Chapter 10
-Tatiana Arianell Hunter-
I imagined the Queen of the Faeries to look more like a holy goddess, like the sparkling and holy version of her already perfect twins, Atlas and Audrey. I imagined her to be a mixture of the Tinkerbell faeries I used to watch as a child, all magical and glittery.
But I was more than amazed to see her face-to-face for the first time. She's truly the epitome of regality and perfection with her long scarlet hair and blue eyes, just like Audrey. She also has slightly pointed ears, like most faeries I've seen here. Also, like her children, she also bears the same red vine marking on each side of her face. Lastly, she was wearing a long and flowy white dress and an intricate golden circlet as a crown.
The twins obviously inherited a lot from their mother's physical appearance, especially Audrey.
But I never imagined seeing the Faerie Queen looking the same age as Third. A twelve-year-old child.
"Son, why do you reek of blood?" Her eyebrows raised as she looked at Atlas beside me.
As she was the Queen, she was seated on her golden throne, filled with flowers and leaves all around her.
Gee, after not seeing her children for three years, she's not even going to hug or kiss them? And those are the words she decided to speak to his son?
She is one hell of a cold-hearted queen.
"Rouges." Atlas simply answered.
Before we portalled to the Faerie land entrance, which is down the stupid lake, Atlas and Zion had to deal with a couple of rouges on the loose near the territory.
"Come here, I don't like your foul smell. It ruins my appetite." Her little twelve years old pubescent voice commanded.
I watched as Atlas rolled his eyes, instantly losing his calm composure again as he walked towards his mother who was in the body of a twelve-year-old girl. Surely that's not her original body or form. Right?
"Does she always do that?" I whispered to Audrey.
"Unfortunately, that's kind of her hobby, but actually, Mother's already in her late nineties. Perks of being the Queen of the Faeries." She whispered back to me and Zion chuckled beside her. My eyes widened again as I stared at the Queen.
Whoa, that's quite an age.
So she was in her seventies when she met her husband and gave birth to her children? Okay then. But hey, she is the Queen of the Faeries, and even though I know they're not exactly immortal, their age is different than ours.
I stopped my thoughts and instead watched as the Queen blew wind in her son's face, who stood in front of her, and after that, my breath suddenly hitched.
Delectable...
I could feel Talyia drooling.
Oh, that sweet aroma coming from Atlas. What kind of sorcery did that woman use?
Whatever it was, I'm digging it. Mate smells even more heavenly...
Talyia was sure as hell happy, and honestly, so was I.
"Now then!" The Queen clapped her hands and smiled at us while Atlas grumpily walked and stood beside me again.
"Zion Alexandre, you're looking just as fine as three years ago. I trust that you have been taking good care of my daughter." She faced Zion with a serious look on her face. Although it's really hard to look at and get serious with that face of a child,
"Of course, your majesty, I have given you my word." Zion smiles and respectfully bows his head.
Okay, now I know how to address her.
"How about you, my daughter? How have you been these past three years?"
She turned to Audrey now, who was actually really happy to be here and talking with her mother. It's just obvious to the eyes. On the other hand, Atlas was almost seething, the exact opposite of his twin.
"Grand." She gave her mother a toothy grin.
"Mother, do you mind changing back into your original form? It's really hard to take you seriously with that look." Atlas suddenly spoke.
I'm glad he and I are on the same page.
"I thought it was your twin sister who was the complainer. But very well, my son."
She spoke in a strange foreign language, and in an instant, her body changed into a slender body of what looked to be a woman in her late twenties.
This is much better.
"Okay, now I would finally like to meet your mate, my son. I have heard so much about her from the birds and the bees." I gulped when her eyes finally diverted to mine.
"Tatiana Arianell Hunter, just like your last name says, you are a hunter, correct?" She spoke with such a heavy tone that it literally gave me shivers down my spine.
"Former hunter, your majesty, I'm not really a hunter now; it's only my last name now." I nervously chuckled.
"No matter who you are now in the present, you can still never remove the part of yourself in the past. You are still a hunter, even though you are now a werewolf. Remember that, Tatiana Arianell."
The way she would speak is exactly like her son's.
But in the bottom of my heart, I felt deeply what she just said about my past. I guess the past still affects the present and will continue to affect the future. It's a part of me that I can never remove. She's right. Well, she's got to be since she can't lie.
"Anyway, it's a pleasure to finally meet my son's mate! Why don't we continue this conversation to dinner?"
The Queen stood up and waved her hand, and, magically, in an instant, a huge kotatsu-like table appeared. And it was already strangely filled with food.
"Please have a seat." She was the first one to be seated in the middle, followed by Audrey and Zion.
"How are you holding up?" I chuckled as I looked at Atlas.
He let out a sigh and shrugged his shoulders.
"I'd do anything to get out of here right now." He whispered before leading both of us to sit under the kotatsu table as well.
***
I must say that this is the most uncomfortable dinner I have ever attended—not that I have been to many as a guest, but still. I mean, you can just obviously detect the tension and awkwardness, especially with Atlas.
Talyia was definitely not liking her mate being this uncomfortable, and she has been shouting in my head the whole time to get him out of here, so I ended up blocking her for the meantime, that stupid ungrateful mutt.
Throughout the dinner, Atlas and I were just silent and focused on our plates. We would only speak when either of us was asked by Her Majesty. On the other hand, Audrey was just truly happy having conversations with her mother, and since Audrey's happy Zion is as well, it seems
The Queen surely has a sweet tooth, as we were only served cakes, pastries, and fruits. There was also some milk and honey, which she said were her two favourites.
"So Atlas and I have been talking about expanding the lands of the pack, of course with the approval of Uncle Leo, but furthermore—"
Audrey has been the one discussing issues with the pack in place of her twin brother, who clearly does not have the mood to even utter a single word.
Suddenly, two swallow birds came flying towards the Queen, and I watched in fascination as the two sat on both her shoulders, as if they were whispering into both her ears, which I really think must be the case.
"Are those birds really talking to her?" I asked Atlas, who nodded and replied,
"Nature, along with the birds and the bees, are all her subjects, so, of course, she can communicate with all of them."
"Can they talk to you too?"
"If they want to, yes." I nodded, still fascinated, as I ate another strawberry.
"Well, my children, speaking of your Uncle Leo. Apparently, he is requesting my presence or that of either of you. There is an important matter to discuss, but I believe I also have a rather important meeting after this dinner too, so it's up to either one of you to go there." She spoke after the birds flew away again.
When she says their Uncle Leo, I believe she is referring to the King of the Werewolves, the Alpha of Alphas, Alpha King Leonard Fenrir, the older brother of the twins' father.
"What's the other report, Mother?" Atlas asked.
"The Hunter Slavers are once again targeting the Merfolk, and since the both of you are here, why not one of you go there?"
My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
Hunter Slavers? What the hell is that? Dad has never once mentioned that.
Perhaps they are from our extended family of hunters who are in charge of the hunting of different supernatural creatures. But slavers? What does that mean, and why are they called that too?
"Fine. But I do not want to face Uncle just yet, so sister, you and Zion will have to go see him while me and Tatiana will deal with the second matter. " Atlas immediately gave the order as he stood up and helped me up to my feet as well.
"Why do you always get all the action?" Audrey groaned, making me laugh.
"Now that that has been agreed upon, Fiona, my lovely witch, has already prepared the two portals at the exit. Best of luck, my children."
HAPPY READING 🍀
-ARAXOXO