Fated - Book 1 (Completed)

Chapter 4

"Your bride is aware of the good bed, right?"A wave of bitter wine filled my nose. Aziel was standing over me; his eyes were glazed over as he tried his utter best to steady himself against my chair, but from the smell of him, the booze in his system was not going to allow him to do that.My body ached as I finally shifted in my seat. From the light rolling in through the narrow windows behind me, I assumed it was noon by now. I have been sitting in my study for the whole morning, reading through documents that have been waiting for my attention patiently."Yes, she is aware of the bed, but at this moment she is behaving like a child and has decided to take the sofa as her new nesting place."The pungent smell of bitter wine washed over me harder now. There before me, in a copper cup, the dull red liquid was swirling around. I eagerly took it from the man and sipped on the cool liquid. A spell was used to keep the stale drink from heating up within the walls of the castle.Aziel stumbled around me and found himself sliding into one of the softer seats in the study. The giant man slid into the seat with a drunken sigh, and I could only sit there and watch him as he tried his utter best to appear sober—well, as sober as he could be."Honestly, not bad; I expected the fire to sizzle away the first night, but you lasted a whole three days; that's some progress, my prince."The man raised his cup towards me, then began his ritual of chugging it down. His words pissed me off; I couldn't even sip on my cup as the fumes boiled in my stomach."What the hell is that supposed to mean, Aziel?"The goof of a man gagged and choked on his wine as he tried not to spit it out and over my desk."Well, Artemis, it means that you did better than any of us had expected of you."His words just felt like fuel in my core."You, Prince Artemis, the Demon of the South, have a record of only keeping a woman around for a few hours, not even for a day, let alone for three days. In a twisted way, I'm proud of you."The name he gave me when we were teens made me drink the bitter wine. His words hit me like a stone wall; it stung for a few moments, but luckily the liquid running down my throat made me feel slightly numb."So, what did you do now?"He was suddenly leaning over the table, pouring more of the wine into my empty cup. He stood there with his cup and filled it up just as quickly, only to look down the jug's neck and let out a grumbling sigh as he realised that he had finished the wine."I told her."Those were the only words that I could think of to leave my lips. The painful image of my bride's eyes filling with tears was looking up at me through my drink; the hatred was still fresh in my chest from the sight. She bit her tears down, then vanished from the hall for the rest of the evening. I found her curled up on the sofa.Feeling angry with her reaction, I left her there, leaving her to decide where she wanted to sleep on our shared bed or stay on the sofa. I should attend to her and get her into bed so that she can get a peaceful sleep, right?"You did tell her it was over twenty years ago when you made that vow?"Grey eyes were looking down at me, with a tang of sadness behind them."The only thing I said to her was that I was eight years old when I was carved by a witch."I grumbled at the man as if that was a valid excuse for me to make a lifetime vow to hate all witches and what they stood for."That was fucking stupid; I thought you were some genius, not some dimwit."My brow twitched at the man's words; if he were anyone else, his head would be rolling on the floor by now, but my body eased and relaxed under his words."I'll talk to her when she wakes up."I needed to tell her that the vow I made as a child had changed since I met her mother years ago."And to think you married the daughter of the witch who saved your life—what a twisted fate the two of you share."Now my eyes snapped at him. That word, fate, made me sick to the core; I hated it even more than the idea of it."Well, more like your father's being drunk planned your two's fate."Aziel ran his tongue around the rim of his now-empty cup and pouted into it like a spoilt child."Right, now back to why you're here."The man placed his empty jug on the table and ran a hand through his loose braids; his lips curled up into a cruel smile as his fangs grew slightly, showing me that something dark and twisted was running through his mind as he looked down at me.For a shifter and a man of the East, he was very carefree when it came to all matters in life, but when it came down to the idea of a fight, he turned into a beast whose mind was only locked on killing his prey without mercy."My kings' hunches were correct; the dragons do have a loose tooth, and a possible wave of cold weather is roaming in from the west."A spy amongst our warriors, and an invasion coming in from the south, possibly witches. The cup in my hand made a hollow popping sound as my anger turned into a physical flame. The heat radiating from my hand forced the copper cup to bend and mould away from me, causing the red liquid to bubble under the sudden heat."I will need you to keep an eye on the rushing cold; I'll tend to the loose teeth."The man before me looked slightly disappointed at my orders."Don't worry, my old friend; I'll make sure that you get a piece of the broken teeth."Cold grey-white eyes shifted into something like an excited child about to receive a gift they have been begging for. Aziel, my first general, was also the master of torture and making a man whimper for his mother before he took his last breath."Someone keeps banging on the door; can you just tend to it already?"We both snapped our heads towards her sudden, soft voice. A yawn rolled in as she turned around on her toes. My breath caught in my chest at the sight; her soft brown hair was a mess, and I wasn't the cause. Her dress was wrinkled and creased. I know I was the cause of some of the damage, but I ached to be the cause behind the dress being utterly destroyed, but I wasn't."Could you want her more, my lord?"His lips were twisted into a wide grin when I snapped my eyes towards him. I would never hear him approach me, but now that my bride could walk around without making a noise, I was screwed between the two of them. How much did she hear about our conversation, assuming she knew what we even spoke about?"Go and attend to the idiot banging on the door, Aziel."The giant man skipped ahead of me as we made our way back towards the main room. She was right; heavy knocks were hitting the large wooden doors that led towards the rest of the stone castle.My eyes instantly fell on the blue ball curled up on the bed; she had simply fallen back to a light slumber, curled up with my pillow in her arms, her sweet face buried in it. The view was mesmerising.Luckily, my general had no interest in women; his eyes never grazed over her exposed rear as he danced past the bed to tend to the hollow knocking. As I covered her partially exposed ass with a flimsy throw-over, I didn't take my eyes off of her. My fingers lingered over her pale skin. She was cool and smooth under my rough and heated hands. I suppose it's the benefit of living in snow-covered lands your whole life."What boy?"Aziel's voice boomed and echoed around the room. I could hear the stuttered chatter of a scared squire. The door creaked and was then slammed shut. Soon followed the low ruffle of paper being played with in big hands as Aziel pulled open a letter."It's a letter addressed to, well, the young princess."My attention snapped towards the man; a devious smile was scrawled across his lips as he read through the letter."The queen has invited your bride to tea tomorrow."His voice was riddled with a teasing tone as he looked up at me."Without you, my Lord."In an instant, I left the cool skin of the sleeping woman and closed the space between us so I could snatch the letter from his grubby fingers."Oh, I wonder what gossip the queen will have for the young lady."He twirled around with a chuckle as he danced towards the table that held my drinks. The man followed in the footsteps of my oldest uncle; he needed to have alcohol in his hands just to breathe. The paper in my hand smelled like roses and held my mother's handwriting.It was a formal invitation for Aurora to join the queen and my younger sister for tea tomorrow at noon, and below my mother's sweet signing off, she wrote to me that I had to stay away. The little note made me smile. I had asked her to do this to keep my bride away tomorrow, and she followed through with it."Time for me to leave, my lord; your wine isn't up to my taste, and neither is your, well, entertainment."After chugging his cup down, he nodded towards the little creature curled up on the bed. I couldn't help but smile at the idea of being entertained by her, even when anger crossed her brow."I'll see you tomorrow then."The man nodded at me before skipping off with a merry grin on his lips. The heavy door creaked and slammed shut once he was out, finally allowing me to take a deep breath. My head ached slightly as I realised I wasn't breathing properly the whole time that he was with me. Strange.My attention turned to the letter in my hand, then the sleeping being on the bed. I placed the letter on the side table that she had claimed as hers. There sat a silver dagger with a leather-covered hilt; its blade had fine art etched into its surface, markings that matched the grey art on her body."It was a wedding gift from one of your uncles."Green, sheepish eyes were looking up at me from the other side of the bed."It suits you."My youngest uncle loved the Freyda—their art, to be more specific. I couldn't help but frown at its existence."It arrived this morning, while you were in your study."I looked over at her as she hugged the pillow and attempted to fall back into her slumber, but she didn't find it. Hesitantly, I slipped onto the bed and took over the space where she usually sleeps; she didn't flinch away as I lay beside her."I was eight years old."It was the only words I could get out at the time. How could I make her understand how I felt at that time? Without telling her everything that, that monster did to me, she held me captive for a month. She tortured me daily using blood magic; she would slice at me and watch me bleed. As I would kiss death, she brought me back and started it all over again.The scars on my body covered the smaller scars that she left behind with her gold-stained Ichneumon tooth blade. She would laugh as I cried and begged for my life. I couldn't tell my young bride of the nightmares that still haunt me or of the nightmare that the Queen Witch inflicted on me."Do you still feel that way?"Relief washed over me as she muttered her whispered words into my ear."I met a witch almost seven years ago who saved my life; well, moreover, she saved my first dragon's life."The memory of me screaming over Serina's heavy breathing in the snowy land filled my mind, and the sound of her slowly fading still haunts me."My mother told me about that."My heart skipped a beat as I looked over at her. She was looking up at me with those big eyes."She told me about how she saved a dragon's flame and that the prince she helped tried to kill her."I sunk down on the bed to look up at the ceiling of the room; it was painted with what I could only assume was a shade of white."I'm sorry, I reacted the moment she appeared out of nowhere; she suddenly started to mutter spells, and my fear took over."The memory of the event washed over me, and a smile crossed my lips at how kind the woman was to me and how gentle she was with Serina; she saved the dragon and tended to my wounds."We never believed her when she told us her story."Aurora twisted beside me; she was right next to me now; her sweet scent filled my nose; her eyes were now locked on the empty ceiling; and our breathing was the only sound filling the room."She came home late one evening, all flustered and with a big smile on her lips. My father was pissed but pleased to have her back; all he did was hug her, and he never left her side as she tried to tell her story."I could hear a chuckle in her voice as she ran through the memory."She told my brothers that she met a dragon and her rider, the Prince of the South; she told them about you, how brave you were, and how you defended your dragon with a broken spear in your side."The little being turned to face me now; she nestled her head on my shoulder, her hands were tucked into her chest, and her leg was nestled against my side. I itched to feel her hands over me, but that fear sat in my chest with her just lying beside me."My brothers were captivated by the tale she told about you, but I found it difficult to take my eyes off the fresh wound that ran down her neck. She hid it well from them, but it was still there."She trailed off into her memory. I remember giving the woman the wound."She appeared out of nowhere; I felt too weak to defend Serina, but when I heard her muttering a spell, I found some hidden strength in me and placed the blade to her throat. I wanted to kill her right there, but I couldn't; Serina stopped me."A bond between a dragon and its rider was more than what most people thought; we could hear our dragons in our thoughts, and we could feel their emotions as our own; in essence, we shared everything."That was the part I struggled to believe."My eyes dropped from the ceiling and landed on the crown of her head."She told me while I tended to the wound that the Rider held a blade to her throat, but he stopped when the Dragon told him to do so. The dragon could tell that my mother was pregnant at the time and that she was mated to the Feydra King."She twisted her body so that she could look up at me with those bright green eyes. I couldn't help but smile at her."Serina shouted at me and threatened me with my life if I harmed the woman helping us. My first dragon scared me, so I followed her orders and released your mother. I watched her as she healed Serina; she used a lot of magic to close the hole in her chest and wing."The memory made me pull away from the green eyes looking up at me. I felt shameful for injuring the woman who saved my life, and looking into her daughters' eyes was not making that feeling any weaker."She sat with us as she gathered back her strength. I had fallen asleep but woke up to her removing the spearhead stuck in me. Somehow, I felt safe with her beside me. I never had the urge to kill her; it was a strange feeling."I trailed off; the woman stayed with me while I slept; she kept me safe; and now she has given me the greatest gift, her eldest daughter."Did she make you change your mind about your vow?"My body froze under her words. I had to think about it and choose my words carefully. The Freyda Queen had wavered my mind slightly towards the witches, but I still hated them to the core. But it was the little body beside me that was shaking up everything within me, including the very thing I had been holding onto for all of these years."No, her daughter did."I turned my body to face the woman; my hand eagerly darted to her face, and my fingers lazily ran up her cheek and into her messy hair."My sweet princess is the one who has shaken my vow to its core. When we kissed at our wedding, all of that fear washed away, and that desire to kill all witches faded the moment we touched for the first time."My voice broke into a whisper as I looked into her green eyes; her pink lips were curled into a small smile. I was frozen as I looked at her; the view made my heart pound in my chest.With a shift of her weight, she pushed up and placed a light kiss on my lips. The soft sensation faded as quickly as it appeared. I wanted more, but I didn't want to move from our new position.One of her legs had snaked its way over my upper thigh; she was tucked in closer now; her arms still tugged in against her chest, keeping us apart; and my fingers happily played with strands of her hair. I couldn't move right now, not just yet anyway."As long as you change your vow to kill the high priestess and her followers, then I, your bride, Princess Aurora, will do everything within my power to help you."I moved, and I pressed my lips against hers, hard and rough, to seal her words, to seal what she just promised me. My desire to taste her took over; her hands pulled out from under me and darted for my hair. She tasted sweet on my tongue.Our lips parted as we both panted and tried our best to catch our breath."I'm taking that as a yes."Her words were heavy as she tried to keep her breath. I let out a low chuckle as I buried my face in her neck. I held tight to her body as we lay there, and her fingers gently tugged at my hair."Yes, my princess."Despite the pain in my chest, I felt closer to her. We spent our three days with her bent over different surfaces, moaning and crying out my name. This was the first time we bonded beyond our sexual relationship.Her fingers were gentle in my hair, and I felt at ease at the repeating sensation. My head was heavy as my mind spun, and I felt slightly numb, even as her fingers slowly made their way down my neck.The tingling sensation ran down my spine, but my fear never surfaced; it stayed hidden and tucked away in my memories as I lay there in her arms, drinking in her sweet scent."Artemis."Her voice vibrated through me, and feeling heavy and at ease, I could only hum in response."I spoke to three leaders last night."I couldn't help but chuckle at her words as my promise rolled back into my mind. I shifted my weight and pulled myself up. I turned to face the woman, who was now yawning and having a small stretch on the bed.My hand slowly grazed up her inner thing; she giggled through a yawn, only making me smile at the view."How about your maidens drawing you a hot bath so that you can clean off the night's activities? Then I will deliver on my promise so that you can sleep well tonight and be ready for your tea tomorrow."She looked at me with a hard frown; even her scrunched-up frown made me smile."The Queen and Princess have invited you for tea, milady."The words made her shoot up, her eyes wide open."What? Tea, with the Queen and Princess."I could only nod as I studied her face. I wanted to touch her lips again."You will be there, right?"She sounded panicked as she spoke; I could only shake my head."What do you mean, no? I can't do tea; I hate those royal activities."Her sudden bouncing on the bed pulled me back to her sudden panic and frustrated state."It's just tea."My fear washed over me suddenly as she glared at me, but I couldn't help but smile at the woman; it was just tea, right?