12: Darken: Resurrection

Chapter two: Astraea

The weight of responsibility hung heavy in the air as Thorne and Althaeon returned. It had only been a few days, yet the urgency of impending war loomed over the fairy kingdom. Armies were dispatched—one to the dragon kingdom, the other to the human kingdom. It was a calculated move, but fraught with peril.

I sat on my throne, my expression steely, as Oberon perched beside me. "This war will surpass even the one with Mother," I said, my voice resolute. 

Oberon's touch was a comfort, his kiss on my hand a reminder of his steadfast presence. "We are fortunate our city lies deep within the kingdoms. If things go awry, we will send the remaining fairies, and you and the children, to the fairy realm," Oberon said.

A glare fixed on my face, I shook my head. "You think I won't fight alongside everyone else? You're mistaken." 

Oberon's gaze was unwavering. "This man seized control of your mother," he countered, his tone grave. "Imagine what he'd do if he captured you."

"He won't get a chance to capture me," I declared, my voice unwavering. "I'm not running and hiding. We'll send the children with Carlisle and Lunar."

But then, a chilling sensation of dread swept over me. An intruder was in my city. I stood abruptly, my eyes locking onto Lunar, who stood silently behind my throne.

"Lunar," I commanded, urgency lacing my words, "I want you to gather your husband and my children and get to the fairy realm NOW." The air was thick with tension, the weight of the imminent threat pressing down on us. This was it—the beginning of our fiercest battle yet.

Oberon's worry was evident as he turned to me, "What is wrong, love?" he asked, urgency in his tone, while Lunar rushed off.

"We made a miscalculation," I confessed, every fiber of my being alert. "Draus is here."

Oberon's eyes widened, disbelief evident. "That shouldn't be possible. He would have had to go through the human kingdom, past the Dragon City." He rose to his feet, clearly unsettled.

"Think about it, love," I said, locking eyes with him. "I am the most powerful in the kingdoms. I sit in my mother's place. He wants to take me down first."

The realization dawned on him, his eyes widening further. The gravity of our situation hung in the air. "We need to get you to the fairy realm."

"And leave my people?" I retorted, my annoyance clear. "No, we stay and fight. He's in the palace now. Let's await his arrival and go from there. Stay close to me."

I resumed my place on the throne, with Oberon perched on the arm of it once more. The throne room's grand, towering windows cast intricate patterns of light and shadow across the floor. Every corner seemed to hold its breath in anticipation of what was to come.

The minutes dragged on, each one feeling like an eternity. Oberon's presence was a calming anchor amidst the turbulent seas of my thoughts. The clinking of armor and faint murmurs from the guards outside echoed through the corridors, the atmosphere growing thicker with tension.

"Oberon," I whispered, "stand ready. We cannot show any weakness." His reassuring squeeze on my shoulder sent a ripple of calm through the tension that hung thickly in the air.

"I'm here, darling," he murmured, his voice steady and unwavering.

The tension was clear, growing with each passing second. The air seemed to thrum with Draus's approaching presence. The soft echoes of his footsteps grew louder, closer, each one a reminder of the battle that lay ahead.

Finally, the heavy doors creaked open, revealing Draus. His figure was both commanding and sinister, a stark contrast to the grandeur of the throne room. His eyes bore into mine, and for a moment, the room seemed to shrink around us, leaving just the two of us in a battle of wills.