Strong Currents (lesbian)

Chapter 18 ~

“I am the King here, you are not the ruler of this kingdom yet.” Nixie was about to start yelling again when a small, red, glowing ring on her father’s left hand caught her eye. She stared intently at it as it continued to glow. “Please remove her from the dais, guards.” Nixie was still staring at the ring and noticed that when he spoke it glowed a brighter red. She spun on her heels and hopped off the platform in one smooth move. Lady Elisabeth stood there, smirking victoriously at her; but it fell when she saw Nixie’s intent gaze locked onto her right hand.

“Lady Elisabeth, show me your hand.” Elisabeth sucked in a deep breath and exhaled as she lifted her left hand for the Princess’ inspection. “The other hand, Lady Elisabeth.” Nixie heard Whyatt talking in the background, saw the guards close in around her, but before they could even lay a finger on her Nixie darted forward and ripped the red, glowing ring from Elisabeth’s finger. The guards latched themselves onto Nixie and pushed her to the ground. Nixie’s heart was beating furiously. She felt someone grab the hand that held the ring. As they attempted to pry it from her fingers she felt her stomach drop. They were too strong! She heard fighting taking place and bodies crowded her everywhere. She couldn’t fight them off, but she had to get away. She looked at where her father sat, blinking on the dais.

“You insolent, little brat!” Lady Elisabeth’s face swam before her eyes and she saw the woman grab at her hand. Before Nixie could fully form the entire thought she felt her stomach drop again and gripped fiercely onto the ring as the ground disappeared beneath her feet. A long minute later she fell, face-first, onto the dais at her father’s feet. She had transported herself! Alone! Nixie barely had time to form a grin before she heard the surprised men running towards her.

“Halt!” The guards froze in their pursuit as the King stood up from his seat and stared, confused at the scene before him. Nixie’s guards gently helped her to her feet. Nixie thanked them and glared when she noticed a gash in the one with darker hair’s abdomen. “What in Mother Ocean’s name is going on here?” Nixie turned and grabbed her father’s left hand. The ring was now black and cold, a distinct change from the glowing red it had been just minutes before.

“She was controlling you! I saw that ring on your finger glowing and she had this identical one on hers, and hers was glowing as well.” Lars frowned at his daughter and shook his head.

“Controlling me? Nixie, be serious.”

“I am being serious!” Her voice was firm but it was clearly not convincing enough. “I’ll prove it to you!” Before she gave it any more thought, Nixie slipped the ring onto the index finger on her right hand and saw it turn a faint red. She lifted her hand and showed it to her father. Lars’ eyes widened and he looked down at his own hand as he felt a light tugging at his thoughts. Nixie concentrated on her father and imagined him picking his nose. Lars’ eyes glazed over and his hand lifted subconsciously, finger at the ready, and he stuck it right up his left nostril.

Nixie giggled and she felt her guards chuckling silently on either side of her. She pulled the ring off quickly and watched as King Lars’ eyes and mind cleared of the haze. His eyebrows furrowed for a minute before he realized what he was doing and immediately pulled his finger from his nose and shook it.

“Euw! You’re getting snot all over the place!” Everyone closest to the king took a step back. Nixie grinned and tried to slip the ring off her father’s hand but it was completely stuck. “Father, you need to lose weight, seriously. And I mean that in the least insulting way possible.”

“Yes I realize that.” King Lars shook the last bits of haziness from his mind before he turned to Lady Elisabeth and her son.

“If you have an explanation for this, now is your chance.” Lady Elisabeth was silent. When finally she spoke, Lady Elisabeth’s words made Nixie’s mouth fall open in shock.

“I’d like to discuss the matter of our children’s betrothal, your majesty.” Elisabeth’s hands gestured between Whyatt and Nixie.

“What?” Nixie nearly screeched the word. “What betrothal? What on earth are you talking about?”

“Now sweetie, calm down, it was a deal made very long ago before you were even thought of and is no longer relevant because you are mated to Shayden. You have nothing to worry about.” Nixie felt the relief and smiled like an idiot when Shayden’s name was mentioned until she remembered that she’d been so caught up in all this court drama of the Water Kingdom that she’d forgotten about her… mate. Shayden was still missing, and she needed to find her.

“How is the deal irrelevant, Lars, who is this Shayden you speak of? You gave your royal oath before the court that our houses would one day join, your child and mine would marry and become king and queen or king and king or queen and queen or whatever. Are you going to break your oath?”

“Elisabeth, you will address me by my title and no less.” Lars’ voice was stern. “Now if you remember correctly, Elisabeth, I made that agreement under the condition that no exceptional circumstances would arise. My daughter, Nixie, has been mated to the heir of Wingdom, Shayden Marrick, and is therefore unable to marry Whyatt.” Lady Elisabeth’s face went ashen.

“You would allow a night-flyer to sit on the Ocean Throne? A night-flyer, Lars? What do you think the people of the Water Kingdom will think of this? You will begin a revolt!” Guards stepped between Elisabeth and Lars to stop her pursuit towards the dais.

“That will be between me and my people and it is none of your concern. Guards, arrest Lady Elisabeth for treason and Whyatt Bunting as well, for the same, pending questioning.” The guards moved as one unit save two who kept their place by King Lars’ side as his personal guards and Nixie’s two guards.

“Thank you, father.”

“No need to thank me, Nixie. We do have a large complication though.”

“What’s that?”

“You and Shayden are mates, yes, but I assume the two of you have not mated as yet?” Nixie’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Meaning?”

“The two of you have not yet consummated your relationship, have you?” A bright red blush crept unwillingly onto Nixie’s cheeks and she stared at her feet.

“No we have not.” Her voice was small, the words almost a whisper.

“That needs to be changed, and soon. Until the two of you have mated, my oath to the Bunting family still stands.”