▪︎ Eight months later ▪︎
----------Valerian----------
"Marilla, I'll kill you!" My voice hollers in the entirety of the castle as I chase the stupid siren in the hall.
"I swear I didn't give it to her! I bought the pixie brew for myself and she drank it accidentally! It's not my fault!" She jumped up on the sofa trying to escape out of my hands.
"She's pregnant, you stupid!" I growl tugging her arms and getting her down from the sofa.
"I know that, you dumb crow!" She growled back pulling her arms from my clutch with all the force in the world.
"Then why did you give it to her?!" My voice is murderous.
"I said I didn't give it to her!" She barred her sharp siren teeth in my face.
"Why are you both so noisy? You're giving me a headache." Kaitlyn's voice slurred as she sat slumped against the couch Marilla had climbed on just seconds ago.
My eyes softened seeing how her head kept lolling front and back because of the effect of the brew and she kept giggling now and then.
"Look, what you did to her." I glare at Marilla one last time before sauntering over to my wife.
We got married a month later after the war. We'd wanted to shift the date more ahead but Mellisa said it was better to hold the wedding then to bring back the happy air in the kingdoms after all the loss and gloomimess from the war.
Not many people had died from our side but it was still a loss and people had grieved over their loved ones. The wedding had really cheered them up a bit and we'd held a huge compensation for all of the families of the ones who'd died during the war.
"Val!" Kaitlyn giggles holding out her arms when I reach her, "Carry me."
I shake my head at the cute silly smile on her face and wound my arms around her waist pulling her to her feet, being carefully of her bump.
Bringing my hands below her knees and one around her waist, I scoop her up in my arms and walk towards my room all the while Marilla follows, staring at us like a creep.
"Go get yourself a prince or something and stop being a creep hounding us all the time." I pass the blue haired fish a look as we walk into my room.
Kaitlyn snuggles into my arms wounding her hands around my neck as I make my way to the bed.
"I don't need a prince 'cause I'm already a queen, babe." Marilla blows her nails dramatically.
"Don't ever call me that." I shudder in disgust.
That seems to catch her attention as she turns to me with an even creepier smile, "Babe! Babe! Babe!" She chants like two-year-old.
"Marilla, I swear if you-"
"Babe!" She screams on the top of her lungs.
A few of the guards wandering in the hallways glance at us but with a sharp look their way, they all go rushing away.
"Get out of my room this instant or I'll kill you with my bare hands." I warn, my voice deadly serious.
"Fine, meanie!" Marilla huffs, giving me the stink eye as she makes her way to the door.
Just as I think she's out, her blue head pops in through the creak, "Babe!" She shrieks one last time before running out of the face of earth shutting the door behind her.
My eyes narrow into slits. God, she's so annoying.
When I feel a movement in my arms, all my fury flies out of the window. I glance down at my mate who's staring at her belly with a strange look on her face.
As if sensing my gaze on her, she lifts her head to stare up at me, "It looks like I'm carrying a watermelon under my clothes." She quips her head to the side, pointing down at her bump.
My lips tugs into a smile at her words. I lower her onto the bed and kiss her forehead. Standing back up, I stare at my mate laying there looking like the most ethereal thing I'd ever seen. The bump making her glow with surrealness.
"You look beautiful though." I say sincerely.
The smile on my lips grows wider when she pouts at my words, "You always say that."
Leaning down, I tuck a strand of her hair behind her ears, "That's because you'll always be the most beautiful woman in my eyes."
"You shouldn't say such things. It makes me feel some sorta way." Her lips pulls into that lovely smile.
The smile that I'm addicted to, to the point where I want to paint it on piece of paper and carry it with me everywhere. So whenever I look at it, my mood would blossom instantly.
"Now why shouldn't I when it's the truth?" I caress her cheeks gently, loving the feel of the soft skin underneath my fingers as she shuts her eyes in bliss.
"Valerian," Her blue-grey eyes snap open to peer up at me, "I love you."
My heart melts then and there and the smile on my face couldn't be any more sillier. No matter how many times she says the words, it hits me stronger each time.
I lean down completely and kiss those delicate lips.
"I love you more." I say pulling back.
Kate frowns at that, "You love me more? No!" She sits up straight to glare at me, "I love you the most! How dare you say otherwise!"
I blink in surprise, "I didn't mean it that wa-"
"Don't try to twist the words. How could you? You think I don't love you as much as you love me. You're wrong, I love you more." Her lips quivers and her eyes well up but there's a strong stubbornness in her tone.
My brows furrow in confusion at her sudden change in mood, the unshed tears in her eyes tug at my heartstrings. Before realization sinks into me that she's still high on the brew. She hadn't had much since I'd stopped her on time but even a few drops of pixie brew was enough to make a person senseless. And Kate's pregnancy hormones combined with them would make her feel over-heightened emotions. Anything I tell her now, she'll take it the wrong way.
"Come here." I sit down on the bed next to her and hold out my arms.
Kate just glares at me but not a moment later, she's slowly creeping upto me and into my arms. Being careful of her bump, I pull her into an embrace and caress her head.
"I love you to the moon," I say and before she could object, "And you love me to the way back. We both love each other equally. Is it fine now?"
My lips stretch into a smile as she nods against my chest. Dropping a kiss to the top of her head, "Sleep, love."
She nods yet again snuggling closer to me. Not minutes later, she's deep in slumber, resting in my arms. My heart warms at the feel of her in my embrace. What I wouldn't do to keep her safe.
Gently lowering her back on the bed, I brush away all the hair sticking to her face. "Rest well, sweetheart." I murmur kissing her forhead.
My eyes flicks over to the bump on her midriff as I tuck Kate under the duvet. That silly smile returns to my face again. I couldn't wait to meet those two.
Leaning over her belly, I drop a kiss there too, "Rest well, little ones."
And then as I stand back on my footing and turn around to go back to my court duties, I feel a hand hold me back.
Twisting my head, I see Kate staring at me with her half open eyelids but the small smile on her face knocks my breath away, "I'm glad you finally found happiness, Val." She says softly before letting go of my hand and drifting back to sleep.
All the while I stand there, my heart growing twice its size. To think she cared about my happiness. . .
Even when I'm out of the room heading towards the throne room, I have that feeling of warmth encrusted in my every vein.
My steps come to a sudden halt when I spot Dulcamara barge in through the main entrance like a storm. Her wise brown eyes search around frantically until they settle on me.
As she walks my way, I feel a chill of dread pass through me at the worry on her face.
"Valerian," She says and I'm certain that very moment something is wrong. Because Dulcamara never calls me by name when she's does, the situation is very serious.
"I saw a vision. The children. . ." She starts.
My blood runs cold in my veins at the mention of them, "Children what, Amara?" The fear in my voice mirrors my heart.
"One of the twins is going to die at birth."
*
*
*
----------Avyanna's POV----------
Eight months.
It had been eight months since I killed my own mate.
The feeling of loss was still raw in my chest. No matter how hard I tried to not think about it, not think about him, Julian's face would pop into my head. He was embedded in every inch of my soul. I'd loved him.
Even if I wasn't able to do what he asked me to, my feelings for him was always there.
He could've been locked up in the dungeons for a life sentence just like Narcissa. But after what he'd said that day, there was nothing else I could do.
A stray tear trickles down cheek as I my mind whisks back to the memory of that day of the war.
*
"Why, Julian? Why?" I'd asked him.
And he'd simply replied with, "I love you, Avy! I want you to come with me so we can live happily together. Away from all this dangerous life as a commander. But you just wouldn't listen! You're oath to Valerian is what was keeping you here and I had no choice other than to go against him for you to be out of this duty you feel obliged to! Let's kill Valerian together and then we can be free from all of this!"
"I can't do that. I won't." I'd retorted firmly stepping away from him.
"You have to if you love me!" He'd yelled at me, his eyes begging.
My own eyes had teared up at his request as I'd shook my head vigorously, "He gave us a chance despite everyone telling him not to. Don't you see it. We're respected and here on our feet because of him trusting us even though everyone told him not to. We owe this to Valerian, Julian. For giving us a chance to make a name for ourselves after our shady pasts."
"We owe him nothing! If you won't help me, then I'll do it myself!" He'd turned around to walk towards Valerian but just a step after he'd turned back to me, "Aleast help me kill his children if you can't kill him."
That last sentence. It had been my last string. I'd thought of letting him go because I couldn't bring myself to kill him even after knowing what he would do if he remained alive but those words he spoke about those innocent unborn children, it had me changing my decision.
There as tears streaked down my eyes for the heartbreak I was signing myself up for, I'd plunged my sword into chest because that very moment I knew, I knew he was far too gone. That he wasn't the Julian I knew. That boy would never hurt an innocent soul. I didn't know what lies Keith had fed him with but I knew that if I didn't stop him then, he'd do things far worse than now.
"I wish you'd never done this, Julian." I'd cried for hours holding my mate's limp body, feeling the pain of our mate bond breaking but somewhere far along, deep deep in my heart, I knew there was no other choice.
*
Julian had betrayed the very person who bought him to where he was. Given him an opportunity to train and be a part of the raverian army despite our shady history.
Valerian had trusted Julian, a lycan who'd been banished out of Lycor for being falsely accused a traitor. Even with everyone not trusting him, Valerian had given Julian a chance to prove his worth. Just like how he'd given me.
I'm a water nymph. We're said to be greedy by birth. It is in our nature to switch sides wherever it befits us, without any consideration of how it would affect others. It is how we nymphs are. We couldn't do anything about it.
No one trusted the nymphs. No one trusted them enough to include them in their army knowing how they could switch sides and join the enemies if it befits them. Even Marilla, despite it bothering her, was careful to not include the nymphs in her army because she knew there could be consequences of it.
Yet. Yet Valerian had given me, a runaway nymph from the black sea-the part of the seven seas Marilla's sister, Layla, had captured unlawfully along with all the merfolks there-a chance to prove my loyalty. Everyone had warned him not to include a nymph into the raverian army. Not to train me to be a commander. They'd said how I'd turn to be a traitor.
Yet he'd given me a chance. When the people kept pestering, he'd turned to them and said this,
"There would be traitors in my army even now, without them being a nymph. So what's going to happen if I just add another?" Then he'd turned to me, "Only you can control yourself better than anyone else. I believe even a nymph can have atleast some control over her actions. If you're truly determined to prove yourself, then I don't think I have any right to not grant you atleast a chance."
That chance is what had gotten me where I am today.
Julian had wanted me to throw it all away. To give up being the king's second-in-command, to throw away all those years and years of working myself to be the woman I am right now.
I'd have given him my whole world if he'd just asked but not my oath. I'd pledged the moment I was appointed as the head of the Raverian army that I'd serve the raven king till I take my last breath.
I'd told Julian that we could be together here. That we could be just the way we are but mated and happy. But he wanted none of it. He wanted us to be away and alone. He'd begged me to leave with him. But I kept saying no. . .
Sometimes. . .sometimes I feel like it was all my fault. If I'd listened to him, if I had left everything I worked for behind and gone with him, he would've still been the Julian I knew. The Julian I loved so much.
He would've never betrayed the man who made us who we would never have been if it weren't for him giving us the chance.
Amidst my chaos of thoughts, I hear a knock on my door. Brushing away the stray tear on my face, I pull my hair into a ponytail and go over to open the door of my room.
Valerian and Dulcamara are standing outside, their faces solemn.
The king's eyes flash to mine with an unknown fear and emergency lurking in them, "Avyanna, we need to call the demon queen or the prince here."
I wrote this chapter in a rush so I hope it makes sense💀
Valerian and Kaitlyn can never get a rest🤦♀️ What do you think will happen to the twin who's going to die?👀
Do you think what Avyanna did was right?
I've been waiting to write the next chapter since sooooo long. Y'all are gonna meet a new character (two new characters if you haven't read THE ALPHA'S BLOODLINE) and believe me, I love them both. Also, the Kingston twins will be born in the next chapter so I'm super hyped🤧