Acceptance

Chapter 64

Nathaniel's POV

After the women stormed out, I felt regret and fear slam into me. We all sat there in silence. "You don't think they'll leave do you," Drake asked us all softly. Pyrus shook his head, "No. Alice needs us to survive just like Shelton and Nathaniel need Cindy. The mating is already been filled." "But that doesn't mean they can't create a separation though," Shelton said softly. We all became silent again after that.

Alice can still back out and not be my Queen though. It's not in stone yet. "I have a feeling they're going to truly make us regret not including them in the decision," I whispered to them. My heart hurt and clenched in fear. Qin wasn't able to look us in the eye as we talked. He just kept his eyes on the floor. He didn't want to hurt the girls, he just wanted to do what he felt was right, even if they didn't approve. All we ever want to do is protect our family, even if it means getting our hands dirty.

I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. My phone went off, reminding me I had a meeting to get too. I changed then left. The entire time I felt like I didn't deserve to sit there without Alice. The betrayal and hurt I saw in her eyes kept stabbing me in the heart repeatedly. When I got back to the castle, I went straight to my office and poured myself a drink. I stood, staring out of my window when I heard my office door open then shut.

I looked over my shoulder and saw Alice standing there, playing with her clan ring. My heart sank. I turned and placed my drink on the desk. "I don't know if I can do it Nathaniel," She told me. "I thought being your Queen meant we are to make decisions together, after all among those rebels, were vampires, our people. Cindy and I got to the camp in time to stop the warriors, and take out the rebels in a more humane way. There were kids staying at the camp. They were being hidden by the rebels, and were going to be used to get us to surrender or they would've killed them. Had the warriors just gone in and carried out their orders, we would've never found the children. They were bound and gagged under ground, sealed away by an Earth magic Warlock."

"Alice, please," I said as tears burned my eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Part of me feels like taking off my ring and telling you to shove my throne up your ass," she told me, not meeting my eyes. "Another part of me feels like giving you another chance. However, those parts are not of equal size." I moved closer to her, "Alice, my love, I'm so sorry." She looked at me, tears swimming in her eyes, "Those orders almost cost those kids their lives Nathaniel. If they were so willing to use kids this time, then how do we know they didn't have children the last time you guys made a decision without consulting us."

I dropped to my knees in front of her, "Alice, I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you and I'm sorry I didn't include you. It will never happen again," I vowed to her. She looked at me, and I could see the uncertainty on whether or not she could believe me. I then held out my wrist, my nail cutting into my wrist, "I, Nathaniel Vin, vow to you, Alice Vin, to always include you in diplomatic and war decisions." It was a blood vow. One that will result in serious consequences if not kept. She looked at my eyes and I could see something settle within her. She took my wrist, "I, Alice Vin, accept you oath, Nathaniel Vin." She then drank from my wrist before sealing the wound. She then dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around me. I held on to her tightly, finally letting my tears flow. She cried as well.

When she pulled away, I cupped her face and wiped her tears away with my thumbs. "When Cindy found those children, she lost it. She took them straight to the infirmary and is having their parents found," she told me. "When Qin went to talk to her, she threw at book at him and told him to get out."

Genies can understand when a life needs to be taken, but when children were involved, it brings out a whole other level of anger. It was why, when we learned of Alice's past, Cindy was the most angered by it. Usually she's sweet and kind, but I fear she wont be that way for a long while. After all, she blames us for what almost happened to those kids.

Alice then stood, "My back is starting to kill me. I'm going to go take a bath." I stood and scooped her up, not wanting to be separated from her just yet. She sighed and got comfortable as I began to walk back to our room with her. She truly felt really warm compared to how she usually is. If I didn't know better, I would think she's running a fever.

We got to the room and I put her down. She went into the bathroom as Pyrus came in with Drake. "We heard about what happened at the camp," Drake said to me. I nodded, "Alice informed me." "I can't believe they were going to use children," Pyrus spat. "Its because Cindy is a genie and their love for children can make them easy to manipulate," Drake said with a sigh. "And we also wouldn't want children to get injured either."

"How is Alice," Drake asked me. "She isn't as angry as Cindy," I shared with them. I then told them what happened in my office. "Where is she now," Pyrus asked me. "She complained about her back hurting so she's taking a bath," I said while point my thumb over my shoulder at the bathroom door.

Shelton came in, guilt in his eyes, "Have any of you seen where Qin went?" We all shook our heads. "Last I heard when he found out about the children he went to go talk to Cindy. Apparently she threw a book at him and told him to get out," I told him. "She threw a book at me too," Shelton said while running a hand through his hair. "We really fucked up this time." "And we need to find Qin, and figure out how to fix this," Pyrus said.

We all agreed and left the room to go find him. We tried to follow the bond, but he had us blocked. We went back to the room where Alice was towel drying her hair. "Do you know where Qin went after he tried to talk to Cindy," Shelton asked her. "We've looked all over the castle and we can't find him anywhere. He also has the bond blocked so we cant follow it to him."

She shook her head, "I don't. The only one who knows where he is, is Pantheom. He'll be able to take you to him." We nodded and left the room. Pantheom looked at us as we approached.

"Can you please take us to Qin," Pyrus asked him. Pantheom gestured to the woods with one of his heads. We turned to the woods that were a little distance a way. We nodded and began walking. We noticed Pyrus limping. Shelton gave him a piggy back ride, despite his protests.

Pyrus grumbled the entire time we walked until we found Qin. He sat under a small rock cliff, back against it, one leg bent with his arm on it, and one leg out. He had trails of tears on his face. "How did you find me," he asked softly. "Pantheom," Drake replied as Qin wiped his face. "Alice was right," he whispered. "I thought like a warrior and not like a King and those kids almost died because of it. And now Cindy hates me."

Shelton put Pyrus down, "She has thrown many books in the years we've been together. The only person she will never throw a book at, is Alice. When Cindy throw a book, she isn't aiming at us specifically, she actually aims for the wall next to us, to help get her point across, because with her usually light and bubbly personality, it's hard to take her seriously when she gets mad. There was only one time she actually managed to hit one of us with a book, and she regretted it actually tried to stop it from hitting us." "It's what made her change from hard cover to paper back," Pyrus said as he sat on the other side of Qin. "Of course it takes a lot of for her reach that level of angry,"Drake told him. "Just give her some time to cool down. She'll then begin giving us the silent treatment until she finds our apology suitable for whatever we did to piss her off."

"How do we apologize for this though," Qin asked softly. He reminded me of a kicked puppy and I hated seeing him like that. "We do whatever it takes," I told him. "And how is Alice doing," He asked softly. "She almost gave up her throne," I confessed to him. "Until I gave her my blood oath that any diplomatic and war decision, that I make will include her." "And she's talking to us," Pyrus added in. "But something tells me, she wont forgive us easily either," Shelton added in.

No she won't, I thought.