Flames left behind

16{Your dad}

  I let out a small gasp, and all heads turned towards me. So much for trying not to draw attention to myself. Ronin looked at me with a pierced stare and smiled. He knew what I was thinking. I hate this man at the moment.

  "Lady Ambrosia, is there something so important as to why you have interrupted my speech?" Emrick questioned.

 I stood up, and my chair screeched behind me. I tried not to wince at the sound and clasped my hands in front of me. All eyes were on me. I stood up straight and took a deep breath. Show no fear, no emotion.

  "We are all faeans, no?"

I was met with silence, until Emrick nodded his head. 

     "I was thought to believe we all went extinct."

He scratched his chin. 

  "No, no dear Ambrosia. You thought, that's the problem. We all went in hiding many years ago, trying our best to reproduce with the few females we have left."

 My head skimmed past the last remark, and I tilted my head up.

  "So how many of... us... are there?" It felt strange referring as what I am to us, almost foreign. 

"Roughly 500."

  I had a headache, and gently sat back down, nodding back at him. He continued.

    "As I was saying, gentleman, I'm here to bless you all with great news. I have found a Queen. A queen that will rule forever, a stunning and fearless one. Lady Ambrosia, please, stand. Again." He rolled his eyes as he emphasized again, and I fought the urge to walk across the table and smack some sense into him. My hand spazzed, but I played it off as if I was covering a bashful smile. Obliviously not.

  There were a few gentle claps as I stood, and I slowly watched Ronins smile dissipate. What's up with him?

"Gentleman, Lady Ambrosia, one of the last female faeans to walk this life."

  The clapping became a roar, and a few whistles rang out. Much more enthusiasm. They like the thought of me being a lady?

     But there it was again. The last of the females.

  My head was soaring by now, but I still smiled a smile and bowed. Bad idea folks, bad idea.

"My people, I am sorry to say, but she will not be my wife. A few... unplanned incidents came up. It is alright though," he reassured, "She will be wed to Lord Ronin, my son, and my heir to the throne."

  He placed his hand on the small of my back, and I tensed up. Heir to the throne? His son? Ronin was Emricks son? I looked between the two, blocking out the clapping, and studied them. How did I not see it before? They both had the same chiseled jaw, the same jet-black hair, same build, same face, same everything. Ronin was just a younger replica of Emrick. Stupid, stupid me. I looked at them both in disgust. I'm fairly certain Erick was checking me out earlier, and now he's wedding me to his son. What a strange family, one that I really didn't want to be a part of.

   I stared at Ronin, hating him with every ounce, every fiber in my body. He let his father's henchmen kidnap me. He let me get hurt. 

 Ronin stood up and dipped his head in a low bow and turned to look at me and Emrick. The two shook hands, and I noticed Ronin avoided eye contact with him. Hmm. Daddy issues?

  He tried to take my hand, but I pulled it back to cover my mouth as if I was yawning. "Oh, dear me, please excuse my rudeness. It's just that, I got an awful night worth of sleep yesterday, and I have not been quite myself lately."