Found My Fallen Queen: Rewritten {18+}

Chapter 1 - The Prelude

The rain pelts against the large window panes of my sitting room. The wind howls loudly as it violently slams against the fortress, trying to grab at its residents. I stand at the window, watching the storm rage on. A sharp flash of purple lightning slices through the sky, producing an ear shattering roar of thunder that is sure to wake a child somewhere out there.

The grandfather clock rings thrice to announce the new hour, distracting me from my thoughts. The crackle of firewood burning in the fireplace calms my mind as I wander over to my chair to rest.

To think, it was just twenty six years ago that I was lying on an altar, getting ready to give the final push and give birth to my second daughter. As I lean back in my chair and stare at the fire, I can still hear the way her cry filled the temple as my mother-in-law cut the umbilical cord.

I was filled with awe when she opened her eyes to reveal big beautiful gems of emerald green, speckled with black. Her pupils were narrow like a feline's and her irises glittered and glowed, confirming our suspicions. Both of my midwives set to work cleaning us up and I gave my darling little one her first feeding before she was brought out for my husband to hold.

The pride and joy that had taken to my husband's features when he laid eyes on his little girl were quickly replaced with a frown and terror when her peered into eyes that reflected his own. He had been praying to Obsidian that there had been a mistake when his mother told him of her vision. We had known our new addition would be the next heir but what we didn't expect was for my mother in law to surprise us with news that our unborn child was in fact a girl and not a boy.

An eerie silence washes over the manor as the storm pauses, just as it did when the King of Hell's Heart appeared in front of us the night after we had brought home Aszurya to the manor for the rest of our family to meet. He took her out of her father's arms and inspected her to make sure she was a healthy fit before pressing a kiss to her forehead. Instead of crying at the sight of the demonic creature leaning in close to her little face, she gave him a gummy smile and grabbed at his long twisted black horns.

She was always a peculiar child.

Something clicks at the back of my mind, causing me to turn around in time to see my toddler push open the door and poke his head in. At that very moment, a loud crack of thunder startles the poor boy, sending him running into my arms to bury his face in my bosom. I scoop up my son and place him on my lap, patting his back to hush his cries.

"It's okay, James. Just a little thunder."

"I don't like thunder, mama."

"I know," I murmur, smoothing down his fluffy blonde hair. My gaze returns to the fireplace, my thoughts wondering to my daughter once more.

It's been over  a year since I last saw her.

A few weeks after we'd finally released her from her confinement, she came to her father and I to request permission to go on a training retreat with a male acquaintance of hers. At first, we had thought it was the demon slayer she'd grown fond of when she returned after leaving the manor for good. However, on the day they were supposed to leave, we were surprised to find a blonde male with blue eyes standing in the foyer instead of a tall ivory haired male.

Richard was ready to blow a fuse but I managed to convince him to still let her go, hoping she would find some solace out there after everything she'd been through.

It still haunts me, the image of her lifeless body on that metal table as the healers of the clan did everything they could to keep her soul from disconnecting. It wounded everyone to see her dangling from Alaric's arms as he burst through the manor's front doors with tears streaming down his face, begging for help. I had sent out a summons for every healer to report to the manor immediately as the boys brought her down to one of the operating rooms in the basement.

But it seemed her father was the one who was scarred the most.

He was the only one who could see the state of her soul as it hung in shambles from her body. The sight had stayed with him for days after, reminding him of the years he'd spent trying to fulfill his vow to keep her alive longer than most of her kind. I saw the look of regret in his eyes as he thought of every decision he had made leading up to that moment.

I could've only imagined the rift her attempt caused between Richard and Raymond. They had been the best of friends for so long, but when the truth slipped out that it was Raymond's son who'd caused our daughter to take her life, all those centuries of long lasting friendship were quickly forgotten. Blood was almost spilled on that peaceful soil.

I think the only thing that kept my husband from killing his best friend was the fact that his only heir was now in the human realm once more, away from our grasp. And though Richard wanted him to stay there for the sake of Aszurya's health, he knew that eventually they would have to bring him back.

No one else in the clan had shown signs of being able to handle the might of the herding cane. It was a taxing job and I wasn't sure Ray would be able to last much longer at his old age.

Aszurya didn't lie to us about who she was going with. We just never asked.

Still, I knew something was up. My daughter is the most powerful being in the realm with only a quarter of her power available for her use. After every agonizing day she'd endured when training with Richard, why would she want to start up again?

I didn't say a word. Even after we'd lost contact with her after a year. The only thing that eased my worries was when I caught a glimpse of a red fox ambling around in the fields outside.

It's been thirty-two months since I've laid eyes on my beautiful daughter.

I miss her dearly and so does her father, even if he refuses to show emotion when hearing her name. The older children always ask me if we've heard anything about her return. I'm always left shaking my head and trying to reassure them that she's alright.

It's really hard reassuring the children when I'm not even sure myself.

I'm still waiting for a sign from her.

I look down to find James fast asleep, sucking his thumb. Just as I stand to put my son down in my bed, I see what I had been looking for.

A sign from my daughter.

The rain stops abruptly as several bolts of lightning all hit the ground at the same time, lighting up the night sky. No thunder follows behind the flashes.

I smile and nod my head, putting James down before slipping beneath the sheets myself.

*** ***

I wake up with a smile on my face at the thought of finally seeing my daughter again.

The children will be so joyed at their sister's presence, I think to myself as I slip into a purple dress, cinched at the waist and adorned with little silver butterflies. Silver slippers and a set of silver jewelry is picked out and put on as the maids deal with my long light brown hair. The two females braid my hair and wrap it around my head creating a very thick crown.

"What's with the fancy dress?"

My eldest son, Christopher, walks into my line of sight with a frown on his face. He is still shirtless from sleep, showing off the muscles he's earned from training for years. I gesture for the maids to leave before standing up and smiling up at him.

"Can I not look pretty for the return of my daughter?"

Chris raises his eyebrows and walks out of my chambers once more with his little brother in his arms. I follow suit and walk down to my office to send out summons for my adult children to return to the manor for the return of our lost one.