Wings, Beasts and Claws: Violet Embers

Ch. 21 : To Our Friends in Azuren

*Queen Laurinette*

Madness.

This was the only word that seemed fit to describe the past few months since my husband and I returned home from the Fafner Kingdom.

Absolutely twisted madness.

Two things first struck us with shock when we were greeted by my mother-in-law, Mother Queen Belvianna Solone Alecta Azuren. The attacks to cities that were hours away from our Capital and the mass of members of the Order hiding across the Snow Rush river quickly pulled Galen back out of the Palace. And moments after he had left I came to realize that I was, once again, pregnant.

I had been with my children in our joined office with their Grandmother when I had tried to form an orb of water from across the room to make tea. The familiar pinching and ache that came over me startled me and I dropped the small green glowing ball, splashing the door. My hands flew to my stomach and my eyes grew wide, finding my mother-in-law staring at me with a small smile. Not an hour passed before I was getting my pregnancy confirmed by the Royal physician, shocking my husband when he returned a week later.

News of a declaration of war between the Fafner Kingdom and the Order, the King leaving home to fight, and some strange evidence of that very Kingdoms Royals secretly funding the people they fought all came crashing down around us as time passed.

Galen refused to believe that his good friend Dorian would ever support the Order in anyway, so he sent out some of our people to dig into the so called evidence that had been delivered to us. Even though members of our council kept pushing for Galen to denounce his friend and cut ties to their Kingdom. But the growing fighting between the Black Dragon King and the Order began to inch its way towards our shared border. And my husband, knowing he would need to act at some point, gathered his men, called on the Nobles and set out to fight beside his friend.

Worry gripped me for weeks after he was gone and I did my best to focus on work and keep my children entertained. But when I would get a moment alone, or when I would lay awake at night unable to sleep, my emotions would stir and a raging tsunami would break free within me.

I wanted my husband home. I wanted my children safe. I wanted these dangers surrounding us to disappear and for the innocent people of our Kingdom to be allowed the peace that they had lived in for years before this Order came about. And even though I knew that most of what I was feeling was being amplified thanks to my increasingly pregnant state, I couldn’t shake them or manage to calm myself.

Then came the letter from Queen Amara and I quickly responded back to her, confirming that we had been delivered evidence of her Kingdoms involvement with the Order. I listed things that we had learned and about my husbands departure to assist hers. The end of my letter answered her more personal questions about how my children and I were doing and how things were going for our little family as a whole. I smiled as I wrote about my pregnancy, rubbing my growing belly as I did before sealing the letter.

I was now nearing the last weeks of my pregnancy and finally able to call on the cool well within me that had grown restless from lack of use. My sweet children, Ria and Khris, were currently napping with their Nanny Aggie keeping watch along with two Knights on the floor above me and my mother-in-law, Alecta, was quietly reading through some documents across from me in the office. A knock rang out and in walked my closest friend Desma, a leopard Shifter that I had known since I was a child. I had made her into my Aide and Lady-in-Waiting after getting married and crowned Queen, and her two little girls had become very close to my children as well.

“Des, do you have the records I asked for?” I said, smiling at her briefly before returning my focus on the page in front of me.

Silence echoed in the room as I saw her stop in front of my desk, the air in the office becoming tense as I slowly looked back at her.

Her hazel eyes were filled with anxious agitation and her fingers kept fiddling with the ends of her straight blonde hair. I recognized this reaction from her and knew that only a few people would be the cause behind it. My eyes narrowed as I straightened in my seat, sucking in a deep breath before she finally spoke.

“Lauri… they’re waiting for you in the Asher Palace.” I swell of anger crashed within me like a wave on a rocky shore and I slowly pushed my chair back, getting to my feet. “They refused to leave until they see you and they keep using their relationship with you to make the Knights listen.” My fingers twitched and my nails became coated in a sheet of ice, my inner spring freezing over with my climbing anger.

“Don’t worry Des,” I walked around my desk and patted her shoulder, smiling stiffly before making my way to the door. “I’ll deal with them. Just keep your eyes on my kids and alert me if any other Nobles cross the Main Gates.” I lock eyes with Alecta and she nodded, raising to her feet and silently following me out of the room with my still anxious friend behind me.

I paused at the stairs and watched as they climbed up to the third floor down the hall from me, only moving until they were out of view. Rolling my shoulders back, I descended and made my way to the far west guest Palace that held my demanding intruders.

Winter was starting to give way to spring, the snow slowly thinning out on the ground even though the chill in the air remained strong. The barren trees and browned shrubs scattered throughout the Palace grounds made my home look as sad as I felt without my Galen. But when the tall warm brown stone building grew closer, my anger sprung free once again and my footsteps picked up.

Outside standing Guard by the doors were two Knights in the Royal Azuren colors, making the ice shards snap into place over my fingertips again.

“Our Knights are limited in number as it is, why are you both wasting your energy Guarding this building without my say?” I got straight to the point as I climbed the few steps to them, my eyes narrowed as I looked between the two.

“We were told that your mother and sister needed to be protected, Your Majesty.” One Knight said, sounding confused.

“Our order was to keep watch over them, as they are the last of your family.” The other added, just as lost.

I closed my eyes for a moment and took a calming breath, sighing heavily.

“From now on, no matter what those two women tell you, no one is to waste their time escorting, Guarding or doing anything else for them.” I made sure to convey the weight of my words through my eyes while I spoke, pinning each Knight with my gaze. “Return to your posts and make sure to spread word of what I just told you.” I nodded as one of them pulled the door open for me, looking back before walking in. “Just because we share blood, doesn’t mean they get to trample on my people while using my title.”

The door closed behind me and I looked around the foyer, half expecting them to appear a second later. But when I didn’t hear approaching footsteps, I walked in a little further, catching the eye of one of the Central Palace maids as she passed. She froze when she saw me, nearly dropping the tray of dirty dishes she held to bow at me. I waved her off and she calmly directed me towards a sitting room in the left corridor, nodding after repeating the command that I had given the Knights.

I stopped once more in front of the door that was partially open, seeing two women with wheat blonde hair sitting across from each other on twin loveseats. My younger sister Korinna was facing me and her green eyes widened when she noticed me. Her gaze dropped to my stomach as I made my way in, calling attention to me and making our mother turn to look. Her hair was darker than my sisters, with a few white streaks announcing her age. Her eyes were brown and filled with malice when they locked on me, growing darker as they took note of my swollen stomach.

“You’re pregnant.” She said coldly, not bothering to greet me properly, or even stand as I approached. “I would’ve thought the Prince had gained some common sense by now.”

“It’s King now, Mother.” I snapped, stopping in front of the coffee table that separated them. “And you are failing to address and greet me properly once again… you know I can have you imprisoned for insulting me frequently like this.”

She laughed darkly, setting her tea cup down as her disgust filled gaze returned to me.

“You’ve become so self-absorbed since you were crowned… or is it because that foolish Prince still shares a bed with you?” My rage boiled quickly in my chest, challenging her to insult my Galen again while my sister fidgeted in her seat. “You’ll learn sooner or later that no man truly gives their heart to you… you’ll be tossed aside once they become bored and find another woman that fulfills their fantasies.”

I grimaced at her filthy words, feeling a pang of sadness ring out in my heart at the memory of my kind father. He had loved my mother dearly and did everything he could with his limited power of a Count to grant her wishes. Yet for all he did for her, she brushed him aside, using his connections to meet men of a higher station that gave her extravagant gifts in return for sharing their bed.

Men that were married and had families of their own.

And when my father had finally had enough of her cold treatment of him, he reached out to the Temple for a divorce. But he died on his way home from a banquet that was honoring an old friend of his, the carriage he rode in loosing control and turning over down the side of a hill. Both he and his coachman passed that day and our mother, still technically a Countess because the divorce hadn’t been finalized, took over our small manor.

She was the one that had been unfaithful.

She was the one that had seduced married men and destroyed families.

She was the one that, while acting righteous and pure in High Society, fulfilled the fantasies of other men to get what she wanted.

“Let’s not turn this into another fight, Mother.” Korinna finally spoke, once again doing nothing to go against our mother’s cruel words. “We came to talk about my wedding with Lauri, remember?”

“What?” My head snapped back and forth between them, hoping it wasn’t true. “You’re engaged? To who?”

“That is none of your concern.” The Countess hissed, staring at me coldly. “The only thing you should be focusing on is the Bridal Gift that you will have prepared for your sister’s engagement banquet.” I stared blankly at her, too stunned to react. “And have the main Ballroom ready in six months, we will be holding the wedding and reception here as well as housing our close friends in the Guest Palaces.”

I finally broke free of my shock and started laughing, holding my stomach and stepping closer to Korinna’s loveseat, needing to brace myself on the armrest to keep from slipping to the floor. I could feel their eyes on me as I laughed, my mothers dagger like gaze digging into me while my sister looked on nervously. When I was calm again, I straightened up and wiped away the tears that had gathered in my eyes, leveling my now growling mother with a heavy gaze of my own.

“My men and servants will not be wasted to accommodate your ridiculous demands during a time of war.” I said, smiling brightly at my mother’s rage filled face. “You will NOT be hosting the wedding and reception here. You will NOT be housed in any of the Palaces. And I am in no way responsible for the Bridal Gift to my sisters in-laws.” I calmly made my way back towards my mother, my smile dripping with venom as my hands started to glow green with my rippling orbs of water. “I will also warn you in making any future demands to anyone employed by the Azuren Royal family. You will be detained if you force you way on anyone working under me. You will also be arrested for using my title as your DAUGHTER and QUEEN to get anyone to do what you want.” I leaned in a little as I paused by her seat, meeting her gaze calmly and enjoying her red, anger filled face. “I am not your walking coin purse, Mother, nor am I the same little girl you kept locked in the basement.”

I turned away from her then and resumed my walk towards the door, smiling even bigger as her growling increased.

“You also have three hours to pack your things and leave my home… lest you want the public to witness you being dragged out by MY Knights.” The sound of porcelain breaking made me smile even more as I walked away, finding another maid that was cleaning up and asking her to gather some Knights to make sure they left.