75 — After Happily ever After

Lily could feel the sombre mood that settled on the castle when news of Laura's death spread. She knew that she should feel at least, terrible about what had happened, but she couldn't bring herself to grief like the rest of the kingdom. She barely knew her and although, she felt bad that her sister was gone before she knew her well, she didn't feel as bad as she had expected herself to feel.
She had expected the news to hit her hard, weren't twins meant to feel each other's pain? She barely felt anything, except, maybe guilt. That she didn't feel that connection with her even if for a little.
So while others mourned her twin, she mourned the relationship she never had, that they never had. She watched as the King - she hadn't gotten around to call him her father yet, moved around the castle aimlessly and felt bad that his child had died so young.
Lily tried to get into the mind of her sister and figure out why exactly she died? It couldn't honestly be because of what had happened so far. Yes, people called Laura dimwitted and proud, but Lily had always seen the spark in her. It shamed her that Laura had ended her life without a fight, without trying at least.
She left her room after spending the day in solitude, just thinking. She had assumed the throne now and could not be found slacking and wasting away her time, idly, especially as they had so much to do to the kingdom. The faeries, vampires, bear shifters, Kayaans, Goblins, Daemons, Werewolves and all other factions had found a way to live and revolve around each other. Without getting in each other's ways or getting hurt.
She had commended the Faeries for taking the first initiative and moving out of their lands. Then the bear shifters had proceeded to apologize to the Daemons for a past grievance and the Vampires as well. All was looking okay but Lily remembered that she had to meet with the King, Nicholas and all the leaders of the factions to deliberate over some decisions that needed to be taken.
She entered into the King's study, now hers, and was surprised to see that she was the last person needed and that they had all been waiting for her.
Nicholas stood at her arrival, coming to her side. Since their reconciliation and their wedding, she had seen a change in him. He looked genuinely sorry for all he had done, although he regretted apologizing to Laura for the part he made her play. Somehow, her husband had decided, in his head that he had been the one to push Laura to her death. Such nonsense, but she wasn't going to tell him that yet, when he grieved.
"Yes, we're here to talk on how to better serve our people." Nicholas stood by her side and the both looked at the leaders gathered around. Lily was awed by the trust and faith they had put in her to start this union and the fact that they had appointed her as their leader.
She wasn't going to let them down. She had done enough of self guilt and hate for a while, now was the time to move forward and better serve her people, both the Kayaans and the werewolves.
She looked at Baba Kazoh, who had taken the place of the Kayaans ruler and inclined her head to him, showing her thanks.
This was a new era for the world and she was going to bring about the fruition of the rejoining.
****
'Are you sure this is the twin of doom?" King Francis remembered asking the seer when the twins were born. He never thought he was going to see the twin he marked ever again. She was suppose to die. He had buried the hurt he got from having the twins bring death upon his wife Cecil when she was bringing them into the world. He had also forgotten how hard it was to forget that from his loins came a child that was going to bring doom to the werewolf kingdom.
Tears of despondency slowly cascaded down King Eric's cheeks leaving the old man so weak and frail. He remembered how rigid the supposed twin of doom went when he made the mark. She made no stir while blood gushed from her face and how the river slowly pushed the child out of the kingdom.
His hands went to his face to wipe his tears but more trees welled in his eyes and spilled, rolling his cheeks. King Eric's heart broke having to remember how he treated Lily who he thought to be the twin of doom. He felt guilty for all the trauma he had cost the commander and all she had to put up with while growing. How was she able to live not know her roots?
Lily was going to be stuck with the horrible scar he put on her face. She was going to have to live with a hideous scar for the rest of her life and it was all because of him. Everytime he looked at her, hjs spirit was going to be torment seeing the scar.
Hearing all that the evil vampire king had done, king Francis was content to hear about his death. He didn't deserve to live after all that he put his family through. The late king had travelled down to the werewolf king to propose a treaty to end theong standing hatred between the vampire and werewolf kingdom. The werewolf king became suspecious but after the vampire king told the lie that his son Nicholas was in love with his daughter Laura, he believed him. King Francis was glad all that was over now.
His mind flashed back to when he held Laura's lifeless body in his arms. She was the twin of doom. It should have been her with the scar and not Lily. He loved Laura dearly and couldn't imagine not having her as his daughter. She was always with her father. She was a big daddy's girl and he wouldn't have traded her for anyone else even though she was the twin of doom.
It came as a shock to him realizing it. He was so worried about the twin of doom when he heard the prophecy. All these while he had her close to him and she was one of those he loved dearly. He sobbed. The thought that is baby girl was dead made his heart shatter. He was never going to have dear Laura around or see her ever again and so he didn't think he could ever live without her.
****
It's been less than two weeks since Nicolas and Lily got married, he couldn't complain because he got to experience love every morning when he woke up and every night before he slept.
Lily would always look for an excuse to get him some fruits or some wild beast she caught by herself, she looked for ways to sneak out of the palace every time, it was fun on the days he snuck out with her, like today for instance.
The sun was rather very warm instead of hot, it was near sunset even and the sky was a mixture of blood and lilies, the air was smooth and clean and the only thing that excited him were the thoughts of how he had managed to be so loved and why he had never felt loved before, from where he sat on a upholstered chair in a patio, he observed lily as she walked towards him with a huge smile on her face. It felt right been with her, her hips swayed majestically as she got to him, leaning down to catch a kiss, a part of her dress exposed at the front, his eyes caught the soft swirl of her breast as she was leaning back up and he couldn't hold himself.
He dragged her on his laps and carefully and skillfully placed his hands into her shirt, touching her breast and creating a smile from her face that somehow managed to release a moan before she dragged herself off from him.
"We're going hunting!! You scanvager" she uttered and smiled while fixing her bodice. Nicolas smiled back, a knowing smile "Really?" He smirked. Her face was red with all the right splotches "yes" she said, almost breathless.
It was amazing how he left her breathless with just his looks or when he decided to look at her but she didn't know she left him speechless first, it was an advantage on his part.
"I thought it would be good for you to get out there and kill something, anything you can sink your teeth into" so thoughtful, Nicolas thought.
He cascaded his gaze on her like droplets of water about to fall from a leaking tap, taking a swell before dropping elegantly. He could feel her heat from where she stood ,he groaned quite audibly.
"Do we have to? I could think of better things to... Sink my teeth into" he let his eyes swoon and the blush he created was huge.
"We're doing it, come on, I promise it would be fun" she was pleading now and what better way to agree to a thing when she was pleading, it just made the whole experience sexy. He had that power move and she didn't even know. He smiled at her and nodded a yes and she squealed with delight.
"Go get your gear... If you still have one or if you're still a Papa's boy" she somehow managed to escape his grasp at the mention of the last sentence, he saw that she was been harmlessly cocky and he enjoyed the sight. He stood up after she had left and went to his chambers, this chamber was unlike any other in the castle and not like his former one either, this one held all his confessions and his repentance and that was what he liked the most. He decided he was going to get her flowers just before the sun went down a little, fit for a romantic hunt, that was if the hunt still happened. He smiled at himself.
He got to the market with a guard right behind him, not like he needed it but it was a necessity. He stopped at the vendor's shop and scanned all the flowers that were there, the florist came out of her shop, her eyes widened at the man who stood out front and her brows furrowed at once. He knew why that reaction happened and he knew that he wasn't loved by the people, at least not yet.
"I would like a mixture of lilies, tullips and lilacs" she looked him up and down, twice over and sighed. A defeated sigh. She took his money and went back inside, sooner than he expected, she brought out his order.
"Thank you" he said but she huffed in silence and he knew at this moment that it was all too better to leave and he did but at least she respected him enough, that was a big achievement to him because some people would have driven a stake through his back to his heart and to be honest, he wouldn't have deserved any less. He didn't deserve the good life he was getting but that didn't mean he wasn't grateful.
He walked back to the palace, insisting on it, he got to his chambers and met his already prepped wife, his mouth gaped open at her black leather bodice hunt clothes, he would rather have loved to stay inside and ravage her but she gave him a knowing look. He gave her the flowers and ended up changing in front of her, constantly giving her the best of views and smirking along with it. He got dressed in a similar fashion and if he was been proud, even sexier than her with the way her cheeks stained red in splotches. He knew he had achieved his aim..
They held hands as they all but ran towards the forest for a quick hunt, he remembered all the memories this forest brought and just before they jumped right into the forest, he held her hand a little tighter and kissed her cheeks with a whisper
"I love you" it whizzed like a tiny breeze into her ears, just as she began to shift she looked at him with her mare growing from her back and her legs twisting to hind legs, pain evident due to the change " I love you" she said as she turned fully and gave him a headstart. He smiled at her, some things he hoped would never change, as he gave her a hot pursit, his heart gladdened into the woods, he was hunting with his soulmate.