The next morning, I walked to the morning room where I was supposed to be having tea with the queen consort who was a noble man of his right but didn’t have any say when the queendom is concerned. I was confused about the power dynamics at first but Orel made everything simple for me, the men were used to be ruled by females. Females in this queendom was more ruthless and heartless when dealing with threats than the men and so with traits in females, they have been ruling the empire for centuries, they operated a matricentric society where, everything is done through the linage of the woman. Noble houses followed the woman family tree, even the Queen who came into power with the help of the Dar Empire when another noble house almost succeed in stealing her crown. Orel also informed me that I could not be seen as his wife, I needed to ascertain my superiority here or they negotiations will not go well.
“Good you are here, I am L
Dyane was scared of me, my display of ruthlessness was enough to scare anybody from me but still, it hurts when she flinch away from me, or when she refused to meet my gaze or when I look at her and all I see in her eyes is fear, fear of me and what I am capable of.“She will come around.” Orel said as I glanced at him.“How come you always know when I am worried and the reason by just looking at me?” I complained as Orel laughs.“I told you all your tells, didn’t I?” Orel said with his eyes shining, he was happy. I made him happy.And in return he being happy makes me happy, knowing that I am responsible for his happiness makes me ecstatic. I love him.“You might have but I refused to believe, I am not that obvious.” I whined as Orel laughs.“We are in Northshore lands now.” Gwenn called as we all stopped our horses.“What is going on?” Dyane
“I cannot believe that I slept throughout that confrontation, I would have told him where he can put his many ideas about us in.” Gwenn rages as she paced around the room we were given, a room for 15 persons, it doesn’t matter that the room was big enough.“Talking back to him might earn you a punishment.” I tell her rubbing my eyebrow because of the headache that was coming.“You did and you weren’t punished.” Gwenn pointed out.“Yes I did and I didn’t insult him or tell him to shovel his ideas into his body through the means of his butthole.”“I don’t see why it matters what you say or not, there is no way that he can be influenced into something which he will not like, the best that we can do is list the reason why being allies with us will be in their best interest and also the things we will give up for negotiations.” Orel said as Gwenn shook her head.“He
The wedding took place in less than a week after the negotiations and the mood was like that of a funeral, immediately after the wedding, we left and began our journey to the capital. Dyane started talking to me again and she was the only one, I no longer existed where Gwenn and Orel is, I know that Gwenn understand that it was her duty but she was still too upset to think about it clearly and Orel was angry with me.We got to the capital yesterday after spending two weeks travelling and Orel helped me down my horse after helping Dyane and ignored me in his courtyard while he barked orders to his servants and warriors. I was taken to his room in his home and there I was awake waiting for him to arrive no matter how fatigued I was, he came in, ignored me and went to sleep, I cried myself to sleep that night and this morning when I woke up without him being around. I got dressed in my trousers hoping to train but knowing that I wi
OREL POV“Have you sent a message to Elison?” Gwenn asked me as I continued to look at the documents before me, catching up on what I have missed in the capital so far.“Yes, that was the first thing I did.” I answered her even though I was too distracted to continue working, I knew that I could not face her. I could not deal with the guilt that I caused her to be banished by my own hands, if I haven’t saved Themis, Gwenn would not be leaving very soon.“Orel look at me.” Gwenn said softly but I shook my head. “Why?”“You know why Gwenn, you know.” I rubbed my hands over my eyes tiredly, I missed Themis but I don’t think I can be around her now not after what she did to one of my closest friends because she was jealous, she clearly didn’t trust my words because if she did, she would not have felt the need to remove Gwenn from my side forever.“You need to stop feeling guilty, it wasn’t yo
“The ladies are what?” I asked glancing at Gwenn who brought me the message with unhidden glee. She wanted to crash that tea meeting and I am the only one she could follow.“The ladies are all meeting and excluding you.” Gwenn repeated.“It isn’t my business.” I muttered beneath my breath as I try to calm myself down.“Did I mention that Estrid is there?” Gwenn added with a grin.“Fetch me Dyane to help style my hair, you might want to get ready too, we are going there.” I stated as Gwenn gave a whoop and left the room not minding that I was ordering her.Thirty minutes later, I and Gwenn was walking through the home of Lillian where the meeting was holding, I dismissed all guards and servants around me since I knew the way to the morning room myself.As I got closer I started hearing snippets of conversation. “…maybe we should send another invite.” A voice said the
The next few days were amazing, the words which I used to described my horrible first day back at the capital to my husband, he made sure of it and although, he could now stand Cale being around him, he refused to allow Cale come close to me and when he did see Lillian, nobody knows what went passed between them but since then Lillian has been scared to be kin the same room with me, the only time that she was in the same room as me was when the noble ladies where gather and even then, she refuse to talk when I was talking, meet my gaze or sit anywhere close to me. Estrid was annoyed at her friend decision to protect her head, she made annoying comments about me and was slowly testing the limits of her boundaries. If Gwenn was present when she said some of the things that she made in side comments, Estrid would have been close to death right now from what Orel will do to her.“What are you thinking of.” Orel said from behind me as he kissed my c
“How Dare you whip a maid who is higher than you.” Estrid said as she got into my face in the middle of the market square the next day when I was walking to get some herbs with Dyane, the guards behind me tensed but I waved them away as I sighed and look at Estrid, it seems like it was not up to two days and she was already falling into a mess, a mess that she would not get out of this time.“Go on your way and I will ignore this happened.” I tell her as Dyane shifted back knowing that Estrid will soon get what was coming to her. I turned to face Dyane only for Estrid hand to come down on my face, she slapped me. “You slapped me.” I asked disbelief clouding my features as the guards closed in around us, she just made herself unable to escape where she just put herself in.“Yes I did bitch. You have no right to tell me what I can and cannot do.” Estrid gripes as she made to hold me by my shoulders.
“Welcome to the council meeting” the dirty old man from the Maiden Hunt said as I nodded in reply. His name was Admon, with Orel description of those in the council with him, I could recognize them all by matching what I was seeing with his description and although his description was a bit funny when he was giving it, I could see that it is right. Admon was not a dirty man as I had first thought. No, his skin naturally was that brown and he has a few scars on his face which made him look fierce and he was fond of grey or brown clothing which was why I had given him that nickname in my head. I glance at the others and took note of the differentiating factors“Thank you.” I replied after wetting my lips, I was nervous because even though I had the time to get used to Orel being a warlord and all, I never thought that I will join the rulers of Dar in their meeting room where they make decisions that affect the empire.“I am sorry for
“You have a pretty amazing life here.” Themis said as her eyes take everything around her while holding her babe close to her chest, I wondered what she saw and did not see, my sight and hers were different now. I saw the wonders and the mundane and none shocked me anymore.“You think.” I snorted as I rose from my throne seat which was slightly smaller than that of my husband, it was very comfy and a guilty pleasure of mine. Whenever I am on it, I don’t feel the insecurity that is crashing around me. “Enough talking, I haven’t seen my godson in a while, hand him over.”“And look, there she goes threatening me for my own son.” Themis jokes as I wrapped my arms around Themis in a hug. “I have missed you.” Themis confessed.“I knew it, I knew that you would miss the way I heap insults on you.” I teased with a laugh as I untangled myself and held Themis so
It’s been two weeks since I killed the king of Erisea, two weeks of Orel taking control of the empire and putting Dariths in top positions, now it is time to go home… it would not be long before I would welcome my son into the world, I want to do that in the capital even with Estrid there, it was still the second place I know as home and more convenient than the warrior plains of Dar where Orel mainly spend his time, it was also close to winter.According to Orel, we will spend winter in the capital as the wild fields of Dar was not the best place to raise a new born child. This he told me when he started to talk to me again, after shaking me so hard that my teeth clattered together and then refusing to talk to me. He and Gwenn spent many last night together sharing each other pain and grief. I hoped that it made them feel better but I wasn’t too sure if anybody would ever feel better after losing their friend who was a part of their soul.
Gwenn PovMy head felt like burst from the knowledge that was flashing through my head, the closer I got to the camp, my people were in. Hundreds and thousands of things, I never knew existed not to talk of need to learn ran through my mind and sank in my brain, most of them were powerful words… not spells. My brain provided me with the right word to use.“Are you okay mistress?” Sorens asked in worry behind me.I wanted to laugh, how do you define okay anymore? My life had stopped being okay a while ago when I was wedded into Northshore. My best friend died for me, my husband was probably on top of another lady at this moment, I just learnt that my new people were not demons but something close to, I had a war to fight and I could not even be left alone to mourn. I didn’t bother to try and answer Sorens question because it was clear that I was not okay. I got to the camp to meet the rest of the le
Gwenn PovThe camp was quiet, everybody was feeling the loss… not as much as the three of us. Themis, Orel and me. For a day now, we have done nothing but remain within Elison space, sitting among his things, not talking or moving around much. We didn’t care if we were in public or neither did we try to pretend to be strong for our warriors.“He always so patient with me, he taught me my first sword trick.” I said softly, the first one of us to break the silence, Orel turned to look at me with eyes that looked as if the soul have been sucked out of them.He was the first person to ever beat me in a bawl then he suggested that we should join the army together.” Orel added.“I cannot believe he is gone.” I voiced as I rubbed my palms on my shoulders like I was cold but I knew it wasn’t the cold, I was feeling the piercing loss of our friend and brother and I also knew that I would not accept comf
ELISON POVMistress of the whip, Gwenn is called, I am called something more practical, something which might not be related to torture techniques or brilliant fighting skills just like Gwenn and Orel dubbed titles but it was still important, it was still enough to be seen as special. The master huntsman is my title. Nothing can out run me, nothing can escape my clutches once I start my hunt.And now, this hunt has started, to save my sister life, a race against time… I pray to the gods, please don’t let anything happen to her, I am on my way…I am coming to take the death that is rightfully mine.********************************************DYANE POVHe left, even with knowledge that he would die, all to save those he considered as family, all to save his honorary sister. I might have just seen Elison alive for the last time. I quickly send a prayer to the gods, please prote
Orel PovEven with my mind on Themis, I didn’t have enough spare time to hunt her down until it was evening. When I found her, she was with Gwenn and Elison and from the looks of it, was solely distraught and begging Elison to agree to something, Elison, I noted was also looking pale and a little too taunt for my liking.“What’s going on here?” I asks as soon as I got close enough to hold my wife so she would not jump in shock as I approached them from the direction her back was turned to.“Apparently, I might leave you all soon.” Elison said with a wry grin on his lips but his eyes were hunted.“Don’t be silly, you are not going anywhere even if we have to tie you to keep you safe, I am sure that we can avert this.” Gwenn said in a brash tone as if she was taking on an unwilling candidate that would beat her and know this fact yet she is still charging into the battle with a war cry and weapon in her hands, w
GWENN POV“Why are you all doing this to me?” I scream as soon as I entered the camp where my so called warriors erected for themselves. Bodyguards, that’s what they are, they protect me among my friends but the moment when I step into the battle field they withdraw from me.“My Queen.” Sorens appears next to me. I would have been shocked about this before I left to help my husband but not anymore, not when I am just as fast as him and just as inhuman too, the speed which leave me the moment I also enter the battle field.“If I was your Queen you will obey my orders to help in the war.” I yelled at them not willing to let the tears pour from my eyes although it was getting hard.“You know that we cannot.” Sorens replies nervously… he was the most humane among them all, the rest were slowly appearing and looking on with me discussing with their commander with no expressio
“What do you mean that we are leaving?” I asked her husband sitting up from the bed where I was lying down since I woke up and had been feeling fatigued so I still laid down. Why on earth did I think that I could close my eyes to rest when I just finished telling Orel what has been going on? Of course I should have expected this, I should have expected to wake up to see that Orel has stirred the camp into a flurry of activities.“I mean exactly that Doe. We have to go after the Erisean but we would not use their route, we will take another.”“Does this mean that you have an idea where they are heading to?” I asks my husband as my cover cloth dipped down exposing my body to Orel who stopped in the middle of raising his shirt to stare at the skin I exposed not on purpose. “Orel, answer me.”My voice seemed to snap Orel out of whatever trance he was in. “Of course. I know where they are going, i
OREL POVThemis never left my side, all through my healing process she has been always near me, and whenever I was awake she always sang to me. I never had any doubt that she loves but if I did, they have been put to rest. I have been hearing tidbits about what went on during my captivity but nobody will tell me anything even when I threatened to have them whipped, Dyane’s answer to that particular threat of mine was to laugh and say that Themis will do something worse if she did tell me, according to what has been going on, Themis refused to tell me the state of the camp or things that happened in my absence because she wanted me to be well rested before I learnt of anything that happened. She told me this five days after I have arrived at the camp and for the next two weeks after, it was what was repeated to me by the maids who helped Dyane with healing, those that brought food even my commanders repeated the same thing to me when I asked them, it feels