Demon, Guardian, The Fallen, Oh My mates! Esmerelda's Story

Chapter six

Esmerelda’s POV

I sighed again as I laid on my bed. I was officially on lockdown now. You would think that Daddy would have been happy that I was able to cleanse the ritual circle, but noooo. He was anything but happy and thankful. I just don’t understand why he was so angry that he even grounded me on my last day as a child. This is so unfair!

I didn’t even go to dinner tonight. I didn’t want to look at Daddy right now. I am so angry at him. He wouldn’t even stop to listen to what I had to say. I couldn’t even get a word in edge wise before he said I was grounded and stormed off. Daddy has never been that way towards any of us children before.

*thud*

I sat upright on my bed quickly at the sound. I looked around and noticed that on my dresser was a gift box. On top of it was a card. Curious, I stood up and walked over to my dresser to see what it was. I know it was not there just a few minutes ago. I definitely would have noticed it. I feel a tug from my magic as if it really wants me to open this gift.

As I approach I look at the clock and realize that it is officially my birthday now. A smile grew on my face as I realized that this was my mother’s gift to me. She had it prepared already, to arrive by magic when it hit midnight. She did this with Christmas too. On Christmas morning as soon as we opened our eyes our stockings appeared in our rooms.

I grab the package and the card and run back to my bed. I crawled into the middle of it and sat with my legs crossed and the present in my lap. I held up the card and looked at the front and back of the envelope to make sure she hadn’t written anything on it. When I didn’t see anything other than my name, I turned it over and opened it.

Inside was a beautiful card of a coastal landscape at sunrise. Inside written in my mother’s elegant script was a message to me.

Oh my baby girl. I can’t believe you are officially an adult now and soon will start your own journey finding your mate. Just remember that I will always love you and that your Dads love you too. Even if they can become silly, sometimes being too overprotective.

I love you baby girl. Remember that always.

Love,

Mom

I swiped at the tear that started to run down my cheek. I miss her so much. I know it has only been two weeks, but it feels like eternity. I take a deep breath and gently place the card back into the envelope and set it aside. As I pick up the present I test its weight. It is kind of heavy, but not too heavy. Not clothes and not furniture.

I shake it gently and I don’t feel or hear anything moving so I know it is about this size. I am guessing it's a book or something. I roll my eyes at that thought. “Who wants a book for their biggest birthday ever?” I questioned out loud to nobody in particular.

I figure it is a book so I give up on trying to guess and go straight to opening the gift. As I shred the paper I notice that it is indeed a book, but a very old looking one with a strange symbol on it. Once I have it free from the paper I set it down on top of my bed as a piece of paper falls out of it.

I carefully pick up the paper and see it has a few words written in a language I didn’t even know I could read.

O corazón dos caídos está agora nas túas mans.

The heart of the fallen is in your hands now

What the hell is that supposed to mean? I put the paper off to the side knowing I will have to come back to it later. I studied the book and noticed that it had etchings on the binding and I traced my fingers over them gently. I turned the book over to look at the back and I saw the same etchings from the binding on the back of it. I flipped it back to the front and placed my palm on the front of the book trying to get a magical feel of it.

The moment my palm landed on it the book opened and the pages began to flip until stopping at an entry. The words were faded, but I could still make them out. It was a story. I picked the book up and began to read it.

Once upon a time in a far away land there was a little prince. He was a kind young boy with a heart of gold. He would stop and help even the lowest of citizens in his kingdom if he could or he would find them help. Everyone loved him and were excited to see how the kingdom would be when he became king one day. You see, in this faraway kingdom peace had reigned for generations. They knew nothing of war or hardships. It was the safest kingdom in all the realms where everyone could live in peace and harmony. All species were allowed to live and thrive as long as they gave their loyalty. You see this was the kingdom of Gaia. The goddess Gaia was its patron God. She blessed everyone in the kingdom and would continue to do so as long as peace remained. The young prince soon grew to be a handsome young man. He was anxious for his 18th birthday when he would be blessed with a mate of his own. He had waited patiently unlike his male peers and saved himself for the day his mate would come. When his birthday finally arrived the young prince was devastated that his mate was not a member of their kingdom or of age yet. So he waited patiently a little longer. On the eve of his 20th birthday he was beginning to lose faith that his mate would appear to him. His parents thought to help the prince so they hosted a huge ball on the prince's behalf to celebrate his birthday. All kingdoms sent their most eligible maidens in hopes that the prince would find his mate among them. Alas the poor prince would not meet his mate on this night. You see there were people who did not like how prosperous the Kingdom of Gaia was and wanted to sabotage them so that they could be the better kingdom.

When they learned of the prince's ball they decided to enact a plan to ensure the fall of the kingdom from Gaia’s grace. They found a witch to place an enchantment on a young maiden. Unbeknownst to them the young maiden had a plan of her own. Her heart was as black as her raven colored hair. She didn’t want to just take the kingdom down a notch or two. She wanted to destroy them, and what better way than to taint the golden heart of their young prince with hatred and vengeance.

So on the eve of the princes’ birthday the ball was held. The young prince was eager to see if this year his luck would be different and he hoped he would find his mate. All his peers were now settled down with their own mates and starting families. The prince felt lonely and wanted to give all his heart to his mate wherever she was.

As he arrived at his party the prince felt a strange pull inside. He was excited because he thought it was the mate pull so he set off in search of the one who called to his soul. As he made his way through the partygoers he finally spotted the most beautiful creature he had ever laid his eyes upon. Her hair was as dark as a raven's wings, her skin was as pale as snow, and her eyes held a man’s attention; they were the color of a shiny emerald. The green swirled as their eyes met. The prince felt it was love at first sight. He was elated to finally have found his mate. He quickly introduced her to his parents, and they planned to hold a wedding in the coming week. The evening and following week went by in a blur for the prince. Though he wanted to seal their bond on that first night, the young maiden managed to hold him off by telling him she wanted to wait until they were married first to make it special.

The day before the wedding the prince and the young maiden were to stay separated per tradition. The maiden was to spend the day with the queen getting pampered while the prince was to be with his father. It was during his time his father and he chose to spend the day on the training field. Though the kingdom was peaceful they still stayed vigilant in case of an attack. During their sparring match his father dropped to his knees screaming in agony holding his chest. The prince rushed to his father trying to help him when he heard his father whisper his mother’s name made his blood run cold.

The prince and King rushed to where his mother was supposed to be with his mate. When they made it into the room what they saw was horrific. The young maiden was standing over the queen with a silver blade in her hand. Before either man could register what was happening the young maiden launched herself to the king. He was weakened from the death of his mate so he could not fight her off and soon the struggle was over and the king had the silver blade sticking out of his chest.

The prince fell to his knees and looked up to his mate and he croaked out, “why”. The maiden laughed and laughed and told him that she was never his mate and that her plan was to always kill the king and queen. She let the prince know that she was never his mate and she crushed his heart with her words. The prince felt a rage so strong in his heart that he charged at the maiden and before she could defend herself ripped her heart out of her chest and watched the light leave her eyes. He thought that if he killed the person who killed his parents he would feel better, but he just felt the same unending rage that consumed his heart and soul.

Soon his kingdom fell because the gifts Gaia had blessed upon them disappeared as soon as his rage appeared. The people of the kingdom all dispersed and blended into the other kingdoms leaving the prince alone in his castle. Where the goddess Gaia found him. Gaia’s heart broke seeing one of her children so broken and in pain. It was then that Gaia decided that the prince would remain as he was. She placed a spell on him granting him eternal life in hopes that his true mate would come and save him from himself.

The young prince left his kingdom and roamed the earth searching for his mate and till this day he is still roaming still searching. He was forever known as The Fallen. One day he will meet his mate and she will be the most beautiful princess in the world. She will be able to mend his broken heart and bring peace once more to the kingdom of Gaia.

I closed the book after reading the story. I quickly scrambled out of bed and searched through my desk for the letter I had gotten from mom on the day she went into her coma. I threw papers left and right trying to find it, and getting more frustrated when none of the papers were what I was looking for. I turned around and like a tornado I destroyed everywhere in my room that I used to stuff papers.

Ahha! Finally! In the last place I looked, I found the stack of letters. I quickly opened it up and reread it and there at the end.

You were always born to save the Fallen. Never forget your destiny. I love you.

She knew! My mother knew this whole time! Why didn’t they tell me? I thought about confronting my dads, but then I thought better of it. I was grounded and there is no way they would let me leave to go find my mate now. Not with what happened to mom.

‘We must leave now and search for our mate! He is in danger!” Harmonia insisted and I had to agree with her. I quickly packed a small bag with clothes and some snacks I had hidden in my room. I went to my hiding spot and grabbed all the cash that I had on hand from working odds and ends jobs around the kingdom.

When I had everything ready I took one last look at my room and saw a picture from the last holiday with my whole family in it. I grabbed it and stuffed it into my bag and then teleported out of the kingdom to start my journey.