A Queen's Redemption

Chapter 3- New Faces, Muddled Truths

*At Asnuelia Palace*

Chains rattled as he paced back and forth in his cell. Blood dripped from his clenched hands as his nails dug into his flesh. His panting could be heard throughout the room as he fought to reign the demon in. His vampiric side, Rhaan, just sitting back and watching the show.

Rhaan, you could help me with this ya know. He growled at him.

Pssh. Please. Don't mind me, I'm just enjoying the show.

He rolled his eyes and snarled as he smelled someone else enter the room.

"It's just me and your sister honey, calm down."

He exhaled. "Hey momma. Hey Haze."

"How are you doing brother?" her soft voice asked.

He smiled at her gently. "I'm fine sis. Nothing for you to worry about." he said, turning to his mother.

She shook her head slightly. "No luck yet baby. I'm sorry. Try to hold on alright?"

He groaned as he felt the demon increase its fight for control.

I don't know how long I can do this.

~~~~~~

*Serene's POV

I was walking through the town aimlessly, trying to get myself familiar with the trails, routes and places, not really paying huge attention to much. A shout in the distance had me stopping in my tracks. I turned towards it, and saw a woman being dragged out of a store a little ways off from the others. She had a baby strapped to a carrier on her back. I looked around to see if anyone would move to help, but no one moved a muscle.

What the hell?

I waited a couple more seconds before I realised that no one really wasn't going to move to help her, so, against my better judgment, I stepped in.

"Hey!" I walked up to the two. They turned to me. "She has a child on her back, do you have to be so rough with her?"

The guy looked me up and down and sneered at me. "What's your point little girl? Didn't stop her from trying to rob my store."

Rob?

I glanced inside and saw a pair of baby shoes laying on the ground.

So those were...

Then I glanced both of them over and saw that they were wearing what could only be considered as rags.

What the actual hell?

I was brought back to the present by her whimpering and I could tell she was in pain by how he was gripping her wrist. The child on her back could clearly fell her distress and also started crying.

I sighed. "Alright look." I turned to the store owner. "If I paid for the things she tried to steal, would you let her go and forget all this?"

He rolled his eyes, thought for a moment, then shoved her towards me. "Fine whatever. Let me go get it." he huffed then went inside.

I turned to the woman who was sniffing in my arms. "Are you alright ma'am?" I asked her gently.

She shook her head slightly and I could tell she was shaken up. Before I could say anything the owner came back out and threw the baby shoe at our feet, then stuck his hand out.

I paid him while resisting the urge to cuss him out cause technically this lady was in the wrong but still...

I picked up the parcel then gently gathered the woman and her baby and started to guide her away.

I heard the man speak again. "Don't let me catch both ya'll asses here again ya hear! Afterall, with some pretty things like you two, who knows what might happen." I could tell he was smirking, but that last part got me.

I turned and looked him dead in the eyes and allowed my own to turn a piercing violet, and my shadows to cross my face. I know exactly what he saw and knew he wasn't going to be sleeping well the next couple nights.

He froze and started to shake, then I saw a wet spot forming in his pants. I smirked at him then continued to lead the woman away.

"Are you doing better?" I asked her gently. "Can you walk on your own?"

She said yes, so I released her and made sure she was steady on her feet.

"Thank you dear. I really appreciate it." She said, glancing back at her baby who was once again a happy little fellow.

She turned back to me then froze slightly. "Wait a minute. You look familiar."

I smiled. "Not possible. I moved back here just three weeks ago."

She shook her head as we continued to walk away from the town. "No. You look like someone I know. Do you by any chance know a woman named Selena Reyes?"

"She's my mother. I live with her now." my smile widened at the immense shock on her. She quickly shook it off.

"I knew she had a daughter, I just didn't think you'd look so much like her."

"I'll take that as a compliment, thank you." I said as we both chuckled. She went quiet after.

"You're not going to ask? About me stealing the shoes?"

I shrugged. "Honestly, and no offense to you, but anyone can take one look around and see why that was an option. So, no. I'm not going to ask."

I will ask some questions to my mother though, cause this place isn't at all how she described it.

She smiled even though I could see her glistening with tears. "I have five kids in total. No husband or father at home. Things are hard. And they're only getting harder. We're all just doing what we can to make it."

She looked so defeated that it pulled at my heartstrings.

The words came out before I could stop them. "I can make some things for you, if you'd like."

She did a double take. I smiled. "I do a lot of crochet at home, and so far they're only idle pieces that gets put up in storage. If you'd like I can make a couple baby things for you to ease the load a little. It'll also give me something worthwhile to do." I said shrugging.

She was full on crying at this point. "But there's no way I'll be able to pay you back."

I shook my head. "If I wanted any sort of payment out of this I wouldn't have offered. It just isn't in my nature to not help someone when I know I have the means to do it."

She pulled me into a hug. "I don't know where you've come from but I'm so grateful for you. Thank you, thank you, thank you." She cried, as her baby babbled away happily.

I patted her back gently. "Of course." I pulled myself away.

"I'm Serene." I said, sticking my hand out for her to shake. She laughed out as she wiped her tears.

"We've really done this backwards haven't we." she said while chuckling.

"I'm Katya. Katya Miyouri."