The Protector

Chapter Thirty Six: The Calm Before The Storm

A few days have passed since Gabriel broken the alliance officially. And Kara was sitting on her bed in her room, tossing a ball of light from to hand. She had found her doing this whenever she was in deep thought, somehow it would help her focus.
She had continued thinking of Gabriel and Victoria. " She didn't even look at me " Kara remembered. " I killed her and and didn't even seem phased by that..I figured at the least she would have had something to say " Kara found this rather strange but at the same time, she had more important things at the time. She knew Gabriel had looked at her at least but, the look, while familiar was also different. Gabriel kept changing and Kara could barely keep up with his mindset anymore. " I will never know what the hell is going through his head..." Kara Sighs. Though if she could, it would make her life so much more easier.
Suddenly her door creaks open, and Gwen pokes her head through the door.

" Oh shit..I'm sorry " Gwen could now see that this must be Kara's room. " I've been trying to navigate this place. I didn't mean to just barge in. I'll go " Gwen draws back her head but Kara calls out " Its okay..."
Gwen pokes her head back into the room. " Um. I know this is gonna sound like a weird question but can I ask you a question" Gwen steps into the room but stands by the door. Kara Sighs and nods for Gwen to continue.
" Who was the girl that with Gabriel ?"  Gwen had her reasons for asking even though she could tell that Kara had been made uncomfortable by the question. " That would be Victoria. Gabriel's Queen.." Kara growls under her breath. " Oh..interesting. She just doesn't seem like she fits with him. That is why I was mainly asking" This made Kara perk up a little. " What makes you say that....? " Kara asked, trying to hide the fact that she happy someone else could agree with her.
" Well, she was..I don't know. It's not really my place to say it but I just feel like something was off. I don't know them all that well but it was just weird to me " Gwen answers. Kara tries to hide her smile as she pats the empty spot on the bed beside her. Gwen walks over and sits down. " I am going to be honest with you. I don't know what your true intentions are. And I know that typically, our people have fought for so long. And I find it interesting that a Vampire is the one who would agree with me.." Kara wasn't trying to be insulting, she just was genuinely surprised by this. Gwen looked to Kara and smiled, seeming to understand.
" Well I'm not like my kind. I dont want to see the destruction of the Witches or the Lycans. And, I knew that the one way that could happen is through you and Gabriel. You two are meant to change the Underworld forever. For the better" She explains and continues.
" I don't know wether that means through marriage. I don't know wether that means through friendship. But if it meant the best for our world. Then I wanted to be a part of it. But seeing as how complicated things are.. I don't think it will be happening any time soon"

" We are supposed to change the Underworld?" Kara asked. " Yes. Before you both left to earth, It was said that you two would be the saviors of the Underworld. And then when you returned, things would no longer be the same here. And I guess that has rang true. But it was suppose to be through peace" Gwen lays back on the bed with her hands behind her head.
" I guess it was alot to put on you both. But I do see potential in the both of you. You are both strong and so different from everyone here" Kara crosses her legs and keeps her attention on Gwen. " I know that he is doing what is best for him. And I can't hate him for that anymore" her thoughts go back to his attack on her. " I know that...things have been complicated..but..I can't stop the way I feel about him. Despite what he has done" Gwen notices the uncomfortable tone that Kara has taken and turns on her side to face her. " Every since we got here. It's been nothing but up and down so much that I barely know what is going on half the time. I've been trying trying roll with the punches. But any form of destiny and hope for such things, have kind of left me. I can't say I believe in destiny anymore..." Kara looks down at the bed, taking her eyes from Gwen who now sits back up.
" You can't give up on destiny. Sometimes things happen for reasons that we can't understand..." Gwen looks over Kara, seeming to notice something that she had not seen before. " I am suppose to kill you ya know.  Don't worry, I'm not going to. I have no reason too..." She continues looking over Kara. " I am sorry about the baby.." Kara looks up in shock. " How did you know..? " Kara asked. How could Gwen possibly know about the baby? The only person she had told was Raven.
" Let's just say I can sense these things " Gwen answers. " I also feel like Gabriel had something to do with it. But don't worry, I'm not going to give away your secret. But..I do think you should try to not feel too bad about it. In your body, it probably would have killed you.." Gwen answers.
" What..do you mean..?" Kara was not expecting this have ever came up.." Vamoire younglings need alot of food to keep them alive. In a vampire, they would be getting blood for their mother everytime she feasts to provide them with nutrients. Milk doesn't cut it for us. And since you are not a vampire..it would have just drained the blood from you. Until you finally died and even then it still would have never been enough"
This was a harsh reality that Pierce had failed to ever mention. " My brother probably had every intention of you dying in the long run. From what I can guess, he was going to try and use you to get to Gabriel as much as possible. And in the process, cause havoc for the kingdom " Gwen continues.
" And he had to know on some level that you were faking. And he just used it to his advantage "

If what Gwen was saying was true. She had been outplayed from the very beginning by Pierce. Almost everything she had done would have been for nothing to begin with. She would have had no way of knowing but this was still unsettling. " They probably didn't count on dying though. I'm still impressed by that by the way" Gwen lightly punches Kara.
" I'm not telling you this to make you feel bad. I'm telling you this to let you know that whilst it was harsh with what he did. He probably saved your life"

Meanwhile, Victoria had found herself going the abnormal amount of stress that goes into planning an entire wedding. Gabriel was working with Lysette on the orders that she had given in his absence. This was something she had waited for her whole life. She wanted this moment to be as perfect as possible. It had to be. But as she planned, she couldn't help but think of Santara. Her sister, who had betrayed the entire Kingdom and tried to mate with Gabriel. This angered Victoria greatly. She wished she could understand Santara's mindset though.
During her time since being back, she had visiting her old friends and done her best to explain how she had returned. Though she always avoided her own grave. She didn't want to see it. She couldn't bare the thought of it. It..felt wrong to her. She tried her best ignore it.

" You made the right decision Gabriel" Lysette assures him as she sits down in a chair within his room. Gabriel was changing clothes. " Ending the alliance with Aurora makes the most sense. Not that it matters much what I think now.." Lysette crosses her arms. It was good being able to see her Nephew. Her last family left and she couldn't help but feel proud of the man he had become. He had made mistakes but he looked more than prepared to step up. " Why did you leave.." Gabriel slides a shirt over his head.
" You know how much I loved your parents..and when they passed.. I couldn't bare the thought of being here anymore. I never wanted the throne. I needed to gather my thoughts and I wouldn't be able to do that here.." Lysette seemed to be hiding something but Gabriel was not going to push the matter. She would tell him when she was ready and he accepted that.
" Well you handled yourself really well while I was away. You managed to get everything back on track" Gabriel smiles and sits down beside her. Leaning back in the chair and resting comfortable for the first time in a long time.
" I didn't want to but I knew I needed to. Our people were dying. And you left. And you managed to bring her back.." Lysette pats him on his knee. " And you succeeded. You found your Queen again. I'm very proud of you " She smiles. " I knew I had to find her. I couldn't take the throne without her by my side. I knew that from the moment I was brought back. I needed her. I still need her" he answers. " She needs you too Gabriel " Lysette smiles and looks away. " What is wrong? " Gabriel asked noticing this gesture.
" Don't worry about it Gabriel. Just know that I'm glad that you are home. I will remain her for a few weeks and then I think I need to leave again.." Lysette didn't really want to leave but she had things that needed to be done. " I wish that you could stay..you are the first family I've gotten to have since coming back " He looks rather sad after saying this. Lysette wanted to stay and give him the answer but she knew she couldn't. And then, he asked her the question she had been dreading.
" How did my parents die.."

A subtle quiet had fallen over the Underworld, the lands had changed so much since Kara and Gabriel had arrived. It felt slightly peaceful and echoed the feeling of difference. Some felt as though this was a calm before the storm and others felt that the Underworld had finally been restored to its former glory. So many of the inhabitants felt so differently about this. But no matter how they felt, this would not change that this would all be the calm before the storm.
A loud howlcan be heard echoing throughout the Underworld. Symbolizing that the storm was on its way.