Tears of Raven

26

When the fire ceased, the first thing Araxys did was nudge Raven closer to check if she was alright. His huge nostrils sniffed her skin multiple times before Raven abandon every décor taught to her in the past weeks and threw herself on Araxys snout embracing what she could with her tiny arms. Zeus instead crawled on her shoulder and tweeted softly as Raven reassured him she was okay.

Feeling him, sensing his mind caressing hers, was a relief Raven was not ready to welcome. She felt herself again. Like her skin had snapped back into her body. She was covered once again and safe.

"Now, now. Hatchling. Are you hurt? What is it?" his voice was stoic but she could sense the anger lingering. He was mad that he couldn't reach her.

"I'm okay, X. He didn't touch me."

Well.

Ehm.

"He kidnapped you. the whole castle is out in the woods looking for you. The prince is hysterical, I heard him shouting from my nest. We should go back."

She didn't mind that he fussed a little bit. After what he did to her, it was the bare minimum.

"What happened hatchling. Show me."

And she did, careful not to share too much detail about what the king had told her. she was sure Araxys would be against it with every fiber of his being. She could tell he hated it.

"I should fly to his castle right now and set fire to that stupid ice stick he calls home. He had no right to take you. you're mine. No one messes with you. no one."

He helped her on his claw and squeeze her a little tighter to his chest as he plunged into the sky.

"X, he might have technically removed me from the castle but he didn't mess with me. The Shadow prince his whole court did. They laughed at me mocking me when I fell. You should have seen their faces, if-"

If the king would have not stepped in, she would have made them all pay. Raven didn't want to think that maybe, the reason he stepped up, was because she needed help. Maybe he even pitied her.

"You must not trust him, hatchling. He is a Dragon Slayer. Many wings fell by his hand. He's dangerous, the shadow prince is right to freak out. He's a powerful revengeful king."

And yet, he had no slaves.

It was hard to trust what she had always believed to be her enemies that, in manty occasion had attempted to hurt her in any way they could find and yet, he had all the time in the world to kill her or even threatened her and all he did was offering.

He wanted to kidnap her if she didn't comply, that was true. But Raven could see that it was the last thing he was willing to do. He gave her more explanation than Araxys and the shadow prince ever did.

He even stopped calling her princess when she had asked him to.

"He is a murder." Repeated Araxys once he reached his nest in Raven's room. Raven stepped down from Araxys leg and was marching inside her room when she noticed a red uniform standing by the door, hands crossed in front of him, stoic.

She remembered the man. It was the only person that had been kind to Raven.

"Baylor?"

The smile of pure contentment on the middle age man's lips warmed Raven's heart a little bit.

"You remembered my name, princess?" Raven flinched at the last word and he noticed. "I'm honored." He bowed slightly and Raven licked her lips.

"What are you doing here?"