VERMILLION: The fall of Zaleon

Chapter 20

Finding out 9 years later that a boy you met 9 years ago, whom you had taken an interest in is actually your mate was certainly not the issue for Priscilla. It was the fact that she now had to look for the man whom she had let go of and explain to him that in fact, she was his mate, and they were meant to be together. 

The only issue was that by the time 9 years passed by and the pair grew up into adults, Reigar had already been courting someone. Someone he intended to marry since he had never known that he was, in fact, destined to have a mate in the first place. 

So there were a lot of issues that had be sorted out for this unusual pair to accept their fate, and the truth was that Fairen had no idea where to begin. She had made her peace with her Pixen, understanding that she would always want the best for her companion, but what was she to do now? It wasn’t like she could just show up on Doirekh territory and demand to see Reigar by claiming he was her mate. The truth was she wasn’t even allowed to show up on Vermillion territory to begin with. The idea was so frowned upon that she might as well be dead just thinking about it. Pacing around her room, she threw out ideas at Pietra, who had been flying around thinking too. 

‘Look all you need to do is blend in. It’s not as if your wings will show if you tuck them away. Find the Doirekh mansion, and sneak in to find him. Surely you’ll be able to smell him out’ suggested Pietra, and Priscilla stopped in her tracks. 

‘That’s a great idea Pietra, why don’t I just go around sniffing for my mate on lands where people will be able to tell who I am instantly! Come on, you and I both know that we don’t need sign tags to identify creatures, Pietra. The first time I met Reigar I knew he was a Doirekh immediately. He was lucky to have found me in the woods and not on our territory. Had he been found there, life would have not ended well for him. He would probably be dead, or worse, tortured and incarcerated. We just need to think of a way to get him back into the forest, on mutual ground, where I met him the first time. I just don’t know how. It’s not like I can just send him a note’ she responded, considering her thoughts thoroughly. Pietra sighed, agreeing with her companion before landing on the bed and seating herself peacefully. 

‘Maybe we should just travel to the borders of Crest. We can hide in the forest and look over. There is a large chance that we may not find him, but if we’re lucky, we can spot him and call him over. If we’re lucky, maybe he still comes to the borders in search of you’ she replied dreamily. Snapping the little Pixen out of it, Priscilla sat down next to her, considering her option. 

‘I mean we have nothing to lose, so we could. But I doubt he sits there everyday waiting for me, Pietra. He doesn’t know he has a mate, why would he think of being with me? However, like I said, we have nothing to lose and it’s the only option we have right now, so it might be worth giving it a try’ she pondered, remaining silent for a while as she attempted to play out the scenario in her head. Pietra remained quiet, allowing the woman to do her calculations and come to a conclusion. ‘Alright, let’s go, we better get going now if we want to make it back in time’ Priscilla suddenly stated, getting up from her seat and making a move towards her door. The excitement had taken over, and suddenly all Priscilla cared about was seeing her mate again. It was the moment she had been waiting for for 9 years, and finally she was going to have it. She had no idea what he had been up to or what his reaction would be, but he was her mate, surely he would accept her in a heartbeat. Or so she thought. 

On the other side of the spectrum, Reigar had been doing the one thing that would completely break Priscilla’s heart: mating the woman he had planned on marrying. Their parents had no idea of the relationship, of course, though they saw no reason why it would be an issue, given the fact that she too, was a Doirekh, and a pleasant one at that. He had met Siandra 7 years after having met Priscilla, and in that time he had managed to get the woman to the bottom of his head. There was no way he could get her fully out of his head, though she had managed to reach the topic of subjects that he would visit perhaps once a month, which in his mind, had been enough. He had no idea why she remained there, but he thought he would never see the woman again, and permitted the thought to sink to the bottom of his head, however frustrating that could be for him. 

Siandra had no idea of the woman he had met so long ago, and was positive that the eyes of her man belonged to only her, as they had been discussing getting married for the longest time. Though there was only one defect in their love: and that was the lack of love. It was a lustful relationship, with a lot of mating and a lot of physical attraction, but when it came to expressing thoughts of love, the pair had failed to ever maintain a steady complement to each other. Despite this, they had made things work, and had thought it alright to take things further as they believed themselves to be in love, or craved it, rather. 

The one thing that Pietra and Priscilla had been right about, was the amount of times Reigar visited the borders of Crest in his spare time. Albeit his reasons for doing so were purely lustful, to spend physical and intimate time with Siandra that they could not afford at the mansion. It had become customary for the two to meet in the forest by the borders to mate and be intimate, but Reigar was about to realise the biggest mistake of his life. 

Priscilla had commenced her long journey to Crest, and had been singing along with Pietra, excited and ecstatic about finally embracing the feeling of love in her life. How would she react when she found out the saddening truth about her mate? How would he react? But most importantly, what would his decision be? 

No one knew the answer at the time but soon they would all be facing the tough choices. 

Reigar had arrived at his usual spot, and had only just begun waiting for Siandra, when Priscilla had gotten closer to the borders than ever, and closer to Reigar than she knew as she ventured along to Tetran and Crestian borders. Siandra had just come out, and immediately after laying eyes on Reigar had smiled her usual smile, placing herself on his lap instantly after reaching him. The two had begun a passionate kiss that had gotten sloppy very quickly, one that was shook away by the squealing of the Fairen behind them who had accidentally walked in on the sight. Priscilla had only seen the back of the man, and had yet to see that he was her mate, though her squealing and momentary shift of her eyes as she apologised had been enough time for Reigar to pull away from Siandra just slightly and look back to meet her eyes. 

The shock that went through her had been immense, leaving her speechless and broken on the inside. The woman that had been sucking his face was still sitting on his lap as words tumbled out of his mouth. 

‘Priscilla?’ He asked, unable to avoid the resurfacing of her thoughts. He couldn’t believe that she was in front of him again, and looking too stunning to ignore. Siandra frowned in confusion as he identified the woman and wasted no time in showing her prejudice. 

‘You know this Fairen?’ She asked, bringing back his focus onto the situation. Hearing him say her name had sent chills down her spine, but she had remained silent and took a step back as she processed the sight of her mate with someone else. She knew she had no one to blame, not even him, for he didn’t know that he was destined for a mate, though he only wished that he would have waited for her in the way that Pietra had dreamt of for them. Nevertheless, she accepted her fate and swallowed her tragic reality as she gave her mate a final glance of hurt before she ran off into the distance. Pietra, however, didn’t move an inch, knowing that Priscilla had been hurt, and it was time for the little Pixen to make things right between them, for she believed it was fully her fault these issues were happening to begin with.

‘Reigar, can I talk to you for a moment?’ She asked him as he watched her run away. He had ignored Siandra’s question and focused on the little Pixen in front of him. 

‘Sure, what’s wrong?’ He asked, absentmindedly lifting Siandra off his lap and walking towards her. 

‘Alone, please’ she squeaked, noticing Siandra following closely behind, and watching with curiosity. This time Reigar noticed that Siandra had been in his presence all along, and turned to face her. 

‘What’s going on? How do you know a Fairen and a Pixen? Why are you affiliated with them?’ She asked again, and this time he heard it. 

‘Long story, just give me a minute and I’ll be back’ he responded to her, walking away from her sight. The woman had remained confused in her spot as she waited for her man to return, but little did she know that when he did things would no longer be the same. 

Reigar followed Pietra out of the spot, walking down for a good 5 minutes before Pietra stopped to face him. 

‘There’s a reason why she was here today’ she began, raising questions within the Doirekh. 

‘Why? What’s going on? Why did she run away? It’s so good to see you both’ he began, expressing his own content that he had bottled up for so long. His words had shown the evident concern he had for Priscilla, though it would all become clear to him soon, that she was his mate. 

‘There is something that I kept a secret from her, and from you for the past 9 years. I knew it the first day the two of you met, but you were only 9 years old. I thought you needed more time before you knew the truth, because it’s a lot to take in, and because it is frankly unbelievable. Reigar, you are Priscilla’s mate’ she revealed blatantly, not beating around the bush any more. He remained silent for the first moment after the revelation, needing a moment of two to process what she had just said, and then, he listened to her words carefully. 

You are Priscilla’s mate. 

The words repeated through his head again and again, until he found the courage to speak up. 

‘That’s impossible. I’m a Vermillion-’

‘I am very well aware of what you are Reigar, but she is your mate. I just know it. Tell me one thing, how did you recognise her immediately when you saw her? Why did you care if she ran away? Why did you remember her name?’ Asked the Pixen, and deep down Reigar knew it was true. Though he kept denying it, knowing that if he accepted it, as beautiful as it would be, it would come with it’s challenges. The first would be overcoming the fact that he was a Doirekh, the only of his kind to have a mate, and that no one in society, his or hers, would accept them together. Then there was Siandra. What was he to tell her. That he didn’t want to marry her because he suddenly didn’t feel like it? Given the circumstances of his departure surely she would know that the Fairen had something to do with it. Then there was the very fact that he had been caught with another woman in front of his mate, and he had no idea how to tackle that issue alone. What was he supposed to say to her? How was he to fix things? He couldn’t dismiss Pietra’s words because a part of him knew it was true, because he had been feeling things that were way too strong for someone he had met once 9 years ago, and it was all starting to make sense now. His silence had been enough of an answer for the little Pixen, and she smiled as once again she began thinking of the dreamy thoughts she had initially started off with. 

‘I don’t understand. How can I be the only one of my kind to have a mate?’ He asked, more to himself than the Pixen. 

‘I don’t know Reigar, but all I can tell you is that you’re lucky. Now, I know she just saw you with another woman, but you need to talk to her. You mustn’t blame yourself, you didn’t know you had a mate, I understand that, so does she, but it’s natural for her to feel just a little heartbroken. Just go embrace your destiny’ encouraged Pietra, but Reigar didn’t move. There was so much he had to think of before taking the step, such as if he was ready to change his life in the span of a minute, and how he would come about doing it. He wanted Priscilla, that much he was certain of, more than anything, but getting her would be easier than keeping her, and that was the issue. 

‘I want her, Pietra, I do. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her, but the issue is not getting her, it’s keeping her. There are so many issues-’

‘Reigar you are wasting your time right now. We all know that there are risks and issues involved in this, but you are mates! This is your destiny, you’ve already spent 9 years without each other, so could you please get to her first, embrace her, and then you can both figure out how you’re going to make this work’ she pleaded, and he was about to move when he suddenly remembered. 

‘What about Siandra, I can’t just leave her there! She’s going to know-’

‘She won’t know anything if you don’t tell her Reigar. You can always explain to her tomorrow that you simply ran into an old friend and lost track of time. Nothing is going to go wrong, like I said you can figure out the details later, but please go to Priscilla now, I’m begging you, she’s in pain and it’s been far too long she’s been away from you. She’s been waiting for this moment for too long, and frankly so have you. Now go’ she insisted one last time, before the Doirekh took her advice and took off running in the direction of Fairen territory. He had no idea where he was going, but Pietra was leading the way, flapping her wings and rushing about to where she knew Priscilla would be. 

They arrived at the spot soon enough, and sure enough, Priscilla had been sitting on the edge of the cliff, silent tears streaming down her face as she watched the view ahead of her. She had not wanted to be interrupted by Pietra or anyone for that matter, and she had solely thought that the understanding Pietra would have caught onto that emotion and had left the woman alone to her thoughts. She had certainly not expected her companion to blurt out the truth to her mate, who had been standing right behind her, ready to accept her as his. 

It had seemed comical, even to him, that he wasted no time at all in considering Siandra, and accepting Priscilla within seconds of knowing the truth, but then again she had been engraved in his mind for the longest of times. 

Watching her slumped shoulders sulk solo, he approached her slowly, watching Pietra nod at him and fly away into the distance, giving the pair some much needed space. 

‘Want some company?’ He asked as he was right behind her, and she jerked in shock, almost falling over the edge she had been sitting on. Luckily he caught onto her, sparks flying through their bodies as their eyes met once again, this time knowing that they were mates. 

‘What are you doing here?’ She asked him, shocked, surprised, and unable to react normally. Wiping away the tears from her eyes, she moved away ever so slightly, giving him space to sit down but also needing a moment of space to process that the very hands that had caught her had been around the waist of another woman only moments ago. 

‘You really think I was going to let my mate come and sulk here all on her own?’ He questioned, trying to cheer her up. The acknowledgement of the truth had shocked her, and she had pieced it together that Pietra had told him the truth. 

‘Pietra, why would she-’

‘Why wouldn’t she?’ He interrupted, intending on making things right before she found reason to doubt him or push him away soon again. ‘I’m your mate, I’ve lived without that knowledge for 9 years, so have you, why should we waste another moment of our lives running away from the truth, especially now that we know it?’ He asked her, knowing that the next words that would come out of her mouth would be about Siandra. 

‘What about the woman? The one you were-’

‘Priscilla, Doirekh’s have never had mates! How was I supposed to know that the woman I was craving to be around would actually turn out to be my mate? I thought that I lost you the day we parted. I thought, oh well, she has a mate somewhere out there, I don’t, and I did what I had to do, I moved on, or I tried to. Though clearly I didn’t do it well enough because 9 years later I remember everything about you from the first time I met you as clearly as if it were yesterday. I never forgot you, and I don’t want to be with anyone else knowing the truth that you are my mate. I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life, even though I was unaware I would get to experience it, but I’m grateful to the flame that I can’ he explained, and a smile conquered her face immediately. Her mood had taken a turn upon his acceptance and she no longer even remembered the other woman he had been with. His words held truth, and she was happy to divulge into his truth.

Hesitantly, she leaned forward, though he grabbed her face impatiently, pressing his lips to hers within seconds. Holding onto her tightly, he pulled her onto his laps so that she was straddling him, and suddenly he was back in the same position he was in not too long ago, only this time, it was with his one true mate.

‘I’ve waited for this moment too long, and I don’t want to wait anymore. I want to be with you. I know it’s going to be hard, but we will find a way’ he whispered to her between kisses, and the woman was too busy grinning to say anything. She merely nodded as she continued to embrace the man fully. When their heads separated it was merely to look into each other’s eyes and catch their breath, giving them the opportunity to discuss what they had been thinking of deep down.

‘How are we going to make this work? You’re a Doirekh, I’m a Fairen’ she stated, the smile on her face dropping slightly. He thought about her question for a moment, considering all thoughts and options before coming to a conclusion. 

‘Like I said, there’s no way I’m giving up on this now, and if you’re on board, then we figure this out together’ he stated, and she nodded eagerly to show her collaboration. ‘Great, then we start by going to the one place that will hopefully provide us with some answers’ he mentioned, and the confused woman frowned, demonstrating her clear lack of understanding towards his words until he chuckled at her expression and decided to reveal what he truly meant. ‘It’s time I visited a Galon, don’t you think?’