Trigger warning: violence, attempted murder, wounds.
The princess wakes me up. I groan, glancing at the clock on the nightstand. It was nearly noon. I yawn, slowly forcing myself into a sitting position.
"Why'd you let me sleep in so late?" She laughs.
"Because every other time I tried to wake you up, you just groaned and went back to sleep." I yawn again.
"I'm sorry."
"No, no, it's fine. The doctor linked me earlier. He has your test results." I practically shoot out of bed. She laughs as I frantically pull clothes on. She follows close behind as I run down the stairs.
"Woah, why are you running?" Delilah asks.
"DNA results. Come on." She follows us to the doctor's office. The small man laughs when we enter the room.
"About time you came down. You excited?" I nod. He laughs and sifts through a folder. He pulls out a paper, looking down at it with a small frown.
"What?" He sighs, handing me the paper.
"I'm afraid we don't know as much as we'd hoped." I frown, looking down at the stupid little piece of paper.
Elvish. Vampire. Shifter: Genus UNKNOWN. Dragon. UNKNOWN. UNKNOWN. UNKNOWN.
"How can there be so much you don't know?" The doctor sighs. Delilah takes the paper from me.
"We don't have DNA for all species. I'm sorry." I run a hand through my hair before turning around and walking out the door. Jovianne and Delilah stumble after me.
"Baby, talk to me."
"There's nothing to talk about. I still don't know what I am."
"We'll figure it out." I shake my head.
"I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. It was stupid of me to think I'd ever figure it out." She grabs my arm, and I yank it away. Hurt flashes in her eyes, making me sigh. "I'm sorry. I just want to be left alone right now. I think I'm going to go on a ride."
"Take Delilah and some guards with you." I nod, giving her a sad smile before walking outside. Delilah walks with me to the stables. A guard stands nearby, stiffening when he sees me.
"Will you grab some guards? We're going on a ride." He bows and walks out. I saddle Sterling, ignoring the way Delilah stares. Eventually, I can't stand it anymore. "Stop staring at me."
"Why are you upset with Jovi?" I sigh, running a hand through my hair.
"It doesn't matter," I say, glancing behind her as the guards enter the room. She turns, nodding when she sees them.
'Tell me,' she says through the link. I sigh, climbing on Sterling.
'If I wasn't here, if I'd never met her, I never would've gotten my hopes up about finally learning what I am.'
'And that's her fault?'
'No,' I say, running Sterling down the dirt road. 'Of course it's not her fault. I just...'
'Just what?' She asks softly.
'I hate being here. I hate that she's started making her way in. I hate that I'm not allowed to be myself. And I really hate that I don't know what I am, that I thought I'd ever know.' She sighs.
"Let's go swimming. You need to relax," she says out loud. I nod, turning to one of the guards.
"Do you know where we could swim?"
YOU ARE READING
The Stains of the Crown
FantasíaEchodis has been a Hunter for most of her life. Being the Second in Command means meeting Royals. When she finds out she's mated to one, she has to reconcile with her past. But it's someone else's past that changes her entire future. Trigger warnin...
