Queen of Blood

Her senses awoke when she felt her hair being moved away from her face. Arline woke up, almost jumping from her sided position and was about to grab the wrist of the King when he stopped her. His dark eyes looking at her softly and a side smile forming on his face.

“Good morning,” his sweet voice greeted her, caressing her cheek and kissing her forehead.

“Good morning,” she said back trying to calm her breathing while focusing on the room. Arline quickly figured she had spent the night in the castle, but she didn’t recognize the room in which she was staying. “Where am I?”

“The King’s Chambers,” Merrick simply responded and she looked around. “How do you feel?”

“I am alright, it felt like a dream,” she explained and he nodded, with lost eyes that made Arline remember Merlina’s gaze. “How are you feeling?” She asked him to catch his attention.

“I am worried about you, nothing more.”

“You don’t have to be,” she faced Merrick and held his hands.“Why did Tua Nui assumed the doom of the High Council?” Arline was hesitant to ask after a moment of silence. She had a confused tone on her voice when she did.

“You and I were born and shaped to do it.” He simply responded as he played with her hands. “We are meant to destroy it.”

Before she asked him, she stayed silent. Nervous to ask the question and nervous for the answer that could come out of his lips. “Do you really love me or are you following the prophecy?” That question came out colder than she wanted, causing Merrick to make her look at him, as he held a serious expression on his face.

“We were never meant to survive what we have been through, Arline,” Merrick began “and I never believed in prophecies but the moment I saw you, I knew I couldn’t let you be near him. I wanted to keep you hidden from everyone.”

“I can’t believe they tried to kill you,” she confessed and he only shrugged.

“Merlina suggested the idea, because having a child and the Heir of the Kingdom bare such power was a disgrace of nature.” Merrick never once looked at Arline while telling her this, almost feeling ashamed. And Arline felt a wave of hate and wanted to execute the Queen instantly. “Father stopped her and protected me as much as he could but when Larsin was born, her attempts to get rid of me grew.”

“Merrick-”

“So I was sent to Pozarite and stayed there until I turned twenty.” He finished. “I don’t want you to feel sorry for me, darling.”

“They tried to kill you.” She reminded him. “As a baby. With the consent of your mother.”

“I am who I am because of it.”

“You didn’t deserve any of it,” she wanted to yell at him and remind him that he was just a baby when it happened.

“Arline, I don’t care anymore.” Only then he lifted his eyes to meet hers. “I do care about the fact they have cursed you with an ancient spirit and want you dead as well.”

“Do you care about yourself?”

“I care about who I love, which I have to remind you is you.” He responded in a heartbeat.

“I hate you for being so controlled.” She said leaving his side.“Aidan is right, you could kill them all and you stand still.”

Merrick smirked at her rage, with a mix of pride and admiration. “Oh my love, I will kill them eventually, I just need to strike on the right time,” he said approaching her side and hugging her waist.

“I want to be there when you do.”

“You will help me do it as they professed.” Merrick couldn’t help himself and softly kissed her as if she was made of thin ice, that could break at the slightest pressure.

The sun was already out for everyone in the castle but Merrick continued by her side which was unlike him. Casia entered the room one last time to check on her and Pauline came in carrying a trail with their breakfast.

Arline couldn’t lie that she missed the attention of the castle sometimes. Their commodities and the tranquility each room had.

“Shouldn’t you be having a council meeting?” Arline softly asked him before sipping from her porcelain cup, without taking her brown eyes from him.

“They can handle.” He simply responded in a low tone.

“You are the King, I don’t know if you remember.” She thought for herself.

“I don’t know if you remember that, right now, your well-being is my priority.” He answered back very quickly with a side smile and shining eyes. “The seamstress will come in the afternoon,” at Arline’s confused expression, he clarified. “I arranged a dress for the execution.”

To her, the idea of having a dress tailored for a death filled event made her conscience heavy and more so as she remembered she was going to be the one of the stage, yielding the sword.

“I am not ready,” Arline whispered, lowering whatever she was about to put on her mouth to eat. Her stomach suddenly closed and felt heavy.

“Consider it a task, the one that frees you from the curse… I will be there if you need me,” he said to her as he took a seat right by her side and pulled her into a hug. But Arline searched for his hand to feel him, and the voice of the Queen began singing in the back of her head again, a little bit louder than usual.

“She is talking to me, Merrick,” Arline whispered for him to know, desperately trying to hide the pain in her voice.

“I won’t leave you, Arline,” he held her hand a little bit tighter and caressed it, in hopes that could help fade away the pain as he consumed part of it.

The King spent the entire morning with her. Talking about their pasts, comparing their worlds, how they used to live. Arline needed any kind of distraction and he wanted to know everything about her.

“Everything that has happened until now is out of a fantasy book.” Arline said distantly, looking at the chandelier with her back against the mattress.

“Fantasy means is not real.” He exposed. “How do you find this fantasy world?” Merrick asked and he kissed her making Arline giggle, allowing a pink blush to invade her cheeks slightly.

“Well, in my world dragons and magic are not real.” Arline expressed for him. “I always found it disappointing. And I love this fantasy world.”

“Magic is not meant for everyone because not everyone can achieve it.” Merrick smiled at her. “You believed in magic to the point of trusting it, not many people can do it.” He explained for her and then a memory sparked on his mind. “That is why you were always so careful with your power.” Arline only nodded for him.

“I was scared it could go away if I insisted too much… I still do.” She confessed a little bit ashamed. “Anyways, my favorite thing was riding a dragon for the first time.” Arline sighed and stretched her body.

She had been wearing a silk gown in a royal blue shade, embroidered with golden thread, on Merrick’s request to keep her comfortable while she briefly stayed on the castle. Her wavy, dark hair was loose over her shoulders and not once the King looked away from her, absolutely stupefied by her beauty.

“Your beauty always manages to make me improperly stare.” He said to her as she paced the room, making her come to a sudden stop. Arline stepped in front of him and decided to seat on his lap, gently placing her weight on him. The King smiled at the audacity of the Heir of Depths and put her closer to him by the waist. “That would be improper for some people.” He whispered in her ear.

“Should I get up?”

“Don’t you dare.” It was the first time they were entirely alone, and this time Arline was who kissed him.

But a knock on the door broke them apart. “Come in.” The King called and the opened door revealed the scary seamstress with greenish skin and extremely long and flexible fingers that made every dress in the castle.

“Good afternoon Sorisana.” The King greeted the woman.

“Good afternoon, your Majesty.” Sorisana made a reverence, saying his title with respect and admiration. “Good afternoon to you too, m’lady.” She bowed her head for Arline as well.

“You may begin.” Merrick used a tone that sounded like he was allowing the seamstress to touch Arline.

“Please dear, step on the stool.” She said and a wooden stool appeared in front of the mirror and Arline stood in front of Merrick, who was admiring her. And in front of Sorisana, who was checking her previous measurements and shaking her head as if something was wrong as she quickly scanned her.

Sorisana stayed silent as she took some notes on a piece of parchment and then spoke. “Considering the title, I would dare to use red?” And as she mentioned the color, different shades of fabric floated next to her face, testing the right tone for her skin.“And a corset.”

Arline only nodded, being more focused on which tone of red could leave her less pale and could hide the blood better.

“M’lady… may I dare to say you have thinned since our last encounter?” Sorisana sounded a little worried as she asked the question. As is of common knowledge the thinner the woman, the more unhealthy she was.

Arline was aware that she had lost some weight since the last time she had a dress tailored and Merrick noticed, which sometimes worried him, considering she trained too much and ate too little.

“It is very possible, I am recovering from expeditions and some illnesses I have experienced.” She said gracefully but the tailor narrowed her eyes, because Sorisana knew it was partially a lie and partially the truth.

“Temporary beauty is not worth the sacrifice of such abilities of yours.” Sorisana only spoke and Arline nodded silently, making her throat wobble. “The dress will be ready for the event, your Majesty.”

Both thanked her with a friendly smile, and then she left leaving them in company of each other. Merrick stood behind her in front of the mirror and kissed her ear softly as he whispered in it. “You are perfect Arline… but she is right.”

Arline turned around and only then she dimensioned how much taller Merrick was. He was wearing his usual black uniform coat, perfectly pressed and buttoned. She didn’t look at him and began playing with the golden buttons on his chest.

“I am far away from it. ” Arline said, still not looking at him and avoiding the thinning subject, but Merrick lifted her chin and hugged her waist.

“Stay the night.” He proposed while he kissed her forehead. “I will tell Casia to come up with something.”

“I have never heard such thing come out of your mouth.” Arline said with a surprised and fun tone in her voice. The King easily lifted her up and made her legs wrap around his torso. With that ease, he carried her to the bed where Merrick laid her on her back carefully.

Arline was laughing as Merrick kissed her lips and travelled all the way to her jaw, and then her neck. But Arline tried putting her thoughts in order and made him stop.

The King was above her and from his neck, a chain escaped from the coat. It had a ring that hanged as a charm and was dangling over her face. With only a quick look, Arline realized it was the Ring of Allies.

“It’s yours.” Merrick said. “Take it.” He invited her. Arline unclipped the chain from his neck and put the ring on the finger it belonged to.

They both stared at each other in silence while smiles slowly formed on their faces. Arline couldn’t handle him looking at her with his dark eyes and soft gaze, so she grabbed Merrick fromthe back of his neck and kissed him. And he kissed her. As many times as they wanted, to compensate how much time they had spent away, quarreling, doubting each other.

“I shouldn’t have done that.” Arline said after a kiss. “You are convincing me to stay.” She laughed.

“How much more do I have to kiss you to accomplish it?” Merrick brushed his lips on her neck. Arline knew what he was doing and how he was feeling. Merrick wanted her. The King already owned the Heir’s heart, but now he wanted her body.

“I thought the King was supposed to touch only the woman to be Queen.” Arline was nervous. She knew Merrick was extremely well trained with women, he just never cared enough to be with many of them. While, Arline had been with just a couple of very basic and disappointing attempts of men. That was why she wanted to slow him down. As we know, Arline wanted to avoid being involved in fields where she was inexperienced.

Merrick laughed at the mention of that tradition and sat down, caressing her thigh very carefully through the silk. “Do you think you are just someone to pass the time?” He asked her. “Because you are not.” Merrick eased her mind and tried making her body feel safe and relaxed. She raised and sat next to him, to look at him clearly. “Tell me what troubles you, my love.”

“I am just nervous, nothing more.” She confessed in a mumble, with a low tone in her voice. “I am not used to it.”

“To a man treating you like the goddess that you are?” Arline laughed, and he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “You choose if you stay, Arline.” Full control over her actions with no consequences. “I will invent the most ridiculous excuse if you choose to spend the night.”

“I don’t want to leave you.” The words spilled from her mouth before she could put a meaning to them. “You ended up being a bad influence.” She sighed once she realized what she had said.

He kissed her slowly, almost as if he wanted to regain her trust. Something he had never lost in the first place. “What will Lara think?”

“Lara needs to begin accepting the fact that our paths crossed, and we are now together.” As he said those words, Arline realized how complete she felt by his side. Not only the physical attraction and tension between both of them was present, but grew every time they entered a room. The feeling of safety and reassurance was something no other could ever give her, not the way Merrick did.

“Thank you, Merrick.” Arline managed to say to Merrick, who angled his head in confusion. “For crossing my path and staying in it despite everything. For not giving up on me, even with my stubbornness.” Her way with words was what made him fall in love with her, over and over again.

“What excuse should I give Lara?” He asked her with a cheeky tone, as Arline gently played with his curls.

“Something that doesn’t mean my death in the next training session.” Merrick laughed but got out of the chambers and returned just a few minutes later with a very accomplished look on his face.

“Do you mind if I treat you the way you deserve, Arline?” The King asked her as he purred each single word on her ear, making her skin to shiver and her stomach to drop. But Arline only looked into his eyes and nodded.