Different Paths (Paths #1)[ON HOLD]

CHAPTER 4

Ranou

Knocking lightly on the empress' door,I enter,"Mother",she smiles as she extends her hand for a kiss.
"My favorite son has come to visit me. Surely my day is going to be good."

I groan as soon as I hear her words,"Mother....". "Of course you are."
"My brothers already give me the bad eye. I do not want them to hear those words and compound the issue." I try to reason with her.

"If your brothers are acting out of jealousy then there is no need for me to stop calling you precious. But enough of the chitchat,tell me when are you and that wife of yours going to give me another son to cuddle?"

At those words the heat in the room turns chilly. I become uncomfortable as always when this issue is mentioned. I stutter as I answer her,"T-the gods will give us chi-children when the time is right."
"Of course the gods will always bless us but the question is,are we in the right disposition to receive them?" I cannot look her in the eyes and she goes on to ask the next embrassing question,"When was the last time you laid with your wife?"

She knows no such thing as subtlety. My face flames as she gazes at me expecting an answer. Do not tell anyone but my mother is the only one who can reduce me to the boy I was before my initiation days.

My face flames as I say,"The first day of the new moon." Her face contorts as she takes in my words. She wriggles her finger in my face,"I want you to keep an eye on that your wife. I believe she is up to something."

I cannot keep the surprise off my face,"Why do you say that,Mother?"

"I saw her by the woods this morning and by the looks of it, she was performing a ritual." I chuckle,"Mother,Ariala is almost always performing rituals. There is nothing wrong with her-"
"She was standing before an Algeb tree. She was....sort of speaking to it like...like an Elemental." No doubt she saw the disbelief on my face because she adds,"I know what I saw Ranou or will you call your mother a mad woman or worse a liar?"

"I would die first."

She nods solemnly,"Watch that wife of yours Ranou,I want my grandsons in the nearest future. You may go."

I bow and leave her room wondering for the umpteenth time how much about my Ari I really knew.
★★★★★★★★★★★

Henri

I ask myself for the hundredth time why I punish myself so. I'm trespassing on royal grounds making my hide available for target practice and the little cover in form of trees are actually wood spirits sent from the very bottom of the Underworld to torment me with their sharp thorns and branches.
I mean who,in the whole blessed earth prunes branches to sharp points. Ugh!!

I burst out into an opening and immediately scramble back.
Getting a few thorns out of my face I shift to watch the view.

And what a view it was,all that silky hair the color of the purest white waters blowing in the wind without a care.
Her eyes the color of sapphire and her face which looked like it was carved by the gods themselves.

It was without a doubt that my Ari is the fairest in the entire kingdom if not in the entire empire. If I had to get past a hundred more guards and twice as much thorns I will do so if only to behold her lovely face.

She sits with the Old Prophet and I watch as her brows furrow in concentration. He must be teaching her something new. I'm sorely tempted to leave her to her lessons but there are guards all over the garden.

I whistle a tune,the mating birds it is called. To any other it will seem silly but to my beloved it is our own secret signal.

She says something to the prophet before making her way over to me. I beckon her over.

"Henri,you idjit. What did I tell you about coming to the castle?!" She is furious,probably thinking of how rash I'm being.

But she doesn't understand, my love is powerful enough that it surpasses every obstacle in our way of being together.

I try to placate her,"My love,I am sorry. I had to tell you our good friend is back and he has called for a celebration."

Her brows furrow even more."You risked your life just....to tell me Ichad is back?! Henri!!"

"I know how much the gatherings mean to you and I also know that beast of a man will never let you out so there was no way you would have known. Is it bad that I want the love of my life to be happy?"

She smiles and her eyes twinkle. She throws her arms and plants a wet kiss on my lips. I grip her waist and return the favor."When is the gathering?"
"The first day of the new moon. Ichad promises to bring the best entertainment."

"Then tell our good friend that come hail or high water I will be there. Now go,I have studying to get to."
I kiss her once more and set on the path looking over my shoulder every few steps. The smile on my face was because our gazes kept clashing and she mouthed that I should hurry.

You are mine,Ari. Come hail or high water.

A/N:Sorry for the wait. Hope it was worth it. Don't you just love love triangles. Pls vote and comment,I'd love to hear from you. Next chapter will arrive soonest.