SWNOVELS Chapter 27
"Aqila, if it is true what Erik says than we need to start trusting each other. We need to open up, and I have the perfect thing that will aid us, wine." I took a swig of the bottle and offered it to Aqila.
Aqila rolled her eyes, there was a little resistance but I put on my best puppy, innocent eyes and she took a swig.
I felt a little more relaxed, I invited her to join me on my bed. She awkwardly sat next to me, I knew she felt uncomfortable. But I knew it was not because she didn't like my presence it was because she liked my presence too much. I wondered if her feelings had changed towards me since that night she got drunk and said she loved me. I'm guessing after tonight I would know for sure.
"Okay, we'll start small. I will tell you a truth about me, then you will tell me a truth about you, clear?"
She nodded, I started with something small, but I knew it was something that she would feel comfortable opening up to me.
"Uncle Stefan, is not actually my uncle. He is my father's lover, and has been ever since I was 6 months old."
Aqila took a swig from the bottle before replying.
"I am like your father, but I will only take a lover if she's another woman. I'm not attracted to men."
I smiled, she was finally letting me in.
"Zac, my ex-boyfriend is not a male...yet. He is trying to change to a man by acquiring the services of a special witch who can brew a potion that will permanently make him male. They've had little success and what success they've had is only temporary."
Aqila smiled and rested her hand on my knee.
"The girl that I told you about..The one that Erik fucked over so badly that she had to leave the academy, I loved her. I thought she loved me, but she thought she loved Erik more and pursued him. She was my first crush, and the first girl I kissed."
Aqila' s eyes reflected sadness. I wanted to hug her, but Aqila was not a very affectionate person. All the emotions she felt, she kept inside, she hardly ever expressed them externally in physical contact such as a hug.
" My Father, King Luca did not sire me. His blood does not run through my veins. I am the fruit of a union between my mother and a royal guard called Tristan. My Father trusted them, he trusted Tristan with his life and he trusted my mother but they both betrayed him.
On the night of my conception Tristan my true sire died. So, in reality Aqila I am a bastard. Even knowing all this King Luca declared me and my brother born of his blood and royal heirs to the throne."
Aqila sat beside me in a shocked silence and sighed,
"My Father was a sailor and would be away from my mother and me a lot. When I was eight, I heard my mother sobbing softly as she was tending our vegetable patch. I ran over to her and gave her a hug. I thought she was missing my father, so I told her Daddy would be back soon. This made her cry even more. This was the day I found out that my Father wasn't coming back, ever, he abandoned us.
When I was 14, my mother finally told me that my Father had two families. When he was away from us, he'd be with them and vice versa. In the end he chose them, my mother and I weren't good enough for him. He left my mother, a very poorly educated woman who could barely read because her parent's never taught her...The reasoning behind it, was because she was female.
He left her to fend for herself, not one bit of help. He didn't even send her money to help feed and clothe me, his only daughter, his own flesh and blood. It seemed he'd prefered us to be homeless or dead.
I guess it was easier to forget us, forget our existence so he could carry on with his other life. In his other life he had two son's and wife who was better educated and a lot more wealthier than my mother.
Even now, I have so much resentment towards him, so much hurt, and so many unanswered questions. Can you believe I actually tried to get in contact with that piece of shit? I got so close, but in the end I never did get in contact with him."
My heart broke for Aqila.
"How did your mother manage? What did she do to earn money?"
Aqila sighed again,
"What do you think a poorly educated, desperate woman who would do anything to feed and clothe her child could do? She participated in the oldest profession known to man...prostitution. All because her husband abandoned her and left her with an eight year old child to look after.
She worked in prostitution for three years, until a kind old man found me, dressed in tattered old clothes waiting for her at the front of the brothel. He asked me where my mother was, I told him and I told him that my Father was a sailor and how he left us and never returned. The man felt pity, and waited with me until my mother returned. He offered her a job as a maid at his manor, he was very wealthy. He had a wife but they couldn't have children.
He wanted me to be educated and have a better life, he treated me just like a daughter, with love and respect. He didn't want to see me working in a brothel like my mother, so he paid for private tutors and we lived with them. Soon I could read better than my mother.
I remained with them until I started at the academy. Since I've been here, my mother has been quite sick and is unable to visit me. The kind people who took us in are getting quite old. They can walk around and have not gone senile, but it would be too exhausting for them to visit me.
My mother does the best she can to look after them, but with her sickness she struggles. The doctor believes she has "the pox" or also known as Syphilis, which he believes she caught from one of her customers at the brothel."
I knew that now would be the time to tell Aqila everything. I took in a deep breath
" My true Sire, Sir Tristan was murdered by my own mother to keep their affair secret. As it turns out Sir Tristan was a Conri."
Aqila gasped,
"Sir Tristan was a werewolf?"
I sat with my mouth agape in pure shock,
"H-h-how did you know? I didnt even know he was a direct descedent of a well known werewolf bloodline, until recently." I stuttered still reeling from shock.
Aqila continued,
"The Conri's are an ancient bloodline that ruled the collective werewolf clans for hundreds of years. I learnt about them from one of my tutors. He had an insane knowledge of the history of various types of supernatural beings. Werewolves were his favourite, followed closely by white wolf warrior's or shapeshifters and thirdly the vampire's."
Her face beamed and she couldn't stop smiling.
"I can't believe I've shared a room with an actual descendent of the Conri's, all this time. One of the oldest bloodlines in werewolf history. I'm in awe Princess. Do the Conri's know about you?"
My face burnt like fire
"No, not yet. But they will soon."
"I hope they'll accept you. You would only be halfling or half-blood. I'm guessing your Mum wasn't a werewolf." She replied.
"Yes, my mother is all human." A feeling of dread stirred within
"Why would they not accept me, Aqila? What happens if they don't?" I questioned her, concerned.
"Well, hopefully nothing will happen, times are a lot different now. But the werewolves as a whole, are not very accepting of human's, let alone outsiders, which you are, even if Conri blood runs through your veins. I'm guessing you know what the human's did to them?"
I nodded,
" Yes, they nearly hunted them into extinction even worse than the vampires, because they refused to cooperate with them."
"So you can kind of understand what I mean? They may not be very accepting of you, because one of their male heir's mated with a human and you're the result of that.
They will see you as the sole cause of their bloodline ( a very ancient , and pure bloodline) now polluted by human blood. It's the worst thing a werewolf can do, it's forbidden. Or on the other hand they could see it as a way to prevent extinction and to stop the inbreeding of the Werewolf race by introducing human blood into their lines. We will have to wait and see Princess." Aqila said, her voice becoming more slurred with every swig of wine she took.
"There's just one more thing I wish to ask of you Aqila." I said, trying to get the words past the lump now forming in my throat.
She looked at me, her eyes were bloodshot, she was tired and drunk, but I had to know. I was struggling to get the words out of my mouth.
"Go ahead Princess." Aqila whispered, it seemed she already knew what I was going to ask.
"Do you love me, Aqila?" I felt a wave of relief wash over me, it was done, finally.
Aqila stared at the ground, she was trying to choose between lieing to me or telling me the truth.
She sighed, she had made a decision
"Yes, princess, I think I do."
I wasn't prepared for her to be as truthful as she was, so I couldn't reply straight away. Before I could get my thoughts together to form words. Aqila stood from my bed, swayed a bit and whispered,
"Now you know, Princess..."
She paused and then continued
"I've drank too much wine tonight. I need to sleep it off. Goodnight Princess."
She pulled the curtain roughly across our room and left me sitting on my bed, alone. I was confused, flattered, relieved, and scared all at once. I gingerly removed my clothes and crawled into bed. Another day and then Aqila and I would be partnered.