Aftermath
POV: Alexandra
Light streamed into my room through a tiny sliver between my curtains. I had closed them the night before so I could get a few extra hours of sleep. Luckily, it seemed as though I had. I pulled myself away from my pillow and stretched. It seemed that I had woken up in the nick of time too. My mother knocked on my door and before I could answer she burst into the room with Dana on her heels. She smiled over at me realizing that I was already awake. She strode over to the window and pulled the curtains open. When the light hit my eyes, I felt like a vampire in the human stories. I winced and let out a hiss then jokingly, “My eyes, my eyes. You have burnt my precious eyes.” I heard a giggle out of Dana but then a sort of cough and quiet “Sorry” that she must’ve uttered to my mother. She must’ve gotten the famous Esperanza gaze that came out when one of them was disappointed in you. I thought it was just my mother and that others were pulling my leg until I saw my uncle give my mother that gaze once when she said something about me. It was one of the few times I saw her bristle. She had so much respect for her twin brother. I understood how she felt, the person I respect most in my world is Ashton.
The thought of my brother prompted me to ask about him, “Have you had word from Ashton yet?” She nodded, “We had a letter from him early this morning. It seems they will be taking at least another day to process everything. It’s worse now that they are down the General. Gods, love Derek’s brother but he just isn’t the General.” I sighed thinking about Ronan. My mother placed a tray in front of me that had eggs, bacon, sausage, french toast, a medley of berries, and hot herbal tea. I looked up at her, “This looks like too much foot mother. The french toast and fruit would’ve been just fine.” She smiled and shook her head, “Talon said you’ll need this. You got injured and you exhausted a lot of magic yesterday. You need as much food as possible.” As if I was being betrayed by my own body, my stomach growled loudly. I was going to protest but I shut my mouth and she smirked at me. She looked at the bottom of the bed and shook her head, “I think we need to feed your friend there.” She pointed at Sebastian who had shrunk back to the size of himself as a puppy. He weakly looked up at her and I said, “I guess I wasn’t the only one to exhaust my magic.” He looked up at me and whimpered which prompted my mother to send Dana for food for Sebastian. Dana scooped the pup up from my bed and snuggled him, “It’s okay Bash, we will get you fixed right up.” She walked out of the room with him. My mother stroked my head and kissed my forehead, “I’ll leave you to it, dear. Just remember that tomorrow is going to be a busy day. We have a lot to prepare for and it might be the biggest day of your life. You could be walking away from the ball engaged.” She made a wistful sigh and walked out of the room.
Silence had descended into the room and I was alone with my thoughts. I think my uncle had been right, I needed this much food. I took a piece of bacon and bit it. The salty goodness hit my taste buds and I sighed in the slight pleasure of the smoky salty flavors. Yesterday had been an exhausting affair. First, we had to fight for Lucien’s home and throne back from an insurrection force composed of most of The Order. Thankfully, those that were killed were imprisoned in the dungeons of the Citadel. Marquis Maigny was treated as a noble prisoner and placed in the castle dungeon, which was a little bit better accommodation. If I were Queen, he would’ve already had his title stripped of him and treated as a commoner. What I wouldn’t have given to see his arrogant ass sitting in a commoner cell. It would have been so delicious to see. With that thought, the hunter side of my species started to come out. My heart was pumping and my fangs descended into my mouth. I gasped and shook my head out of the thoughts I was having. I was warned if my heart lusted too much for blood, I would revert to the old ways and I would turn practically feral.
My thoughts turned to the two injured men that I had to help heal. Both were wait-and-see situations but no one would let me stay by their side. The curiosity about their situation got to be too much for me and so I said, “Jynx.” A portal opened and she stepped through and bowed at my bedside, “My lady, what are your orders?” My fangs were still out but it didn’t bother me to show them to Jynx as I spoke, “I need to know how Mordred and Ronan are doing. Can you check on them for me?” She rose from her bow, “My lady, I can check on the General but I can tell you that His Majesty is fine. He’s already up and doing his royal duties. He didn’t want to place that burden on the Princess just yet.” I snorted a small laugh hearing Vanessa being referred to as a Princess. I cleared my throat, “I’m glad to hear he is fine but when you see him tell him to take it easy.” I heard a voice in my head, “I am just fine, dear one. You needn’t fuss over me. As for the General, I have sent my finest healing witches to his bedside this morning. You can send Jynx to check on him but my confidence in these witches is very high.” I rolled my eyes, “Just the same, I think I will send her anyways.” He chuckled, “Suit yourself, dear one. Do me a favor?” I sighed, “What?” His voice turned rather serious, “Send her to me once you are done with her. I have to discuss a few things with her. She needs to get ready for something.” I looked up at Jynx waiting on me to address her again, she knew I was talking to Mordred. Whatever he wished to discuss with her was serious and I didn’t envy her for whatever discussion he wished to have with her. I was hesitant to send her back but knew she was not really mine to command since she was his subject. I nodded, “Okay, you got it.” I looked up at her and nodded, “I stand correct, don't tell him anything. Can you let me know how the General is?” She nodded, “As you will it, my lady.” She placed her arm across her chest and bowed then turned to open the portal and walked through.
Back into the silence of the room to eat my breakfast which didn’t take me very long to finish. As I got up from my bed to place the tray on the tea table, the portal I was expecting to hear opened again. Jynx stepped through with a sour look on her face, “My lady, I’m saddened to report that Sir Ronan is in a coma and likely not to wake any time soon. I am informed by the healing witches that he is just fine but his body will likely need a great deal of blood. You know what that means.” I nodded thinking back to the time it was feared that I would need a great deal of blood. I would need to be placed into an induced coma to keep me from harming others in my feral state. Ronan would have to be given blood and induced into a coma to keep him from harming others. He was a great deal more powerful than me so it would take a stronger dose of the magic that would place him under. She sighed, “They have summoned Princess Whisperia to the Citadel to assist.” Whisperia was the wise choice since she was the most powerful wind magic user in Vellum and while she was a House Dark royal, she was technically a citizen of Vellum and Lucien could make an official summon to her as a citizen. Knowing Lucien, he was hesitant to use the power of his office to ask this of her. Malinus would advise him that she likely wouldn’t come willingly. I looked up at her, “Had they summoned her yet?” She shook her head, “No, I heard the King is hesitant to use the power of the Vellum throne. I was asked to see if you or His Majesty could assist.” I shook my head, “Likely she’d listen to Mordred more. She would likely resist me.”
A portal opened in my room and Mordred stepped through. Usually, he looked dapper but it wasn’t as if he wasn’t well groomed still. It was just different to see not everything in place. His coat was neatly placed across his shoulders since he had his left arm in a sling. Normally, the cane he carried was just for show but this time he was leaning on it. It was likely due to the fact that he couldn’t stand up straight since his ribs had been bruised. He was cut on his face that required my skills with fire magic to stop the bleeding and Doc stitched it up after. Sadly, that would mean that Mordred would have a scar on his cheek but he didn’t seem fussed about it. He strode up to me and smiled, “Forgive me, dear one. I would hug you but as you can see that would be rather impossible.” I grabbed his arm that wasn’t injured and helped him into a chair that was sitting at the tea table, “Are you crazy, old man?” He chuckled, “Always, dear one. It’s how I’ve survived so many years. You see, no one wants to mess with a crazy person.” I sat in the other chair and waved Jynx to have a seat, “I was going to send her back to you. You didn’t have to come all this way.” He smiled, “I am here for my sister, dear one. It is a great deal easier for me to reach her from Blackwood. I also wanted to check on the physical state of my dearest niece.” I sighed, “Look at you and look at me. Does it look like I’M the one that needs to be fussed over?” He threw his back and laughed, “You never fail to amuse me, dear one. Pardon me though. Official business.” He closed his icy eyes and hummed softly. After about a minute he opened them and smiled, “Excellent.”
Yet another portal opened, this time it was good for whoever was stepping through this one that Sebastian wasn’t in the room.” I heard a howl from downstairs and Modred smirked at me, “Temper yourself before you get Whisperia or Sebastian injured.” I took a calming breath and the swift pitter patter of paws up the stairs turned back into a trot back down the stairs. Evidently, he wasn’t done being spoiled by Dana. Mordred let out another signature chuckle, he was always so unserious about serious situations. Meanwhile, Whisperia had stepped through the portal and stood silently next to her brother. He looked up at her, “Dear sister, as King of the Witches, I command you to assist in the healing of Ronan, General of the Citadel of Vellum. These are my official orders.” She nodded at him, “As you will it, Your Majesty.” He looked up at her face, “You will be rewarded by myself and His Majesty King Lucien for your kind assistance. I will see to it.” She sighed, “It has to be something I name, Your Majesty.” He chuckled again, “I cannot speak for Lucien but you can have anything you ask from me.” A smile spread across her face, “I will hold you to it. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” She opened her portal but looked over her shoulder to me, “Xan, I will visit with you tomorrow morning. I have something for you.” She stepped through and Mordred rose from his seat, “Now, Jynx. We have some things to discuss and you need to prepare for your trip.” I looked up at him, “Trip? What trip? Are you sending her away?” He looked at me seriously, “In due time, dear one. You will know where she will go in due time.”
