Love Before Blood

Chapter 17

Avalon’s POV

The flight home felt a lot longer than flying on our wedding day. Azriel and I rode on Midnight with a black leather jacket, loose shirt, pants, boots, and my hair braided back.

Earlier, Azriel gave me two daggers. They had beautiful black handles. The blades had dragons engraved into it. “They were given to me by the Astral Clan centuries ago, before they disappeared. The blades were sharpened by diamonds. They’re very hard to chip and dull.”

I whispered,” Thank you.” I tucked the daggers into each of my boots, which surprisingly had a little pocket for them.

“I felt like I owed you something more than just an apology for what I said yesterday.” I looked up at him confused.

“I wanted to give these to you at Snowfall, but I thought it would be better to give them to you now.” Before I could say anything, he walked over to Midnight and waited for me to get on.

I admit, after what he said yesterday, things have been a little awkward, but I wasn’t really upset about it. I wanted to apologize about it over dinner, but preparations for travelling took over, so I haven’t had a chance to apologize for what I said.

The entire flight home I was quiet. And just like our first date, I sat in front of him and leaned into the warmth of his body. As comfortable and warm, I keep thinking about the way we flew on our wedding day. How the strength of his arms as he carried me through the wind all the way to the diamond palace in the mountains. Well now that I think about it, if they all have wings, why do they own dragons in the first place?

I look forward and see Azriel’s parents on a white dragon decorated with swirling patterns of green scales. It was much bigger than Midnight. I wonder what they looked like on their dragon. Midnight flew a little faster to catch up to the white one.

We were in the same position as them, and they looked very comfortable with each other. I don’t know why but I felt jealousy rise in me. To be immortal and still enjoy little moments like this, must be nice.

I didn’t realize we were in the kingdom until we landed. There were no more grey clouds. The garden was green, and flowers were blooming. I’ve never seen so many beautiful flowers before. When we landed my mother was standing next to King Locke with Queen Rosario on his other side. I could see she looked a lot healthier from the last time I saw her.

Azriel helped me down from the dragon, and we walked behind Queen Dia and King Storm. “Welcome,” Locke said with a bow.

I didn’t notice until we got closer to them, but Queen Rosario stood up a little taller, trying to size up Queen Dia, who was much taller than her. Rosario gave a slight curtsy to Dia and then looked at me with a venomous smile. Her sharp teeth are showing as she smiles. “Welcome home, Princess Avalon.”

I gave her a short curtsy. My mother approached me and gave me a big hug. I hugged her back. My mother then stepped back to King Locke’s side. “We have prepared a brunch in our dining hall, or would you like to be shown to your rooms first?”

King Storm looked at them and said,” Our rooms first, please, we will join you in half an hour.”

The room Azriel and I were staying in was the room I was given for six weeks. It was still plain, and it was obvious that I didn’t live in this room at all. “You weren’t kidding when you told me you had to prepare for six weeks before the wedding,” Azriel said.

I nodded my head before we headed out to the dining hall. I wanted to get there early to see if I could talk to my mom before everyone else came. In the dining hall, my mom was sitting near the center of a long table. “Hello, Mom,” I said.

She immediately turned around and gave me a bone crushing hug. “You look great,” she said.

She pulled back and then started feeling my arms and she could feel the muscles. “Are you training?”

“Yes, Prince Azriel and his bodyguard have been giving me lessons,” I said.

“You look much livelier than I’ve ever seen you,” she said,” And your skin is much tanner than the last time I saw you.”

I blushed a little and took the seat next to her. “I know that the others will be here soon, but would you like to have tea together or take a stroll in the garden later?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said with excitement in her eyes right before Azriel’s family came in.

Queen Dia looked pleased to see I was talking to my mother. We both got up and curtsied to them. “Mom, this is Queen Dia and King Storm of the Drakes. And these are Prince Azriel’s brothers, Prince Peri and Prince Grey.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said with a huge smile.

Queen Dia extends a hand and says,” It’s an honor to meet you. Princess Avalon is amazing. You should be very proud of her.”

It was her turn to blush, the doors burst open with King Locke and Queen Rosario walking through. “Sorry we are a little late,” Queen Rosario said through her red smile.

The entire time we were in the dining hall, it was very awkward. No one talked, and the only sound made was the clinking of our utensils on the plates as we ate. After our dessert, Queen Rosario said,” If you need anything, there’s a rope you can tug on to call on the servants. We will discuss trade terms tomorrow, after a good day’s rest. Please feel free to look around our palace.”

After they left, my mother spoke up and said,” If you like, I would be happy to show you around the palace grounds.”

King Storm looked at my mother with surprise and simply nodded his head, while Queen Dia excitedly said yes. My mother took us to a hedge maze. She told them an embarrassing story of me getting lost in them when I was a child. I was supposed to prune the branches of the hedges, and without even realizing it, I pruned all the way into the center of the maze. I didn’t realize until I had reached a dead end. I tried to find my way out, but I couldn’t, so I sat there waiting for someone to come help me. No one came for me until it was well past midnight, but when they found me, the guards weren’t very gentle at all.

They dragged me back into the palace and practically threw me into my mother’s arms. My mother was so warm and gentle, and the last thing I remembered that night was my tucking me into bed, safe and warm. King Storm looked at me and asked incredulously,” You weren’t treated as a princess?”

“No, Your Majesty,” I said, putting my head down” There’s no great treatment for a bastard child.”

“A bastard child?” he asked even more incredulously. “How is it that we were not told about this?”

“Does it matter that much, dear?” Queen Dia asked, trying to calm him down. “We weren’t specific for a legitimate heir, and besides, she stepped up to her duties to save her people.”

“I may be a bastard child, but I am the only child of King Locke,” I replied. “Everyone in the kingdom knows that Queen Rosario and King Locke have been trying for years, but they were either premature, still-born, or miscarriages.”

I didn’t want to say it-couldn’t say the next part. My mother touched my shoulder and gave me a look. Her eyes were very assertive and soft. I could see the message in her eyes. In return, I gave her a look that told her I couldn’t do it. She rubs my shoulder and she speaks. “Out of depression and desperation, King Locke drank to the point he couldn’t remember a thing. The next woman he saw, he grabbed her and r***d her the same night he lost his last child. I was that woman.”

I looked at Azriel, and I could see a mix of sympathy and wrath in his eyes. Prince Peri had shock written all over his face, and Prince Grey didn’t look surprised at all. Wait, how is that? “After Queen Rosario found out I was pregnant, she wanted me to be executed, but King Locke stopped her and promised to never acknowledge my daughter, and demoted me to the lowest ranking maid after I had given birth to Avalon. For sixteen years, he didn’t extend any protection to us, until Avalon was beaten by the maids who would usually cause trouble for us. They only began to truly acknowledge her as his child when they needed a princess for the treaty.”

Queen Dia walked toward my mother and said,” We’re so sorry that this happened to you, but a great good came out of it. You’ve raised a daughter who was willing to participate in this treaty, a great sacrifice. If I were in your position, I would be very proud of her.”

“And that I am, Your Majesty,” she said. “I just wish I could’ve done more for her before this treaty.”

“Mom,” I said,” You gave me the love that King Locke could never give to me. That’s all I’ll ever need and want from you.” I gave her a hug, and then looked at King Storm,” Please don’t break the treaty because of this.”

“You don’t need to worry about that,” he said unconvincingly. He looked at Azriel for the rest of the tour of the palace. I kept wondering why Prince Grey didn’t look surprised or shocked as the others.