"Esmeralda."
I could feel the bed dip. Feel Sirus's strong arm wrapping around my body. Pulling me into him. I did not want to wake up. I very much didn't. I was on my way to a deep sleep and he was interrupting that.
For the past two weeks my emotions have been everywhere. All I have been wanting to do is sleep and sometimes cry. I felt awful 98% of the time and at those times only Eddie could console me.
"Yes?" I murmured, his hard body pressing against my back. His lips skimmed my ear. "What do you want?" I questioned, trying to stop the small tremble in my body when his lips kissed behind my ear. That has also been a problem. My body now responds to this beast of a man. Very unfortunate.
I took a deep breath, as his hand gently caressed my stomach. My stomach was now showing more and more. "Do not press so hard," I sighed out placing his hand correctly and not so hard.
"Have you thought of names?" He questioned, his lips kissing down my neck. How could I think when his beastly lips were all over me?!
I had though. "Elizabeth...after my mother," I explained to him. "For a boy...I do not know." I did not want a boy. I did not want a boy who would grow to be a man who would treat women the way his father does. I would never accept him.
"Thorian for a boy," Sirus says aloud. It was a different name...a name that I have never heard before... "Elizabeth is an option for a female."
It was the only option. "Yes, well we will just have to see what I have...." I sighed as I could see his eyes glowing.
"You will be a good mother."
I froze. He had complimented me. That has never happened. Not that I can think of. I cleared my throat. "Thank you."
I turned towards him. While he was being nice was my turn to ask him this one question that had been bugging me for a while... "What happened to her?"
He was silent. Was he angry? Maybe he was falling asleep. "She died."
"How?"
"Her brother killed her."
I could not believe that I was getting this information out of him. It was odd. "Why would he do that?"
"...She asked him to," he admitted. I could feel his hand gently splaying over my belly. "She was with child at the time."
I felt as if someone had knocked the air from me. My eyes watered. I blinked rapidly. Refusing to cry. I had to think of anything on this earth not shed tears. Damn my emotions! I did not understand. How did that happen?
"I am sorry," I told him truthfully as my hand gently grabbed his. It was alright to show some type of compassion to him. Only in this certain situation....So he had experienced lost. Real lost. "You will not be such an awful father."
I could feel the rumbling in his chest. Was that laughter? "I suppose that is as much of a compliment I will ever get from you," he chuckled dryly.
I began to turn away from him, sleep creeping slowly back into my body. "That is correct," I yawned.
He cleared his throat. "Goodnight."
**************
I sat in the throne room.
Where my mother usually sat, was where I was seated. Emerald green and yellow jewels covered the throne.
Looking down at my body, I was adorned in the mundane royal color. A beautiful yellow dress that flared at my hips. And a darker yellow cape to match. I sighed, as I adjusted myself in the chair. It was soft. Inviting. Unlike any other comforted feeling.
"Esmerelda? Do you feel it?"
A deep voice that I have very much recognized, whispered in my ear. Turning my head quickly to the left, I felt my eyes widen.
"James?"
It was Everton. He wore the crown. The royal colors. The jewels. A large smile was plastered on his face. "Esmerelda, this is what will become of us in due time," he said as I felt his lips gently press onto my forehead.
"Yes, of course James."
"Wake up, Esmerelda. I am speaking to you through dreams. I am in your head...you will remember these words when you awaken," he said while pulling me up from the throne.
He guided my eyes to a man in the center of the throne room. Darkness...
I did not have the luxury to see his face. A large dark cloak outlined in the purest of crimson adorned his body. Black mist emitted from his cloak, reaching out across the white tiles and slowly evaporating before meeting our feet.
"Time is up human."
****
"Esmerelda wake up!"
My eyes snapped open. I was met with glowing eyes. Strong facial features. Worry lines. "S-Sirus get off," I gasped slowly trying to adjust to my surroundings.
He moved a bit and let me sit up. My skin was slick with sweat. And my body felt as if it were drained. "What is wrong with you? Why were you swearing so much?" Sirus was asking so many questions, the words from my dream word bellowing in my head. All to much to for me.
"S-stop! Stop speaking," I said as I placed my hands over my ears. "Please, just give me a moment."
A dream. A dream that did not feel like a dream. It felt real...in an odd sense. My body ached more than usual. All of my senses seemed extremely sensitive. "Esmerelda you need to tell me exactly what is wrong with you."
I stated at Sirus in confusion . "What do you mean, what is wrong? I was sleep and you awaken me by yelling and scaring me," I explained to him.
"You were shaking and sweating. Nonstop for the past three hours, Esmerelda," he explained to me. "I tried to wrap the blanket around you, my body. Nothing worked. Then you just stop all of the sudden and wake up," he snapped at me as I sighed loudly, running my hands through my damp hair.
"I suppose it was just a bad dream...I do not know," I shrugged watching him assess my body closely. "What?"
"Is your stomach well?"
My hands quickly went to my raised bump. "Yes...it is fine."
What was happening...it was a dream was it not? My dreams were getting odder and odder. "I am meeting with Rowan and some of our warriors for the rest of the day. I will not be around much. If you need me call for a guard and they will fetch me. Stay in the castle," he warned me as I nodded my head slowly.
He leaned in to kiss me. I don't know what came over me, but as his warm lips moved over my own, a sigh of relief left my lips. My body began to relax as his hand sunk into my hair, keeping me in place.
My lips parted unconsciously and soon his hot tongue was coaxing my own one. A confused moan left my lips, as I felt his hand gently kneading my thigh. A moan left my lips and I heard him growl...
I quickly pushed at his chest, staring at him wide eyed. "You should get dressed...for your meeting," I said while quickly scooting away from him. Hiding my face. I was ridiculous. This was ridiculous...
"Esmerelda it is natural to feel attraction to one another," he smiled. I glared at him. He seemed happy over this. "It is nothing to feel ashamed of...especially in your condition. Many women with child enjoy-"
"-Sirus, do not lecture me on what is okay for me to feel," I sighed while scrubbing my face with my hands. "Just because this one time I feel attracted to you does not mean I will act on it..."
His happiness was quickly deflated, turning cold all of the sudden. I internally sighed.
We talked about absolutely nothing, just little trivial things to past the time until he left. Once he did I laid down and put a pillow over my face. I continued to scream into such pillow for a well over two minutes.
How on earth was I being concerned for his feelings?
How could I welcome his kiss?
It was definitely the child making me feel these emotions. They were not my own. They were not!
"Esmerelda..?"
My throat burned from the strained screaming that had recently just taking place. I needed to get a hold of myself. Gather my feelings.
"Esmerelda?"
I heard someone at the door. It was Chelsea. "Come in!" I called out. The door quickly opened and in rushed Chelsea. She was staring at me oddly but not saying anything. "What is it?" I questioned watching her shake her head before sighing loudly.
"It is Sarah."
"What is wrong?"
"She will not wake up. She is ill of some sorts... I have to get Hilda here, no one else knows what is the matter. It is the only way," Chelsea explained to me as I looked down at my sleeping attire.
My heart clenched as I gathered my robe, heading to the washroom. "Of course. Let me wash then we will fetch her."
I hope and prayed nothing is wrong with the poor child...
*****
**************
**************************
*******************************************Excerpt from 'Queen of the Dragons'
I internally cursed. My bride was going mad. Sobbing awfully loud over a piece of fish. A piece of damned meat! I only made her eat it because she has horrid memory! I was trying to help, and instead I had caused this. A sobbing, inconsolable fae.
"Estelle," I said as I could smell my father approaching. That was all this day needed. An ignorant fool to see this mockery, was all he needed. "Estelle...love, I am sorry. Just please stop the crying," I pleaded with her. I have heard that women appreciate when you call them 'beautiful and love.' Maybe it might work.
"Look at the flowers!" Alazar said loudly. He glanced at the bouquet. The tall red flowers were beginning to shrivel, and break into pieces.
She shook her head, pulling away from me. "Estelle, I promise you will never have to eat fish again. Stop crying," I promised to her, as my fingers drew circles on her back. I had seen a maid do it to her child once, and it worked for the babe.
"Promise?" She asked, opening her eyes. They were glowing beautiful colors. I knew it only happened when she was scared, but it was beautiful. Unlike anything I had ever seen before.
"Yes," I promised her. She slowly began to calm down. My fingers slipped down to the small of her back. She shivered lightly a soft gasp leaving her perfect lips. My behemoth began to push very intense thoughts of the beautiful fae into my mind.
"Loche!" A loud squeak broke me out of that incredibly vivid picture. "That..hurts!" I looked down to see that the hand that was touching her lower back had fully shifted into claws and scales. How on earth had that happened so quickly? I am not a juvenile. That has only ever happened to me when I was young. Just at the age of shifting.
The Behemoth adored this Fae and it was both a good and bad thing. I had not shifted in a day or two and I was intrigued on how he would react upon seeing her. Also how she would react upon seeing my dragon...
I forced myself to sit down, as my father arrived. I watched him slowly waltz into the room, a mischievous look in his eyes. I groaned. Something was going to happen.
"Oh my daughter in marriage, what is the problem? Has my son upset you? I bet you he could not keep his hands to himself, could he?" He chuckled as my fork began to bend under the pressure of my fingers.
Estelle shook her head. "Loche has not stolen any kisses from me. He is a gentleman," she smiled warmly, while glancing at me. But if she could only catch a glimpse of what my gentlemanly mind was thinking of doing with her. She would be horrified...
Alazar nodded. "As a prince should be. Thinking with his larger of two heads," he said while sipping his wine and glancing at me with a grin. He was the second fool in the room.
"Hm, well something has upset you, little fairy. What was it that made those eyes puff and that beautiful skin flush crimson?"my father pressed watching Estelle squirm in discomfort.
Estelle looked down, biting a berry. "Well..I just do not eat meat and Loche thought I could eat fish, but I cannot," she explained as my father chuckled. Enjoying this.
"Oy, Loche is a bit slow when it comes to such things. Fish is indeed a meat, my son," the King chuckled while watching Estelle look down innocently and continue to eat her food.
I glared at him. I was aware of that, but I of course did not know she would have a big meltdown if she actually ate meat though. "So tell me," my father said while biting off a large portion of turkey leg. "When will the wedding be? I want grandsons as soon as possible. You have child bearing hips," he explained while I slammed my fists down on the table.
He will not disrespect me like that. To talk about her hips. My hips. That was another knot on the belt of reasons why he must be ended.
"It will be soon."
"We might have girls," Estelle said softly while blushing. If we were to have females I would not care for them. They would be weak...as she is. But males....I could teach a Fae dragon to be strong. Even though it may be extra work. That will be my son.
"Ay, with you two attractive persons as yourselves that is not wise. You will have a battle on your hands with all the suitors that will come for my grand-Nieces," Alazar chuckled as Estelle laughed too.
"You will not have any girls. I want all boys. All little princes. You need an heir, boy. Not a bunch of ditzy little princesses."
Estelle gasped, "that is not very nice, your highness." It was evident that a non kind word was never spoken to Estelle. It unnerved me. She was surrounded by sunshine at her old kingdom. Always nice weather. Never any storms. Now she comes here and experiences a thunderstorm. Which will not let up. She needs to grow thicker skin if she will be my Queen. I will train her.
"Oh I am aware, daughter," he chuckled. "You will find me to be a not very nice man, but you will get used to it. Just as my son. He has not a kind bone in his body."
I was kind. I spared lives on many occasions. I threw most offenders into the dungeons for them to turn turn into rotting corpses instead. So that the rats might feast on their dead flesh. That was all to kind.
******
So I couldn't decide on an excerpt AT ALL. It's so complicated but I decided on this one. It's random but I like it. They'll probably be another excerpt soon but ya know these next few chapters are going to be super important so PAY ATTENTION.
Anywho, comment and vote please. You guys know it gives me life. And if anyone would like to make a cover for 'Queen of the Dragons' send it to me. I have one that I made but I don't know if I like it as much.