Midnight Cove

Chapter Thirty: Love Me, Love Me Not

"Oh my god! Cove I didn't know. I'm so sorry." The fact that he lost his mother like that was awful. "But what happened to your wife and your father?" This didn't explain why he left the Underground, it wasn't in his nature to run away.

"My father," he said and shook his head.  His voice hardened to steel and a furious  hatred glazed over his eyes. "My father wasn't close to grieving, as the rest of the household was. My wife became mute. She was much worse after my mother died and she would speak to no one. Whenever I would try to touch her she would flinch or breakdown in sobs fleeing from the room. So, I was certain I would find out the cause. I followed her through the palace going about her royal duties, seeing to the staff and walking in the palace gardens. As she was going about her daily tasks I noticed she was always peering over her shoulder.

At first, I thought she was watching me, but I soon found out that was not the reason she was so on edge. She was making her way down the passages to her suite, I assume to her private study for she loved to read dearly, and I saw my father. He grabbed her roughly and though she wept bitterly she didn't scream. It was clear she wanted him to stop, but he was powerful and her struggles only proved to satisfy him.

I couldn't take the sight of it. Coming out from my hiding place, I lunged for him knocking him to the floor and off her exposed naked body. He laughed and told me I had married a whore. I couldn't control my rage and we fought, blood lust and loathing in both of our hearts. It resulted in my father's demise. He was so badly broken he just lied in a bloody heap on the stone floor. I had the guards haul him away in irons. I looked for my wife's ravaged body but she was not there. The last image I had if her was of tears streaming down her face, her hair wild and the silence of her broken will; she had made no sounds. When I awoke in the morning she was still not back.

There was no note, or clue as to what had happened to her. I scoured the kingdom, but found no trace of her anywhere. I refused to give up hope. I knew she hadn't killed herself, if she had done that I would have found her body. But there was none, there was nothing. I knew then that she was no longer in our realm. She had sought escape to the human world. Despite my brother's protests, I left The Underground with him to rule in my stead. And so, I went to visit a witch who had me repurposed so that I could become a Fate Faery. It was my only chance at finding her and I would not forsake her for anything," he said. His heartbreaking tale coming to a close. He bowed his head in submission.

I thought about all that he said and pondered over his woeful tale for a few moments before responding. "Yes, but you did forsake her. You were unfaithful to her and you nearly broke me in the process. I have Phoenix now though. Your brother saved me from myself and from you. He's shown me kindness and love in a way I have never felt before."

I was sorry for his heartbreak, but it sickened me that he was so weak as a man that he would use me to fill the void in his chest and his bed. I was filled with a twisted glee to boast of his brother's ardent love for me.

Cove's entire aura deflated and his eyes became downcast. He nodded his head slowly. "I know I wronged you, Coral. If my brother makes you happy then," and he turned his face to look at me, his face serious and resolute, "I am happy for you.  Both for you, and for Phoenix." My shoulders relaxed, the fury washed out of me by his sincerity.

"I love my brother and although you may not believe it, I love you too. You both deserve to find happiness. I actually came here because I heard about the wedding."

I lifted my eyebrows in question of his motives, but then decided to shrug it off. If he was going to let bygones be bygones and behave himself then there was no reason for me to continue being bitter over his illuse of me.

"Well then, if that's truly how you feel, how about you escort your soon to be sister in-law back to the palace?" I only halfheartedly smiled. The whole effort felt forced, but I wanted to at least give it a try. Cove's lips held a sad smile in place and he offered me his arm. In awkward silence we walked back home.