Queen of Blood
Chapter 13

Dinner in the House of the Order wasn’t the most comfortable experience, so she decided to help clean up and wait until everyone was asleep to cross the door and go by the lake.

“Don’t see it,” Lara was waiting for her outside, by the door, with a worried expression on her eyes. Completely different to the fiery eyes she had earlier that day.

“I want to,” Arline began heading to her destination and Lara followed her.

“You are in a dangerous position with the Council, why worsen it?”

“They want me dead, and Merrick.”

“And I don’t want to lose either of you.”

“Do you want me to push him away?”

“I can’t do anything about fated soulmates, Arline. Merrick and you are meant to be together and are bonded by love and power.” They were already inside the forest and walking by the edge of the lake.

The Huntresses continued their path until they saw the King and Zeroun, and right next to the a small figure contrasted with their soldier physique. Arline couldn’t understand how Pauline could be involved in this.

Merrick grabbed her hand and guided her in front of the old lady who greeted her with a reverence. “Hello my dear, it’s been a long time,” Arline couldn’t help but smile at the old lady.

“Hello Pauline, I have missed you,” she confessed with relieved shoulders. “But what are you doing here?”

“Pauline is one of the few people blessed with the oracle gift,” Merrick explained for her. “She will show you the prophecy.” And while they prepared the rest, Merrick took Arline away.“Are you sure you want to do it? One word and -”

“You don’t want me to,” Arline realized, looking into his preoccupied eyes.

“I am tired of seeing you in pain, Arline,” Merrick confessed.

“I’m sure,” she decided and he sighed, kissing her one last time before they headed to the shore.

“This won’t be pleasant, my dear,” Pauline warned her but Arline didn’t flinch, she had her mind made up. On the other hand, Merrick was dying to step in and stop her.

The Huntress and the Oracle stepped inside the water until it soaked half of their bodies, and Pauline grabbed the top of Arline’s head and pushed her down, letting her sink and wait for the bubbles to stop coming out.

She opened her eyes and could only see pitch black until her view cleared and could determine she was in the Room in the High Council. Everyone present seemed younger. Cadel had a darker shade of brown on his beard and more restful eyes, Tua Nui’s eyes shone brighter than ever and even Ruang Sak’s posture was straighter than now.

There was a murmur that filled the echoing room that was impossible to understand, but silence invaded everyone when the hit of the crystal orb against the marble table echoed in the black room.

“The young Son of Reiska signifies a major threat for this Council,” Ruang Sak opened the meeting a little bit roughly Arline thought.

“The Young Prince, Heir to the Throne, is barely a new born Ruang Sak,” Cadel interrupted and corrected the Holy Messenger. “What sort of threat could a baby signify for the Council?” The King of Reiska almost chuckled at the nonsense.

“It is the power your son holds that is threatening,” Ruang Sak fired back.

“It is a family thing, your Holiness.” When Arline heard Cadel speaking like that, she would’ve sworn it was Merrick talking back sarcastically to the Holy Messenger. “The first born sons of my family all hold the power of light within us, I don’t recall you making such a fuss when I was born.”

“The birth of Prince Merrick signifies the birth of a Child of Pelagius,” Ruang Sak reminded the King of a very unusualcurse that was held with the birth of their kind. “The snake has professed it,” he hissed.

“Always trying to eliminate whatever you consider a threat, Ruang Sak,” Tua Nui said gloomy from a distance. “This Council has its days counted and assassinating a pair of children is not going to save it from its doom,” Tua Nui and Cadel Dortamus shared looks of complicity between them. Their kingdoms had been allies for longer that their lives.

“All of you Children of the Waters are always so… untamed,” Ruang Sak said out loud and his snake crawled around the table, hissing at those present, and stayed immobile in the middle of the table, looking at its master.

The coral snake curled in itself and opened its jaws so wide it looked like an opened book. From it, a lightened orb elevated through the air and showed different pictures and time frames. It showed the mountains, Merrick and Larsin, battles and fights, Pelagius in his fortitude, even Arline and a succession of events she couldn’t believe possible because she took part in most of them. It showed everything that had happened and what was about to happen. Death, destruction and catastrophe but at the same time there was light and life within chaos.

When the prophecy ended, the light sphere went back to the throat of the snake and the creature crawled back to its master, slipping inside his robes.

Despite what they have seen, the majority of the members of the Council voted to keep the future King of Reiska safe from dangers until he could come of age to assume his royal duties. There were those who disagreed and were the natural enemies of the kingdom of the mountains but those who chose to help to preserve the safety of Merrick Dortamus knew well enough no one in that Royal Bloodline had ever gone mad, at least not the first borns.

Knowing that, Cadel travelled back to Reiska thanking everyone who chose to help him and his Heir.

The vision shifted to a nursery where Queen Merlina was standing in front of a window. In her arms she was holding a baby who was quietly sleeping wrapped around some wool and laced blankets.

Her eyes were lost, with no emotion other than rage showed on them and her lips were pursed, almost as if she was holding in a scream. The Queen’s head was all over the place and handled her new born son to rest in the arms of the nurse standing by her side, who took in the baby and gently started to caress his features.

Merlina headed straight to the desk where she took ink and paper and began writing a letter directed to the Holy Messenger. She was asking for forgiveness and to act upon the disgrace of the son she had just given birth to. Queen Merlina was known to be extremely superstitious, and the birth of the Son of Light was not always a sign of good luck.

It is said that Heirs of Hazavana, Goddess of Light, bring disgraces to their families and kingdoms. That was the reason that the High Council wanted to exterminate them for centuries until the Kingdom of Reiska were the only ones who had their rulers with the gift.

Only then, Arline understood that Merlina had allowed Merrick’s murder attempts throughout his entire life. That is when she connected the dots on why he had spent most of his teenage years in Pozarite, hiding from her and the Council. She understood why Merrick didn’t like his mother in the slightest and why he wasn’t surprised when he found out Merlina had been responsible for Arline’s poisoning back in the Anniversary Ball.

Everything went back to black and her lungs stopped receiving air and began filling with water. Desperately, Arline fought against Pauline’s force and went above the surface, spitting water until air passed through her easily. But as soon as she made up Merrick’s silhouette on the shore, Arline’s mind shut down and fell on Pauline’s arms.

“She will be fine, your Majesty,” the old lady ensured him while he stepped inside the lake to pull her out of it. “She is a strong guardian.”

“She is too stubborn,” Merrick added as he walked out of the lake, easily carrying her in his arms.

“Where are you taking her?” Zeroun inquired him as he followed the king.

“Back to the castle,” he answered, without looking at his path, only looking at her. “I will have to explain certain things to her when she wakes up.”

Once back, Arline stayed on the King’s Chambers, taken care by Casia under the constant shifts of Pauline. But Arline didn’t need to be taken care of. Her health as well as her powers were perfect.

Merrick spent what was left of the night in his old bedroom. He felt at ease knowing Arline was resting just a few meters away.