Unexpected: Forever His (Book 1)

Chapter 36: Ancient Voices

*****Dante's POV*****

"I know you despise what you are now, but I think you would find it more appealing if you would stop pining for a Queen who is not yours presently."

Eleric's voice spoke softer than usual beside me and I turned to look at him. "She was mine, Eleric. You took that from me and yet you did not strike the memories that terrorize me so. I still remember what it feels like to have her hand in mine. I still marvel in the shocks that used to travel throughout my body as her skin touched mine." I turned and looked back down at the scene below us. Kayla cradled her growing stomach in her arms as she walked beside Amari beside the trees. Such peace seemed to radiate from them and it made me glance away again.

Eleric clapped his hands together once and the scene shifted. Instead of the present, the image seemed to show a memory of Kayla's. One of her wide awake as Amari slept with his arm around her. Tears streamed from her eyes as she lifted her hand to the pillow in front of her.

"Things may not be as they appear to be, for she is much stronger than most, even you, may have realized. Do you recognize the ring that still holds its place on her finger? Do you not understand that the words that I spoke when you claimed the young Queen still hold the greatest of meanings? Tu tamen eius electus! Do you see it? She belongs to you for eternity! But this cannot be denied to her."

I looked back at the image and looked closer at her hand. The ring I had thought to be meaningless glowed favorably through the darkness, although the wearer of the ring cried quietly beyond comforting. She knew. She knew what the glow meant. What Eleric planned. And so did I.

"Timing is everything. You will be only what she needs you to be until she desires more."

I looked up at Eleric with my confusion clearly evident on my face. "What of Amari? Surely she will not just deny him for me. He shares her bed, and clearly a part of her heart, as well as a claim."

Eleric's laughter rang out throughout the pillars of the ornate golden room. "Clearly you have not been as versed in Ancient teachings as I thought. If you had, you would know that no claim over Kayla can match yours. You are electus. Our Chosen One. She will only be as great as the King beside her is. Although she will be the one who will bring peace to all lands, you will be the one who will rule those lands. She will look to you for advice on how to move, how to advance, and when to do such things. She will not like it at first, aye, she will loathe it. She will always be subjected to your claim over her, Dante Knight. Your claim, the claim of claims. Many would seek her attention. Remember not your own words? You will reclaim your crown when the time is right. Donovan will tremble in your path because he will realize without mistake that he helped to create what you will become by her side."

He turned around to face me. "But for now, patience will guide you." A sparkling glint came over his eyes as he snapped his finger and waved his hand towards me. "And beauty will relieve your tensions."

I started to question his meaning until I felt a pair of hands wrap around my waist from behind and realization came. Eleric smiled once again knowingly before he dismissed me with another wave of his hand and I turned and looked down at the tempting beauty beside me. Petite with dark skin and black hair, she was the opposite of Kayla in every way including lack of power, but the brief distraction she offered did exactly what Eleric intended. Relief of tensions that being without my one true mate and love had caused.

*****Kayla's POV*****

I slowly scooted out from under Amari's arm so that I would not wake him and stood at the side of the bed as I glanced once more at the ring on my finger. I sniffed quietly and wiped the tears away from my eyes in case Amari did wake before I was able to slip out of the room.