Wildfire

Eleven

I know that the pair of us must be a terrifying sight to see, my new bride beaten and bloodied, what is left of my robes still smoldering and smoking as I carry him across the threshold and into the ballroom, the still angry roar falling dead silent when we are finally noticed, the rage in my eyes preventing even a single breath being drawn as I walk the broken body of my unconscious treasure to the table where his family is still sitting and refusing to indulge any of the insults being thrown their way for my choice in their son. 

The moment Akeno sees the true state of the son he had lobbied for so passionately this afternoon he's up out of his seat and in front of me, his panicked croons for Rayne to open his eyes... To speak... To show any signs of life at all, the regret rolling down his face in the form of tears enough to set my mind on what I am about to do. 

"He's alive, but I am not sure of all the damage." The exchange between us is gentle as I carefully slide his son from my arms to Akeno's, taking just a single moment to brush away a tear from Rayne's cheek from the jostling, my fingers coming away pink as the liquid pain collects some of the blood from his injuries, "Take your family and go to my rooms. They haven't changed since you last served as an advisor. You'll be safe there." 

My throat feels thick as I speak, my voice cold despite the growing ball of anger twisting inside of my belly, the look in my eyes warning enough for Akeno to head my warning taking only a single breath to turn to his family and order him to follow him, the others in the room still watching using confusion as I turn to address them, my vision going red as I see the faces of the families responsible for this violent act against my fiancee. 

I wait until my inlaws have had enough time to ext the room, my voice booming to the guards to close off the room behind them to prevent any of the others from leaving before I start to explain exactly how this is going to unfold, "My bride has been attacked, and no one is leaving this room until I know who his assailant is."

"What on Earth are you talking ab-" 

"Not a word, Father. For all I know you're the one that slipped out and beat him after ordering me inside to announce our engagement." The look on my Father's face when I cut him short any other time would have amused me, but at the moment all it does is agitate the fire in my belly before I turn back to the nobles in the room and demand, "I want everyone sitting at their tables immediately, hands uncovered  on either side of your plates."

"And if we refuse?" I'm not sure of the man that the question actually belongs to, his face hidden amongst the milling crowd as the murmur begins.

"You'll be assumed guilty and slain."The words fall out of my mouth like heavy stones, the weight of them crushing the spirit of questioning that had begun to fill the air, anxious bodies finally rushing to return to their seats, all hands being pushed onto the tables... And that's when I see it. 

Two tables completely empty, the entire Hirai family missing.  Their entire branch had arrived, all of them to support the one single daughter in their family of strong-willed sons and brothers and now not a single one of them is to be spotted, no reason for them all to have left the ballroom while the evening is still so young... Unless "Did the Hirai daughter request to take her leave?" as she should when in the presence of the royal family.

I turn back to my Father and wait while he actually takes a moment to try and recall whether or not he had been asked by one of the family members if they would be permitted to depart from the ball before finally meeting my eyes with a thorough look of confusion on his face, "She certainly did not." 

Before allowing myself to jump to the conclusion that her family had been the one to brutalize my bride I take the time to wind myself through all the tables, the smell of burning silk wafting after me as I glance over everyone's knuckles in an effort to spot any fresh pinkness of recent healing or bruising, only calmly striding towards the terrace door but not before calling over my shoulder that they are all to stay put until I get back.

It is truly for their own safety for once the night air caresses my heated flesh I let my anger consume me, my beast using it for fuel as we break into a run towards the rooms that the Hirai family had been assigned to, a curse breaking past my lips when I find the doors still hanging ajar, the rooms themselves already empty. 

I let myself fret not over the matter knowing that there is only one road in and out of the royal prefecture and that if the Hirai's are making their way home they must surely be on it. It makes no difference to me whether they die here at the palace, or out on the road... The Hirai's will burn for the injustice that they've delivered unto the gentle creature that had called so loudly to my heart.

While normally slightly painful, when I surrender our shared body over to my dragon and the shift begins to start I barely feel the bending and snapping of my bones as they elongate and grow. The only emotions that fill me are rage and agony as the wings that had forced themselves from my back catch the cool evening breeze and start to pump, the thick scaled legs now carrying my body running for better lift upon takeoff, my body nearly weightless once it's in the air, my target and destination in mind, my intentions true as small amounts of flames start to push themselves from my lips in anticipation of taking the lives of the people who had dared lay their hands on my Rayne.