The Devils Bargain

Chapter 27

It's been over a month since I've been pretending to be Keial's lover, and a week since I last saw him.

With relations with the woodland elves just a bad word away from setting off another war, Keial had agreed to meet with their current leader, and talk things out before talking will no longer be an option.

I wouldn't be worried, but now I was because I found out who the current elven leader was only days ago.

Arlen.

I didn't know then, but after Ash filled in the blanks, I could see why Keial and Arlen were taking this long to work out their problems with each other, and when I was told the story, it only made me feel bad for them both.

Arlen and Keial used to be friends, just like Ash and I, but once their fathers who fought over a woman started a never ending war that lasted for eleven years, their relationship had never been the same.

I now see why Arlen was so friendly in a strange aggressive way, and why Keial was just as bad.

That wasn't the worst of it though, the elven King had fathered a daughter with Keial's birth mother, the queen, who was taken out of jealousy after she had chosen to stay with Keial's father.

That was what started the war, and once she gave birth to a baby girl, their relationship had only gotten worse.

It was hard to think about, and now that I knew, I felt bad for giving Keial, even though he told me nothing about him, I can see why he wouldn't want to share anything with me.

Arlen had hit on me, if I told Keial that, it would've only worsened their relationship, which I was sure of.

If I asked Keial about his family, I doubt he'd want to tell me anything anyways, he doesn't strike me as someone who likes to share.

Ah... whatever, I knew it was none of my business, but I still felt for him.

I knew what it was like to have your family ripped from you.

After all, even I lost my parents too.

"Felix?" A soft girl's voice calls my name, making me flinch and turn around to see who it is.

Once I turned and saw who it was, I instantly felt guilty for how I had spoken to her before.

Zeri.

"I... I'm sorry if I'm interrupting your work, I just wanted to say hello." She spoke softly, with a hint of sadness in her tone making me frown.

What was Zeri doing all the way out here?

I was in the middle of the giant royal garden, it was almost like a maze in here, and I even sometimes got lost in there, which made me wonder how Zeri found me in this place.

"No, you're fine." I get up and look around, to see if an angry Gregor is behind her.

Nobody was with her, that's weird.

"What are you doing out here alone?" I ask her, looking down at her.

It had been so long that I forgot just how beautiful Zeri was, she looked like a princess from a book I read as a child, as she was dressed in a gown so extravagant that it made me feel like I shouldn't be even talking to her.

She gave off the same aura as Keial, like they were above me in every way.

"My mate is nearby and I... I saw you from the tea party and wanted to say hello and um." She lowers her head and grips her dress.

"I'm sorry for last time, I made you uncomfortable and Gregor was very rude... so for that, I apologize."

Zeri...