Princess of Faerl

*Hephaestus*

I watched her leave the room after talking with her parents. I couldn’t help that my eyes followed her. I breathed in her scent as she left the room. I was lost in my thoughts for a few moments. Alke elbowed me and nodded towards the Queen and King.

“Can you tell me what is going on?” Belle asked me. She was a very kind and perceptive soul. Her mate was perceptive but not as kind. They complimented each other well. “I don’t see a fate bond between the two of you, so why are you so fixated on my child?” Her question was very pointed.

“Your Majesty, you do not see fate bonds. You see mate bonds. Fated mates, yes, but mate bonds created by Selene for her children. Fate bonds are created by Fate and Destiny, the God of Gods, long forgotten by the mortals of this world.” I took a deep breath, “Unless Fate and Destiny wanted you to see them, you would not be able to see the bonds they create. I am your child’s Fated, she is my Destined. I don’t know why, I don’t understand the logic of pairing a mortal with an immortal.” I put my head in my hands. I had no idea how to handle this.

“Are you not married to Aphrodite?” Alaric posed. He was not happy at all. “You can’t stay married to Aphrodite and be Fated to Elentari. Especially knowing that Aphrodite is part of all of the scheming behind Aranelda’s disappearance and the involvement of Lyssandra with Elentari.”

“I have not been married to Aphrodite for quite some time. Nineteen years, almost. She was a burden I was yoked with, in an attempt to punish her for what she did to me. I made her suffer. Nothing more, nothing less.” I greatly disliked that part of my life. She stole my Destined from me once. I was not about to let anything like that happen again. I also hoped that some of the smarter ones in the room were picking up on the hint that as soon as Elentari was conceived, that marriage was dissolved. “I didn’t plan this. I would never have known of your daughter if she hadn’t come to me for weapons. I wouldn’t have looked at her if it wasn’t for my aunt. I didn’t plan this.” We all sat in a bit of silence at that point. The fairy kids seemed wrapped up in their own discussion, as was the Prince with the Duke’s children and the other girl there. Dragon, I do believe.

“Are you going to honor the bond?” Alaric’s question cut like a hot knife. He had no idea how Fate bonds truly worked.

“Your Majesty, I cannot sever the bond. We would both die. Nor would I want to sever the bond. There is something that we are to accomplish, together, that no one else can. That’s the only reason why Fate and Destiny get involved. If they wanted, they could avoid all conflict and issues, snapping their fingers, and this entire world, along with every living soul, could be gone. Fate and Destiny could choose to save those that they wanted, or just get rid of them all. They are choosing right now to give a chance to this world. It somehow involves me. So I will do what I must. I just..” The words were stuck in my throat. I needed to make them come forth, “I don’t feel as if I’m worthy of someone so pure as your daughter. She deserves a knight in shining armor, which I am not.”

I heard Alaric sigh, his aura retracted a bit. The wolvampen King could rival the anger of the Titans when it came to his children. “That is exactly the type of man we want for our child. An honest, hardworking man that knows her worth and will work to earn her love and respect. You’ll have to explain the Fate bond to her though. She may not understand what she’s feeling as she has the same gift I do, to see the bonds. Not seeing one of you but feeling attached to you will confuse her.” Belle was almost too kind. They didn’t want me for their daughter. There’s no way.

“You don’t seem to understand. If I stay around, she won’t be able to find anyone else. Fate and Destiny tied us together, and she will always be bound to me. If I at least stay away for a little while, she can enjoy being your daughter longer, and adjust to her new life, without my interference and possessiveness.” My hands are shaking, the one holding the ring box is using it like a worry stone.

’Thank you, Hep.” I hear her voice in my mind. She’s praying to me? ‘I don’t know what I did right, but thank you for this priceless gift.’ She melted my stone heart with a few small words. A smile crept over my face.

Alke is staring at me. “Show them.” She stated commandingly. I glared at her, not wanting to give anyone any idea of what was in my pocket. She happened to come in as I finished packing up. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have known what it was either. My smile disappeared.

“It’s not time for that.” I snapped sternly, my aura now filling up the room. The entire place went dead quiet and you could hear a pin drop. Once I realized what I had done, I hung my head and retracted my anger. “Please don’t push me,” I asked.

“I am not pushing you, I’m encouraging you to be honest with them and yourself. If you show them now, you can avoid issues later.” She was a bit more gentle this time. I knew she was right, I just wasn’t ready. How did two mortal beings make me so nervous when they were more accepting of me than I was?

“What is Alke talking about?” Alaric wanted to know. I knew he did, but I wasn’t ready. Nothing would prepare me for this.

“I… I did one more thing for her.” I took a deep breath, pulling my hand out of my pocket, the ring box in my overly large palm. “I knew she was my Destined from the moment I looked at her. I did this when I made the weapons. I know it’s a mortal tradition of sorts that she would be more familiar with.” opened the box, letting her parents see the platinum band with the large diamond in the center. I almost couldn’t breathe.

“You… made her a wedding ring?” Belle asked me, tears almost lacing her eyes. I nodded as the words were stuck in my throat. At this time, the other teenagers snapped their heads toward us, the vamp witch’s eyes bulged while the boy that was just like her glared at me. Aranelda was shocked.

“Who’s getting married?” He almost shrieked the words. He looked like a male version of Elentari. I saw he was rather close to the witchy girl and the dragon girl. They must be a mated triad. Good for them.

“Apparently, Hephaestus is seeking your sister’s hand in marriage, and asking for permission.” Alaric gave a smirk to the man next to him. He stood up, almost as imposing as Alaric himself. I didn’t understand his possessive glare.

“You want to marry my Starlight?” He called her Starlight. Why was this older, mated, man calling Elentari by such an intimate name? Moreover, why wasn’t his mate, or Elentari’s parents reacting to this?

“I am Fated to Elentari and she is my Destined. I am not sure who she is to you, but Fate and Destiny bonds cannot be broken. So yes, I am giving you the courtesy of asking permission, of her parents, before I talk to her.” I glared back at him.

“The King and Queen entrusted her to me, to raise her as my own for the last eighteen years. She is just as much my daughter as theirs.” I was shocked by this revelation. I hadn’t thoroughly looked through Elentari’s background, but I didn’t realize she had been hidden away for so long. Things were now falling together.

“I apologize, I did not know. Now that I do, I await your answers. I cannot deny we will be together at some point, but I am trying to give as much time as is requested of me.” I sighed, resigned, all the possessiveness I felt towards the Duke dissipated.

“We have no right to interfere with the bonds of Fate and Destiny. Elentari is the one who gets to decide what she wants and when. If she asks you to wait for her, you wait for her to be ready. But it is all up to her, right gentlemen?” Belle breaks her silence. She seems to be the level-headed one out of all of them.

“Of course, my Queen. I would never do anything to harm her in any way.” I meant every word of that. I had no idea how I was going to navigate all this, but something had to give. “Pardon me, may I be allowed to go find her?” The dads seemed reluctant, but her mother nodded.

“Alke, I believe you know the way.” Belle brushed her hair behind her ear, setting her other hand on Alaric’s. The lady next to the Duke did a similar action. I was grateful for the females calming down their males.

I stood and nodded to them, “Thank you, Your Majesties, Your Graces.” I turned and waited for Alke to show me the way. Once we were out of the room and walking down a hallway, Alke let out a peal of laughter.

“Hap, what did you get yourself into?” She was highly amused by all of this.

“Just you wait and see, Alke. If Fate and Destiny get a hold of you, you won’t be laughing so loud, but I will.” I glared at her. She led me up the stairs and down a hallway.

“There’s a door with her name on it. You’ll be able to go in. She’s in the training room.” Her playful smile annoyed me. I walked forward to find the door. Even her name was beautiful. ‘Queen of the Stars’, I thought to myself, ‘Now we’ll see if you’ll agree to be the Queen of this useless god.’