"Sarah, do your mother and father work in the castle too?" I asked her as she hid behind me, clutching onto my dress, as I heard Eddie's loud footsteps running down the hall. She was hiding from him. I had followed the two around for about an hour. Chelsea was at lunch with Rowan and I had occupied myself with the children until her return.
"No...they passed on to the moon,"she said softly while I felt her playing with my dress. My heart sunk as I stared down at the little girl. She was giggling, while pulling me back by my dress. Her parents...has passed? She was an orphan? Who took care of her? What happened to them?
"Oh," I said slowly as I felt her lifting up my dress. "Sarah," I said in surprise as she hid under my dress. "Sarah you cannot hide under..." I trailed off as she told me to shush while her little hands were clutching my bare legs.
"Esme! Where is Sarah?" In came Eddie out of breath with his cheeks reddened. His smile was contagious. It made me smile in turn.
"I do not know....maybe you should check..." I could hear Chelsea whispering 'in the gardens' and was surprised when Eddie could not hear her little voice. "Maybe you should check in the gardens," I said as he frowned before huffing loudly.
"Okay. Tell if you see her!" He then went running off down the hall, making maids and guards quickly move out of his way.
"Sarah...you can come out now." I found myself laughing as she tumbled out from under my dress, her hair looking as if a bird nested there.
I bent down, running my fingers through her hair, and smoothing down her little locks. "I just have to fix your beautiful hair...it looks unruly," I told her as she smiled widely up at me as if I was giving her a treat.
"You sound like...like a mommy," she said while my hands quickly pulled away from her long strands. "You act like one too," she added as I shook my head. I could act like one all I wanted...I would not become one. Anytime soon.
"Sirus, pleaaassee! I cannot find her anywhere!" I could hear Eddie's loud voice down the hall once again.
Sarah's little hand instantly grabbed my own. "We have to run! If he finds me I have to eat a mud cake!" I grimaced. That did not sound good but I ate a beetle when I was a child... My bottom was severely warmed for it too. "Please Queen Esmerelda!"
I sighed, cursing Chelsea for not arriving earlier. We would be on our way to her village...not stuck playing some silly game. "Alright."
We began to race down the hall. Sarah's little feet couldn't keep up with me as we rounded the corners and I could hear Eddie's voice. "Go faster, Sirus!! I hear her!"
Was Sirus carrying him? That was not fair. I scooped up Sarah and held her on my hip, before rushing down the hall and then entering a random room.
My heart was beating erratically, as was Sarah. She had her face tucked into my neck. Holding on to me tightly. "I will surrender. Maybe he will have mercy and make me eat half of the mud pie."
"No," I whispered. "We do not surrender," I told her as she looked at me with a surprise. Probably wondering why on earth I told her not to surrender to a child's game. I was the Queen and I was hiding from my six year old brother. I was pathetic. And incredibly bored.
I quickly and stealthily tip toed over to the large dresser and behind it. It was a few feet from the door. So even if they did walk in here by some odd chance they would not see us immediately.
The door creaked. Sarah held on to me tighter. "I do not think they are in here." I stifled a laugh. Eddie was the worse whisperer in the land.
"Yes they are, Edwin. I smell both of them."
"Well I cannot because I am not a beast." I could hear the pout in the Eddie's voice. I could also see his grumpy face in my mind.
"Even without being a Lycan there are ways you can tell," was Sirus's curt response.
"Teach me! So I will win every game Sarah and I play!" Eddie exclaimed as I heads Sarah make a small sound of protest. "She wins everything!"
Then I heard nothing. No noise. Absolute silence. Not even footsteps. Sarah sat up from leaning on me and stared at me with questioning eyes. Did they leave? I did not even hear them make their exit?
As soon as I shifted my foot to move...Sirus appeared in front of me. "See, Edwin."
Both Sarah and me let lose loud shouts. An unreadable expression on his face as he looked over a petrified Sarah and me. Eddie had his arms wrapped around his neck, holding onto his back while he laughed loudly. "We found them, Sirus! We found them!"
Doris's lips were tugging upward as I glared at the two. "I win! Sarah you have to eat dirty dirt!" Eddie shouted while Sarah looked genuinely upset.
I frowned. "As Queen, Sarah does not have to eat the mud pie," I claimed as Sarah squeeled and hugged me.
Eddie looked betrayed. "What? No, no. That is not fair! We won. We won!"
"No it is fair, Edwin. See your sister loves to help those in need. She has offered to eat the mud pie," Sirus explained to Eddie as he Eddie burst into fits of laughter.
"Thank you Queen Esmerelda!" Sarah said again as I glared at Sirus.
I watched as Eddie hopped off of Sirus's back, almost making my heart halt its beating, before hugging Sirus's leg. "Thank you Sirus! Now, come on Sarah. We have to make the mud pie for Esme!"
Sarah wiggled out of my arms before she ran away with Eddie. Sirus and I were left alone. Again.
The shirt he wore, looked ripped in the front. As if someone had clawed at it. His muscular body showed through the large rips. My eyes wandered over his frame. My body felt weird as our eyes met.
I cleared my throat. "You cheated."
He looked surprised at my words, a look of seriousness registering on his face. "No. It is not my fault that you and the girl breathe so loudly. Even Eddie could hear you two."
That was offensive. "Well, that is a lie and definitely not something nice to say to your Queen," I said curtly as he chuckled.
"You look ravishing. That is both true and nice," was his response as I could see a bit of red on his shirt. Not a lot. But I was interested.
"What happened to you?"
His features hardened. "I went to visit my sister once again. I informed her of when she would be free. She did not embrace my judgement," he said dryly.
"In telling her she would be jailed...forever?" He nodded his head.
I sighed, taking a deep breath, as my thoughts began to carry my mind astray. Not a good direction either. I could not believe what I was saying. Was I mad? Yes. The simple answer was a definitive yes. "Sirus...she is your sister. I am not saying that I like her because my dislike for her is strong...but she and Rowan are all you have left as a family..."
He watched me closely. "What kind of human royal tactic are you using on me?" He could not believe that I was suggesting such a thing. I could not either...but why would he risk his relationship with his sister to benefit me? Was this how all beasts were? Discarding relationships for their 'mates.' Other halves?
"Sirus...she is your sister. I am sorry but I would...I would never....." I trailed off, something making me halt my words. I was going to say, 'I would never penalize Eddie over something he did to you' but I knew that would hurt him. Hurt the beasts feelings. If he had any...
"Never what?" He growled out, seeming annoyed with how quick I stopped speaking.
"Never treat Eddie that way. I just feel as if you need to use a different method with her. You placing her in the cells might make her resent you..and well me more than she already does," I explained to him as he just stared at me as if I were slowly going insane. Which I had to agree might be happening to me.
There was silence on his end for a while. "I should let her walk these halls again?" He questioned, his hand going up to my chin, forcing me to look at him. We were locking eyes. I suppose he was trying to see if I was lying or not.
"Yes," I said while trying to keep eye contact. His gaze was searing...it made me nervous. As if he could look into my very soul.
He needed...happiness. I was surely not going be able to provide that to him...but his family could. Rowan and Fiona could surely make up for what I was obviously lacking. "Explain why to me again."
I was getting frustrated agains. I thought I explained it well already. "I want you to be happy...I cannot provide you with the happiness you want but your sister obviously cares much for you," I explained to him as he nodded slowly.
Without any reason, his lips connected with my own. It was not a rushed kiss like our wedding night...but slower. His lips were moving against my own...confused ones that were slowly copying his skillful movements.
A gentle gasp left my lips as his tongue slid between my lips, my mind not ready for all of this. I pushed myself against the wall even more...as I felt his hands press against my hips.
An involuntary moan escaped from my lips as his tongue stroked against my own...and he stopped. Removing himself from me, and staring down.
My mouth felt tingly. I bought my hand up to my lips. "Why...did you do that?" I questioned him in a flustered manner. My body felt hot. This was not supposed to happen.
"Because I wanted to," was his short and simple reply. He was to close. I gently pushed at his chest, and he moved back a bit. But he was still invading my space. Which he did often.
"We'll refrain from doing so next time," I cleared my throat while paying attention to anything but him. The floor tiles were nice...
"We have to speak on some pressing issues, Esmerelda," he said, changing the subject completely. "I need you to think rationally not rash when it comes to these things."
I eyed him. It almost sounded like he was my mother. It petrified me. "Okay."
"I want you to speak to your kingdom. We will travel to your place of birth next week and I want you to explain that you are happy. That you relinquish all power to me, your husband and King."
That made my stomach clench. He was making me go back to my kingdom and telling them the people who have committed a mass murder now rule over you. How could I say that? I could not. "Sirus, I cannot do that."
"You will," he said firmly. "Small revolts against my kingdom are happening and they have been dealt with, with deadly force. I am attempting to preserve your people's lives but I cannot do so when their hatred is this strong. If you chose not to speak, I will murder all of those who oppose me and a great number of them do. Would you like me to tear down what your parents have worked so hard for?" He asked gently, his eyes suddenly burning into my own.
Gone was the gentle kiss Sirus. Replaced with the notorious King. The anger that had been waning and waxing in my heart towards him...returned. To much of my dismay, I refused to get my people tangled up in whatever Sirus and I had. "I will tell them to obey you...but are you treating them right?"
Guilt began to eat away at me. I had been so occupied with my situation I abandoned my people. My parents would be so disappointed. "As much as I can. I have appointed two formidable men to watch over them while I maintain over here."
"I want to meet these men before I say my speech to my people, and I would like to visit my kingdom every month to ensure that my people are being treated right."
He looked as if he were thinking it over. "I will allow that." Relief spread over me. "And we will be meeting with another royal couple soon."
I gave him a wary look. "Who?"
"The Dragon King and his new wife. I feel a war brewing between the Vampyr and us and I want the dragons on our side," he explained to me as I thought about it. I had no idea. Sure my father always told me they were natural enemies but...I thought it was just a rivalry. My father had a relationship with the Vampyr. If my parents would have lived...it would be humans and Vampyr against Dragons and beasts. That did not seem like a fair fight...
"That sounds interesting..."
"Yes. Yes it is. He was just crowned King. His father died unexpectedly and he was just married to one of the Princesses from the Fae kingdom. They are an odd couple I hear." As if we are not one. "I want you to be on your best behavior. Do not say anything that will offend them."
Was he serious? I am not Eddie nor his idiotic sister. I have met with foreign kings and dignitaries before! "I will be fine," I said shortly as I heard a knocking on the door.
"Queen Esmerelda?"
It was Chelsea. I slid out of the corner that Sirus had me in and rushed to the door. "What took you so long?" I questioned as I looked over her.
She was flushed. Her dress was rumpled, her hair a bit messy. "Um...Rowan and I had to talk about some things."
Somehow I knew that was a lie...but I just smiled, as I heard Sirus clear his throat. "Esmerelda we will talk later."
The look he gave me made me think that he wanted to talk the way Rowan and Chelsea had just done and that was an absolutely not. "I think not."
"Enjoy your tour, ladies. Chelsea if you put her in harms way, you will never see the light of day. Understood?"
"Yes, your highness."
************
Hey guys! I'm sticking to my once a week updates for December! What did y'all think of this chapter?
I've wrapped my first presents for the Christmas season. Even though I'm the worse gift wrapper on this earth it's the thought that counts ya know.
QOTD: what's your favorite Holiday movie?? Mines is Christmas with the Kranks and Santa Clause is coming to town.
Anyway, hope you guys have a nice day. Till next time;)