and praying she would hear from him. A response, a whisper, a cough, anything…but nothing came.As the courtyard came into sights, she came to a halt as she hovered in the air, gently allowing herself to descend onto the ground.Cheers erupted as soon as they landed and she was immediately surrounded by anxious and tearful faces.As the mages dismounted with the children, Matteo came rushing over to Seraphina holding a robe open in his arms. Nodding her head at him, she shifted back and shrugged her arms into the robe before tying it in place.
The two older girls looked at each other before settling the babies down and stepping forward, careful to keep the younger girls behind them. Crouching down, they dug their hands into the dirt before looking up at the crowd before them, their eyes glazed over as roots and vines shot out from the ground and began to wrap around the legs of the soldiers, winding their way up around their torso and arms.The vampires among the soldiers made effort to free themselves though, the humans for the most part were completely stuck in place fighting against their little cages.Freeing herself from the vines, Seraphina bent down to get onto their level and opened her palm out skyward. Whispering words in the air, a small handmade doll appeared in her hand as she
A wave of nausea passed over Seraphina as she approached the circle of mages. Swaying on her feet, her hand shot out to grab Aurelia’s arm, steadying herself.“Is everything okay Seraphina?” Aurelia whispered under her breath.She gulped audibly before nodding and gesturing for them to continue forward.The circle of mages parted as Seraphina, Achilles and Aurelia came to meet them. Isobella opened her arms out to embrace Seraphina, as they parted she paused momentarily and cast her eyes over Seraphina’s body. An unsettling look came across her face before she shook it away and gave a solemn smile.“Are you sure it is wi
“Violence will be avoided if possible, our main priority is to get in, get the children and get them out. The mages along with Princess Seraphina will be entrusted with bringing the children back to the manor. Magnus?” Aurelia addressed the solider.“Yes Princess,” the aforementioned stepped forward with a salute.“You will stay here with your men to await their return in case anyone tries to follow. The children will stay the night here with their families, they will be seen to by the palace doctors, Helga and Bethel to see if they require any treatment. You are to guard them at all times. I want 2 soldiers stationed inside each of their rooms and an additional 2 guarding the doors.”
An electric buzz coursed through Thea as the mages chanted their syphoning spell. Seamus had warned her that she would feel the absorption of the magic but, she had no idea it would feel so…thrilling. Butterflies, more akin to flying rocks, danced around in her stomach, a radiant sensation passed through her body, warming her from head to toe.The notion that she was absorbing her father’s magic suddenly occurred to her. She had never felt connected to her parents, having no memories of them whatsoever. Moving to the DeBeaux Angelo manor, she thought she would’ve felt a connection, a spark, something but, she didn’t. It just felt like a house.Now, for the first time, she felt connected, she felt the love her father had for h
“I should have known your father would’ve kept an alter hidden somewhere,” Isobella grinned as she walked into the secret room.
*A light breeze drifted through the hallway twirling Seraphina’s sk