Edit - 09/12/2019 - Hi guys! For those of you who are reading or rereading this story, I have recently updated/ edited this chapters plot points slightly to fit in with the direction I'm currently steering the story in. My initial plan for the book has been revised and changed and some edited parts of this Chapter will reflect that.
Thank you for your understanding// sorry for any confusion this may cause.
Much love,
Daisy xx
Here it is guys!! Eeep Im so excited!! I wanted to have all of this in one Chapter instead of spreading it out, just because I planned on having the first Chapter set a couple of days after this happens :) This Chapter is actually what I WOULD have had as my last Chapter of APK had I not been super rushed for time. If I could I would put this in as the last Chapter of APK for y'all but nevermind, here it is now and I hope you all enjoy it!
Sorry for the wait btw, I did actually have this finished ages ago but then I found out that I didn't have service in my little caravan so I couldn't post it because I had no internet access!! It was sooo frustrating D:
Not sure when the first Chapter will be up but it will be hopefully soon! Im glad to be back and thankyou for all of your support in the Watty Awards we are doing fantastic!!
Love You All!!!
Daisy
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A PIRATES KISS: SUNKEN TREASURES
Prologue | A Lengthly Explanation
(Circe's P.O.V)
"How can you be here?" I sobbed, clutching at his shoulder. "I've missed you so much."
Nathaniel pulled me closer to him, his strong arms shielding me from the world. "Shhh Circe, everything is okay. It's okay." His hands ran up and down my back in soothing patterns and I breathed in his smell that brought forward all of the memories from home.
Taking a deep shuddering breath, I drew back from him the tiniest amount, allowing one of his hands to come around to wipe the tears from my cheeks.
Still holding him tightly, I turned my face to the side so that I could see the beautiful woman that had been watching the scene for the past ten minutes. Realizing that I was acting rather improperly in the presence of Royalty, I had the good grace to be ashamed and I dipped my head, murmuring an apology as I did so.
To my surprise, she waved a hand nonchalantly at me, a ghost of a smile fluttering over her pale pink lips.
"It is no bother," She said. Her voice was gentle, yet carried with the power of a Queen.
I pulled back a little more from Nathaniel, noting that everyone in this Kingdom seemed to be devoid of colour, so much so that the effect was rather unearthly. The two guards that I hadn't noticed before, stood silently behind their Queen, there faces impassive, their clothes made of the same strange blue material that Zalas wore. They too seemed to be washed completely of any color but at the same time I noticed that their pale skin was slightly more flushed, their white hair just a shade darker than those of the royals.
The Queen must have noticed the direction of my gaze for when she next spoke, it was to answer the question that was running through my mind.
"You are wondering why we are so fair skinned are you not?"
Felling mortified I blushed, but nodded my head just the same.
This time she definitely smiled. "Over the years, the strong sunlight has bleached our skin and our hair. It has become a trait that is passed down through the generations. Because we are not human, we do not burn under the sun like those down on Earth, it's light affects us in different ways." She indicated to the two guards behind her. "However, just like humans, our skin tone varies. We are just coloured with a more limited pallet. The same can be said for the Dragons," she smiled lightly, "however their colour is merely hidden. It still burns brightly within."
My mind flashed back to remember the sight of Nelonimi twisting through the air. Her scales had been almost pure white with just the faintest of blue tints at the tips. I pictured Unabonan, trying to remember the color of his scales but as hard as I tried, I couldn't remember anything but white.
However, these thoughts were only passing and in no way as important as the pressing matter in front of me. Pursing my lips I turned back to Nathaniel, asking the question that had been burning in my mind as soon as I had seen him.
"Naddy how did you get here?"
He frowned at me. "I honestly have no idea, I had left home to come after you after you were taken." He scowled fiercely. "As soon as I find those scoundrels that kidnapped you I will make them suffer greatly. No matter what your Father said."
I gasped. "He explained things to you?"
Nathaniel nodded tersely. "Aye, that he did. I didn't make me listen to him anymore though. You were kidnapped by Pirates Circe! Filthy Pirates! How could I not come after you?"
I looked up into his frantic eyes and fought against the wild urge to laugh loudly at his blunt description of Obsidian and Cobalt. Instead, I simply patted his arm, cooling his flaming temper with calming words.
"We will get to that later, what happened after you left home?"
Nathaniel frowned. "I planned to sail to the neighboring city, but it was taking alot longer than usual, the weather was fine and I should have made port in two or three days. However I think I had sailed for almost four days and I still hadn't seen land."
I was suddenly aware that everyone in the room was paying careful attention to what he was saying. Even the Queen had leaned forward slightly, her beautiful face held up with one delicate hand that rested under her chin.
"And then I just remember seeing this girl ..." His voice trailed off and his eyes glazed over slightly.
I looked towards the Queen whose expressionless facade was now marred by the slight crease between her angular brows.
"Tell us what she looked like." She demanded, her voice still soft.
"She had beautiful long red hair, the color of blood it was, so striking ... and her eyes were the blue of a cloudless sky on a summers day and her skin-"
I frowned, confused at his tone. He was speaking of this girl as though he was a man who had seen the light for the first time. The Queen was now frowning more deeply and she beckoned one of her guards forward to whisper something in his ear as Nathaniel continued with his rambling description.
The guard nodded as though in conformation and the Queen leaned back with a satisfied look on her face. She clapped her hands once and Nathaniel stopped talking almost instantly, his eyes snapping back into focus as he glanced around the room with a confused look on his face.
"Do you remember anything else that happened after you saw the girl?" The Queen asked sharply before I could question what was going on.
Nathaniel's eyes took on the dreamy glaze again. "She kissed me ..."
"Just as I thought," the Queen muttered to herself before turning slightly to look directly at me.
"He received a Sirens Kiss." She stated and I gaped at her as she hurriedly continued. "My guards caught a red headed Siren that matches his description, lurking around the entrance to our Kingdom. Our suspicion is that she was a spy, trying to gain access to our water ways for reasons that I do not know. She had this boy with her."
I managed to find my tongue this time and when I did, all of the words tumbled out at once. "She captured Nathaniel? But why? What would she want with him? And how ..." I struggled for a moment, trying to find the words. "How did he even survive? He's a human!"
The Queen studied me for a long time. Nathaniel was fidgeting restlessly beside me and I could tell that he too was full of questions. No doubt the first one was to find out why we were talking of Sirens as though they really existed. Instinctively trying to calm him, I reached out and took his hand, linking his fingers through my own. Instantly he relaxed, shuffling so that his side was pressed against my own.
This small movement seemed to cause a chain reaction around the room and I heard Zalas and Aranel sigh from behind me at the same time the Queen moved, rubbing at her forehead with the palm of her hand, as she gestured to the other seats in the room.
"I suggest you take a seat."
Unsure if she was talking to Nathaniel and myself as well, I hesitated, but when she gestured more impatiently, I quickly took a seat, tugging Nathaniel with me. Instead of sitting in the offered chair, he chose to stand beside me, folding his arms across his chest as he did so. A small smile flickered across the Queens face before it was replaced with a sombre expression.
"I had hoped that Evangeline would be the one to tell you this story but I see now that it can wait no longer."
I took me a moment before I realized that she was referring to my Mother and when I made the connection, I leaned forward a little more, eager to hear anything that had to do with the woman I was yet to meet.
Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Zalas leaning casually against the back wall of the room, his glowing white eyes trained on my face, his expression unreadable. Aranel stood beside her brother, her usually angry face smooth. When all of the lines in her face disappeared, it was easy to see the resemblance between herself and her Mother. One of her hands was holding onto the hem of Zalas's blue shirt in an almost unconscious action, her bright white blue eyes focused on her Mother.
The Queen cleared her throat quietly and I gave her my full attention again, smiling a little guiltily. She smiled back in understanding before nodding her head to indicate she was about to start her tale.
"I think it would be best if I just got straight to the point," She sighed, looking directly into my eyes. "Circe, your Father is not who you think he is."
I stared at her, confused. "What do you mean? My Father is human isn't he?"
The Queen waved her hand impatiently. "Yes, the man that you think is your Father is a human, but he is not your Father."
My mouth fell open as a million different emotions swam through me. Eventually I found my voice. "Does he know?" I asked softly.
"No he doesn't."
A sigh relaxed the tense stance of my shoulders. At least my Father hadn't known either, I don't know if I would have been able to cope knowing that he had kept such a secret from me for all these years.
I leant into my chair a little more, ready to hear the explanation behind this secret, surprised that I wasn't more upset to find out that my Father was not actually my Father. Maybe it was the fact that he had been just as much in the dark as myself, I made a promise then, that I would always think of him as my Daddy, no matter what happened.
"I'm ready for the rest now." I said quietly and she nodded her head.
"Your Father was a great man-
"Was?" I interrupted quietly and she inclined her head, grief flashing across her eyes for a moment.
"Yes was," She said quietly. "He was a the leader of our armies, the Great West Wind. Unfortunately, he went missing in action while on the hunt for a very important man.
"His position in fact, was the reason for your Mother and his meeting initially. My Kingdom had sent some of our troops over to assist a war your Mother was fighting at the time and she was instantly drawn to him, or so she told me." The Queens eyes grew soft. "Relationships between the races were strictly forbidden in that day, so they had to keep their love a secret. Of course the relationship was all the more deadly as both of them were from a Royal bloodline, if anyone were to discover them ..."
My eyes widened. "Was my Father from your race?"
Her unearthly gaze focused on me and she took a deep breath. "Your Father was my younger brother, Prince Zephyr, one of the greatest Air Sprites history has ever seen."
My mouth dropped open as her words hit me. "But that would mean that I'm not human at all." For some reason this was the thing that hurt me the most. I wasn't human in anyway, I never had been. My whole life had been completely false.
"What do you mean you aren't human," Nathaniel's distraught voice interrupted my thoughts. "Circe you are as human as I am, this is crazy."
Zalas let out a derisive snort at his words, making us both jump. I had forgotten they were standing behind us.
"If this is crazy then why are you still standing here?" Zalas drawled, rolling his eyes. "Go on, run away before you find out the whole truth. That's all that humans are good for anyway. Running away."
"Zalas." The Queen said sharply. "Hold your tongue."
She turned back to me and smiled apologetically as I reached up to grab Naddy's hand. He was shaking and I could hear his teeth grinding furiously.
"You are right Circe, you are in no way human. You are in fact one of the two children in the world of mixed race. With your Air Sprite blood mixed with your Siren and Water Sprite heritage, you have the power to bring harmony and balance between the races."
"Who is the other child?" I asked curiously, but she merely waved her hand at me, her eyes flickering briefly to her two children before looking back to me.
"That is a story for another time. Now where were we?"
"You just told me that your brother is my Father." I gasped suddenly and Naddy's grip tightened on my shoulder. "Wait," I said, struggling to get the words out as I gestured between myself and the beautiful woman seated in front of me. "Does that mean that you and I, we're related?"
The Queen inclined her head. "Like I said Child, you have the power to bring great balance and harmony between our races because of your heritage."
I slumped back in chair feeling slightly stunned. I was related to Air Sprite Royalty. But that meant that Zalas and Aranel ... I twisted in my seat to meet Zalas's white eyes. The corner of his mouth twitched into something that could have been a smile. He wiggled his fingers at me and mouthed 'Hello Cousin'. I resisted the urge to laugh loudly and hysterically as I turned once again to face Airocei.
"There is something else," I asked, "you said that my Father fought in the Army, but I thought that the last war between the races was ages ago? Before the pendants were created?"
The Queen inclined her head gracefully, "That is correct. We are not human Circe, you must remember this. Time stands still for the Other, and even longer still for those who wield great magic. You remember the tale of the pendants do you not?"
I nodded. Yes I remembered that fairy like tale. If I hadn't seen what I had it would be almost unbelievable.
"And you remember the Queen who was saved by the dragons?" She continued.
My eyes widened, "Surely, not you?" I whispered.
She smiled, but now I glimpsed the faintest hint of exhaustion from one who had simply lived too long. "Yes, it was me. Now, shall we continue?"
"Yes," I uttered quietly, all questions drowned out by the sheer enormity of the subject matter.
"As the years passed, your Mother and Father fell deeply in love but still their relationship was forbidden. I knew of it of course, you Father had confined in me, but although I was Queen, there was nothing I could do to change a law that was upheld by all. The only help I could offer was to send him over to the Water Kingdom as often as possible under the pretense that it would be a good idea for a small portion of our soldiers to stay in the Kingdom as a show of our support.
Decades passed and the pendants were created in an effort to maintain the fragile peace that had been established. Many of our strongest lost their lives but their efforts were not in vain and it seemed as though we had found balance. Unfortunately this meant that the Army was no longer needed for the time being and your Mother was forced to send back over our troops or else suspicion would be raised as to why there were still Air Sprite Soldiers on Water Kingdom lands.
My brother pined for his love and she for him, they wrote often to each other, and I would invite Evangeline to the Air Kingdom as often as was proper, which, even though we were close friends, was not very often at all.
And then it happened.
The Earth Kingdom were the holders of the pendants at the time and it is still uncertain how Zeus Gold obtained them. I suppose that is a story lost to all but those who knew him, as if any would pride themselves in knowing such a horrific man."
Here the Queen paused, her eyes studying me intently. When she finally continued, her words were careful and I couldn't help but feel as though she was editing something. Missing some details. But the feeling was so small that I dared not act on it.
"Zeus Gold came to the Air Kingdom and committed an unspeakable crime. A dragon egg was stolen and it was revealed that the Earth Kingdom had allowed a human to know of our world and to take hold of our most precious secret. I saw him once before he vanished and he spoke three words that still ring in my mind today; "Let chaos reign."
"But why?" I found myself whispering, "what was his motive?"
"It is thought that perhaps Zeus Gold was an Elven halfbreed or perhaps had some connection to them. He was clearly powered by revenge if his future actions spoke for anything. Humans are too strongly ruled by their emotions, their feelings. Couple that with the power of an Elf, or a Sprite of any sort and they might as well have a ticking time bomb set to explode inside them. He went deranged."
I nodded slowly. I could see how they would think that and suddenly the hatred towards Obsidian and Cobalt back at the ship made more sense, although it was still unjustified. They weren't like their Father.
"I understand where you are coming from," I said slowly. "but it is unfair for you to lump all human half breeds together and expect that because they are part human they will all turn out to be bad. Yes what Zeus Gold did was horrible, but every person is different, not all human half breeds are going to be psychopaths." I argued.
The Queen smiled softly at me and I suddenly felt uncomfortable under her stare. I expected her to say something about Obsidian and Cobalt but she merely continued on as though I had not spoken at all.
"Now after the attack, it was decided that almost the entire fleet, including Zephyr, would set sail in pursuit of Zeus Gold as soon as the ships were ready. Your Mother had come to our Kingdom immediately after the incident and the night before your Father was to set sail was the night that you were conceived Circe." The Queen smiled softly. "Evangeline was ecstatic when she discovered she was with child and although her pregnancy had to be kept a secret, she wrote to me and told me of the news.
"I was worried of course, what would happen when her belly became too swollen to hide? But she reassured me, stating her intentions to use the child as a peace maker between the Kingdoms.
"We could tell our people that in light of the current situation, with the balance of both our Kingdoms teetering in the brink and the Earth Kingdom banished completely, it had been decided that an arranged marriage would be best, in order to make sure the that the harmony between our races continued.
"Your Mother sent word to your Father who was still at sea, telling him of her pregnancy and our plans. He was thrilled, naturally, at the news of his child and also that there was finally a solution to their problem. He promised Evangeline that he would be home to wed her as soon as possible."
The Queen paused for a moment, her gaze breaking away from my face as she looked off into the distance, her eyes growing vacant as she continued.
"The news was announced and our people were relived that the peace would continue despite the turbulence with the pendants and the Earth Kingdoms pending banishment. The two Kingdoms thrummed with excitement at the news of a Royal wedding. However, months passed and still your Father hadn't returned home. His letters became further and further spaced apart and then one day they stopped coming altogether. Not long after that, Zeus Gold intitiated an attack on the Earth Kingdom using the dragon he had stolen. The dragon child had been influenced by magic and was an uncontrollable beast, only answering to the pendants he held. Unabonan was sent to subdue it and he was successful in bringing her home as well as regaining two of the missing pendants.
Defeated, Zeus Gold fled to the seas and remained elusive until his death."
"However, still your Father has not returned. Evangeline was distraught. She was starting to show now and if your Father did not return soon, talk of an affair would rise and there would be a good chance that her position as Queen would be disputed."
I question rose to my lips. "But you said that months had passed. How could she only just be showing? Normally you can see the bump after three months." I protested.
The Queen smiled gently. "Yes for humans Dear. Our pregnancy's last alot longer. I was pregnant with Aranel for almost three years before she decided she wanted to be born."
I gaped at her. "What do you mean decided?"
She let out a light tinkling laugh. "Children are very special in our world Circe. It is extremely difficult to conceive and when we do, the Child holds a greater magic than even those of the Dragons. We suspect that they are almost instantly aware of what is happening inside and outside of the womb. They are in control of the rate of their development, they can slow it down or speed it up depending on the circumstances.
"If it is too dangerous to be born into a certain time, or if they are going to be born into a family that is unable to provide for another mouth, they will wait until more agreeable circumstances arrive." She smiled at her children. "Our Children are our greatest gift and our greatest mystery at the same time. They do not lose the power they are born with, it simply changes over time."
My head was thrumming as I tried to take all of this new information in, but there was something that was screaming at me from the inside, one burning realization that came with the revelations.
"How old am I?" I whispered quietly, my eyes raising from where I had been looking at my hands, trying to count the years, to meet the white eyed gaze of the ancient Queen.
She looked at me with something that was close to pitying understanding. "Technically you are still seventeen, we don't start counting the years until the child is born, just like humans. If you want to know how long you were in your Mothers womb for, well that was around a hundred and ten years."
I let out a loud breath and tilted my head into my hands. Over one hundred years I had been waiting to born, waiting for the right moment to come into the world. Over one hundred years since my Father had gone missing and the pendants had been separated.
"Why did my Mother give me up if I was supposed to be so important to our race?" I questioned, my head still in my hands.
"That is the next part of my story. Are you ready to hear the rest? We can take a break and you can come back later when your thoughts are less confused my Dear."
I shook my head vehemently. "No, I want to hear it all now."
She studied me for a moment before nodded, her mouth pressing into a full lipped purse. She then gestured to Nathaniel, the sweeping motion obviously intended to include him into the conversation.
"You will need to listen to this as well Boy, your future is intertwined with hers."
Nathaniel started beside me and we shot a quick glance at each other.
"What do you mean?" We both blurted out at the same time.
The Queen let out her tinkling laugh again and in reaction I felt my lips twitch up into a small smile.
"Let us not get ahead of ourselves, all in good time. Now as I mentioned before your Mother was worried that because you seemed to be developing so quickly, rumors of an affair would start before she and your Father had even been married and her people would begin to question her leadership. She could not tell the people that the child was her fiances as it would be obvious the child was conceived before the 'arranged marriage' was organized, and again, her position as Queen would be threatened.
"When the letters from your Father stopped and both parties reported that word had not been heard from the Royal navy for many months they were presumed dead. It was a time of great depression for both Kingdoms, the loss of our Prince was devastating, he was a people pleaser, loved by all and had a good reputation as a decent man who had worked his way up to his position in the Army and had not used the fact that he was Royalty to help him get ahead in life. He was a great believer in equality your Father." The Queen smiled softly at me before continuing.
"Your Mother refused to give up hope that he was still alive, she set sail with a ship load of her most trusted advisors and leaving the Kingdom in the capable hands of your Uncle. This was a reasonable thing to do, people could relate to the agony of her loss and when she set sail was around the time that you stopped developing. Your Mother firmly believed that this was a sign that your Father was still alive. That you some how knew that he was still out there and refused to be born until your family was back together. She searched for him for over one hundred years, time passes quickly to our kind and I was certain that she lost track of time while she was at sea."
She paused for a moment and sighed, running a hand through her silvery white hair. When she next spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Suddenly her letters stopped coming completely. We all feared that she had been taken in the same way as my brother, it was dreadful. We waited nine long months and on the eve of the tenth month she finally returned with her crew. All of them had a world weary look in their eyes and none would speak of what had happened. Evangeline was the worst. I visited her not long after she arrived back home and she told me what had occurred in the nine months that she had not replied to my letters."
The Queen lifted her gaze to meet mine and my mouth felt slightly dry as I anticipated her next words.
"You might have already heard this part Child." She stopped speaking and stared at me. I gulped away the lump that was lodged in my throat, my voice hoarse when I spoke.
"She made port at my Fathers ... My humans Fathers town didn't she? I read about it in his letter, he told me ..."
"He told you what Child?" Her voice was not demanding, more encouraging with slight curiosity mixed in. She wanted me to say it for her and I wondered whether she would confirm or correct.
"He told me that they stayed for many months and that it was like a spell had been cast over the town. He said that my Mother and him fell in love."
"The effect that magical folk can have on humans is indeed intriguing," the Queen said mildly. "for some reason your Mother and her crew were equally intrigued, she could not tell me why. Please continue."
I nodded and cleared my throat, continuing with a slight frown creasing between my brows.
"He said that after a while, the visitors, they seemed to lose the life that had been within them when they first arrived ..."
The Queen nodded eagerly. "Yes that is right Child, you see, only the Earth folk can live in amongst humans for any length of time and that is because they share the Earth with them. Your Mother and her crew were on shore for so long that they started to lose some of their magic."
"So it was kind of like, they were denying what they were by not being at sea?" I asked curiously.
She confirmed that with a tip of her head. "Precisely. The were acting too much like mortals, their bodies craved what they were not receiving enough of. As soon as they realized this they packed up and left. As quickly as they had come."
"But why did they leave my Mother behind?" I protested and the Queens face stiffened visibly before relaxing once again into an unreadable expression.
"Did your Jacob not mention that in his letter?"
It took me a moment to figure out that she was referring to my Father and when I did I struggled to remember what he had mentioned of my Mother being abandoned.
"He said that he found her on the doorstep. She said she was with his child." I gaped at the Queen. "She lied to him! She told him that I was his!"
The Queens expression darkened. "Oh your Mother was with his child alright." She put her head in one delicate hand. "To this day I cannot understand how she could fall in love with a human enough to ... to ..." She shook her head and rubbed at her temple for a moment. When she spoke her voice was tight. "Your Mother had conceived Jacob's children, whilst still being pregnant with you. You made room for them of course," She waved her hand when I opened my mouth. "It is another thing that our children are capable of, accept it Child. She realized her mistake of course, although she told me that she loved Jacob very much, I am certain that she was just overwhelmed by the temptations of the human world."
I opened my mouth again, feeling rather indignant at her immediate dismissal of my Father. Was it so wrong for someone of Magical blood to love a human? Or was this Queen just bitter that my Mother had found someone to love instead of finding her Brother?
Oblivious to my thoughts, the Queen was still speaking. "Evangeline was left behind because she broke one of the most upheld rules of our races. Never fall in love with a human. She was to be banished until she gave birth and then she was to leave the child behind and rejoin her crew who, to this day, are still sworn to secrecy.
"When she gave birth to Jacob's children nine months later, you chose to be born with them, much to her surprise and horror. She could not take you back with her as her crew would assume that you were Jacob's and she would be banished eternally. She had no choice but to leave you behind in his care. She used her pendant to influence him into thinking that he had but one child. You.
The other two boys she entrusted in the care of a couple in the village, influencing the adoptive parents to believe the children were orphans that should be taken care of as though they were their own."
I interrupted her quickly before she could continue. My mind had been blank while she had been talking and I was going to find it difficult to continue on listening until I confirmed one specific fact.
"So what your telling me is that ... I have two half human brothers? Two?"
The Queens face grew stiff again. "If you look at the facts then yes, you are related to them. Half human children, on the very rare occasions that they are conceived are born as twins, but-
"Two?" I interrupted incredulously again, my voice bubbling with excitement. "And they were in the same place as me all along? I could have met them! I could have run into them on the street! But whatever happened to them? Where are they now?"
The Queens face grew suddenly stiff and her lips puckered. Her eyes flitted between me and Nathaniel for a moment. I felt my stomach drop slightly as the temperature in the room seemed to do the same. I pushed myself out of my chair and stood up, the tips of my fingers trembling.
"What is it?" I said, my voice harsh. I was suddenly overwhelmed by the ancient feeling of protectiveness welling up from deep within me. Something in me did not like the hostility that was being shown towards the two boys that I had shared nine months in the womb with.
"What is it?" I repeated. "Where are they?"
The whole room seemed to be holding in a collective breath as the Queen rose regally from her seat, her eyes holding contact with mine. Her hair fell down her back and pooled in a half circle around her feet, her hands were clasped gently in front of her but her face was hard.
I refused to back down from my position, as much as protocol called for me to do so, instead I tilted my chin up and looked her squarely in the eye, hearing Aranel's outraged hiss from behind me at my action.
Suddenly the Queen laughed, tipping her head back, her rose bud lips parting and the musical sound bubbling over.
"Just like your Father. He was never one for backing down either."
"Then you will understand that I am having a hard time thinking of a man that I have never met as my Father." I said pointedly.
The Queens laughter stopped abruptly but her face had lost some of its hardness. "You have never met your Mother either." She reminded me gently and I nodded grudgingly.
"You still haven't told me what has become of my Brothers." I pressed.
The Queen sighed. "I guess that is a fair question of you to ask." She looked at me carefully before raising one elegant hand to point at Nathaniel beside me.
"He is one of them. As for the other, well I was hoping that perhaps Nathaniel could tell us what has become of him."
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