AMETHYST: The rise of Tetra

Chapter 28

    ‘Mother, I promised Jerome and Aida I would be there, please, let me go!’ Yelled Cassandra, prying her hands out of her mothers grasp with a firm shake. 

    ‘Cassandra, what is this behaviour? I know it doesn’t seem easy now, but you’ve been preparing for this your whole life dear. You are next in line to the throne and if you want to be a successful Queen you need a partner by your side. They’re only just proposals, how do you expect to get married if you can’t even sit through a round of proposals?’ Posed Queen Emilda, only creating more panic within the child that wished for nothing than to be back in the arms of her new found lover: Leopold. Unfortunately circumstances were harsher than the worman had thought they would be, and so the Princess found herself battling her mother on a topic that was far more complicated than it actually was.

    ‘I am the Princess mother, I can choose who I want to marry! I do not need a line of men in front of me to shortlist as my life partner! Surely you can understand that, you and father got to choose each other!’ Snapped a fuming Cassandra, who was slowly but surely catching up to the idea that a romance between a water Princess and a fire Prince would be a lot harder than expected. 

    ‘Of course I understand darling, but what’s the harm in taking a look. Just give it a try, I promise you won’t regret it’ pleaded Queen Emilda, knowing that the Prince’s were already waiting in the great hall, entertaining the King in the meantime. 

    The pretty Princess had been reluctant to put on her new frock in the first place, though after realising why she would have to put it on, she certainly felt every need to get out of it. She attempted her best to get herself out of her scenario, using her dear beloved friends as an escape as she did most days to get to Leopold, though this time her plans were failing miserably, and it did not look like Cassandra would get what she wanted in the end.

    ‘I don’t want to, mother! Please, oh please understand that I really do not wish to’ begged Cassandra, although the Queen had had enough, and with one grasp pulled her daughter right out of her chambers and down to the great hall where all the gentlemen were waiting for the arrival of the beautiful Princess they wished to court. Despite Cassandra’s complaints the woman had no choice but to walk through a room with men she did not wish to look at whilst the Queen politely smiled and pretended like she hadn’t just dragged her daughter out to create a show.

    The Princess’s face dropped as she walked through the room, and she remained silent as she made her way to her royal throne, next to her mother and fathers. 

    ‘Gentlemen, sorry to keep you waiting, please begin’ announced the Queen and glared at her gloomy daughter who could not bring herself to smile at the poor gentlemen who knew by the look on her face they would not make it. Nevertheless, the show began, and the first man came forward, a group of flowers in his hands as he walked to Cassandra and got on his knees in front of her. 

    ‘My Princess, my name is Plava Trescot, these are for you’ he offered, handing the roses over to the grumpy woman who took them with no pleasure whatsoever, and didn’t bother giving the man a second glance as she signed the man away, motioning for the next guy to step forward. The next man, a terrified lad, walked up the steps, getting in the same position with a box of jewelry in his hand that the Princess simply grabbed without him having to say a word before she shooed him away. The horrified King and Queen watched with their mouths wide open as their normally obedient daughter grabbed the offering of each man without any interaction before the line of men ended and she stood up from her chair. 

    ‘Gentlemen, thank you very much for all your offerings, I will keep them all in mind as I arrive at a conclusion. Please enjoy some biscuits on your way out and I hope to see you all again very soon’ she completed, faking a bow before striding away from the great hall. A flushed and beyond embarrassed Queen chased after her, wondering what exactly had gotten inside the head of her daughter who had suddenly turned into a rebel of that extent. 

    ‘Cassandra! How dare you embarrass your father and I like that? What was that?’ She shouted, following the woman into her chambers before slamming the door shut. 

    ‘That was me forcing my way out of something you forced me into! You have no right to tell me who I should marry-’

    ‘But we’re not! The choice is completely up to you. Those men were potential-’

    ‘Potential nothing, mother! That may be your idea of how to fall in love, it isn’t mine! If I am going to marry someone it’s going to be someone I love, and you can’t do anything to change my mind about that!’ She interrupted, having had enough of her mother and her relentless push towards marriage. Little did Emilda know that the person her daughter loved would not be eligible to them, though he was the only man Cassandra planned on being with, until the day she died. ‘If you can’t respect my decision, then I will not respect yours’ commented the Princess, taking her leave from the room, and deciding to visit the only person who at that time would be able to comfort her. Grabbing her cloak, she left her territory through the secret passages that had gotten Leopold out in his youth, and soon she found herself walking through the secret passages in the fire castle, arriving at her beloved's room the way she normally did. 

    Lucky for her the man was already present in his room, sitting behind a desk working on subjects his father had forced him to, though the entry of his woman had only put a smile on his face, and he advanced towards her rapidly, grabbing her into his arms and spinning her around as he placed a kiss on her. Though as he pulled away, and noticed the expression of sorrow on her face, the man took it upon himself to murder the person that had put that frown on her face to begin with. 

    ‘Cassandra, what’s wrong?’ He questioned, a certain panic laced within his voice. It was an aspect that had reassured the Princess to the core, and one that pulled her closer to her man even more. She thought of the right words, knowing that her revelation would be equally as disturbing to him as it was to her. 

    ‘My mother had me look through another line of proposals today’ she mentioned, immediately having a negative impact on the possessive Leopold. His arms tightened around her, and he pulled her closer to him. 

    ‘You’re not marrying anyone but me’ he stated imperatively, looking right into the depths of her soul. Cassandra sighed, nodding, and knowing she wouldn’t have it any other way. 

    ‘I know. I just wonder how we’re going to make this work’ she pondered, wishing that circumstances were different for them.

    ‘We’ll get through it, I promise’ he mentioned, not realising the depths of his promise, and how wrong it would all turn out to be. 

    At that moment the pair were merely kids in love, not knowing the harsh realities that had been set out for their future. It was this very topic that would drive their planet to destruction, and another one to creation, though in that moment it was insignificant, a matter to push behind and deal with years later. Cassandra buried her head in the chest of a man she would one day lose, not knowing just how valuable that moment would be, and thinking of the positive outcome she had always hoped for, clueless of the reality. 

    In their innocence the pair had begun kissing, and in their innocence they had lost all sense of thought and commonality. They were in love, they were blinded, seeing nothing but each other, forced together by a relationship of hatred around them. It was cliche, though it was evident given their family history. Why wouldn’t kids being born into a kingdom full of hate be craving the love they never fully received from their parents? Why wouldn't they rebel against the system to find that love in a person who was going through the exact same thing? The pair of Cassandra and Leopold was convenient, and frankly fit like two pieces of a puzzle, but what image that puzzle laid out was perhaps not the best. 

    The moment had taken a complete turn as the vulnerable pair had escalated their level of intimacy, and in their moment of fear led each other to the bed present in the chambers of the Prince of fire, and as the man looked into the eyes of the woman who he loved, and who had lived a life much like his, he knew in that moment he wanted nothing more than her. Her body, her soul, and everything that was associated with her. 

    For Cassandra the feeling had been the same, all she wished for was to have a connection with someone that seemed surreal, and what was more surreal than mating the son of the enemy who you happen to be in love with? As they looked into each other's eyes, and hesitantly peeled each other’s garments off, they knew that no words had to be shared to know that both of them wished for the same thing: to be one forever. 

    On that very day the story of Leopold and Cassandra took a turn that escalated into something more dangerous, something fatal. Though in that moment it was all perfect, and it was all the pair had ever wanted. Much like a fairy tale, the rest of the night consisted of the looks a Prince gave his Princess as he deflowered her, and made vows to her that would eventually be broken by the unfortunate events that would break them apart. Perhaps it was the doom of all Princesses and Prince’s to suffer that fate, though it was unavoidable and unescapable, and that was the harsh truth. 

    Day of the exempt had been an exciting time for all on the grounds of the Warmecks, the one day that they were allowed to be free and open with their mates, mate, mark and do as they pleased with the person they were destined to be with. Of course, it all sounded great, though the reality had been a lot more gruesome than Eliana and Razaar could have imagined. 

    This very particular day had been the excuse for most if not all members of Warmecks to turn into filthy, horny members whose needs and wants had been suppressed for far too long and it was now emerging in the wrong ways. What the pair had expected to be a regular day, where mates reunited, running into each other's arms and kissing under the stars had actually been a day where an entire festival was set up, fire lighted every corner of the area, and people sat from broad daylight to nightfall in public spaces, eating each other’s faces and a lot more, without the shame of having to hide it behind closed doors. Males flirted with everything that walked by, and women trailed their fingers down the chests of males that certainly did not belong to them. This had been the result of starving people from their one true mate, and the sight had not been as pretty as the couple had expected it to be.

    People like Tiria had finally plucked up the courage to approach their mates, and rapidly passed the talking stage, rushing to the mating stage that could only be completed within a certain timeframe, before the next daylight approached, and all were forced to return to their thirst quenching lives and harsh trainings. 

    Individuals got together to enjoy the company of others whilst being drunk out of their minds, and overall it seemed the population of Warmecks really did live sad, boring lives. Suddenly the idea of putting people through the starvation of their mates did not seem a great idea to Eliana and Razaar, who could only stand and watch in amazement and amusing things happened around them.

    ‘Well, this certainly wasn’t what I was expecting’ commented the Hybrid as they passed yet another heavily snogging couple in the bushes, attempting to find a spot where they could be alone to talk. 

    It had boggled them how most couples had decided to do their deeds out in the open rather than in the privacy of their chambers, though as they asked themselves why that was the case, they also reflected upon the fact that accepting their fate had been against the rules in their community, and that -as dumb as it was- was the only thing the Warmecks had known from the beginning of time. The news of the upcoming war had not made it any easier for mates of this species to take it easy or slowly with each other, most had dived into the opportunity of getting married as well as mating, and relationships on these lands were moving faster than anything they had ever seen in their lives. Their own relationship had lasted for a while, and yet there they were, merely a couple that had survived rejection, and death, and still remained unmated.

    Though that was all going to change, and as nightfall approached, the pair found themselves getting more and more in the mood of doing what most around them had been doing. For Eliana, however, the process had been as much effort as she had initially expected it to be, and as nightfall approached, and Tiria and her mate approached the couple, utterly drunk and clung together like they would break if they separated, it was perhaps the first sign that it was time for them to consummate their matehood. 

    ‘Eliana, I’m a mated woman!’ She yelled from a distance, drunk to a whole other level. ‘I’m mated, and I’m fine, just like you said I would be’ she screamed once again, only creating room for laughter on the Hybrid leader's end. ‘You should do it too, I promise it’s great, and you’ll still feel like a strong, individual badass, don’t stop yourself, woman!’ She then proceeded to add, initiating a session of tension between the pair that were soon planning on heading to their chambers. 

    Razaar frowned at the comment and glanced at Eliana, not having understood if she had meant that seriously for her mate. Her expression had said it all, and as it sunk in Razaar’s head that his mate had been holding back on the mating deliberately, he felt a sudden surge to elevate from his seat, and process the pain he began feeling. 

    The immortal woman stood a mere second after, ignoring her friend and chasing after the man that was suddenly running away from her. 

    ‘Razaar, wait!’ She called, though he did not stop, only carried on until he reached the men’s quarters. 

    ‘So that’s why you’ve been holding back? Because you thought you’d lose your individuality or something? All this time, I’ve been thinking-’

    ‘Stop, please. Before you continue, I need you to know that I was going to tell you anyways before we mated. It’s just, I’ve spent so much time on my own, and you and I have been through so much, it's hard letting go of the woman I have built myself. I just feel like mating with you will somehow take away my sense of individuality, and from that moment onwards I’m going to be too attached. The thing is, I’ve never been attached to anything before, and I’m not sure how I feel about getting attached now. Don’t get me wrong, I love you, with all my heart, but I just don’t know if I’m ready to accept that we are each other’s all’s now’ as she uttered the words, the Alpha found himself calming down and taking a deep breath, taking slow steps back in her direction. 

    ‘Eliana, you are the bravest woman I have ever known. Even after the rejection I had felt so. When I saw you around Eiva all I ever felt was guilt and regret, that I let you go. I saw the fierce woman in you since the day I stepped foot onto your territory and ever since you’ve been my hope on this planet. The reason we are here today, fighting and training and changing the world is because you’ve gotten us here. You’re a woman of words and determination, you don’t stop until you have gotten what you wanted, and I admire that about you. I would never want to be the reason you stop doing all of that, if anything I will always be there to encourage it. I know I’m an Alpha and that by nature I’m someone who's supposed to be dominant and possessive, and I am over you because you’re mine, but your decisions I respect, and I will never get in the way of. I would never push you away from a large decision, if anything I will stand by you and make decisions with you. You’re my everything Eliana, I am attached to you, but that doesn’t mean that I’m here to dictate your life, and if you give yourself to me and get attached, then do know that there’s no exploiting that attachment. You’ve said it yourself, we’ve been through a lot on this journey, yet here we are, still together, beaten death and everything else in the way, what makes you think we can’t beat this? The flame paired us together for a reason, the flame bound us more than any pair in this world to the point where we can’t die without the other and we have abilities to protect each other, why else would the flame do that if we weren’t meant to be together. You and I, we are the ultimate pair Eliana, we are epic, and no one on this planet is going to change that. So if I were you I would stop-’ his words were suddenly cut and he was pushed back against the wall of the building with her mouth latched on his, grasping on to every inch of his frame as he returned the favour. 

    The progression from the ground floor to Razaar’s chamber had been a slow one, though it was one that was spiked with love and passion, and there was no way the woman would exit that room as an unmated woman. Sparks and feelings had emerged to the very top, and with all the love they had within them, just like Leopold and Cassandra, the pair remained in the room the whole night, mating like there was no tomorrow, and ensuring that they would satisfy the wants of the flame. 

    It had been an act that brought joy to the flame, as well as tears as he remembered his Cassandra once again, and wished he could hold her in his arms as he had done that night, the best night of his life. 

    Yet here they were, two pairs that were one in the same, reincarnations of another, and suffering a similar fate to the previous one. The only hope that remained now was that Eliana and Razaar would not suffer the end fate of Leopold and Cassandra, and would come out the other end victorious, alive and well.

    As far as training and the war went, for the rest of the night the outside world was a blur, and did not matter one bit as the pair continued their activities in private, for they knew that soon it would all come to an end, and they would have to return to their facades, and fight like never before to win a war just to be together. Though after the night they were having there was no way either would want to be apart for even a second, and it would only add to the list of challenges they would have to face once the ecstatic fantasy day would end and their real life would resurface. 

    Nevertheless, on that night the couple that was destined for greatness mated, and finally accepted each other the way they should have from the beginning. Times were changing and danger was arising, though in that moment none of it mattered, for the immortal couple were stronger than ever, and had bound themselves together as one in every single way possible.