A Queen Among Darkness: Chapter Sixty-One - Isolde

A Queen Among Darkness: Chapter Sixty-One - Isolde
I couldn’t sleep a wink. One would think now that I have nothing to fear or worry about that I should be able to slip into the best night’s sleep of my life. I suspect anyone who would think that has lived a very easy life. The fears that kept me up at night may be gone, but that defence inside me is still up. I spent all night watching Valeria sleep peacefully in my arms, terrified if I let my eyes close, I’d wake up only to find myself back in that cell awaiting my execution. I know everything is over and the truth is out there, and soon every makkari will know the truth, but it hasn’t sunk in as much as I thought it had. You don’t live in fear for two centuries and lose all those survival instincts in mere hours.

It wasn’t so bad though. Watching Valeria sleep, knowing she’s safe in my arms helped relax me, while simultaneously filling me with guilt. She won’t tell me just how much pain she’s in from my rejection, not that I blame her. She puts on such a brave face and it’s eating at me. The sooner I can mark her and repair our bond the better.

Valeria begins to stir in my arms and nuzzles her face between my breasts.

I snort with laughter, “Now I know you’re awake,” I say. She begins loudly snoring in response. With a smirk on my face, I guide my fingers down her back and glide them towards her ribcage where I then proceed to tickle her mercilessly. She squirms uncontrollably as the room is filled with the sounds of her laughter.

“I’m awake! I’m awake!” She cries.

I stop my assault on her ribs and brush the rogue hairs off her face. “Trying to bury yourself in my breasts?”

“They’re cosy,” she smiles cuddling up to me. I caress her hair and place a gentle kiss on her forehead as I hold her close. Why can’t we just stay like this forever? I’d be okay with that. “How long have you been awake?” She asks.

“A while,” I say evasively, but I must not have been successful because she’s now giving me a pointed look.

“How long is a while?”

I sigh, “I didn’t get any sleep.”

She frowns, “Why not? Is something wrong?” She asks with concern etched into her features.

“Nothing’s wrong, I just couldn’t relax. I… I was afraid if I closed my eyes, you’d disappear,” I confess, sadly.

Her face softens, “It’ll take time, you have a lot to process, and I’ll be here while you do,” she promises, tucking my hair behind my ear.

“I know, but I don’t want to think about it. How about I make us some breakfast instead?” I ask, hoping to change the subject.

“My stomach hasn’t woken up just yet, but I’ll come down with you,” she offers.

We both get up and make our way down to the kitchen hand in hand. Since I can no longer feel a single glimmer of her emotions, I feel like I need all the physical contact I can get. Once in the kitchen, I get to work on breakfast, making enough so Valeria can help herself to some later when she’s hungry. I’m just putting some bread in the toaster when I hear a knock at the door that causes me to shriek in fright. If I wasn’t awake before, I am now. Adrenaline is pumping through my body, and I instantly feel on edge. I can feel my magic running through my veins just ready to come to my defence.

“Maybe you should put that barrier up,” Valeria says sympathetically.

I shake my head, “I need to get used to it.”

“Not if it means you’re going to have a heart attack every time there’s a knock at the door,” she argues.

“I doubt I’ll be having that many guests in the future,” I argue back.

“You’re officially High Priestess now and all your people know it. They’ll be flocking to you for help non-stop, so yes, I think you can expect more guests in the future,” she says as she goes to answer the door.

I let out a deep sigh. She has a point. I’m their leader, naturally, they’ll come to me when in need. Not that anyone was there for me when I was in need… nope, we’re not welcoming negative thoughts like that. No, no, no.

“You’ve got a lot of fucking nerve coming here,” I hear Valeria’s threatening voice.

I dash to the front door to see her standing with her arms folded and a pissed-off expression on her face as she stares down one of the last people I expected to see.

“Arthwin?” I say in surprise.

He slowly takes his eyes off Valeria and looks over at me softly, “I’m sorry for just showing up, but I was hoping we could talk,” he says respectfully.

“Allow me to repeat myself, fuck off,” Valeria spits.

“I wasn’t addressing you,” Arthwin says curtly.

“How about I address your face with my fist?” She says, taking a threatening step forward.

I rush over and place my hands on her shoulders, “Honey, it’s okay, I’d like to hear what he has to say,” I gently say as I give her shoulders a comforting squeeze.

She looks at me incredulously, “You’re nearly having a panic attack every time there’s a knock at the door and yet you want to let in one of the people responsible for that reaction?”

“Val,” I sigh.

“Actually, that’s why I’m here. Not the panic attack part, though I’m sorry to hear that,” he says compassionately.

With a firm grip on Valeria’s shoulders, I back her up so Arthwin can enter. “Please have a seat,” I politely offer. With a gentle nod, Arthwin walks in and takes a seat in the living room. His long-sleeve black button-down and black slacks make him look right at home among the décor. Except for his vibrant red hair of course.

“Izzy, I don’t want him here,” she says, turning to face me with hard eyes.

“I understand and respect your feelings, but he and I need to talk, this is important,” I explain whilst shutting the door.

“He hunted you for centuries,” she reminds me. I look at her pointedly. “What?” She asks.

“Don’t you think you’re being hypocritical?”

“Do not compare us, we are not the same,” she says dismissively. Yeah, he didn’t go around killing innocent people. But I’m not stupid enough to say that out loud.

“You don’t have to be in the same room as him, but I’m going in there to talk to him,” I say as I make my way into the living room.

“As if I’m leaving you alone with him,” she calls out, following behind me. She positions herself against the mantle, keeping her eyes fixed on Arthwin. Not sure what she plans to do, it’s not like she’s carrying any weapons on her, she’s not even wearing underwear.

I sit down in my seat opposite Arthwin, “What brings you by?”

“Are you going to keep looking at me like that?” He questions Valeria, with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes. Are you going to poison my animai?” She snaps back.

His eyes narrow as he leans forward, “I had no hand in that. Neither my sister nor I were even aware that had even happened. I acknowledge there were a lot of things we weren’t aware of and I feel horrible about that, and my sister feels even worse.”

“Oh, I’m sure she’s just all broken up about it,” Valeria says mockingly, rolling her eyes.

“What the fuck would you know? How many of our kind have you brutally murdered in cold blood without provocation? My sister is currently back home utterly devastated believing she is the reason someone she deeply cared about is dead. Still feel like mocking me, do you?” He spits harshly.

Valeria goes rigid but says nothing. Not the first time we’ve been in this boat. Valeria sometimes speaks before she thinks, especially when it comes to me. She doesn’t mean to offend anyone, she’s just protective of me, though I can understand how it comes off to others. I reach out and squeeze her hand reassuringly, knowing she’s probably feeling some guilt over her remark.

“Aulen blames herself for what happened to Nuray,” I surmise.

Arthwin takes a deep breath and looks at me giving me a nod, “They weren’t in a relationship, but they had been intimate for many years and were very close. Aulen always said it wasn’t love, just friends with benefits, but I always suspected that maybe her feelings were a little stronger. She was heartbroken the day Nuray died, and for her to feel like it was her fault is eating away at her,” he says sadly.

“Aulen is no more responsible for my aunt’s actions than I am,” I assure him.

“You try telling her that. Aulen and I were the only makkares to know of the Orraikam’s resting place. If Aulen had never told Manon, she never would have attacked and Nuray would still be alive,” he says, closing his eyes remorsefully.

“That bitch was after that thing for centuries, nothing was going to stop her, and I’m sure she’d have found a way to use you both one way or another, it was only a matter of time,” Valeria says offhandedly.

I give her a soft smile knowing this is her way of playing nice. “Valeria is right, Manon’s tenacity spanned centuries, nothing was going to get in her way, even her own animai,” I sigh sadly. Valeria moves closer wrapping her arm around my shoulders and I take comfort in her touch.

“I’m sorry we didn’t do our duty better. We were chosen to be the representatives of our people and to aid the Delegation, and instead, we added a psychopath in her plot for world domination,” he says bitterly, clenching his fists on his knees, “I’m sorry we didn’t listen to you, and I’m sorry we didn’t try harder to get to the bottom of everything. We should have realised it was impossible for a High Priest or Priestess to be so evil and vindictive. The Goddess only ever chooses pure beings, and I remember the day we celebrated your birth. We could all tell even then how bright your light was. We should have questioned the accusations more. That bitch had us all fooled,” he spits.

“Back up the truck, did you just say you were there when Isolde was born?” Valeria asks.

“Both Arthwin and Aulen came with the Delegation to celebrate my birth,” I smile warmly.

“You remember?!” She shrieks.

I chuckle, “No, of course, I don’t remember. My mother loved to tell the story of my birth and tell me about all the people who came to welcome me,” I smile fondly, thinking back to my mother’s stories. She was so proud and was just a little smug about being the mother of a High Priestess.

“Oh. Right,” she nods, settling down as she turns back to Arthwin, “So then how old are you exactly?”

“Four hundred and seven,” he says nonchalantly.

“What?!” She shrieks, “Don’t any of you fucking age?”

I chuckle, “We do, just very slowly,” I say, kissing her hand.

“You supernaturals give cradle snatching a whole new meaning,” she says, shaking her head.

“Point is, I came to apologise and make sure you know that I am at your service whenever and however you need,” says Arthwin, “As is my sister, if I can ever get her to snap out of this.”

“She has to grieve in her own time. She’ll come around when she’s ready,” I say gently, as he nods.

“Actually, I wanted to make an offer,” he says tentatively.

“Oh?” I ask curiously.

“By all means, have your guard dog tell me to fuck off, but I heard you mention rejection at the Kartheca,” he says carefully, making me wince.

“That’s none of your business,” Valeria hisses.

“I know it’s not. Gods, do you have to snap at everything?” He asks in exasperation.

“Yes, I do, what’s your point?”

“My point was, I know the only way to repair that is through marking, and I can see you haven’t done that yet, so I wanted to ask if you would allow me the honour of throwing you a marking ceremony,” he offers with a kind smile.

Valeria stares at him in stunned silence, and even my eyebrows shoot up. I was not expecting that.

“Why?” I slowly ask.

“I know you have no family, Isolde, and I get the strong sense Valeria’s family would not be in attendance either. You two shouldn’t be denied a beautiful experience, and you’re our High Priestess, I think the least your people can do for you, is give you a night of joy and acceptance to begin our atonement for abandoning you. I know many will agree with me. If you would let us, your people would like to act as both of your families and stand beside you as you take that step,” he says, his voice and face full of sincerity.

Tears fill my eyes as I reflect on his offer. It pains me deeply to know my family won’t be present for our marking ceremony but to be able to claim Valeria as mine in front of my people. To be given the chance to see them embrace her as my other half and acknowledge her as someone to be respected among our kind would mean everything to me. I want the world to know Valeria is mine, and what better way than to be surrounded by my people?

“Val? What do you think?” I ask gently. If she doesn’t want it, then it’s a no. I won’t make her do anything she’s not comfortable with.

“Let me just clear something up, if you planned our marking ceremony, then that would mean everyone would have to accept and acknowledge that I’m her animai, right?” She asks.

He nods, “Of course.”

“And that means every single makkari would know she’s off the market and to keep their glowing hands off her, right?”

He smirks, “Precisely.”

“Perfect! In that case, I’m in,” she smiles, acting upbeat, “But no magic.”

“Huh? You know the ceremony involves magic, right?” He asks in confusion.

“Thank you, Tweedledum, I’m aware. I just mean, no magic is to be used in the planning of the ceremony. Valeria and I agreed to do this the human way,” she nods firmly.

His eyes widen in surprise, “Really?”

I nod, “I’m perfectly fine with it. She’s already a human participating in a makkari ceremony, at least this way there’s a little bit more of her ways included. It might seem silly, but it’s what we want,” I say, taking her hand and lightly kissing the back of her hand and her palm. Her defensive posture immediately relaxes, and she gives me her radiant smile.

Arthwin raises his hands in surrender, “Whatever our leaders want, consider it done.”