Aurora

Part 2, Chapter 13

Arrabella.fourteen

It was my fourteenth birthday today, and I most definitely wasn't celebrating it.

I grunted as I blocked a magical attack that was coming my way.

"Tell me again why you, Claire, and I were sent to the battlefront again!" Acira exclaimed as she ducked away from a sword, punching the wielder in the face and knocking them away. Her back was against mine and we were both struggling to hold our ground.

"Because we're the ones with the most magic. We're powerful, Acira. I thought you realized that." I breathed as I threw my sword at a group of people that advanced on us.

"This is kind of difficult to deal with though, and I've already exhausted all of my magic." She gasped as she got hit by an attack, knocking her far away from me.

"Acira!" I yelled as I slashed people out of my way. I grunted as a hit connected with my side, my breath leaving me. I swung a wide arc of magic forward, trying to hit anyone within reach.

"Arra! Where's Acira?" I heard Claire yell to me. I felt claws dig into my shoulder and I cried out, falling to my knees. Looking over my shoulder, I saw an unseelie faerie digging her long nails into me. Twisting my sword around, I jabbed it at her, managing to get one of her clawed hands out of me.

"S-she got knocked away from me." I called back, gasping for breath as I stood up straight. "She's run out of magic."

"s**t!" I heard her curse. "Darmarie is going to kill me!"

"Kill you? How about you don't actually die first!" I yelled at her.

"Gods I hate faeries! They won't. Stay. Down!" Claire screamed as she hit someone over and over again.

Suddenly my heart stopped, filling me with dread.

Oh no.

"Acira!" I screamed, slashing furiously at the enemies in front of me, trying to find her.

And then I saw her being lifted into the air by two fae men. They held her unconscious body like trash.

"ACIRA!" The scream ripped through my throat in the worst way possible as I took one of my swords and threw it at them. It connected with one of the men, slicing his wings clear off. I watched him fall all the way to the ground, angrier than ever. I created another sword from scratch before throwing it at them, missing by a hair.

I cursed, creating more of them and throwing it at them, but each one missed every time.

"Arra, stop!" Claire yelled at me. I completely ignored her as I threw another. And another.

"Stop! You'll hit Acira!" Claire screamed as she grabbed me by the shoulders, throwing me to the ground. She got on top of me, holding me down. I struggled to get free, watching Acira get smaller and smaller the farther she was taken away.

"Get off of me! I can see her right there! If you'd just let me-"

"Arra, stop! You can't do anything anymore!" She screamed into my face, picking me up and slamming me down onto the ground. "Just look around you, they're all gone. Acira was what they came for." She whispered as she let me go, getting off of me in the process.

I continued to lay there, defeated and angry.

"Are you going to get up?" Claire said, tapping my arm with her foot. I looked at her, almost ready to cry. "Suck it up you wimp, we've still got two days here. We can deal with Acira when we get home." She looked away, shrugging.

"Aren't you worried or anything? Do you not feel as hurt as I do!?" I sat up, glaring at her. She quickly spun around, lifting me up by the collar of my tunic.

"You shut your mouth, brat. I'm worried to death, but unlike you, I know that we can't do anything right now." She glared, her eyes glowing red. She set me on my feet before whipping around and leaving me where I stood.

.

"It seems like one of you is missing." Aramis said as I stomped into the throne room, completely ignoring whoever was in there with him at the time.

"Oh, so you forgot about Acira that quickly? Not surprised at all." Claire glared at him as she walked in behind me.

"I hope you realize that I am in an important meeting with guests." He said, motioning to the two that were with him. Looking over, I realized that it was in fact Gomer and Darmarie.

I also realized how much trouble we were in.

"What happened to Acira?" Darmarie asked us both. Thankfully, Claire answered for me. She explained what had happened on the battlefield, how it went down, and why we were there.

"So you sent them there." Gomer looked over at Aramis, who only shrugged.

"We have to find her!" Darmarie shouted. She looked over at Gomer with a worried look in her eyes before looking at us, frowning deeply.

"That is what we are here for. Also to yell at our father, but mostly to look for Acira." Claire explained, bowing her head politely.

"Oh please. If the girl was weak enough to get kidnapped, then she deserved to. And if she dies, then so be it." Aramis scoffed, which seemed to anger Darmarie.

"What did you say?" Darmarie growled but I spoke up before anyone could say anything.

"Queen Darmarie," I begun, bowing deeply with my head hung low, "you have my word that we are going to find Acira with as much haste as possible. I know that my father's word has no worth, but I hope that you find that mine does."

I was met by silence and I looked up to see everyone staring at me.

"Please do. Find her soon." She said, crouching down in front of me and I gulped before nodding politely.

"Of course." I said, standing up straight, my chin slightly tilted and my shoulders back.

"If you need help, we'll be able to provide you with some." I watched as Gomer put a hand on Darmarie's shoulder and I frowned slightly.

They're worried. More worried than I thought they'd be. Why? Acira going missing doesn't affect them. They don't need this alliance anyway.

I studied them closely, studying their body language. How tense and agitated they were, and the worry etched on their features.

Or maybe it does affect them somehow. But how?

I thought back to all the times that I had seen them, and the only memory that stood out was when Prince Ryga had chosen Acira as his mate.

His mate...

Perhaps it did not affect them, but their son?

I had to confirm my suspicions first.

Excusing myself, I speed-walked out of the room. Making my way up the flights of stairs, I arrived at my bedroom in no time. Entering, I locked the door behind myself.

I sighed as I sat on the floor, closing my eyes. I took in deep breaths as I slowed down my heartbeat, putting myself into a trance. Once I was ready, I called out her name.

"Tessa?" I whispered.

We had discovered that we were able to do this one day a couple of years ago when I ended up hearing her thoughts about me.

Which were quite interesting, if you ask me.

"Arrabella? I haven't heard from you in years!" She stumbled, her accent breaking through. "Is something wrong?" She asked with uncertainty.

It took me a bit to realize what she had said, considering it actually came out as 'ees somezing wrong'. Which, though she couldn't help it, it was hard to understand.

"No noo, are you busy?" I smiled a bit.

"Ehm, no not really. D-do you need something?" I could hear how flustered she was and I couldn't help but laugh.

"I just have a small question... but first. How have you been?" I asked.

"Très bon. I have traveled around. But what is your question?" She asked and I took a moment to decipher what she actually said.

"Um, what can you telling m-me about how you choose your mates and what are its effects? Erathiahns to be specific." I blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed by the question.

"I-is there a specific reason? Or a more er... refined topic?" She asked, and I could tell that she was incredibly flustered.

"Well um, what would happen if someone's mate died?" I asked and she went silent.

"What would happen if a loved one died?" She said in return and I was taken aback. What had I done to push her buttons?

"W-well I'd be devastated and I probably wouldn't be the same ever again." I replied and she hummed.

"There is your answer." She replied.

And just like that, she was gone again. She was most definitely still angry at me. After constantly ignoring my feelings for her-- even though she clearly knew that I did-- and forgetting about something that she constantly insisted that actually happened-- which I didn't believe-- she has given up entirely on me and it truly hurt me somewhere deep.

.

I fought another headache as I left the throne room. We'd just convened another meeting between Gomer and Darmarie and everyone that was helping to find Acira.

It had already been a month since her kidnapping and I truly was starting to lose hope.

My father and mother didn't care at all that the alliance was being put into jeopardy. Though, good things did come of her disappearance.

For the first time in nineteen years, five of the six big kingdoms of Na'aisho weren't at war. They had all called a truce to band together, knowing very well that the Erathiahns were going to help us with our own, larger war if the alliance held true.

But Acira was gone.

Everyone was frantically trying to find her, I'd even sent Shaelyn, Mateus, and Calla to the Seelie Palace in Airenna to recruit their help. They told me that they weren't going to return until Acira was found.

The way that things were looking, it seemed as if they were never going to return.

"Hey kiddo." Claire said as she walked up to me, patting my head.

"I'm an adult now, Claire." I grumbled and she laughed.

"You'll always be my kiddo, kiddo."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine." I sighed. "Did you need me?"

"I just wanted to make sure you knew that all of this isn't your fault." She said, looking down at me.

"I could've done something though." I said and she shook her head.

"Sometimes you've got to accept that you won't win." She said.

"You're one to talk. You keep fighting until you win, regardless of the consequences." I have her a pointed look.

"I might do that in any other battle, but this time my family is involved. I will do anything for my family kiddo." She sighed. "You guys are all that I have; I never want to be the reason that I lose one of you to death." She looked up at the ceiling. "I promise that. On my life."

"I know, Claire bear." I smiled and she chuckled. "What about your mother? Isn't this the first time that you've met her?"

"Yeah, but she's never been a mother to me. She's just the person that gave birth to me and that's all." She shrugged and I frowned. Looking down, she smiled widely before placing a hand on top of my head and messing up my hair. "I told you that you were always going to be my kiddo." She laughed and I laughed with her. "I love you Arrabella." She said, pulling me into a tight, warm embrace.

"I love you too Claire." I said, sighing as I hugged her back, laying my head on her shoulder.

I wish this moment could last forever.