Queen of Blood

Arline was getting ready with the help of a pair of young maids who were delighted at the sight of her. And Myriam and Merrick right by her side. She was silently looking at her reflection.

“My love,” Merrick called for her sweetly and Arline snapped out of her trance. He sat next to her, holding her as the crown was being placed on top of her head.

“You are dream,” he whispered only for her to hear and kissed her cheek. And Merrick couldn’t stop imagining her with the crown of his kingdom on top of her head, wearing a white gown and the ring on her finger.

He offered his arm for her to take and guided her to the Throne Room. It was ivory white with the ceiling of a gilded shade that painted different figures on top of their heads. Her throne was built of pure ivory and was beautifully carved with patterns figures and creatures.

Merrick blended with the shadows and stood in silence. Trusting Myriam to keep her safe and contained.

While she was squatting in her dress in front of the throne, admiring it, se asked. “How opulent was he?”

“Very,” the rough voice of the smith echoed in the room, making her to stand up and approach the man. “Brendan Vernel, your Greatness. The smith of the Palace of Tides,” Brendan introduced himself as he knelt with amazing agility.

“It’s a pleasure to meet who crafted the crown,” Arline said, trying to sound calm.

“Your crown, your Greatness,” he clarified and kissed the back of her hand. “I must say I was surprised when you said you wanted to meet us,” the smith confessed. “He never bothered.”

“How cruel was he?” Arline asked after taking a quick glance back at the throne.

“I was his favorite,” Brendan said with a light chuckle. “The rest weren’t so lucky. If there is anything I could do for you, your Greatness, you shall just ask.”

“Thank you,” Arline grabbed his hands to his surprise and let her smile invade invade her face.

“You are different. Your humbleness and kindness are foreign to us, to this Fortress. It’s a nice change.”

“I hope the rest feel the same way,” Arline mumbled.

“They are excited. After Pelagius, you are the closest thing to a saint and they will treat you as such, your Greatness,”

Brendan sounded sure of his statement and he was. One after another, those who lived in the castle approached their goddess with the same nerves she had.

And quickly noticed how different she was to her predecessor.

As Merrick had said, they saw how gentle, kind and powerful she was. Arline talked with every woman, man and child there was in the Palace and listened to each single one of their stories.

By the end of the formality, Arline, Merrick and Myriam all sat in the dining hall and ate a large dinner displayed on the rock table.

“We can say it was a successful evening,” Myriam announced after swallowing a bite of beef.

“Thank you both, really,” Arline said. She was exhausted but unmeasurably happy with the result of that day.

Merrick only kissed her hand and Myriam smiled at them. The Dark Prince was beyond proud of her and admired every second of her long day, listening to every single one of her sweet words towards her people.

“I want to train,” Arline said suddenly, definitely taking both of them by surprise.

“Arline,” Merrick got worried. Whenever she had a sudden urge to train was because she needed to clear her head from some bad thoughts she might be having.

“Please, I love having you for myself but the energy is too much at this point and… I don’t want to get rusty with my training,” the goddess excused herself and smiled. “I promise you, I am fine.”

“Tomorrow,” Merrick smiled, lust invading his eyes and Arline nodded in excitement.

“The training dome is on the highest tower, your Greatness,” Myriam indicated with the same excitement as Arline to watch her train.

Merrick was sitting in the the tub when Arline appeared with a sheer, lilac robe. “Is it your mission to torture me, Arline?” He said looking at her up and down. “Come in.”

Arline’s smile grew as she undressed herself and jumped on the tub, laying her back against his chest.

“Are you sure you are fine, my love?” Merrick asked her and Arline nodded. His hands began traveling down her torso, softly touching her skin under the water and kissing her neck.

She gasped his name as he teased her. “My love…I don’t really want to right now,” she said whispering and Merrick stopped both at her request and the pet name, something he wasn’t used to with her. “I need better words than I love you.”

He hugged her as he faded his lustful intentions. “We do,” Merrick admitted.

She was up and running very early next morning. Every step of her routine was done with excitement. Arline braided her hair in a beautiful pattern she wasn’t sure how she was able to do. Had breakfast very quickly and Myriam guided them to the training dome.

That place reminded her of the Greenhouse back in Pozarite, with the tinted glass ceiling and the thousands of weapons and dummies. It was clear what room in the Fortress was Pelagius’ favorite.

Her Counselor sat near them as they both warmed up, followed by a couple of mermen that were part of her guard while she was there.

“What do you -” Merrick was about to finish asking when he heard an arrow impacting against the target. “Lara and Michaela would be proud,” he said as he saw how the arrow had pierced through the target entirely.

Myriam and her guard had a surprised look on their faces as they looked at what the Goddess had done. “I am a Huntress, Myriam,” Arline let her know proudly. “His fault.”

“Oh right, I made you part of the Order,” he jokingly said turning around and Arline tried surprising him with her powers but he was quicker and knew her way of teasing. “After you finish pining arrows into the wall, we will train your powers,” Merrick said and kissed her neck, giving her an incentive to finish her warmup.

Training her powers was an entirely different thing now. If she was powerful before, now it was ridiculous. In the past, it took her some work to master certain parts of her handling but now it was so easy it seemed almost as a joke. But even with her god-like powers, Merrick continued to be her biggest competition.

Once again, he won a duel against her and placed himself on top of her. “Just like the good old days, my love,” he approached his lips to hers, breathing on them.

With a quick maneuver of her body, she managed to end up on top of him and mocked him. “You really need a different way to put me down,” happiness leaked through every pore of her skin.

To tire her down, they kept themselves occupied. By day, in between the swords and by night, in between the sheets. That was until one morning she woke up, filled with energy.

She let the Dark Prince rest while she had breakfast on the dining table, wearing a sleeping gown and her messy hair. Myriam was by her side and read her some papers.

“Myriam, I believe my powers have settled,” Arline said and her Counselor gave her a wide smile of relief. Relief to know she was meant to be their Goddess of Tides and care for them.

“Your Greatness, I know you are divided between the waters and dry land,” Myriam began. “The Fortress is your home and refuge, and we are at your service whenever you need.”

Arline grabbed her hands tightly and looked into her eyes. “Thank you.”

“I very much doubt his Greatness will agree to leave you,” Myriam adventured and Arline laughed.

“I want to know everything that happens at the sea,” Arline mentioned for her.

“We can begin a monthly report,” Myriam suggested and Arline nodded. “Sent by the hippocampi, impossible to track.”

While Myriam began preparing what their next months were to be about, Arline was finishing a plate of eggs and Merrick came into the dining room. Wearing an unbuttoned jacket that showed part of his torso.

He kissed her insight and sat down to eat right by her side. “Good morning, my love.”

“Good morning, my love,” she replied tenderly as she grabbed his hand. “What did you do to your hair?” Arline asked as she looked in awe at his very defined curls that were all ruffled up.

“This is your doing. You play with them too much.”

“I like it,” she said and a wave of heat went down her body at the sight of him looking so relaxed and normal. “I… think my powers settled.”

He swallowed a piece of fruit and moved his chair to face her. Merrick looked at her and sighed with a smile. “A shame. I wanted to stay for a little bit longer,” he mentioned and the God of Light and Shadow kissed his Goddess of Tides. “I hope you don’t hate me for taking Arline away, Myriam.”

“Not at all, your Greatness. We understand but in case of distress, the waters and this Fortress will always be a home for both of you.”

Her people gathered in the hall the next morning and she said her good bye to everyone. Both of them were escorted by her mermen to the door, where Zeydar and Aska were waiting for them to fly them back home. To Reiska.

They arrived in the middle of the afternoon into the Ptelea cave where they were received by Cadel, Michaela and Aidan. Arline almost jumped from Zeydar’s back as soon as she landed and threw herself into the arms of her friends.

“You made it,” Michaela hugged her tightly and jumped in synchrony with her friend.

“And you are a fucking idiot,” Aidan punched Merrick’s arm but the King only pulled his best friend in a hug.

“I did what you asked and Aidan almost killed me,” Calix informed the king. “You look…healthy,” he said to his friend after he scanned her and Arline only chuckled.

They went back to the castle with quick steps, where Cadel and the Elders were waiting for them. And to the distaste of the older me, they had to bow for Arline.

When Arline and Merrick saw Lara, both run to her encounter. And Cadel almost crushed their bodies when he did. “You two are out of your minds,” the former King reprimanded them but hugged them once again.

They could only laugh at his worry but Aidan already began talking. “First, congratulations Arline,” he bowed his head and she thanked him. “Second, we can’t have you living like a commoner as you are Goddess now. You have to stay.”

“I have no trouble staying in the House of the Order, Aidan. Keep the Elders at peace,” she ensured him, standing by Lara’s side who was smiling widely and hugging her.

Merrick allowed her to choose where to stay, no matter what the Elders might say.

And she chose to stay with her sisters.

Her decision made Merrick anxious, only because he wanted her by her side after this days of literally living within each other’s skin. But he accepted whatever she wanted to do.

And so on, Arline went back to the House of the Order, where her sisters celebrated with a large dinner her comeback from her biggest quest.