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040: Between Family
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
VictoryAnne ViceExpect two more chapters tomorrow as I work to catch up with my updates! It's a new month, so it's time for lots of new updates across all of my stories. Thank you all for being so patient :)
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Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 041: Star-Crossed Mates
[Orion][The night before] Kora is late. Kora is often late, but tonight she is later than usual. I knew I would be getting to our meeting spot early, but tonight I have watched the moon rise and crest and still there is no sign of her. Our meeting place is a little lake on the mountain just a small flight from the castle. We first found this place together shortly after I arrived. I chased her here. We had newly discovered one another, and not quite ready to take things any further, so our chase ended with a game of tag and a heated kiss in the cool water. Usually, we meet in the forest near the castle, near the false grave of my uncle. It is close and private enough to keep our conversations secret. This has been fine as we have gotten to know one another, but over the last few days, our meetings have ended more passionately than before with a frantic energy that begs for completion. I don't think this can go on much longer. We are both so close to going into heat that if we do no
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 042: Trust
[Daax]I must not have heard Orion correctly. Because if I did, I'm not sure what I am going to tell his mother.She's likely to kill us both. Me for telling her to trust his judgment, and him for doing something so stupid."Orion," I place a gentle hand on his shoulder. He has just taken a big step as a drake, and if I do not tread lightly, both Ona and I could lose him forever if I handle this incorrectly. "She said she was who?" "My cousin, Father," his face is flush with embarrassment, torn between expressions of sadness and pain. "Princess Juliana." Tritus' daughter. Tritus Majere. Ona's half-brother and the drake who sold our family to his brother Segundus over and over again. He was a talented genius with more brains than honor and if his daughter is half of what he was, she can't be trusted to be anything but calculating and cruel. To make matters even more complicated, Orion shot a lightning bolt through Tritus' heart to save his mother and me because he had us and our peo
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 043: Forgiveness
[Ona] My son's hurt face is all I can see in the back of my mind as I fly away from this disaster. I never meant to hurt him with my words, but he needed to understand the gravity of his decision. It is more than just the fact that he pursued his mate without permission, that he went against my express orders not to do so. He did something that will be hard for me to forgive and impossible to set aside completely. She is the daughter of the enemy. He knows better than that, or at least I thought he did. How could he know who she is and still choose to take her to mate, to demand that he honor her? He's had many drakaina before her, quick flings that mean nothing, that he made sure wouldn't end in a clutch. Why couldn't he have just had fun with her and been done? I know how strong the pull is, I've lived it myself. But this is my son. What is the point of teaching him from your mistakes if he is just going to repeat them? The tears on my face turn to frost as I struggle to fly hig
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 044: Against Better Judgment
[Primus] How did she find a space in my heart? I must be crazy, catching feelings for a woman like her. And to make things worse, she seems to be completely oblivious to her effect on me. When she touches me I can't see straight, and when she walks across the room, I can't remember how to breathe. But she also drives me absolutely insane. She must be the most confusing person to ever walk the face of this planet. Of all the girls to have a crush on, why did I have to pick the self-destructive batty one? "Why didn't you tell me you can't sing?" I shout as we run from the third tavern in Green Hollow that evening. "I thought you said you could sing." "I said I could sing poorly," she enunciates that last word slowly, as she mounts the horse behind me, adjusting my lute so we fit snugly together before galloping away from this godforsaken town. "Poorly not well. You never listen." Prickling at her criticism, I look over my shoulder and grumble "I thought you were being humble!" She
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 045: Whispers in the Dark
[Orion]I've never seen my mother so angry before.I know that pacing cannot help, but I can't find a way to calm my nerves. I can still smell my mate all over my skin and I want to be with her so badly that it aches. Not just my body, but my soul craves to be with her, to connect with her in the way that only I can.When we lie side by side after our act of love, our bodies returning to our more familiar form, I held her close while she cried. Here she was, in the arms of the man who took away the one person in her family who cared enough to try and find her when she disappeared."I have over a dozen brothers and sisters," she wept. "But nobody came looking when I disappeared. My mother was my father's favorite concubine, but I was their only child, and when she died, I had nobody left to defend me in the palace. Father spent so much time working on the surface that when I failed to return from my excursion, nobody thought to look.""I'm your family now," I swore to her. "I will never
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 046: Parental Urges
[Ona] On our way back to the palace, I informed Daax of the Elf King's wish to have us both meet with him in the tent to discuss what was happening with Carnelia and Primus and to also plan the next steps moving forward as allies. "No, absolutely not, no," he rumbles as we land at the palace. Orion rushes to soothe his cousins as his father continues to rage. Just a moment ago he was the voice of reason when dealing with my hot temper, and now he is elevated, his anger near exploding at just the simple mention of his uncle's name. Orion shushes us, as he frantically feeds and cuddles each of his cousins, Daax excu
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 047: Flames and Fury
[Ona]If the guards and nurses hadn't woken us when they did, we might never have opened our eyes again. The smoke was so thick that I could barely make out the edges of Orion's face as he shook us, a youngling in each of his arms as they all cough, gasping for air. Everyone is rushing around, making sure that the medicine is safe, and that all of the little ones are safe in arms."Count them all!" I choke as I help Daax stand. "Make sure we have all eight babies!""Yes my Queen," one of our family guards shouts into the smoky room. With a distraction this big, we want to make sure none of them go missing. This would be the perfect opportunity for the queen to make one or more of them disappear.For all we know, that was the whole point of this fire. The Queen hasn't asked for them in weeks now, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't still want one. I still don't know why she'd want one of Primus' babies, and I don't care. I just know that I will not sacr
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 048: The Crystal Caves
[Ona]A collective cry goes through the crowd as the flames rise higher. I am stuck in place, standing stone still.Where did everyone go?"The flames are growing, Sir." One of the knights screams to another. "We need to get the queen out of here. Let the rest burn."As I open my mouth to scream, the world fades, the heat disappears, and I feel the sensation of hands on my back and the kind, soft words of a friend."Take a deep breath."Inhaling deeply, I fill my lungs.Darkness is brightened by the sound of rushing waves and the brief sensation of water flowing through me as I move from one space to the next.This is not flying. This feels like falling.I blink. Exhale. Breathe.Everything stops.I am standing in a cave illuminated with blue crystals. The rock is wet, slick, and cold."Give yourself some time," the kind voice says as he slowly comes into focus.The Elf King is standing before me, wet from both sweat and the mist of the nearby water bouncing off the rock. "Displacement
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Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 086: The Wanderer
[Primus]Her face haunts me in my dreams. My beautiful wife. I can't stop thinking of our last evening together when we finally reconnected and pledged to do whatever we must do to stay together.But she isn't here with me and I can't find her. The way to Elfholm is a mystery as no traveler who has encountered the elves remembers where. The illusions are so thick that they often lose themselves. It seems that the harder I search for her, the more difficult it becomes.Fate can be brutal. It doesn't matter how strong you are, how honorable or just, fate doesn't care. A king can be brought to his knees by it's whim. Carnelia is not with me but when I close my eyes, It's almost as if I can feel her in my arms again. Carnelia. My sweet and wonderful mate. It has been two weeks since I last held her. Two weeks since I heard I saw her through a film of darkness.She was so brave. So strong. But I can feel her pain. She needs me more than ever. Whoever has her, they are treating her cruelly.
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 085: Love and War
[Kora]I tried to call the Celestial Kingdom using the shared communications devices between our two countries. I wanted to update them on Orion's situation, to ask for aid and counsel. Elfholm has stopped sending messages demanding my presence at their Moon Council. I have tried sending my messages only to find my signals blocked.The False Queen demands my presence at Skyfall. With each refusal, she sends me a new piece of my love. At first, it was just a bit of hair, an article of clothing to remind me of his fragile situation.But it has been weeks.So now it has become talons and horns, fangs and scales.How long do I have before it is fingers and toes? His arm? His manhood?I am tired of being stuck here. I am tired of waiting.My father kept many labs. He was an anxious sort, very suspicious, and tended to over-plan. I can appreciate this about him as these are traits the two of us share. The colossus at my castle was not the only one, and while I am tempted to take this other
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 084: Shards
[Ona]She didn't warn us. She hardly even said goodbye. She looked at us with such sad eyes as she swept her hand upwards and we became encased within a sphere of darkness."I am so sorry..." Her last words faded and distorted as my brother screamed her name, screamed for her to stop.But she couldn't hear him.I held my little brother close while the darkness swept our little family, our remaining guards and nurses, up and out of Elfholm to Luxandra above.Freedom. She sacrificed herself for freedom.When the inky darkness receded, we were only footsteps away from the Eastern Gate in the Realm of Air, close to the home duchy of Eleanora the False Queen. Carnelia used her newly developed abilities to phase our entire number across a vast amount of space.Not even the Elf King himself was able to move us all so far so quickly.What is she becoming now that she is growing up into her power?"We need to get moving," I try to urge my brother, who has fallen to his knees, his hands reaching
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 083: Moonspeaker
[Carnelia]"I refuse," I hold my head high. "Allies do not treat one another like prisoners. If you wanted my help, you should have asked rather than chain me to this realm.""We're sorry, Your Majesty, but we feel it is necessary with your history to keep you contained. It is for your safety as well as the safety of all gathered here," an elderly drake steps forward, the starflower jasmine glowing blue throughout his long tendrils of hair."It took three of us to bring you back from the shadows when you unleashed your small nightmare," he explains. "We must keep you powerless or risk your wrath. We know the pull of a mother to her children. Why did you try to flee? You are safe here?""Why would any mother feel a need to leave quickly with her children and family--fear for their safety." I glare directly at my uncle. "As you say, I am too powerful. If someone were to threaten their lives," I refuse to remove my eyes from my uncle, who matches my gaze with his steely hardness, "I might
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 082: Torn
[Carnelia]The darkness takes me again, but this time, I have learned how to navigate it. The seemingly limitless void takes on shape and form. If I can find my anchor, I can find my way.Remembering the last time the shadows tried to take me, and how I used the shadows to take me to Primus instead, I focus on his voice, his scent, and the way I feel in his arms. He will be my anchor, my mate.The darkness slowly recedes and the silence is replaced with the sounds of my children crying as Primus calls my name."Oh gods, Carnelia," he weeps along with our babies as his hands grasp mine.Looking up, I see a dark, unnatural cloud looming just above the exit to Elfholm. Thalan doesn't plan to let any of us escape after all. I thought my uncle had at least a little bit of honor, but if I think about it, I can see the advantage of keeping us here. Ona and Primus he might let go, but me, my babies--we're his blood. His brother's legacy. Had I been born powerless, he might have let me go, but
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 081: Homebound
[Carnelia] Ona and I began to make plans immediately. We would all leave under the guise of returning Ona and ensuring her safety. Because our children are so very young, we would be taking them with us as well. Once returned, we'd close the gates again. As far as we understand, the Moon Dragons cannot phase into the Celestial Kingdom. The only way to get to the Celestial Kingdom without the gates being opened is by using a 4th form. Yes, the Moon Dragons have a 4th form, but that doesn't mean they'd just be able to enter the Celestial Kingdom without resistance. There are other defenses in place as well. They'd have to bring an entire army of Moon Dragons. And there is no reason great enough for the Moon Council to approve such an open act of war against fellow Celestials. The plan wasn't bad for one cobbled together from excuses, driven by hunches and fear. Elfholm isn't safe for our family any more, not with the Elf King so determined to keep me here. A drake like him wouldn't
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 080: The Queen's Knight
[Athony] The universe can be cruel. Sometimes the mate she chooses for you is a dream. Sometimes she is your nightmare. Often she is both. Eleanora keeps me around because I am useful. She is very stubborn with a willpower of steel--excellent qualities in a queen, but terrible ones in a mate. But she is loyal to those she finds useful. Why else would she still keep Segundus' corpse rotting in a vat of amber fluid? We thought it had been lost to the fire, but the universe isn't just cruel but capricious. She saw fit in her infinite wisdom to hide his corpse below several layers of earth, down a long lost tunnel leading to tracks that go to the sea. We found it a moon cycle earlier, and the joy in Eleanora's eyes was only overshadowed by her smile of victory. "We must have the Technician," she insists. "When that beast is in our grasp, we will win this battle and reclaim our rightful places." "You deserve to be Queen of us all," I bowed before her. As she touched my shoulder to r
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 079: Broods and Bonds
[Carnelia] "Primus" Moving as a shadow I find myself by my mate's side. I became the shadow. My husband is curled up in the nest with our children, snuggly resting by their side, lending them his warmth and protection, but as soon as he senses me in the room, his eyes snap open, glowing green like fresh leaves. "Carnelia."He slowly untangles himself from our brood, and I want to smile at the sweetness of it all but I'm terrified. Not only by what I just heard from my uncle but by what I might become. A creature of shadow. A creature of the void. "You came back to me," he cups my face as he brings himself closer, touching me tentatively like I might turn into vapor and disappear. For all he knows I might, I hurt his heart when I walked away. "I will always come back," I wrap my arms around him, taking pleasure in his solid strength. I need him to anchor me. Without him and our children, I might float away, becoming darkness. I need this. Breathing him in deeply, his warmth comf
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 078: The Shadow Walker
[Carnelia] The shadows call me now. I'm no longer alone when I leave the light. "A consequence of spending too much time too close to the void," Thalan explains as we turn the corner. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to hear them. Had I known you were a universal dragon sooner, I'd have pulled you from the dream immediately, even at the risk of your mind." We pause by a dark window. Everyone is asleep or close to it now. I left Primus with our children. I long to return to them and to reassure my mate that I will not leave him. I don't know how we are going to make this work. My heart is torn in two. But one thing I've never been more certain of is the importance of our little family. Even if I have to burn this world and forge another from its ashes, I'll find a way for Primus and I to rule together in peace. "The void," my words echo as it bounces along the crystal-covered cavern walls. "You keep mentioning this void, but I saw only Primus' dream." "Then how did
