Chapter 31

Jasmine


"So what is it you wanted to talk about?" Upon the question from Archer, King Elijah who was casually sipping a glass of wine put the glass down and turned his attention toward his sons.

But....suddenly his eyes fell on where I was standing a few steps away from the Lucien and Micheal,  a seemingly perpetual confusion etched on his features, his thick brows rose in a questioning way.

"Who's that girl?" He asked the tone he had used sounding full of skepticism.

Fiona's offending gaze too shifted on me, and a look judgemental yet full of unhidden jealousy passed through her eyes.

"Probably a slave." The outraging sentence left her mouth without any reluctance, and her voice filled with disgust that couldn't go unnoticed under any circumstances.

"You better watch your mouth before you speak!" Lucien's loud indignant voice echoed the room leaving everything shaken for a second as well as Fiona who flinched in shock.

"I just said what I thought, I don't get it what's wrong it that..." She suttered in disbelief.

"You are a guest here, so don't speak in personal matters unless you are told to," Michael said through gritted teeth.

The anger that shone in their eyes must have scared her because no other arguments came from Fiona's side.

King Elijah's doubts grew even more, "Who is she?"

"I guess you'll get to know about that soon after you tell us what you have to say, and we can get this conversation done, " Archer said, he looked as pissed as his brothers. 

The awkward silence stressed across the room and the pace of my heartbeats gradually increased, I could sense something unwanted happening very soon and the silence of King Elijah just gave me another hint I could look at to confirm the validity of my feeling.

"Well there has been no change in all of your attitude and the adamant nature of yours hasn't changed even the slightest bit, I guess I'll have to listen to you and go first." King Elijah flashed them a smile that did not hold any sign of happiness nor any emotion, it rather held some hidden grudge and rage that he kept behind the coldness of his stare.

"Thanks for understanding, Your Majesty," Micheal spoke, his voice too did not hold any emotion except for the coldness as their father.

It was sad and understandable at some point how much grudges both had stored against each other and it was yet uncertain how much more downfall was there to be witnessed yet.

"So, as you may know, princess Fiona is here with us to pay a visit to your kingdom, I am sure you must have been aware that there must be a reason why I have brought her here.'' King Elijah began.

"Of course, we are aware that there's nothing you ever do without a motive," Archer bitterly chuckled, the venom dripping from his voice but it didn't affect his father the slightest bit in comparison to the reaction of their mother who seemed extremely worried about the situation that might get out of control at any time.

"Now would you mind telling us the reason?'' Lucien spoke.

The uncomfortable knot formed in my stomach, the dismay and need to know what the king exactly wanted to say......what was the reason he had bought Fiona with him and why it had to do with the triplets. I could care less if this was someone else but no matter what, he was their father and the reason could be something unpleasant too and maybe what a part of my mind started assuming.

"Since you all have become responsible enough and grown up so much, I think it's time that you all should move one step forward in your life and settle for good, a strong and smart partner beside you is needed in order to protect and ensure the best f0r your kingdom....."

My throat dried up realizing where this conversation was truly going, the twitch at Fiona's lips did tell the entire story.

I looked at the Lucien and then my eyes slowly moved to spot the other two brothers, all of their fists had clenched and their jaws tightened as the signs of overpowering anger that showed it's signs beside their foreheads as bulging blue veins that seemed as though they would tear through their ale at any second.

They must have understood the meaning behind their father's words too, but they were waiting for him to finish.

"And?'' Micheal asked, his tone was extremely low and suppressed, unlike any other time.

"So, I think Fiona would be a perfect fit as your mate and rule the kingdom beside you. I want you three to accept Fiona as your mate and finish the marking within these weeks so that we can go back to our kingdom and hand you the legacy.''

All the air in my lungs left at his statement. The pain stung just by the thought of seeing them marking someone else, giving her the place that was mine.

I sucked in a breath not knowing how should I really react, the overwhelming feeling taking over to the point where I could not even identify if it was a rage of someone else residing in the depth of me or if it was the pain of mine that struck me like a speeding truck or maybe a disastrous wave of the sea that could crush everything down.

Are they going to listen to him?

The question rose inside me before I could even stop it and three of their gazes shot at me in instant as of they had already heard what I was thinking.

Of course, thoughts had gone loud enough for them to hear.

"Love, come here," Lucien motioned just hand towards me, surprising me with his action.

The flabbergasted look plastered on Fiona's face noticing Lucien's affectionate gaze at me.

I nervously bit my bottom lip, nervously wiped my hands beside my dress, and slowly walked toward him. The burning stare of Fiona and a pair of eyes that belonged to King Elijah looking at me with skepticism did not go unnoticed by me.

I stopped a few steps away from them but Archer slide his hand around my waist and pulled me all way till I was standing between them and their possessive hold finally solidified there.

"With due respect, your Majesty," Lucien spoke, " I'd like to inform you that we will never accept princess Fiona our mate either we will ever mark her because we already have found our mate who is a thousand percent better for this kingdom than someone we don't even know about."

Fiona's anger became too apparent and the fury glared through her cat-like eyes that expressed every bit of the emotions she was going through. The rage, the hatred as she looked at me, and then something else that remained a mystery to be solved but maybe not for today.

Something flickered in King Elijah's eyes upon his statement, I could not decipher the look on his face. The mere surprise did wash over his features but that soon went hidden underneath the question he asked the next moment.

"This girl is your mate?''

"Yes, she is our mate and she is the only one who will rule the kingdom beside us not someone you decide to choose for us," Archer informed, shortly glancing at Fiona who had her eyes on me in the way that could only be identified as filled with utmost hatred and somehow, jealousy.

"And how did you all she is perfect for the position of the queen? What's her clan, rank or is she even a royal?" King Elijah's voice turned edge higher, his doubts speaking loud through his words that laid in his question.

"We don't give a fuck about that, it does not matter where she belongs from nor what she is or her identity, we want her just the way she is and however our mate is, she is enough for us. There's not going to be any change in our decision, we are never going to give her place to someone else.'' Micheal spoke, loud and clear.

"I had thought you all have grown up smart enough to understand a strong partner for you is needed for the welfare of the kingdom but, unfortunately, you all are still the same as I had seen years ago.'' King Elijah's loud remark caused me to tighten my hold on Lucien's hand.

The situation was not getting any better, all I could sense was the rage that resided in every individual in the room but it was also true that this rage was not going to get anyone anywhere. Everything could worsen but not get better.

"Why did you even bother thinking about any welfare of us or our kingdom? You certainly do have an ego that makes you incapable of looking through anything or reconsidering your decisions and mistakes. You had disowned us years ago, didn't you?'' Micheal asked, the question coming so loud that every wall of the room got shaken.

"You all just remember that one mistake I did but disregard all the years of efforts of mine, how many times I sent my messages that I wanted all of you to come back to your home, how much I have tried inviting every one of you to the family occasions only to solve everything and even a few years back when I had almost arranged the coronation only because I wanted to hand over the position to you but you refused to come back.'' King Elijah's voice was even louder than Lucien's, his anger seemingly more intense than his sons.

"We are not dogs that could be thrown away like anytime and be brought back by putting out the greed of bread in front, you might think it is normal to banish your sons from your kingdom just because they are not willing to follow you like blind pups but we obviously believe such a person who can commit something like this does not deserve to be called as a father." Micheal spat.

This time the silence that stretched across the room was long and unpierceable.

My eyes feel on the anxious look of their mother then at the blank expression of King Elijah.

I did not want the situation worse than it already had gotten but at this point, it was not hard to tell that it was impossible to avoid. Grudges all of these vampires had stored for each other have made them incapable of seeing through these situations, they were not willing to listen to even a single word from each other.

And who could I blame?

Everyone here had a different side of the same story to tell.

"You all can't seem to look past the events that had gone by but no matter how much you deny it, I am still your father and always will be. The few mistakes I have made in a rage do not change the fact, and it's the damn truth!" Upon what king Elijah said, the hesitation could be spotted for once in all these times in the eyes of the three vampires beside me.

But they were quick to cover with a plain sheet of blank just like their father had been doing the whole time.

"Well....for once act like one and don't question our decision instead of supporting us.'' Archer finally uttered breaking the silence.

"What do you think? It makes me happy by having these arguments? It gives me some sort of satisfaction?'' King Elijah exclaimed, "You all know that behind all my success your mom has as many efforts as I have, the only reason our kingdom has prospered so much is that I have got a supportive and potential partner who had been equally involved in everything I did."

"How can you even judge Jasmine when you don't even know her? How can you think that she is not capable of not fulfilling the duties of a queen?!" Micheal questioned nearly in disbelief, aside from the rage the disbelieve had seeped there.

"It's, of course, obvious that she does not belong to a higher rank nor does she have royal blood in her that causes a significant lacking in the powers she has. She is not a good fit for a queen, she doesn't even smell like a.......''

My breathing got caught in my throat at the abrupt halt of his sentence, his stare harshly landed on me in an accusing way.

So he had figured it out....even if he hadn't he would in a few minutes.

I did not know what I was thinking or was I anyhow assumed could avoid the truth getting known but I did not want it to come to light in this way where everything is unsettled and everyone is seemed furious and out of patience.

"You are not a vampire...." King Elijah was not questioning me, he was stating the truth that was not meant to be found out at this moment of chaos and unsettlement.

"Are you a human?" He asked, the low tone of his did give away the signs of the upcoming storm after this.

I heaved out a small breath dryly licking over my lips as I struggled to gather words to answer him but saying something seemed like the hardest thing in the world and King Elijah's unnerving stare increased my difficulty even more.

I gulped thinking it'd magically help the dryness in my throat that felt dry as dessert and forced myself to say something but before any words could finally tear through my mouth Lucien spoke out.

"Yes, she is a human." He answered, his voice neither containing any sign of hesitation, nor reluctance.

And in the very next moment, the gaze of King Elijah morphed into glare full of fury that of course confirmed the arrival of the storm we could not but face.