7. Consequences

(Mateo)

Shade and I flew for a long time. My anger still burned. I was usually not the possessive kind. I really was not. But knowing it was so easy for her to tell me that we should reject each other, and thinking that it might be because of her boyfriend, well, I hated it. I hated just the mere thought of Vera choosing someone else over me. Would she really do that? Could she? 

"We shouldn’t have left. We should have stayed and fought and-”

“And what Shade? Clawed his eyes off! I don’t think that is a good idea.”

“But she is ours. Freyr made her for us!”

“And we will win her over. But certainly not by clawing someone else’s eyes off.”

I hated feeling like this. It felt like a million weird creatures were crawling inside my stomach.

After an hour of just flying around, I flew to the palace and shifted closer to the woods behind the palace, where I had a bunch of clothes hidden for emergencies. It was already too late and too dark. I listened closely and the sound from the palace had quietened into a soft buzz. Most of the guests would have left at this point.

My mom was going to interrogate me when I got back. I sighed as I sat down, and dipped my feet inside the small lake. I was not ready for that interrogation yet.

I just sat there, staring at the fishes jumping up and down in the crystal clear lake, even as the thoughts inside my head jumped, just as fast as the fishes.

Whenever I felt confused or worried, I would come right here. This was my Zen place. I didn’t know what it was about it, but this place always calmed me down. Maybe it was the scent of the Verbenas in the air, or the soft tinkling sound of the wind chime I had tied to the branches, or maybe it was the sound of the water sloshing in the lake...

But tonight, I didn’t feel calm. I only felt the overwhelming agitation inside me.

I had been looking for my mate for as long as I could remember.

“There you are. Mom has been looking all over for you and Amyra is being a weirdo. Well, she is always a weirdo, but tonight she is just being extra weird. Now, tell me where you disappeared?”

I looked at my brother and sighed. It was sad I only had two friends, and one of them was my brother, but that was my reality. Arax Red and Marvis Red were my friends too, but we had never been very close.

“I- I met my mate,” I whispered and looked away from him.

Blaine’s eyes widened, and he clapped his hands together. “Why do you look so sad, Mat? You met your mate! So why do you look like you have lost a fortune or the Eye of Sabius?!” He teased.

Teasing me about the Eye of Sabius had become a long, ongoing tradition in the royal family. I didn’t mind it anymore.

“Well, the reason Amyra was acting weird is because she met my mate.”

“How come I didn’t meet her, and Amyra did?!”

I shook my head at Blaine. “It was an accident. Not planned. Well, the problem is... you know, the mate...” I hesitated for a second. I knew Blaine was not the judgmental type, but still...

“Oh, out with it, Mat,” he said as he pushed my shoulder.

“It is Vera.”

He gasped and his mouth fell open. Blaine was the only one who knew her name. I didn’t exactly know why I didn’t tell anyone her name. Maybe because I was afraid that someone might find her and then lock her up or something.

I sometimes blamed him for the “Vera” incident, as we both called it, five years ago. He was the one who pulled her in front of me and made me lose my shit.

“Vera? You mean Vera Vera! Your Vera.”

“She was not my Vera back then, but yes, I mean her. Even five years ago, I felt every damn thing, you know. It makes sense. I wasn’t usually that kind of guy, but with her I was all that and more.” I sighed, feeling the desperation crawling up.

It was a mess. A whole lot of big, bloated mess.

“So? You are scared to tell mom? Is that why you ran away?” Blaine scoffed. Well, I was scared to tell mom, because my mom... well, let’s just say she wasn’t an easy woman, but we loved her.

“No, that is not it. She ran—I mean, she flew away. I followed her.”

My brother was blinking rapidly at this point. “So, she ran away from you?”

“Well, I handcuffed her to the window.”

“What is wrong with you, Mat? Seriously man!”

“I was only- it was payback for what she did to me,” I said with a huff, which made Blaine scoff. “It is not my fault.”

“So, what are you going to do now?”

“Oh, there is one more thing. She has a boyfriend and she doesn’t think we will work out. So she wants me to-” I stopped.

“You mean... she wants to reject-”

I hated the word. REJECT!

I shrugged.

“Damn, Matt, your coronation is in two weeks. You can’t- you don’t have time for this.”

“I will make time, Blaine. I will.”

“Mom is going to be mad.”

“And Blaine, you will be helping me!”

***

(Vera)

After the prince left, Ezra kept staring at me as if he wanted me to tell him something. What the hell was I supposed to say? I had no idea what to say to him. I secretly wished the mossy ground would open up and swallow me!

The tension between us was too thick. Ezra and I had always been able to share things, but now I didn’t even know what to say to him. Everything in my head was jumbled.

“So? The prince followed you all the way here? How can you be careless, Vera? This is- this is like our whole life and he can take it away just like that. What is he going to do? What did he say to you?” Ezra looked worried. His brows were scrunched. I knew he wanted to say more, but I was grateful he had chosen to wait.

I had no answers for him, not right now, when my head was still scrambled from being in close proximity with my sexy as f*ck mate.

“He won’t do anything about this, don’t worry about that, Ezra!”

“How can I not? He also knew you stole the Eye of Sabius. How did he- why did he just let that go?”

I sighed. Explaining that would be hard. And also, what would I even say. The prince would rather tie me to his bed than convict me for my theft?!

All of Mateo’s punishments for me... I shuddered, shaking myself off. This was not the time to think about that.

“Just- he won’t do anything.”

“Why not? And what about the crown?” Ezra’s voice was stiff. I had never seen him look so angry or helpless. Ezra was always a confident guy, who knew what he was doing.

“I don’t know,” I whispered. I truly didn’t know anymore. I mean, I was tempted, immensely so to get the crown from right under his nose, after how Mateo challenged me, but I also didn’t want to-

"Steal our mate’s crown?!” Nova grumbled with a snide smile.

“I don’t know. I have this weird feeling in my stomach which I've never hadve,” I said to Nova, with a frown. I wanted what I wanted and I took what I took. Always. But this time... this time, I had a feeling!

There just wasn’t too much space in my life for remorse. Ever. When you were struggling, you had to do what you had to, to get by.

After my father left, Owen and I were struggling, but we were living in our home. But then, a few crazy dragons came, saying how my dad owed them money, and they pushed us out of our house. We were just kids, two kids who didn’t know anything. Draconià was a big, bad realm, full of big, bad dragons.

We walked for a long time, Owen complaining about how hungry he was. He was just a kid, and so was I, but I was forced to grow up when my mother died and my father became someone else.

That day... that was the first time I stole something. It was just a dry loaf of Draconiàn bread, made from wheat and rye. It was as dry as a sandpaper. But I stole it and Owen wasn’t hungry anymore. And I cried. I cried the first time I stole a damn bread.

We found ourselves inside Ayerie woods,, and we were dehydrated, and a loaf of bread wasn’t enough. Owen almost fainted. And that was when I met Hegen.

Hegen was more a dad to me than my real dad who walked out on his two kids.

He opened his dingy cottage to us, which was more or less collapsing at that point. And then we lived with him. He was a big, burly man, and he swore every other sentence, but he was also kind. In his own way. He was the one who taught me everything I knew about picking locks, conning the mark, being a burglar.

He also taught me the difference between a robbery and a burglary.

“Never use violence,” was the first lesson I had ever had. “Nobody should get hurt. Physically.”

For a thief, he had his own code.

But when he was alive, he never let me con anyone, or steal. It was his way of protecting Owen and me. And then he died... and everything, every f*cking thing changed.

“You don’t know?” Ezra shook his head as if he couldn’t believe me.

“I just don’t know, Ez. I need time.”

His phone rang. “And you don’t have time right now. This is him.” He waved the phone in front of my face, and the number on the phone made me wince.

“Shit,” I cursed. “I don’t need this right now.” I grabbed the phone from him and attended to the call.

The male voice on the other end said, “You got caught! How are you going to do it now?”

I had always had a feeling that this man was someone closer to the prince. He knew every detail. I still didn’t know why he wanted to steal the crown, but the amount of Euvens he offered me to steal it... well, let’s say, it could buy me two houses in the richest part of Draconià.

I never said no to the Euven and gold coins.

Well, I am a greedy bitch. I have always been. Especially when it can be everything for Lili and Hayden.

“Why did you hire me? How did you even know me?”

I should have asked it the first time around, before I agreed to this stupid scheme. This was stupid, and even I had to admit to it.

“You sold the Eye of Sabius, once. Remember that?”

“I didn’t sell that to you.” 

“Well, you didn’t, but we know the one who bought that,” he said, and he sounded impressed. 

“That was five years ago.”

“Well, my father kept track of you. Let’s just say we were amazed by your skills and I hope you will prove your worth once again. Now, tell me how you are planning to steal the crown?” he asked, his voice turning steely once again. 

“I think... I can’t do it during Dragon Ball, not anymore,” I said with a wince. I almost wanted to say I couldn’t do it, at all, but I didn’t think that was a smart move. I didn’t know who the hell he was… 

I twirled my hair in my finger, wondering how the hell  I ended up in this mess right now? I should have stuck with petty thefts. This was big, even for me, especially the second time.

"Because you are f*cking greedy.”

“But Lili and Hayden-”

“Are going to suffer because you are an arrogant ass!”

“I am not- please, Nova-”

“Miss Rhys, you need to deliver the crown before the coronation as you have promised us, or-”

He didn’t finish it. He didn’t have to. I heard it loud and clear in what he didn't say. But nobody was going to threaten me or my people. 

"You messed up. Big. Ass. Time.”

I did mess up, but I hadn’t lived all my life at the edge of the cliff without a few tricks up my sleeves. 

“No. And do not threaten me, please. I might just be a thief, but I have my own ways. Do not call me again if you want to stay in the dark. Or I will find you, and that is not good for the both of us, is it?” 

“What the hell are you saying?” 

“If I want to continue this, I will find a way to call you. Do not call me again or threaten me.” 

“You will regret this!”  

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