"Please come I--"The door flung open and Raquel rushed in, her voice almost inaudible with heavy breathing."My Lady, I brought you this really--," Belladonna turned to her at that time and Raquel stopped abruptly, " you are dressed." She stated flatly.Belladonna nodded with a smile, twirling around, giving her a full view of her long sleeves, V-neck and flare ankle-lenght gown.She didn't even know why she had done that but she was feeling a little giddy tonight. What was wrong with her?"A blue gown?" She asked, her face scrunched up, her voice flat, absolutely questioning and low with confusion. That was when Belladonna observed the gown she had in her hand that was still hanging in the air. She flinched internally seeing that, despite how beautiful the gown was, it was the usual color Raquel always suggested once again.Red.By Ignas, no! Not again."Yes, it matches with my eyes.""Oh, my Lady."Raquel smiled nervously, pushing the red gown she had in her hand forward, while t
"With your condition, everytime I'm with you, I'm putting my life at stake. If you really want me to help, you mustn't put me in the dark."Raquel's gaze fell to her hands that she had placed on her kneels, her tears streaming down her face, dropping to her uniform, and dissolving right into it, leaving wet patches behind."Ahhh, alright then." Belladonna sighed, holding down the doorknob.Raquel said something at that moment but her voice was too inaudible for Belladonna to hear and understand what her jumbled words meant. She dropped the doorknob and took a step towards her. "What did you say?""They have her," she repeated herself, a little audible this time, her voice a bare whisper. "They have our daughter and till my husband and I pays, they won't let her go."Belladonna's eyebrow arched up, questioning.Raquel had a daughter? That was an interesting thing to do out. Never had the thought of Raquel having a family crossed her mind. Belladonna had been too occupied with the th
"No one wanted bad luck, they wouldn't employ us, nor sell to us, nor give to us. Even though we told them about our daughter, they looked at us with sympathetic eyes, yet they shut their doors and windows, as if we would infect them with our ill fate if they entertained us longer."She sniffled, her face a hot mess. Then she reached for the hem of her dress and blew loudly into it, clearing her nostrils so that she could breathe. When she spoke once again, her voice was really quiet."We had no where else to turn to, but to go straight to the Castle that everyone dreaded for the King that lived in it and his monstrous beast. We were ready to die if it came to that, anything to save our daughter. We didn't meet the King. Who were we to make such request? We just knelt in front of the Castle gate and cried out for mercy."Belladonna could imagine that, she could imagine their pain and desperation, she could feel it.She blinked harder this time, it was really hard not to cry."When t
"Is everything alright with you?""Yes, your Majesty. I just---" her voice trailed off at the sound of a running boots from a guard rushing down the hallway towards them. "Yo..ur M-majesty, yo...ur Majesty..." He called out breathlessly, then fell on a kneel. Before he could state his purpose, the King was already asking. "Is it ready?""Yes, your Majesty.""Leave." Then he turned his attention away from the guard that was already scurrying away, and back to Belladonna. "Important matters of the Kingdom." He started walking down the hallway, making her follow. "Oh."She wondered what could be so urgent that made him immediately forget about what she wanted to speak to him about."I must attend to them."He took the stairs and she followed. The lower they got, the more she worried about what a task it would be for her to get back up to her room. That would probably be where she would have dinner.When he didn't say anything else, she stopped and called out to him. He stopped, turni
"I'm surprised we are not riding your dragon, your Majesty. You still have haven't taken me on that ride you promised yet." She said, seemingly more relaxed now than when they had started this journey.She heard her stomach rumble quietly and she instinctively placed her hand on it, rubbing it absentmindly. If only this meeting could just postpone itself. As much as she was happy to be outside the castle, the excitement she would have completely felt was killed by the fact that they would be going out to work. Now, now she understood a little about royalty and the responsibilities accorded to the crown and those associated with it. She also understood the implied promise of the whole situation of him bringing her along with him, but her need for food was overpowering. She was starving.She didn't know when she would be able to set her eyes on a plate tonight, but she knew that when that would eventually happen, she would feast on it like a hungry beast.Why was she so hungry?She b
"There is nothing for you to fear, I am right by your side." He whispered to her and she nodded."Lead the way, your Majesty and I'll follow."He chuckled softly at the sudden excitement in her voice."You are a wonder, my Bride."So he lead her through the walkway that had a fountain by the side and into the big dimly decorated building. When they got into the beautiful lit long hallway, there were no servants anywhere in sight. It almost felt like as if they were alone. Belladonna couldn't be sure though, the King happened to have really trained soldiers that found it easy to blend seamlessly into the shadows.Finally they got to a large door and the King stopped, unlocking it.Belladonna tensed up.They were here.Wow.She took in a deep breath, ignoring the quiet growling of her empty stomach for the thousandth time, and the nervousness that built at the depth of her stomach, at what awaited her once the King threw the doors open.Ah, even now, she still wasn't ready. ---also,
"The more I got to know you, the more I was caught in between two battles. On one hand," he raised a hand in the air in front of him to desmostrate, his gaze passing over her lightly. "I felt that things would turn out differently this time and on the other, " he raised the other, "I couldn't help but think that it was going to be the same."His gaze moved to the wall behind her and he reached for whatever it was that was holding his interest. She heard a gentle snap and the swaying of a flower pot before she felt him tucking something in her hair, the light weight resting in her corner of her left ear. It was a flower. He pulled back after that. "So I immersed myself in my work to take the thoughts away. It was a moment of self doubt that I regret the most. My actions had pushed you right into his arms. If I had been better, you would have told me the very first time you started having strange dreams about him."Belladonna blushed.Now how easy would it be to tell a King, or even
She felt a sharp burning pain in her hand. A groan slip pass her lips, as she struggled to move away from the King, who seeing that, took a step back immediately. Her gaze darted down at the long sleeve of her gown as a red liquid that was quickly turning black dissolved into it, burning her skin at contact.She gnashed her teeth in pain, struggling to get to the fountain and shove her hands straight into the water for its promised ease.It felt like that part of her skin was on fire. Burning hot!But the King stood in her path and he quickly tucked an opened tiny bottle into her other hand. "Drink," he ordered.Desperate and without thinking, she took the content of the bottle in one gulp. The relief that washed over her right after that was immerse. The stain on her sleeve was no longer black but now red, like blood, also the liquid was no longer burning her.She had no time to wonder at what had just happened though, because the next thing she knew, the King was ordering her t
“What is this?” Ny'ka asked, racing up to her feet.“The Stones of Prophecy. I already told you,” Ka'el replied, rising to his feet too. He groaned a little, his ribs hurting from the force that had tossed him aside.The stones had suddenly fallen to the ground, scattered; they were still glowing though. “I mean, what do they do?“I don't know!” There was a bit of panic in his voice, then he started to mumble to himself as he fell on his knees and started trying to collect the stones. “The King believes his daughter is in the Rebellion, and there are rumors of the Heir; he thinks they are working together.” He stopped and stared up at Ny'ka who watched him with a frown on her face. “That is why the Moon and the Sun came up in the sky because she is really here? But you said it didn't happen here, that it was from another Realm. It is from another realm, right? It isn’t true, Is it?”Ny'ka tried to grab one of the stones from Ka'el but it held it away from her. “Is his daughter truly
Then she felt like she was drowning and her words vanished from her lips. It felt like she was right in the lake and above it at the same time, hovering over the water and looking at the drowning child, while the drowning child looked back at her, struggling. Then she was finally in the baby and she could see Xinora floating over her as she felt herself dying in the baby — felt the baby dying. She saw Xinora stare right at her mother, who froze immediately like she had seen a ghost - it was what she looked like anyway, what she seemed to be. Then Belladonna felt the presence slam right into her immediately. Xinora had vanished and was now inside her as one being, the moment of her almost death creating the perfect space for Xinora to fit in. But just as Xinora had merged into her, she dissolved into the back of her mind like a mere pest fighting against a strong host. Her mother pulled her out of the water, her gaze blank and cold. Without a word, she wrapped her in a piece of clo
Trigger warning: Dealing with rape aftermath (from victim’s perspective) on page, and baby drowning on page. _________Belladonna paced the room. Two nights have passed since Alaris and her had discussed about Xinora. The Rebellion was healing, and she had sought out Ny'ka to help her with creating portals; although she knew that it might not work, just as it hadn't been working, but that was just how unpromising Channeling had been, and it had worked eventually. That wasn't the problem though. The thing was that Ny'ka was nowhere to be found. It didn't take long for her to figure out where she was.She was with Ka'el, most likely inquiring about their recent failure.Alaris had confirmed her suspicion, and here she was, in the room, trying not to drive herself mad with every single possibility that was crossing her mind.The Priest had drawn a tattoo on the top part of her chest, a little distance from her neck. He had smeared it with the blood of an animal, chanted some things th
Ny'ka went to Ka'el that night as the Heir had ordered, only to find out that he was with someone. Tsiri?What?What was she doing here? Why was she here? How long has she known about Ka'el? How did she get here?Why was she here?By Ina, what had she told him?!The White glow of the crescent moon above glimmered down on them through the shadows of the scanty leaves of the tall trees around them. The smile on Tsiri’s face was plain for Ny'ka to see, just as obvious as the doubt that dotted Ka’el’s eyes. What had she told him?!“Is it true?” Ka'el asked, his fist tightening around the small bag he had in his hand. She wondered what was in that bag but his next words made her aware of the greater problem she had before her. “Are you just fooling me?” He asked as his free hand anchored around Tsiri’s waist, making her smile widen. Disappointment flashed in Ny'ka's eyes and she frowned, blatantly ignoring Tsiri. “Fooling you? What nonsense are you talking about? And why are you with o
“Nightshade, do you have any memories of Jyris?”He was crouching in front of her. This room suddenly felt too small. Where was the air of ease?“No, except that he healed my ankle, gave me that gold ring that you tossed away and he was at the table with the King. Nothing else. I’m trying to but I don't remember anything else.” She wouldn't tell him about the strange feeling of familiarity she had when she had first seen him. That would be too dangerous. “You were in her dreams even when you weren't in captivity. So can you just go into people's dreams? Can you still do that?”“No. Her dream was the only one I could get into without being in captivity. But My freedom does come at a price. It was hard to lure the brides with my soul, and certainly, I prefer this freedom to that.”“Did killing her hurt you? Since the gems are supposed to be a pair.”“I struck her stomach.”“Why didn't you strike her in the heart or behead?”“I wanted to behead her and take her heart as my own; a litt
He heaved a sigh and sat next to her. “Well, it was after being King. I think the wars I had fought strengthened the connection with my gem; the lives I had taken fed it, and I dreamt of Xinora — well, she dreamt of me. It was the first time I would be in anyone's dreams.”Belladonna nodded, taking a mental note of that. “She was crying and lonely, and because the Gem perceived its master to be distressed, it sought a connection and found me. Xinora was terrified when we met; I was confused, too; it was strange. But then, I realized who she was and why I was there. At that time, I really wanted to come back here, to Vestros, but I knew it wasn’t time, I wasn't powerful enough back then.” He paused, before he continued. “The White King would kill me easily, but being in her dreams was like fate being on my side. She was the only weapon that could be used to kill me—”The only weapon?“Wait. Only a Bearer can kill a Bearer?”“Yes.” “So,” she turned to him squarely so she wouldn't mi
“And you didn't tell me? Why?”“It was over two centuries ago.” He stood up. “She stayed dead during those times, why would I think anything would come out of her now?”Belladonna said nothing and Alaris continued. “With you, I believed she had already been replaced. A new Master, her time was over, gone. The gems will always have their masters, I have discovered. At first, I was worried, but then you proved to be more than one with a mere link.”“I had visions of her. I told you everything.”He shrugged. “I thought it was just her lingering presence since she was the one who was connected to the gem before you. They are just mere visions, they don't suggest a powerful presence to get bothered about.”“You must be joking,” she stated, flabbergasted. “I had dreams of her every time and nothing ever really happened as a result,” he replied with a dismissive tone.“You know that is not true.”“Nothing “real” ever really happened.”With a realization, she stood up. “You are doing it aga
It felt compelling to desire more, it felt right… yet it didn't.Alaris pulled away being the first one to snap back from the spark pulling them together. “I’m sorry, I shouldn't have done that.” He was gone in a flash, leaving her flustered. She couldn't think; the foreign and overpowering feeling was a driving force that sent her out of the room to go after him. She did, reaching the surface, however, and feeling the warm glow of the moon on her skin. Something else seemed to have possessed her, and she went towards the lake instead, strangely seeking the comforting feeling of the water and the floating relief. The reflection of the full moon was cast over the still water and the trees seemed to create a path for her. She walked into the water as a shadow warrior emerged from behind her; the only one of Alaris' shadow warriors that wasn't killed. It swiftly moved into the water, reaching out to pull her back but she turned sharply to it. “Go Back!” She ordered, her voice a gr
Breathing heavily, he turned back to her. “I’m sorry— I just— I was afraid that you’ll shift—”“I have been terrified that this day would come but I thought I was stronger, as strong as I was in your Realm. I knew I would be lacking the moment I saw that annoying thing healing your ankle with his flames,” he laughed, the sound dry of humour as he swept his hand over his hair, pushing it back. “At that moment, I knew there were many things that I lacked, many skills, so many things. I might have been a King there but here, I am like a child. I’m not better than any of those dragon shifters. I’m useless.” “You are not.”With a huff, he sat down next to her, feeling exhausted. “My pretense to know what I am doing can no longer save me. I’m fighting a lost war, Nightshade and you can see it.”He turned to her, to find her shaking her head. “Don't lie to me.”“I’m not.”“Alaris—”“Don't try to inspire me, it won't work.” “I wasn't trying to inspire you, I just want to tell you how disap