Mated Enemies

My heart raced at the first sight of him the way all new fathers do I guess. He was beautiful, at least what I could see of him as my eyes were too filled with tears to see clearly.

Outside I heard the loud screeching of the dragon as it made its circuit across the sky and ten seconds later the sound was followed by the loud flapping of the phoenix wings before the whole room was lit up by the iridescent golden light that surrounds the majestic bird.

The trumpets sounded and our people had another reason to celebrate as they once again came out into the streets in jubilation. The golden prince had appeared. I think they were more excited for him than they had been for me.

I was the first one to hold him, to bond with the son that I’d waited so long to meet and he was perfect. I only had a few seconds though before his mother was reaching out her arms to take him. Everyone else left the room quietly leaving us alone before my family descended on us.

“Thank you, he’s perfect.” He has my coloring but already the freckles of the elf were visible just beneath his right ear. It was hard to imagine that the tiny being I now held had such power and the way he curled into my arms like he needed me to protect him reminded me that he was just a baby.

His mother looked him over exclaiming at his beauty as I sat on the bed next to her holding them both in my arms. We were a long way from that other world where we met. Speaking of which, there was an argument going on in the other room between her annoying ass bird and Bellaque who I had to warn at least twice a day not to devour.

They were fighting and have been for the past week or so over who was going to guard the child as if me, and his mother were nonentities. I was soon pushed out of the way by my mother who had held out two minutes longer than I thought she would.

Next came the sky monarch who seemed younger than however old he is when he took his great grandson in his arms for the first time. “Damien is his name you said? It’s a perfect name as he shall be the one to subdue our enemies in the future and bring lasting peace to all.” I feel so superfluous.

Epilogue

NATALIA

I never thought I’d have this much fun sitting around in a room full of vampyre women, they’re a hoot and nothing at all like the snooty vixens I always thought them to be. Or maybe it’s because I’m the crown princess that they sheaf their claws.

Whatever the case I learn a lot from them about their customs and whatnot, though lately there have been whispers about my bad influence on some of the younger ones. No one except my husband dares though so I pretty much ignore it all.

It’s because of them that I even learned what Lucien had done to Sabrina. You better believe I checked that one out for myself since the story seemed so farfetched. She was indeed unrecognizable, nothing at all like the beauty I’d met when I first came here.

I can’t say I felt bad for her though, it was a shitty thing she did. But I did balk when I heard that he’d had all her closest servants cut in half since I’d never had any dealings with them and had no idea what their crimes were.

Since he wasn’t supposed to know that I knew, something that’s damn near impossible to keep a secret since he likes walking around in my head on a daily basis, I couldn’t very well bring it up to him. So I went along like I didn’t know anything but made it a point not to piss off the dragon. He has a vicious streak a mile wide.

“Okay ladies, so we’re all set for tomorrow yes.” I’m taking them on a shopping spree in the earthly realm, then for a little spa time in the fairy kingdom, something we’ve been doing at least once every three months for the last couple of years; another thing that I’d been lectured about.

How was I to know that the wives of the nobility weren’t allowed to leave the kingdom on a whim? The way I see it, I’m paving the way for my son who’s going to have a lot on his plate in the not too distant future. By the time that day comes I want to have at least made a dent in diplomatic relations between the kingdoms.

Lucien on the other hand would rather I stayed home tucked away out of the way of all harm; he’s such a worrier. Like who’s going to mess with the wife of the man who’d sent his pet to wipe out a whole kingdom?