I awoke with a sweet scent filling my nostrils. My eyes slid open carefully at the feeling of something partially laying over me. Without moving, my eyes moved to what was ontop of me. Long silky hair was sprawled all over my chest. A slim arm was draped over my waist. And a heart shaped face was pressed firmly into my chest.
I looked towards the window, noticing that the sun was up. A curse left my lips. Why had no one felt the need to wake us up?
Wake up. Mate Queen.
A sigh left my lips as I felt the need to silence my idiotic behemoth. He had said 'wake up' after the fact that I was awake. Imbecile. Now I had the painstaking task of waking Estelle.
"Estelle, wake up," I said as I began to sit up. Making her move right along with me. Considering she was half on top of me. "Estelle," I growled as she tumbled to the other side of the bed. Her back pressed into the mattress. Our bed was so large yet she invaded my spot...I did hold her while we slept but how had she managed to get so close to me? Whatever the reason I did not really mind.
A frown found its way unto my face as I leaned over her, watching her closely. "Estelle I know you hear me, wake up." She slowly opened her eyes, a soft smile on her lips. Did she know what I wanted to do to those lips? I could feel my behemoth rising the longer my eyes looked over her body. She suddenly gasped, her cheeks reddening as her hands ran over my naked chest. I suppressed a growl as she attempted to move away from me.
"L-Loche," she gulped, as I held her tighter, watching her cheeks redden as she looked over our bodies. "Why are you so loud and close? Tis still time to sleep," she claimed.
Time to sleep? It is past sunrise. It is time to bathe and get her prepared, not sleep. "You have slept long enough. Both of us have."
I watched her sit up, scoot to her side and then lie back down. "Estelle, you are to wake up now," I instructed her as she completely ignored me.
What was wrong with her?! "Estelle," I snapped, grabbing her arm. She began to try and wiggle out of my grasp.
"Loche, I want to sleep!" She complained as I had managed to stop her flailing and fumbling limbs. "Loche," she frowned. "You are being an awful husband!"
I had her pinned to our bed. My hands shackling her slim wrists. "You have to get the mark of my people today," I explained to her as she sighed then closed her eyes. "Estelle what do you think you are doing?"
"Sleeping," she said defiantly. I would drag her to the bath and throw her in it if I had to. I was itching to see her unblemished back stained with the sign of my people.
My eyes slid over her plump lips. The thin column of her neck...down to her collarbone. To her chest that were spilling out of her nightgown..
Noticing that my assessment of her was getting me extremely aroused I had to stop... then I heard her soft snore. "Estelle!"
Her eyes popped open. "Loche! Get off of me!" She struggled. "You are so rude!" She fumed. Her cheeks beginning to redden. "I am trying to sleep," she frowned as my lips kissed the junction between her neck and shoulder. Where I had savagely staked my claim unto her skin. I heard her breath hitch as my lips kissed up her neck. Nipping at the tender flesh.
"You-you...big dragon," she breathed out as I watched her lips purse. My wife wanted me to kiss her. Who was I to deny her this little request?
Our lips connected in a slow, sensual kiss. Every soft whimper and sigh that came from her lips had both Gaul and I wanting to take our sweet little wife... In more ways than one.
"Loche," she whimpered as I broke our kiss, at the distinct scent of her faint arousal hitting my nostrils. Her lithe body shivered as I paid special attention to her neck again, my teeth growing with anticipation to bite her again.
My talons began to grow and a sharp gasp came from her lips as my clawed fingers dug into her outer thigh. I gripped the flesh softly, moving her leg so that she would open to me. Letting more of that delicious scent ingrain itself into my brain, my nostrils.
Yes, taste. Hungry.
Gaul was beginning to become increasingly excited as my lips trailed over her collarbone, my tongue tasting her sweet skin. The lower half of my body pressed into her opened legs, making my stiff cock press intimately against her womanhood.
A gasp left her lips as I began to grind into what lay between her legs. I could feel her legs moving so that they were opened slightly wider. We should stop...we needed to stop. I needed to stop. Instead of listening to reason, I was beginning to get caught up in what nonsense Gaul was whispering in my ears...
My lips kissed downward until they were met with the cloth of her silk night gown. My eyes looking up, to lock with her heavy lidded, glowing eyes.
"Loche tis hot. I am so flustered," she whimpered as her arousal thickened and my finger hooked into one of the straps of her night gown. "I want to take off my night gown," She blushed, her voice was laced with lust and uncertainty. Yes was on the tip of my tongue...
Yes. Mate. 12 Hatchlings.
In that moment, I could not contain the feelings that I was having in the present and laughter spilled from my lips. I watched as Estelle gasped, an angered and confused look crossing her features as she attempted to gather herself together.
"Why are you laughing at me? D-do you not want me to take my gown off?" She whimpered as I could see that tears were now gathering in her eyes. She looked ready to hit me...but I am sure she would never raise her hand at me. Even though it wouldn't harm me in the slightest.
She thought I was laughing at her... "No, I would love to see you naked." She blushed while I attempted to gather myself. "My behemoth was speaking nonsense," I explained to her as I realized I have most certainly spoiled whatever mood we were in.
I kill you. Your fault.
"Oh...what did he say?" She questioned as she still was looking at me as if I was laughing at her.
I shook my head, wondering if I should tell her or not. "He wants us to have 12 children, Estelle."
A gasp came from her lips before she slapped a hand over her mouth. Was she possibly offended? Mortified? I was thinking at least six children not twelve. It was much too much, considering how small she was. What if she did not want to have any of my children?
"That is...that is so surprising! I was thinking the same thing, Loche! Your dragon is very smart." She wanted twelve children. Twelve children? Twelve. Children.
See. Now mate.
"Why twelve children? That is a bit too many..." Her body would not be able to handle so many children...
She shrugged, "I like children. They are sweet and fun and well Keynai has eleven brothers and sisters. Dale's father married again and now he has nine siblings."
That must mean that fae women are extremely fertile. Which means the first time I give her my seed...she will become with child soon after. Imagining Estelle as a mother...me a father. "Loche you seem ready to pass out...do you not want me to have your children?!"
"No, no that is not it. I am just surprised at the numbers...of course I want you to have my children," I told her as her frown turned into a full smile.
"Great! If we are to have girls their names could be Rose, Eulalie, Elise and if we have boys some names could be Eon or Andreas, Elias!" She gushed with happiness as I thought of her names. Eon sounded the most valiant. Like he would be a good King...Eulalie sounded hideous. "We have six names now you just have to come up with the other six!"
The more we spoke of children the more excited she became. She sat up and grabbed me by the neck, kissing me with the brightest of smiles I have ever been gifted. Gods, this woman.
"Loche let us continue kissing and lying in bed. Tis fun," she blushed as I felt like throwing something. Yes, why could we not lay in bed all day and kiss? Because we had things to do. I had things to do. I would love nothing more than to ravish my wife in every way known possible. Of course we could not fully sate our gnawing, insistent needs because of that promise I regret every, single time I look at my wife.
"You have to ready yourself for your seal. I will leave you with the maids to get bathed and dressed," I told her as I let her go and rose from the bed, watching her frown before looking around and wincing.
Did I forget about my promise to bathe her? No, but I did not want to go and bathe her not after what we had almost done on our bed. If we were both naked in warm, relaxed water it was no doubt that Eon would be coming sooner than expected.
"What is wrong?" I questioned as I noticed that she was reaching behind her...to her back.
Since she was not listening to me, I made my way over to her. The pillow that she was laying on had blood on it. I looked to her back and noticed the two lines near her shoulder blades were bleeding.
"Does it hurt?" I questioned, wondering if this was going to hinder her getting her seal. We did not have time for this....not at all.
I watched her smile while shaking her head. "That means my wings will come in soon!" She said happily before wincing again. "Oh and only a bit...I will be fine to get my branding seal. Do not look so worried, Loche," she smiled as I gave her a wary look.
I was worried. I would have to speak to the Fae woman Winona... "Loche I am going to to take a bath," Estelle told me while blushing a bit and then moving to get up from the bed.
My chest felt odd as she got up and rushed into the bathing room. What was wrong me...what was she doing to me? She admitted to liking me yesterday and I did not know how to take that. Of course I wanted her to like me, I had to live with her the rest of my life....
I know love was nothing more than a facade. It was used as a tool to manipulate a betrothed, a love one. If their was one thing that my disgusting father taught me it would be not to trust love, but Estelle was different. Much different.
She did not keep secrets like I thought women were accustomed to. She was an open book with me and I appreciated that. With a kingdom and gentry full of lies and deception it was good to see that the person closest to me held no secrets.
I dressed in the ceremonial robes I knew I had to wear, I had the maids grab it from the Caticala before they could sit me down and speak with me. I had no urge to talk with them yet...it was inevitable though.
A loud knocking to the door had my mind pulled from my thoughts. I could already scent that it was my uncle. "Hold on, Alazar." I growled out as he just continued knocking as if he was not being the most nuisance thing on this earth.
"What do you want?" I growled out as he looked me up and down before smiling once more.
"We agreed to talk before the ceremony, yes? Well let us talk," he announced as I sighed, completely forgetting about our conversation yesterday.
I closed my bed chamber door, glancing to the shadow fae who was dozing off to sleep near our door. "Shadow fae wake up before I find a replacement for you."
Alazar glared at me before pulling me down the hall. That fae needed to realize I would replace him in seconds if he did not get his act together.
"So is our Fae Queen nervous for the Insignis ceremony?" Alazar questioned as he hummed while waiting for my answer. I noticed one of his bracelets was missing and replaced with another.
"Why do you want to speak with me, Alazar? Estelle will be fine," I told my uncle. I knew he was only being kind, that he liked Estelle like a daughter but that did not help right now.
Alazar sighed, "I just figured I should tell you some things that I could not tell you when my...brother was alive. You are about to take the throne. Whether it be today or tomorrow you are not the little angry boy I would have to argue tooth and scale with almost everyday."
That was true. I was an awful hatchling. Always lashing out at Alazar who was there for me and begging for attention from my imbecile of a father. "What do you have to tell me?"
"The marriage alliance was supposed to be nothing more than your father getting back at the King of Faenor and the Queen."
I paused in our walk. My eyes meeting his. The alliance was nothing more than that. The Fae did not believe in war but if someone declared war against them they would be vulnerable. This making the alliance with is. If we did their dirty work we had access to any and every jewel and gem that the miners in the Fae kingdom dug up. Most of our precious stones came from the orc kingdom and the Fae. "And what reason did my father have in attempting to upset the Fae king and Queen."
A sigh left his lips as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Queen Esiela, Estelle's mother was known for her healing abilities, that is first and foremost why the King at that time, Estelle's grandfather requested the presence of our men to protect the kingdom. Specifically her mother. She was a young woman around that time, not yet married."
He beckoned for us to continue walking while we spoke. I followed. "Hrain went to the Fae kingdom to sign the treaty of protection in exchange for jewels. Around that time your father was betrothed to another but fell in love with Esiela quickly."
"Esiela was at that time being courted by Amaranth. Your father was furious even though he had his own woman and demanded she come back here to take care of his lovely betrothed who had an awful accident. The Princess was incredibly kind, more than Estelle I think and went willingly."
"Once your father returned he...took his betrothed and pummeled her till she was unrecognizable. Claimed that some heathens did this and even fired a few guards to make it look authentic in front of Esiela. I was...away and I killed the poor guards honestly thinking what Hrain said was true. What we did not know was that every time Esiela healed, she would forget certain things. It took a healthy amount of time to heal your father's first wife and each time she did a healing session, your father would fill Esiela'a thoughts with lies of how they were lovers and her father did not want them to be together."
Healing abilities?...forgetfulness. That sounded like what Estelle had but I am sure she is not capable of healing anyone. She probably just inherited the forgetfulness....
"I worried for the sweet Esiela...so I sent a secret letter to the King, explaining what was going on. We set up a plan to get Esiela safely out of harms way...unfortunately your father found out but thought his betrothed sent the letter and killed her instead of me. He claimed I was just taking the fall because she was a woman. He became obsessed, sending her letters and gifts," Uncle Alazar explained as I shook my head. My father was a maniacal being. It was not surprising.
"Then when she sent them back without being opened he killed the fae guards who sent back his gifts. Your father quickly found one of our women who resembled Esiela and married her...she was your mother. He did not treat her well...as you can guess. She was a beautiful soul, your mother. I attempted to intervene many times, taking the brunt of some of her beatings..." Alazar paused, pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing out shakily. What is wrong with him?
"After she birthed you, he killed her. At the time we were under the impression that birth complications killed her. Soon after Esiela and the now King had their first daughter, the one you were supposed to marry."
If I could bring him back to life and kill him again, I would for what I have heard he has done to my mother. "Esiela continued her new life with her husband but your father could not fathom it still. He left them alone but he could never forget her."
"Your father was banned from setting foot into the Fae kingdom but he knew how vulnerable they were so he brought up a treaty to end this feud between kingdoms. Esiela agreed to it of course being the sweet woman she was. Your father wanted to raise you to despise fae so that you could be awful towards her daughter but I was here to make sure he did not spoil your young mind."
So Estelle's mother was the woman who he requested to be with when I killed him... "Are there any other secret histories between different kingdoms and our own?"
"No, but you may want to revisit the treaty with the Orc kingdom. I hear they are also under a new leadership. The King challenged his son and the son won. His name is Draka and he is a fierce warrior. Also dealing with the King of Lycea, King Sirus. I believe it would be best to set up a meeting. This hostility needs to come to an end and a face to face meeting would be best."
I suppose it would be smart to renegotiate any treaties that we have. My mind immediately going to King Talon, and what he told me. "Did he plan to kill her?"
"Who?
"Estelle."
My uncle shrugged his shoulders, "I do not know. I know he hated the fact that you cared for her and she is the spitting image of her mother and he could not wait until she failed and you would have the task of killing her."
Of course I told him I would kill her if she did not succeed but I would have never been able to. My behemoth would never allow it, neither would I. I would not have known what to do but I know I could never kill her.
"My Prince...ah my King the Caticala has requested you two in the grand hall. The Princess is ready for her ceremony."
I hope they did not give Estelle too much of that concoction to settle her nerves...
As we followed behind the guard, I noticed most of the castle workers were going to their knees as I passed them by. It was a nuisance. I knew they only did it because I possessed the power of the gods...but I did not even know how it worked. I did not even distinctly remember how it had happened. All I know is that my insides felt as if they were on fire.
Fire fun.
At least my behemoth remembered well and enjoyed.
As we entered the throne room my eyes were immediately drawn to where Estelle was at. The dress she was wearing made me want to claw each and every male that was inside of this room, eyes out.
The dress exposed her entire back. A red silk tie was tied around her neck to keep the front of the dress held up, covering her breasts from view but that was about it. I could even see the start of her ample bottom.
She was currently leaning heavily unto her sister as one of the council members was speaking to them.
I quickly made my way over to them, eying the council member down until he bowed slightly and dismissed himself.
"Estelle how do you feel?"
Her eyes were unfocused as they slowly slid towards me. She smiled brightly, "Juni that is my husband!" She whispered loudly to her sister. "He is beautiful, is he not!"
"He is alright, Stelle," Juni said through clenched teeth as she glared at me.
"Come here, Estelle. Let me support you." Juniper seemed ready to keel over trying to stand herself and Estelle. I watched her sister grip her tightly. Estelle wiggled out of her sisters grasp and stumbled over to me. She grinned widely, while looking up at home. "How do you feel?" I questioned her, gripping her tightly to me. Everyone was looking at us...watching us closely. The future King and Queen.
I never thought this day would come. Myself almost a king and with a woman who I enjoy as a wife... It is odd.
"Loche...what was the question?"
Estelle was leaning almost all of her weight on me as I asked her the question again. "How do you feel?"
She giggled, "I do not know...funny I think. The Caticala said it would be quick and painless. The drink they gave me was splendid! They are such lovely ladies...and after I get my mark we can go back to our chambers and kiss some more!"
I watched Juniper's eyes begin to well up with tears as she looked at something behind us. It was the iron smith with his tools. "How could you let them do this to her, Loche?!"
She acts as if I have forced this upon Estelle. This is what is supposed to happen. "She will be fine," I told her sister as I turned a bit with Estelle still glued to my hips. I could see Winona with her husband and I waved them over quickly. They would help ease her nuisance sisters mind.
The old fae woman smiled brightly at seeing Estelle, Juniper quickly hopped in the way. "Winona! Please get them to stop this. They want to hurt Estelle."
The fae woman looked to Juni and grasped her hand. "Su Anya tis tradition. Su Anya Estelle will be okay. I promise you."
"Winonaaa!" Estelle greeted her, trying to get over to her to hug her. I dug my fingers into her side, stopping her. "Hi Winona's husband!"
"Tis not right! I-I cannot stand and watch this."
"Juni do not be so sad! Tis okay!" Estelle smiled as her sister moved away from us and I felt like having her removed from the throne room. I did not need her making a scene...
Winonas husband cleared his throat and bowed. He seemed nervous? Excited? Or maybe it was the fact that all eyes were on us. He was a commoner, not used to everyone watching him I am sure. "Su Anyi Loche, Su Anya Estelle. It is an honor," the older man spoke bowing deeply. Was he fluent in Faenor? Had Winona taught her his language? I wondered if I should attempt at it too..I am sure Estelle would enjoy it...
"Winona your husband is so nice! Loche you need to be nice like him," Estelle whispered rather loudly as the couple began to laugh.
"Su Anyi, Winona was like that. You know they give the Fae a little extra because they have an awful pain tolerance..I do not believe that though."
Winona nodded her head, blushing. "Oh yes twas very painful for me. I did not talk to Raeson for almost an entire week!"
How wonderful to tell me. "I would never ignore Loche because he is my husband and loves me!"
"Estelle," I snapped, glaring down at her. I never told her that I loved her. Did she think I did? Did I?
Yes. Love pretty fae.
She gave me a confused look. "What, Loche? I am just a bit hungry and tired. Can we begin this already?"
My eyes glanced over to Alazar who was speaking with the Caticala. They were all looking towards me...
I suppose we do have to begin this sooner than later.
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One more chapter for a three day weekend🤗 Swipe up!