CELESTIA (Unicorn Blessed Chronicles Book 4) Page 4

  For him to show those sad eyes to me and be unable to hug me right away, made me wonder how his people were feeling.

  Worried? Concerned?

  I didn't want them feeling afraid for their own safety. That wasn't fair to them. The people needed to understand this, yet their own selfish reasons were getting in the way.

  This was a principle followed for centuries, and I didn't want to be the one to break it. But I wouldn't deny that I was struggling, the draining meetings and constant eruptions of fights across the kingdoms were taking a toll on me.

  Not to mention the other Princes. They were receiving just as much hate as I was, and their exhaustion only drained me more.

  "You're not well," he mumbled into my shoulder.

  I smiled at his concern. As much as they didn't want to admit it, the Princes of Darkness and Light were very similar.

  They both shared that ability to tell if something was wrong with an individual internally. It was pretty handy, but I didn't want him worrying about me.

  "I'm tired," I replied and pulled back to look into his dark eyes that still harbored a level of sadness. "It's been a long day, but don't worry. I'll be fine once I've rested."

  "You've been going at this all month." He continued, not wanting to let the topic go.

  "I'll go at it for years if I have to. I just have to be strong and not let them win." I sighed. "I'm so sorry that all of this is happening. It's getting ridiculous."

  "You shouldn't be the one to apologize for my people's suffering, my Queen," he whispered.

  "Lucian," I begged, my gaze locking with his. He didn't know how much my heart ached.

  I didn't know how to solve this. I was left in a conflicted situation and couldn't choose which side to stand on.

  I’m unsure on how much longer I can take all of this.

  "You should just let them have their way," he mumbled.

  "I will not," I vowed, a hint of my anger coming through my weak voice, which caught Lucian's attention.

  "Why are you angry?"

  "This shouldn't be happening, Lucian. Hundreds of years have passed and our ancestors have all done the same thing. We've ruled in harmony with all the elements! Even back in the ancient times when men ruled and had a woman who represented each element. Why is it now, that people want to rebel against Mother Nature? She is the decider of all of this and the reason we have air to breathe or ground to walk on. This revolution they're trying to bring upon us will just ruin generations to come! Now they want a Council and not a ruler. Why is this all happening now? Mother can only do so much, but if this whole Council thing goes as these men are planning it to go, all those of Dark nature will be cast out."

  "That… isn't true."

  "It is. I've dreamed of this for months, and I've never gone wrong with my prophecies. I was bestowed this position to aid you all. To make sure the elements remain united. If this continues, all I can see is war, and that's not fair. Why because of one's looks are they being bullied? Why because one is different, are they fine with criticizing them and making them feel horrible about themselves when all of us are created with purpose?!"

  The sound of a glass cracking caught our attention, and we turned to see the glass of water that was still filled begin to drip down onto the table through the cracks.

  I groaned and ruffled my blonde locks.

  "I'm just done with all of this, but I can't stop fighting. I can't let them make you or your people outcast. I love you, dammit! You are one of my husbands who's shown them mercy plenty of times! You've defended their people when they needed aid against monsters, and it just pisses me off that they're now mistaking those creatures for your people! The difference is obvious! Why can't they see that...?" I was battling the tears that threatened to fall and sighed.

  "I'm exhausted, Lucian. None of you deserve this. I'll try to make a trip to your kingdom this coming week and have a talk with your people. I won't let them turn you into outcasts. You deserve to be on the surface like everyone else. Why send you elsewhere? In fact, where will you even go?" A sob escaped me then and I hung my head. "I just want all of us to be happy like before. To live in harmony and focus on lifting each other up, not bringing one another down. If I let this happen… if they think it's okay to push aside one entire race for their own comfort, they'll do it again to others. Soon, rare creatures like unicorns and pegasi and other mythological creatures will be outcasted for their unique differences and lack of numbers."

  I took a few breaths as more tears rolled down my cheeks.

  "Then all that will be left is specific races that are great in numbers. They will begin to segregate themselves into nations and start to fight one another for land and territory until more wars come to fruition and in the end? One race will remain and when they have no one else to fight against, they'll fight one another, until one shifter is standing and the world as we know it will be lost."

  "My Queen," Lucian whispered.

  I lifted my sad eyes to meet his.

  "I've seen it, Lucian. I say nothing because I don't want to worry you, but if this carries on… there will be nothing left. Better yet, Mother Nature won't allow it to reach that far. She'd rather be the cause of catastrophes and let the corruption rain upon her lands than watch the shifters she created fight one another. Kill one another. Those creatures that appear like black sludge are not Darkness. They are a test to see what we will do, and after all the years that have passed, our generation is falling for it. We're losing this test and I've yet to figure out how to show the difference between them. If I give them a name… call them Forsaken, in time, they'll just plaster that term to your people, and again, you'll be nothing but a target. I… can't."

  Lucian took a step forward and wrapped his arms around me, allowing me to sob into his chest.

  "I'm trying… so hard. I haven't slept for days on end, and the little sleep I do get is plagued by dreams of the future. I'm lost Lucian, but I won't let them win. I can't. I just… have to be strong. I must..." I trailed off, trying to finish my speech but felt so exhausted I couldn't keep standing.

  I felt Lucian's arms tighten around my waist. "Sia?"

  The sound of my name only seemed to relax me, and I heard a soft sigh.

  "You work yourself far too hard for someone like me."

  I felt myself being lifted up, and I desperately wanted to reply, but I just couldn't. I'd worked myself past my limit and my body was telling me it needed to recharge.

  I heard the doors open accompanied by two gasps.

  "Prince of Darkness, good morning!"

  The guards knew that Prince of Darkness showed up whenever he pleased, enough times that they weren't surprised by his random drop-ins.

  "Morning. The Queen is exhausted. I'll be putting her to bed. Ensure all meetings are rescheduled to the afternoon. If she doesn't get enough rest, she'll fall ill. If anyone has a problem with it, they can speak to me directly. I won't be leaving her side until she's gotten enough rest for her body to function normally. Understood?"

  "Yes, Sir!" they replied.

  The swaying motion returned, and I listened to the gentle footsteps that I knew were Lucian’s.

  How can he show compassion to those who hate him so? They look at him as an evil creature, yet his heart is full of love and compassion. Why can't they see it? Why are they blinded by the appearances of his people and unable to see their true nature? To see the purity in their souls. Why?

  Lucian lowered me to the bed, and I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn't. Something soft pressed against my lips, and I wished I was strong enough to kiss those loving lips back.

  Does Lucian realize that no matter what the others say, I still love him?

  "Rest, my Blessed Love. They cannot accept what they won't allow themselves to understand… and… that's okay. I won't risk your health for them. Please, sleep. We will figure something out for the best… as long as I can still be by your side. As long as you love me like you do every day."

&n
bsp; A tear streamed down my face, making me realize I was crying, but I couldn't fight the darkness any longer.

  I love you, Lucian. I hope you know that.

  Who knew if he heard my thoughts or not, but before my mind accepted the plague of darkness, something brushed my cheek and I heard him whisper.

  "I love you, my Queen. As long as you're with me, I won't allow them to taint my vision of this world."

  "BiBo."

  "Momo, stop poking her cheek. She's going to wake up," Odion mumbled.

  "Bi… Bo?"

  Odion sighed. "I don't know if she likes being poked when she's asleep."

  "BiBiBiBi."

  "You really don't need to start singing," Odion grumbled.

  "BI!"

  "No. Don't start jumping on the bed. Celestia's still asleep."

  I rolled over to sleep on my left side. "Five more minutes," I mumbled.

  The room was quiet, and I heard Odion sigh. "See, Momo. You're disturbing her."

  "BiBo." I felt something crawl onto my right side, and I slowly opened my eyes to see spiral eyes staring at me from an upside-down glance. "Bi… Bo."

  I just stared at the doll, wondering where it had come from.

  Maybe I'm dreaming still.

  "Momo. You're going to freak her out like that if she wakes up."

  "Bo?!" Momo replied and lost her balance, falling over and landing next to my body on the bed. I gave her a smile when she hesitantly glanced my way.

  "Are you always this hyper in the morning?" I wondered.

  "BiBo." She snuggled next to me, rubbing her face against my chest. "BiBiBiBi."

  I smiled down at her and noticed Odion at the end of the bed. He wore a simple grey shirt and black pants.

  "Sorry, Celestia. She's hyper when she first wakes up."

  "It's okay. Morning, Odion. Uh… it's morning, right?" I wondered, wishing there was a clock in the room.

  "It's mid-afternoon on the light side. It's kinda always night here. Or well… dark," Odion explained.

  I nodded in understanding and decided I should get up. Holding Momo to my chest, I sat up and placed her in my lap. Once I knew she wouldn't fall, I outstretched my arms and sighed.

  "Wow. I feel much better," I admitted. "How long have I been asleep?"

  "Since we last spoke? I think three days," Odion casually replied.

  I stared at him blankly before my eyes grew wide. "THREE DAYS?"

  "BIBO!" Momo replied, lifting her hands in excitement.

  I looked down at her and she stared up at me happily. I glanced at Odion who sported an amused grin on his lips.

  "Momo thinks you're playing a screaming game. To answer your question, yes. It's been three days since you first woke up. In total it's been two and a half weeks since you arrived in the Dark World."

  "Two and a half weeks?!"

  "BIBO!"

  I glanced back down at Momo and sighed.

  "I'm not actually playing a game, but I’m glad you're having fun," I admitted and began to stroke her head.

  She started to sing quietly now, and I returned to the current dilemma.

  That means I've been gone for almost three weeks? The guys are going to freak the fuck out. Oh no, Arielle! She's going to think I died or something. What about Mother? My dads? Everyone is going to freak.

  "They know you're still alive," Odion announced, and I gave him a confused look.

  "What do you mean they know? How?" I questioned.

  Odion shrugged. "They just do."

  A quiet giggle came from the doorway and we turned to see Esme with a black tray of food.

  The scent of coffee tickled my nose, making me forget my question for a few seconds as I stared at the black mug with anticipation.

  My precious.

  Odion sighed and shook his head. "You have a serious addiction to coffee."

  "I do not." I pouted my lips and Esme walked over to the left side of the bed where Odion was sitting.

  I lifted Momo off my lap to make space for the tray, crossing my legs and sitting up a bit straighter before lowering Momo onto my crossed legs.

  She reached out for some grapes and Odion raised an eyebrow at her. "Momo."

  "BiBo?" She paused and lifted her head to look at me innocently.

  I grinned and nodded my head. "It's okay Momo. I'm gonna drink my coffee first before eating. You can have some."

  "Bibooooo!" she squealed and wiggled in my lap before she returned to the bowl of grapes and began to nitpick on which ones she wanted.

  "You're spoiling her," Odion said quietly, and Esme laughed.

  "From the one who spoils Momo more than any creature in all the realms."

  Odion blushed and fidgeted with his hands. "Hmph."

  "Aww. Now he's all pouty," Esme teased. I watched the two of them as Esme continued to bother Odion who remained silent.

  What did she say before I fell asleep? Argh, coffee will help.

  I reached out for the mug of coffee and picked it up, bringing it up to my nose to get a better whiff of the freshly brewed masterpiece.

  "Thank you, Esme." I gave her a big smile and took a tentative sip of the light brown liquid.

  Once the taste hit my tongue, assuring me my three sugars and cream was evident, I focused my attention on drinking it, knowing in the back of my mind I'd need to be fully awake for the approaching conversation.

  There was a lot that needed to be discussed, and that would go in the general order of knowing what the Dark World was, what had happened to me while I was unconscious, why only Odion, his familiar Momo, and Esme stay, and hopefully by then, I'd recall what was said before I'd fallen asleep.

  I also need to know if the others are okay.

  When I finished my cup of coffee, I began to nibble on the plate of food with various selections of bread, dairy, and fruit.

  I didn't feel very hungry, but if I'd been unconscious for so long, I didn't want to deal with hunger pains in the middle of our conversation.

  I glanced at Odion, who somewhere during the expanse of time I was drinking my coffee, had gotten his fidget spinner and was staring at it with a blank expression.

  Esme had moved from where she previously stood to the wall right next to the window.

  She wore another black dress, but it had hints of white which included the buttons that ran down the middle of the bottom half.

  Glancing down at my clothes, I now noticed I wore just a black t-shirt and shorts. I had no idea where they’d come from, but they fit me perfectly, which was a little intriguing.

  Momo continued to sing when she wasn't nibbling on grapes, and after I fed her a piece of marble cheese, she began to take bits of my cheese.

  I could tell that Momo wasn't a fully developed familiar. She was still a child, which left me curious as to why.

  If she'd been here before Odion, Momo would be 27 years old, or even older if you counted the time before she landed in the Dark World.

  She'd act more like Arielle, even in her familiar form. Just because she looked like a rag doll, didn't mean she'd always have a kid-like mentality, and that's what left me curious.

  After a few more servings of cheese, I stopped and relaxed against the pillow Esme had repositioned for me when I was feeding Momo.

  "Is that enough food?" Odion asked.

  "Yup. I'm not very hungry. This is perfectly fine for now," I assured him. "Thank you for taking care of me."

  "Charlotte raised you well." Esme looked impressed with me, which left me more confused as to who she was.

  She appeared older, definitely older than Miona and even my mom, but her skin was still smooth with no wrinkles, making it impossible for me to figure out her age.

  Shifters survived a lot longer than the average human lifespan; some could live for many centuries like how they portrayed vampires as being immortal, but my gut was telling me a few centuries was too little in Esme's case.

  "How do you know about my mom? Actually, let's start this from the beg
inning. What is the Dark World and why did it take me two weeks to wake up? I kinda remember what happened. I mean… bits of it. I had to do my Awakening Ceremony, and I remember us being at the entrance of the waterfall… then blank… blank… I felt really cold… then hot… hmm. I think I had wings? That could be my imagination though," I elaborated.

  "You did have wings," Odion clarified. "When you gained the rest of your power, you had really bright rainbow wings."

  "Rainbow… wings? What does that mean?" I questioned hesitantly, noticing the hint of apprehensiveness in Odion's facial expression.

  Even if I hadn't known him for very long, he was easy to read thanks to my time with his brother. He glanced over to Esme as if needing her silent permission to tell me and she gave him a nod.

  "When a unicorn shifter obtains rainbow wings, it means they are blessed by Mother Nature herself to be the next ruler of the sacred lands, which is the forest that’s outside of Aslan. The designation as ruler entitles you power over the entire dimension. It's currently the High Council’s position." Odion explained.

  "BiBi...BO?" Momo turned in my lap and stood up, trying to reach for my back like she was looking for something.

  Odion rolled his eyes. "She doesn't have her wings out, Momo."

  "Bo..." Momo looked back at him as if she was giving him an evil glare and he sighed.

  "Alright, you can search as long as you want. Don't cry to me later."

  I ran my hand down Momo's head to get her attention and she looked up at me with curious swirling eyes. "Bi?"

  "We're indoors, Momo. I can't take my wings out, even if I wanted to. Maybe when we go outside, I'll try, and you can see them, okay?" I reasoned.

  "BiBo!" She jumped up and down in agreement and returned back to sitting in my lap. Once she was comfortable and quietly entertaining herself with the remainder of the food on the tray, I turned my attention to Esme and Odion.

  "So, let me get this straight. After my Awakening Ceremony, I obtained rainbow wings? Doesn't that make me NOT a unicorn anymore but an alicorn? Also, that means I'm Queen?! And the High Council is in the current position of ruling when it’s supposed to be one individual? Hmm, this is going all over the place." I felt as if the conversation was going back and forth just like when I'd woken up the first time.