The Clash Of Drakkon: Book Four Of The Drakkon Series

Chapter Forty

Alessandra Drakkon

Queen of the Drakkon Empire

"Alessandra!" My mother is quick to hug me when I step off the shuttle, I return her tight hug, happy to see her, she was covered in splattered blood, and when she pulled back, she was wearing a big grin, whether it was from happiness of seeing me or the battle we had just won, or even both I wasn't sure. "Aldrich! Come say hello to our daughter!" I glance up in surprise and see my father standing hesitantly off to the side, though with my mother's urging he comes closer.

"Hello, Alessandra. I wasn't sure if you would want to see me or even talk to me. I just wanted to let you know that I am so sorry for what I did to you, I wish it never happened, I would rather die than hurt you. I know my apology doesn't make up for what I've done, and I am not asking for your forgiveness either, I just hope that maybe in time, we could try to have a relationship?" He was so hesitant, his face so remorseful, he looked like he didn't except much from me.

Which is why I surprised him, when I stepped forward and hugged him, he was as stiff as a board, likely shocked by my choice to hug him, but eventually he brought his arms up to hug me back and I heard him clear his throat on my shoulder, after a few moments I stepped back and he ducked his head slightly, wiping away tears as if not wanting me to see them. "I'd like to get to know you, and just so you know, I don't blame you for what you did, I know you were being influenced to do those things, I just hope everyone else feels similar after the things I did under a drug's influence as well." It didn't mean I forgave myself for what I did, but I knew I also wouldn't be able to get past it if someone hated me, thought me a monster for what I had done, when in truth I hadn't been able to control myself.

"If you can forgive me for what I did to you, there is no way others will blame you for what you did, daughter." He says the word 'daughter' so hesitantly, as if unsure if I would be okay with him using the term.

"No one will blame you, and if they do, I will show them how wrong they are. What you did during the last few weeks, that was not you, you were starved, beaten, and drugged, you were surviving, no one can blame you for that. Especially after you ended the threat the Nisha poised to everyone here." I give my mother a tight smile, not sure if I believe her, but also knowing she'd probably hit me upside the head if I tried to disagree with her about this. I may not know her well, but I was beginning to, and from what I knew about her, she understood more than most what people will do to survive, all of the Solveig's did, and I knew they wouldn't blame me for anything I had done, it was everyone else that worried me.

"My Queen!" I turn my head and blink in surprise as I see Daxton running over to me with wings, like literal wings attached to his back, that was new.

"Daxton! Nice to see you, I see you got some new appendages while I was away." He glances back at his wings and his face hardens slightly, some of the joy at seeing me draining away.

"Yes, they weren't exactly my choice, but they helped me in getting to you." I stare at him in confusion, not sure how exactly wings helped him get to me, I hadn't even seen him on the battle down on the planet, not to say the battle they fought against the Nisha ships was any less important, but I had been down on the planet and not up here, neither place would really be suitable for wings, with the storms on Zanthene.

"King Daxton gained his wings during a fight for the throne with his previously known mother Ursula Aurelie, who as it turns out is actually his aunt." I blink at Daxton in surprise, I had had hopes that maybe he would challenge Ursula after his ten years with me was up, but I hadn't expected it to be so soon, nor did I think that Ursula wouldn't be his actual mother.

"While I guess I must release you from your ten-year debt to me, after all you have an Empire to rule now." His eyes widen in surprise, and he shakes his head, refusing me immediately, which confuses me, because he definitely could not run his empire while on Draka with me, the time delay between casts alone would definitely lead to something bad happening.