Abdication

Ava’s POV

I watched Ash disappeared underground and said a silent prayer for his safety and then turned to my grandfather. 
"This is how you repay me?" He bellows. 
"Repay you? If I were to repay you, you would be enduring the same punishment my mother suffered" I say angrily. I unleash my power and wrap him so tightly in vines that only his face is free. His eyes bulge in shock taking in my power for the first time.
"I gave you a life of luxury, I forgave your upbringing and let your friends go free. I even gifted a powerful man to you so that your child would be perfect" he says.
"You held my mother and I against our will, you allowed her and countless others to be raped for your sick vision of evolution and power. You are trying to play god!" I shout at him, losing my temper and tightening the vines.
"I see you have already been poisoned against me as your father poisoned your mother. I loved your mother, but I could not forget her betrayal. I wanted to love you, I thought you understood my vision, my need for a powerful heir. That purist king goes around calling himself a peace keeper but he tore more families apart and took more lives than I have in my long existence. I hoped that your new husband understood too and we could over throw him together. I need a strong heir to take my place so that my country remains a safe haven for love of any kind" he says, his voiced strained from the pressure of the vines.
"Love! You talk of love. You forced the prisoners to betray their wives, you did not allow my mother to be with her true mate and basically auctioned me to the most powerful men regardless of my wishes." I protest. 
"I do believe in love, I loved your grandmother very much, but she was not strong enough to be a queen, child birth killed her. The royal family must be strong, to keep the kingdom strong. We must make sacrifices to ensure our survival and that of our people. And those men were prisoners! They were treated well, fed well, kept in nice rooms and pleasured by my best women. They were treated far better than most enemy prisoners I can assure you. Your father in law does not take prisoners, they are all sentenced to death. I didn't come to force you to stay here, but if you go to his kingdom he will surely kill you before allowing a crossbred to be a queen. Please, for your safety and that of your child, don't go to him!" He sounds desperate, earnestly trying to dissuade me. 
"My child?!" Shock hits me and I loose me grip on the vines, the king nods. 
"You are pregnant, I can hear the faint heart beat." He says gently. 
I feel my knees weaken and I fall to the ground, my vines releasing as I do. My grandfather runs to me and helps me up. 
"Child, I will relinquish my throne to you to rule until your child is old enough to take over. You can determine how prisoners are treated and you and your mother can come and go as you please. But please do not go to that man. I could not bare to lose you and this baby" he says as a tear falls freely. 
My life and everything I have ever known or thought has been questioned and changed so much over the last few months that I don't know what to think anymore. This man in front of me is expressing such sincere care and genuine vulnerability that he can’t possibly be the villain I had built him up to be in my head.
"Call off your men, have them stand down. Announce your abdication publicly and then we will talk in a civilised way and not on a battle field." I say, my voice dead and numb like my body. 
"You need only ask them. My men already know to obey you. I'm sure after your little show, they will only be more eager to please you " he says. 
I summon my courage and call out across the battle field. "Everyone stop fighting, lower your weapons, stop using your skills and stand down." 
I watch in awe as both sides obey me and step back from the fight. 
"I officially abdicate my throne to my great grandchild, with princess Ava taking over rule immediately until the child is old enough to rule. Princess Ava has shown herself to be a capable and powerful leader." My grandfather announces to everyone with a note of pride in his voice. I am baffled, my brain can't help but thinking this is some kind of trick. I look at my mother and as she recovers from the shock, she smiles at me. Everyone bows to me and I just stare frozen still in disbelief. 
"We need to talk. You have a lot of explaining to do" I say turning to my grandfather. 
Ash resurfaces and looks around, confusion clear on his face. He walks determined towards me and takes my hand pulling me back behind the cave so that we are alone. 
There is so much I need to tell him, but I don't know how to cover it all as it's still processing in my head. 
"I need to go-" Ash starts to talk but I cut him off. 
"I'm pregnant" I blurt out. 
...