79__Towels and tea

Natalia’s heart thumped with excitement as she stood side-by-side with Aspen, about to receive the gem she needed for Amie’s healing. Eagerly, she watched Reagan walk towards them with a smile, a promising little velvet box in his hands. Her gaze went to the handsome face of the big, frowning man walking in front of Reagan and she gulped.

Yup. The aura was unmistakable, as were his dark royal garments. That was definitely King Rogan, Reagan’s father.

When they were close enough, Aspen bowed. “Greetings, King of Cassius. Prince Aspen of Edon.”

King Rogan raised a brow at him, murmuring in a dark voice. “Aspen of Edon...”

Flustered, Natalia hurried to copy the greeting. “Er… Princess Natalia of Gadon!”

She did a bow as well, nervous as it was their first time meeting Reagan’s famous father.

“Hm,” said King Rogan, his frown never leaving his face as he studied them. “Natalia of Gadon. The Claws and the Vikings.”

Pursing her lips, Natalia nodded. Edon Vamps were known for the long, black claws they fought with and Gadon Vamps… well, they were known for having Viking heritage.

“Your father’s still alive?” asked King Rogan, his dark eyes going to Aspen.

Aspen blinked. “Ah… yes, Sir.”

“What a pity.”

“Pardon?” said Aspen.

The King of Cassius made a face of distaste and Natalia immediately decided she liked him. It was indeed a pity that the king of Edon was still alive.

So what if King Rogan had been away in an unknown portal for nearly two weeks and she hadn’t been able to do anything except wait for him? The wait was worth it and now she could finally be on her way home.

King Rogan shook his head at Aspen. “That the old man still breathes is a curse upon the world.”

“Father,” said Reagan from the corner of his mouth, smiling tightly at Aspen and Natalia.

Rogan glanced back at his son and remembered. “Oh, yes.” Raising one hand, he gestured and Reagan stepped forward, handing him the box.

Natalia waited eagerly as King Rogan opened the velvet box and then handed it out to her. “Here. Keep your payment. Your father’s entire sword collection couldn’t pay for such a strong spell.”

“Thank you so much,” Natalia whispered, reaching out with both hands to take the velvet box. She stared down at the glowing gem inside it, her heart beating even faster in her chest. This was really happening. “Thank you so much, King Rogan! I owe my life to you!”

King Rogan exhaled heavily. “Not a good idea, child. A Vampire Sorcerer like me always comes for such debts. Keep your life and take the gem home to your sister.”

Reagan stepped forward again. “With this.”

He held up a little glass vial that his father took and handed out to Natalia. “A potion to strengthen the gem even more. Use them both and she shouldn’t need another healing stone for the rest of her life.”

Natalia’s hands shook as she carefully took the little glass vial. “Thank you so much, I… I don’t know what to say.”

The Vampire Sorcerer King only smiled at her in a way that looked oddly sarcastic. It was her he should thank, thought Rogan. Nobody knew that doing such good deeds scored him big points with his Queen! They thought it was out of the goodness of his heart, what a joke!

Clearing his throat, he silenced his thoughts and nodded at the three. “Be on your way now, kids, I have points to redeem— I mean… I have potions to perfect.”

Sweeping aside his dark Sorcerer’s cloak, he turned on his heel and stalked away.

Natalia watched him go with the velvet box and the glass vial clutched in her hands. “What a hero!” she said tearfully.

Reagan laughed nervously. “Yeah, don’t let him hear that, he’d take great offense.”

Aspen looked at her. “You’ve got to go. We’ve been away for two weeks already.”

“Right!” She gasped, looking at her friends. “Okay, you guys have fun, I’ll ride back to Gadon. I need to leave immediately!”

“See you around, Princess Talia!” Reagan called as she ran out of his father’s throne room.

Natalia couldn’t stop smiling as she ran. The servants had already prepared her horse as Aspen had told them she’d be leaving today.

She couldn’t wait to get home with Amie’s gem! Finally, her sister would be okay, she’d be healthy, she would live. The very thought of seeing Amie going shopping with Jade and Milana, trying on clothes, and laughing happily as she walked about outside made Natalia’s vision blur with tears. She would make it a surprise!

Her family was surely waiting for her with bated breath. She would sneak into Amie’s room and give her both the potion and the gemstone.

She couldn’t wait to see the look on her mother’s face when she came downstairs hand-in-hand with a perfectly healed Amethyst. It would be the best thing to ever happen in their home for sure.

Then, right after, she would find a new place for her sisters to live. Finally. It was all coming together.

***********

“Get towels!” ordered the Queen of Gadon to her handmaidens.

Before the Alpha on her doorstep could say a word, small but strong hands grabbed the lapels of his jacket and hurled him inside. “Good God! In this weather!”

Raiden was flabbergasted, unable to get a single word in as he was ushered inside by the dainty lady.

“What’s going on?” asked Jade, rushing down the stairs.

“Get water boiling for tea!” ordered the Queen as servants rushed about to do her bidding.

“Alpha Raiden!” gasped Milana as she came downstairs.

“This is awful!” said the Queen, leading Raiden to a large chair by the fireplace. “He’s soaked through!”

Raiden saw the perfect chair she was leading his dripping self to and tensed his body away, not wanting to wet the sofa. “I shouldn’t sit—"

Two strong hands held his shoulders and Raiden was stuffed into the chair.

Stunned, he stared at Natalia’s mother in shock. Had she just handled him?

“Towels, towels, towels!” she said, grabbing a bunch as the servants handed them to her.

“I— I’m quite alright, your Majesty,” murmured Raiden.

“He’ll catch a cold!” fretted Milana.

Quickly she and her mother covered him in towels, the Queen taking the responsibility of fussing the towel through his hair until Raiden felt like his scalp was on fire.

“I must ask for Natal—”

“Jade, put more logs in the fire!” ordered the Queen.

Jade heaved more wood into the fire until it grew, blazing into the chimney.

“This won’t do, Alpha Raiden,” said Milana. “You’ll definitely catch a cold at this rate.”

“Why on earth would you try to brave a Gadon storm, child?” asked Monica worriedly. “It’s pouring waterfalls out there, we Vamps are cold-blooded, but you’re a wolf. You’ll be sick to death!”

Raiden looked back and forth between them, not knowing what to say. It had been about thirty years since someone had scolded him for getting wet in the rain. Thirty years since anyone had cared about such a tiny detail…

Where was Natalia?

He cleared his throat as her mother finally stopped rubbing the water out of his hair.

Taking the chance, he looked up at her. “I’ve come to see Natalia—”

“Did she make you come over in this weather?” asked Monica with a gasp. “She must have been joking! No one with a heart and from Gadon would make anyone brave one of our storms.”

“That would be cruel, to say the least,” said Jade, heaving wood into the fire.

Raiden shook his head. “You don’t understand. I heard she might be in d—”

“Not another word,” said the Queen.

Raiden pressed his lips together, staring at her with a quizzical frown.

“Not until you’ve changed! It shall not be on my conscience to have allowed the King of Zaire to die of a cold, Natalia would murder us all.”

Raiden was genuinely puzzled. It was very much impossible for him to die from a cold.

A stack of clothing was suddenly shoved into his arms and he was tugged to his feet by multiple little hands.

“Go on,” ushered the Queen, waving him away to follow the male servants.

Releasing a sigh, he quickly went after them. As soon as he’d changed into the dry, warm clothing, he reappeared, determined to get some answers. The fact that Natalia was nowhere to be seen was only further fuelling his fears.

He found the three waiting for him by the fireplace.

“Queen Monica, I’m afraid, I haven’t come for pleasantries,” Raiden began as all three of them stood to face him.

Their mother held out a big mug of steaming hot tea. “Why not? Is something wrong?”

Raiden looked at them with a frown, not taking the tea. “Natalia. Where is she?”

“Talia?” said Monica.

“Cassius,” said Jade. “She should be on her way.”

Raiden looked at her with a frown. “Cassius? She’s in Cassius? Were there no problems on the way to Cassius? It’s come to my attention that she was under attack.”

The three ladies blinked at him. Raiden raised a brow. They didn’t seem as alarmed as he felt they should.

“Whoever would say that?” asked the Queen.

“She’s perfectly fine, she went with Aspen and is on her way home now,” added Milana.

Raiden’s frown darkened. She went with Aspen? And she was on her way home??

What? What about the attack from the Fallen Alphas?

He lowered his gaze, teeth slowly clenching in his mouth.

*Cyrus!!*

Monica smiled. “Oh, how romantic. You thought your beloved was in danger and came right away, under the pouring rain too.”

Milana matched her smile, cooing and giggling. Raiden shuffled his feet, scratching the back of his neck.

This was bad. He had to get out of here. If Cyrus had been lying and Natalia was on her way home as they said she was, she would find him here, invading her space when he’d sworn not to.

She would be completely put off by his sudden presence. He had to leave.

“Sit right here and have tea,” invited Milana. “You can wait for Talia to return, you cannot go home in this pouring rain.”

“You can’t transport yourself like we can, so you’ll get wet,” Jade informed him.

Raiden looked at their welcoming faces and lowered his gaze. “I apologize for appearing in your home so late and without invitation. I really must leave immediately.”

The Queen’s face fell, her eyes filling with sadness. “Oh, come now. How unkind of you. What is it? Is it because of… the last time you were here?”

It took Raiden a moment to understand. When he did, he shook his head. “No, of course not, I would never hold such a thing to heart.”

“If it’s that, then I must apologize that you had to see that. We aren’t usually that way and shouldn’t have forgotten our manners before you, it was shameless.”

“Please, don’t apologize,” Raiden said, shaking his head. “Nothing would be more unjust in this world than for you to apologize to me. Please, do not.”

“What is it, then?” asked the Queen. “Why won’t you stay? Here’s some hot tea for you.”

Milana and Jade exchanged looks, staring at him with wide eyes.

Raiden felt like a horrible bastard, his heart crushing in his chest. Natalia’s family was a treasure. He understood now why she would go to great lengths for them. “Thank you so much…” he said quietly. “For the tea. I should leave, I really should.”

“But why?” asked Monica.

Milana’s eyes narrowed. “Are you and Natalia really over?”

Her mother’s eyes went wide. “What? Over?! As in… separated? No longer together?!”

Raiden quietly exhaled. She hadn’t told them yet. She hadn’t told them what had happened.

Slowly meeting her mother’s gaze, Raiden nodded even as his heart slowly crushed to pieces in his chest. “Yes. We’re… we’re separated. It’s my fault. I’ll… I’ll tell you everything.