Fated - Book 1 (Completed)

Chapter 3

Artemis stood tall and proud; his sculpted body was hidden under a pair of tight black riding pants and boots, a neatly cut dress shirt, and his unbuttoned red and gold blazer, the signature uniform of a rider. His black hair was no longer curly and an utter mess; with it being tidy, I could see his undercut clearly, and the longer loose strands of his hair framed his face perfectly. He was one of seven riders, I believe; he was the only one in the grand hall at the moment. He stood out against all the black and white-suited men, but his dull red was hidden under the bright colours of the women's dresses that filled up the space around the hall.My eyes kept on dancing around the grand hall, trying to look at the new faces, but somehow I landed on his face every time I did a round. His blue eyes were always locked on the person rambling on about an unheard topic, his lips curled into a half smile, and not once did I see him talking or engaging with his numerous talking partners; he just stood there with focused eyes and a half smile, listening.The hall was filled with bustling life as leaders across the country gathered together here tonight, chattering and singing with one another. Small deals were being made while others shared jokes and stories about their dull lives."Princess Aurora."Her voice was soft in my ear, but its tone was stern and demanding, just like my husband's. The queen was elegant in her movements as she made her way towards me; she held a sweet, small smile on her lips. Her elegant gown matched her son's blazer, gold and red, as it flowed around her.I stood at attention as she approached me. Like Artemis, her eyes were a striking blue, she had full pink lips, and her hair was littered with silver and black wavy strands that were pinned up high on her head."Your grace."Once she was close enough, I tilted forward in an awkward curtsy."No need for that, my dear."I forced a smile onto my lips as I straightened up to face the powerful woman. She stood there with a bright smile. Her maidens fluttered out behind her, assuring that her gown wasn't trampled over or that her glass was never empty."I hope my son is treating you well."My cheeks flushed and burned at her question; he was treating me well, but not in the sense that I wanted to tell the queen."Yes, yes, he is, milady."She let out a little chuckle at my stammering words, and without hesitation, she leaned in and whispered in my ear."The king insisted on us extending our time to over a week."As soon as she appeared, she vanished into the crowd, leaving me alone and stammering. The royals had a tradition for newlyweds to spend at least three days locked up together, something I had just finished with my husband."Is something wrong, Princess?"His voice was like a cool breeze hitting me. I spun to face Artemis, who had two glasses of wine in his hands. Eagerly, I grabbed one and chugged it down; unlike the liquor in the bedroom, it was sweeter. He watched me with a raised brow and a questioning shimmer in his eyes."Your mother, the queen, has just told me that she spent more than a week locked up with your father, the king, after their marriage."The colour in his face vanished suddenly, and his eyes suddenly darted around the hall as he tried to gather his thoughts and find a distraction—any kind of distraction."The few words I never wanted to hear."He broke the silence between us, but his eyes still darted over my head, searching for something or someone."Besides my mother, have you spoken to anyone else?"Now his eyes were on me once again. I looked up at him and then straight down to the copper cup in my hand. It was empty, but it felt heavy in my hands as I stood there."No, if anything, they seem to be avoiding me."He shifted on his feet slightly before slipping a finger under my chin and pulling my head up to look up at him."Their loss, then."A small smile crossed my lips at his gentle voice. Just standing there made me feel as if we were the only ones in the bustling hall."Ah, Lord Artemis, there you are."The man's voice was crackling with age; his sudden appearance caught my attention and pulled me out of my trance. The man who was holding me turned to face the elderly man; his hand slipped down my body and nestled on my lower back, and with a gentle tug, I was pulled into his side.I kept my hands to myself as I was forced to look at the elderly man. He was wearing the same uniform as Artemis, but his was ruffled with age and had a few tears along its edges."Lord Citrin, I'm glad that you made it to tonight's gathering."He finally spoke to one of the guests; was it due to who the man was?"My apologies, my prince. I missed your marriage ceremony, but I found some strength to appear tonight to meet your new bride."The man's old brown eyes dropped down on me suddenly, making me jump slightly. Like with the queen, I started with an awkward curtsy but was stopped as the man shot out his creased hand.I reached out with excitement and shook his hand, just like I was taught: a firm grip and a heavy shake. The man's thin lips twisted into a warm smile."Just as I expected from the Princess of the Freyda, a strong shake and a beautiful smile."Lord Citrin's compliment made my smile grow. I took pride in my handshake; it was something my father insisted I had mastered at a young age."I'm not sure about the handshake, but I agree with the smile."Artemis tightened his grip on my waist to try to pull the man's attention away from me. Brown eyes darted towards the prince, with a slight sparkle of life in them."A fated fit, in my opinion, and every sense of the word, my Lord, enjoy the rest of your evening."The word fated made my skin crawl; it was a word that should never be spoken. With a small nod, the man left, slipping between the crowd, aiming for what I could only assume to be a waiter with a jug of stale beer."He retired five years ago; his dragon passed a week later; since then, he has fallen ill and struggles to get the strength to even leave his home."The blue eyes that were on me for a brief moment darted around the room as he spoke in a low tone, just loud enough for me to hear him."He taught me how to fly and command my dragons."His words trailed along with his thoughts."Dragons? I thought riders could only bond with one."That one word caught my attention—riders could only bond with one dragon."I have three bonds."His eyes were lazily locked on something behind me, causing his voice to trail while he spoke. He chatted freely about something that was considered a sacred secret among the dragons."Three?"My voice was louder than I expected, but it caught his gaze. Blue eyes suddenly dropped and landed on me. Under the bright flames and magic-infused lights of the hall, I could see the scar on his face clearer; it had sharp edges and a pale shade to it, making it stand out against his tanned skin."Yes, three."His lips were curled into a cocky smile as if the feat were impressive, but it was a concern in my mind. The toll it took on a rider to share their mind, body, and soul with a dragon was nightmarish, but here he stood proud to have three."My prince!"A heavy-accented voice boomed over the bustling crowd. The chattering voices around us slipped into hushed whispers. Artemis' lips went from a cocky smirk to a small smile as he looked up at the disembodied voice behind me."Aziel."I was spun around by sleek hands to face the man approaching us; his skin was a light brown that seemed to shimmer; he wore a loose shirt that hung off his body freely; his pants seemed to mirror the flow of his shirt, free and barely held to his body by a belt. The material colours reminded me of the shifters from the East, bright and full of life.His thick, purplish hair was done in thin, tight braids. His lips were pulled into a bright smile as he suddenly swung his arms out. Artemis gently tugged on my dress and pushed me away from his warm body.The strangers' arms wrapped around Artemis with a heavy slap on the man's back. A raw chuckle left my husband's lips, a sound I had never heard from him. The men embraced in a tight hug for a few moments, and soon the affection and attention was turned towards me.Aziel's eyes were a mix of grey and white as he looked at me; his smile seemed to grow suddenly. He pushed Artemis away and suddenly wrapped himself around me. He had to bend down a bit, but it didn't stop the man from hugging me.My nose was filled with a strong spice. He was a possible trader, from the scent washing over me, but he seemed to know the prince on a personal level, personal enough to break the one rule he placed on me the moment we were alone."My, how did my friend land such a gorgeous woman?"The man's hands landed on my shoulders as he pushed me back to study my full figure. I felt exposed as his eyes washed over me. Artemis stood behind the man with his cocky grin, watching me over Aziel's shoulder."Watch it, Aziel."Artemis growled the warning towards the strange man, but instead of the man pulling away and releasing me, he let out a chuckle and pulled me in for another hug."My prince seems to have taken to you, Milady."His booming voice was a whisper in my ear as he hugged me a little longer. Suddenly I was released and had familiar hands snaking over my waist."I am here to apologise, my prince. I left the ceremony sooner than I wanted to, but duty to my king comes first."Aziel let out a low chuckle as he apologised. I thought I recognised the man—well, more his voice—but I wasn't sure where I had seen or heard him, not until now that he confirmed that he was at our wedding ceremony."I hope that everything went over well."Artemis went straight from being friendly to cold and duty-focused; unlike the other lords in the hall who brushed their wives away, he held me close as the two friends lowered their tones."Yes, all is well back east; my king sent his thanks to you for those letters, and he sent you some gifts in return."Artemis' fingers dug into my hip at the man's words; his sudden actions confused me."One of the gifts was a woman, but I reminded him of your new bride, so he sent fresh fruit instead."The king of the east was an elderly man, according to my father's stories. The king is considered one of the oldest men to live within Endora and to have lived through the first great war nearly two thousand years ago."How many?"Artemis' question threw me off slightly, or possibly the growl in his chest that made me feel frozen with fear—why would he be this upset over a gift of fruit?"My king has sent you three different kinds, oh, and an extra basket of strawberries that were plucked under the blue moon; I believe it was the night of your wedding."The night of our wedding, the fingers on my hips dug in deeper, making me flinch. My hand darted to where he was digging into me, and I gently traced his knuckles in a vain attempt to get him to ease.With luck, he did release his grip on me, but he never dropped his hold on me. The silence between the two was heavy; their eyes were locked for what felt like hours."Before you leave for home, I expect you to be a useful general and spend some time with my princess."A chuckle left Aziel's lips, and a heavy hand slammed down onto Artemis' back, letting out a low, hollow clap."Of course, my prince, I can't leave here without telling the lady some of your childhood stories."The men laughed together, suddenly shifting the cold silence into a wave of old familiarity. Artemis still held onto me as the men shook their hands. Aziel flashed me a warm smile before vanishing into the crowd and booming out names as he greeted other guests.I wanted to query about their short conversation, but my mind was still struggling with how Aziel was able to hug Artemis without being threatened with his life."We grew up together; he was sent here by his king to study under my tutors and train with the Riders."He answered one of my questions before I could even word it."He hugged you."A smile crossed his lips as my words fluttered out. I couldn't turn it into a question; it felt like a hard statement, and somehow he found it amusing; he even let out a low chuckle as I frowned up at him."He has known me for most of my life; besides, he has never listened to me when it comes to personal boundaries.""I'm your wife, and I can't touch you."I wasn't going to accept his reasoning; his eyes suddenly grew dark as he looked down at me. The sight above me sent a cold shiver down my spine, but I wasn't going to allow it. As my lips parted to express my thoughts, he pulled me in close to growl into my ear."It is one fucking rule I expect you to follow."His grip tightened around me."Follow this rule, and our marriage will go smoothly, am I clear?"I nodded as I bit down on my unwanted fear. I felt sick with myself; I never allowed anyone to talk to me like this. I was a hunter, a Freyda princess, but here I stood with fear in my chest, allowing some prince to dictate what I could do. I nodded, with a little moan in response."Good girl."With that, he pulled away from me and turned to face an elderly man who made his way towards us. I stood there with a small smile on my lips as the man chattered away at Artemis, who held me close to his body.For the rest of the evening, I stood there beside him, flashing leaders' small smiles; his hand never left me, nor did his eyes. Every time someone left us, his eyes would dart down to me, then right back up to a new face.We hovered around the bustling hall for most of the night. He smiled and nodded at guests, never talking to them or me, just nodding and smiling. I followed the act as I tried to hide my fear, anger, and the sick pit in my stomach.While he greeted guests, we slowly danced our way through the hall, greeting and smiling. Once we made a round through most of the guests, he finally released me from his side, allowing me to slip past my handmaidens, past the guards, and out onto a balcony, away from the noise inside.The air was cool for a spring breeze in the south. I stood there alone, drawing in deep breaths, trying my best to calm down my spinning mind. My anger never boiled down; it only seemed to get worse by the second."There you are."His voice was soft from behind me; it only made me feel sicker to my core."What?"I snapped; I could bite my tongue around the guests, but not while we were alone."I deserved that, but you can't be out here alone."He appeared next to me with an elegant silence. He leaned forward and rested his arms on the balcony, his eyes locked on the horizon of the darkened lands."Why the hell not?"I tried to still my anger, but it was too busy boiling further to the point that I wanted to swing my fist into his face. It has been like this since the day I was told that I had to marry him, and somehow that anger seems to still be growing deep in my core."I'm sorry, but"He trailed off as he dropped his head and drew in a sharp breath."But the idea of someone touching me makes me feel sick."His voice was a weak whisper."So, you can fuck me at every angle, but I can't even run my fingers over you?"It came out harsher than I wanted. I turned to face him with a frown, but it faded when he laughed at me."I want you to touch me in every way possible, but Princess."He straightened up and ran his thumb over my bottom lip."I'm afraid that if you do, I will hurt you, and not in a good way."His lips were warm on my forehead as he placed a light kiss in an attempt to calm me down, but it only seemed to piss me off further."As if your sorry ass could hurt me."I regretted my retort the moment it left my lips, but I held my ground on the surface anyway. I felt cold and riddled with fear internally, especially when his lips grazed over my ear and his fingers lightly grazed over my throat."Why?"That single word that I choked out made him sift on his feet as his breathing suddenly grew heavy in my ear."Why what?"He pulled away as his words left his lips; his eyes were still cold as he looked down at me."Why do you feel sick when someone touches you?"His hands trailed down my body as he chewed on his words."As a child, the high priestess was out on the hunt for riders that had just created their bonds with their dragons; she wanted their hearts."My body froze in his gentle hold over me. My mother told me stories about the high priestess; she is the eldest of the witches and is now considered the queen of the western black forest. I stood there in his arms, not moving or making a single noise, as he hummed on with his story."My bond with my first dragon was when I was eight. I was young and naive, so I fell for one of her spells, which led to my capture and the death of one of the boys I was training with."He sounded sad as he spoke, as an old memory danced through his mind."She held me for a month; she was waiting for a blood moon; during that time, she took her time with me; she used several blades, sometimes a whip, and, hell, sometimes her fingers tore at my skin. The night my uncle's saved me was the night that she started to carve me."The high priestess, a witch, was responsible for the long, thick scar that ran from his right hip to under his left eye. His words made me choke on my breath, and as I stumbled back from him, shock riddled its way across my face."A witch hunted you, tortured you, and carved you up, and now you're married to one."The words slipped out. I never hesitated or stumbled on them; I just let them out. He stood there with a cold stare, running a hand through his tidy hair."Yes, and I am married to the one creature in this world that I vowed to eradicate from existence."